Ralph this was excellent and so very important to understand. Here is my short story: I was a broadcast engineer at an AM station in Boston. (You can guess where this is going LOL). Adjacent to the twin towers was a new building being built. Our towers were in a salt water marsh, as all good AM sticks should be! The building went up and the people moved into their apartments. Shortly thereafter, the occupants started "hearing voices" in the night. Turns out that the aluminum studs used on the walls were tied together by mechanical support wire (perhaps galvanized), that was not of the same material. As the salt air started the microscopic corrosion between those surfaces, the sheetrock went up and nobody realized the problem that was about to ensue. The building was right in the main lobe of our AM DA with 5Kw at 590Khz. We all had a good laugh over that one, but the occupants and the building owner had a sad time with their GIANT CRYSTAL RADIO. I think they had to pull off the sheetrock and either replace the support wire or perhaps spray it with something, I'm not sure what the final outcome was. Yes, there were other stories of people who lived nearby another station in Boston, this time in the middle of the dial at 50,000 watts, also a DA. Those neighbors often heard the station as it was rectified by the fixtures in their toilet tanks! LOL. Can you imagine sitting on the throne and hearing the news? Thank you Ralph for teaching and sharing what you know. You have consistently outstanding content, always focused on the topic and no unboxing for promotional consideration. 😉 73 OM
🤣 Now THAT is hilarious! The haunted building ... hearing voices from inside the walls! LOL I'm glad you found the video helpful! Hopefully it will be a stop gap to potential bad choices. Thanks for the encouragement ... and entertainment! 🙂
Thanks again! This was a very helpful explanation of this effect. Since there was not enough copper in East German times we must use Aluminium cables for house installations with all the effects you explained. It was a nightmare! Not only the corrosion but the inflexibility of the cables and the breaking during installation!
You are welcome! I knew they tried it in the states for a short time. Even now, there is copper coated aluminum wire that I have encountered which, if you accidentally scrape off the VERY thin copper coating, won't solder at all. 🙂
Great video that not only explains but empowers the viewer to take this problem under his control and to fully understand what he is doing! Thank you, Ralph! 73… 😀
It seems worth pointing out that nickel and tin don't necessarily look that different as platings. I would think that some of those RCA jacks on things might be nickel-plated and not tin plated, but I don't really know what's what their specifically. In any case, it looks like on that table that nickel and gold are far better matches than gold and tin with each other. I don't think there are a huge amount of tin-plated audio jacks for putting on cables, but there definitely a lot of nickel options that are good. It does look like nickel would be moderately more compatible with tin jacks then the gold ones though.
Ya know ... in times past these were tin plated. I see now, as I look at DigiKey, they have Gold and Nickel plated; I don't see any tin plated ones. Yes, Gold with Nickel are within the green region, but with a 300 ... just within the green region. Yes, Gold and Nickel are FAR better matches than Gold and Tin. :-)
I've rmember reading somewhere that oil pipelines and other large infrastructure will apply a voltage to areas with galvanic risk to neutralize the corrosive interface as well.
Yes, yes ... I am remembering this, too (now). While this wouldn't work for connectors inside an electronic device, it would be feasible to work in those kind of instances. It really is a pretty cool idea! :-)
I kind of agree with you with a couple of caveats. The choice of connectors is always application specific. Additionally, not every connector is even available with gold as a contact plating option. I agree, mating cycles is a major consideration but only when there is some expectation that a connector is going to be subject to repeated mating cycles. When we consider the majority of applications for connectors of various types, they are "connect and forget applications". Mating cycle ratings in these applications become a non-issue. When we look at rated mating cycles for connectors ... I mean when we actually look at them ... it is amazing to us how low (or non-existent) most of the numbers actually are. As a product design engineer, I have gone through this search many times and ... well, let me just say that it was disappointing. Can you believe that some of the most expensive connectors I have looked at (some of them mil-spec) were only rated for 500 mating cycles?🤨 The worst of it is ... many, many do not tell you what they can do. This includes some of the ever present USB connectors that are everywhere!🙂
What do you think is the most effective method for connecting a copper ground strap to a galvanized antenna tower? Zinc tends to react poorly with most metals, so I've always relied on NOALOX paste for this purpose.
I have no idea how I missed this comment/question. YT obviously doesn't notify me about every comment. :-/ Now *there* is a very good and practical question! I actually haven't thought much about it. I go to the electrical supply store and buy one of those clamps that is specifically designed to attach to a ground rod (www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/1000/c0/c0466da9-4238-46d3-a35d-202bd42d6544_1000.jpg) and use this. Instead of the ground rod, it is the tower leg. :-)
Now THAT'S cool! I hadn't heard of that stuff. I know that they have some material that electricians use when faced with aluminum/copper contact to avoid issues. 🙂
I imagine there is a way to actively reduce or prevent corrosion. I have used electrolysis to remove rust from iron based parts for restoring car parts.
This is an interesting idea. I suppose that this might be a possibility in some situations. But it is way simpler just to be careful to use the right two metals together. It is very easily done if we just pay attention to what we are doing. 🙂
EXCELLENT PRESENTATION!OUR OLD HOUSE BACK EAST HAD COMBINATION IRON AND,COPPER PLUMBING AND, WE HAD PIPES THAT BROKE BECAUSE OF THIS.PEOPLE BUY THESE MONSTER PATCHCORDS CABLES WITH GOLD PLATING BECAUSE THEY THINK CAN GET BETTER SOUND FROM THEIR HI FI STEREO SYSTEM ,WHICH WILL NOT MAKE ANY DIFERENCE IN SOUND QUALITY.
This is the ( main ) cause of festive LED light strings , put outdoors ... moisture creeps up the LED legs , made of plated steel .... the 3 Volts of each LED causes ( LOTS of BROWN RUST = 💩) ... and , then the homeowner has to buy new lights every year ... but , then it keeps the manufacturers ( in profit 😝? ) ... OMG ........ DAVE™🛑
Ralph this was excellent and so very important to understand.
Here is my short story: I was a broadcast engineer at an AM station in Boston. (You can guess where this is going LOL). Adjacent to the twin towers was a new building being built. Our towers were in a salt water marsh, as all good AM sticks should be! The building went up and the people moved into their apartments. Shortly thereafter, the occupants started "hearing voices" in the night. Turns out that the aluminum studs used on the walls were tied together by mechanical support wire (perhaps galvanized), that was not of the same material. As the salt air started the microscopic corrosion between those surfaces, the sheetrock went up and nobody realized the problem that was about to ensue. The building was right in the main lobe of our AM DA with 5Kw at 590Khz. We all had a good laugh over that one, but the occupants and the building owner had a sad time with their GIANT CRYSTAL RADIO. I think they had to pull off the sheetrock and either replace the support wire or perhaps spray it with something, I'm not sure what the final outcome was. Yes, there were other stories of people who lived nearby another station in Boston, this time in the middle of the dial at 50,000 watts, also a DA. Those neighbors often heard the station as it was rectified by the fixtures in their toilet tanks! LOL. Can you imagine sitting on the throne and hearing the news? Thank you Ralph for teaching and sharing what you know. You have consistently outstanding content, always focused on the topic and no unboxing for promotional consideration. 😉 73 OM
🤣 Now THAT is hilarious! The haunted building ... hearing voices from inside the walls! LOL I'm glad you found the video helpful! Hopefully it will be a stop gap to potential bad choices. Thanks for the encouragement ... and entertainment! 🙂
Excellent coverage of an often ignored topic. Thank you!
Thank you! And, you are right, often ignored topic and yet SO important! 🙂
A really useful table to have on hand - many thanks!
You are very welcome! 🙂
Thanks again! This was a very helpful explanation of this effect. Since there was not enough copper in East German times we must use Aluminium cables for house installations with all the effects you explained. It was a nightmare! Not only the corrosion but the inflexibility of the cables and the breaking during installation!
You are welcome! I knew they tried it in the states for a short time. Even now, there is copper coated aluminum wire that I have encountered which, if you accidentally scrape off the VERY thin copper coating, won't solder at all. 🙂
Thank you! Fascinating topic and as always, expertly delivered content. God Bless you!
You are very welcome ... and thanks! 🙂
Another excellent video Ralph. Thank you.
Thanks, man! 🙂
Great video that not only explains but empowers the viewer to take this problem under his control and to fully understand what he is doing!
Thank you, Ralph!
73… 😀
That is exactly my aim! 🙂You are very welcome!😁
Thanks for the table. Our tech school teacher promised but never delivered.
At first I was thinking the kind of table with four legs. Then I remembered! LOL 😀Been there! I'm glad that the table is a blessing! 🙂
@@eie_for_you It is like politicians making a post. You think they had made a concrete promise but they end up being a turtle on top of a fence post.
@@LawpickingLocksmith Love this phase! "they end up being a turtle on top of a fence post."😅
We just have to make sure we don't do that, too. 🙂
Great advice! Thanks and take care.
Thanks, man! 🙂
very informative.
I am so glad that you found this helpful! Thank you! :-)
Most useful and very important to know. Thanks Ralph. GI8WFA.
You are welcome! It's so easy to make this mistake. 🙂
It seems worth pointing out that nickel and tin don't necessarily look that different as platings. I would think that some of those RCA jacks on things might be nickel-plated and not tin plated, but I don't really know what's what their specifically.
In any case, it looks like on that table that nickel and gold are far better matches than gold and tin with each other. I don't think there are a huge amount of tin-plated audio jacks for putting on cables, but there definitely a lot of nickel options that are good. It does look like nickel would be moderately more compatible with tin jacks then the gold ones though.
Ya know ... in times past these were tin plated. I see now, as I look at DigiKey, they have Gold and Nickel plated; I don't see any tin plated ones. Yes, Gold with Nickel are within the green region, but with a 300 ... just within the green region. Yes, Gold and Nickel are FAR better matches than Gold and Tin. :-)
👍Thank you sir.
You are welcome. :-)
I've rmember reading somewhere that oil pipelines and other large infrastructure will apply a voltage to areas with galvanic risk to neutralize the corrosive interface as well.
Yes, yes ... I am remembering this, too (now). While this wouldn't work for connectors inside an electronic device, it would be feasible to work in those kind of instances. It really is a pretty cool idea! :-)
Gold is very similar to Gold. Done, always use gold connectors and pins! Now on to the thickness and how many insertions can it be used.
I kind of agree with you with a couple of caveats.
The choice of connectors is always application specific.
Additionally, not every connector is even available with gold as a contact plating option.
I agree, mating cycles is a major consideration but only when there is some expectation that a connector is going to be subject to repeated mating cycles. When we consider the majority of applications for connectors of various types, they are "connect and forget applications". Mating cycle ratings in these applications become a non-issue.
When we look at rated mating cycles for connectors ... I mean when we actually look at them ... it is amazing to us how low (or non-existent) most of the numbers actually are.
As a product design engineer, I have gone through this search many times and ... well, let me just say that it was disappointing. Can you believe that some of the most expensive connectors I have looked at (some of them mil-spec) were only rated for 500 mating cycles?🤨
The worst of it is ... many, many do not tell you what they can do. This includes some of the ever present USB connectors that are everywhere!🙂
What do you think is the most effective method for connecting a copper ground strap to a galvanized antenna tower? Zinc tends to react poorly with most metals, so I've always relied on NOALOX paste for this purpose.
I have no idea how I missed this comment/question. YT obviously doesn't notify me about every comment. :-/
Now *there* is a very good and practical question! I actually haven't thought much about it. I go to the electrical supply store and buy one of those clamps that is specifically designed to attach to a ground rod (www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/1000/c0/c0466da9-4238-46d3-a35d-202bd42d6544_1000.jpg) and use this. Instead of the ground rod, it is the tower leg. :-)
When using steel bolts in aluminium airframes you can get this... They use a yellow insulating goo called Duralac.
Now THAT'S cool! I hadn't heard of that stuff. I know that they have some material that electricians use when faced with aluminum/copper contact to avoid issues. 🙂
This is an issue on aircraft. Using the wrong type of bolt can cause damage to the structure of an airplane.
I am remembering that from comments of my fellow airman from when I was in the USAF. It seems that this also applied to rivets they would use. 🙂
I imagine there is a way to actively reduce or prevent corrosion. I have used electrolysis to remove rust from iron based parts for restoring car parts.
This is an interesting idea. I suppose that this might be a possibility in some situations. But it is way simpler just to be careful to use the right two metals together. It is very easily done if we just pay attention to what we are doing. 🙂
EXCELLENT PRESENTATION!OUR OLD HOUSE BACK EAST HAD COMBINATION IRON AND,COPPER PLUMBING AND, WE HAD PIPES THAT BROKE BECAUSE OF THIS.PEOPLE BUY THESE MONSTER PATCHCORDS CABLES WITH GOLD PLATING BECAUSE THEY THINK CAN GET BETTER SOUND FROM THEIR HI FI STEREO SYSTEM ,WHICH WILL NOT MAKE ANY DIFERENCE IN SOUND QUALITY.
Thank you! Yeah, the lack of understanding about this topic has caused issues in a LOT of places! 🙂
but hey free capacitor and or diode
WOW! How did I miss *this* comment! :-/ "Free capacitor and/or diode" ,,,LOL! :-)
This is the ( main ) cause of festive LED light strings , put outdoors ... moisture creeps up the LED legs , made of plated steel .... the 3 Volts of each LED causes ( LOTS of BROWN RUST = 💩) ... and , then the homeowner has to buy new lights every year ... but , then it keeps the manufacturers ( in profit 😝? ) ... OMG ........ DAVE™🛑
😲