Ham Radio Grounding Solutions and Considerations

Do It Yourself, Lightning Protection, Tower and Antenna Grounding Comments Off
Nov 132011
Editor’s Note: Storm Copper has an eclectic staff with many and varied interests as well as specialty fields of expertise. When a customer’s question arises concerning Ham Radios, we call upon our own Tracy Carter who not only operates a Ham Shack; he repairs his own equipment as well.

By Tracy Carter

When he's not tending to the needs of the Storm Copper websites Tracy Carter sits in his "Ham Shack" and dials up his receiver for an evening of conversation with his many ham radio friends.

Storm Copper is one of the leading manufacturers of copper grounding components and solutions in the U.S., so we receive many calls and emails each week asking about grounding electronics in the home as well as large and small businesses. One of the most common questions we receive is related to Ham Radios and their prerequisite antennas that protrude skyward in much the same manner as a lightning rod.

Unfortunately, for many, the reason for the call is their antenna has already done an effective impression of a lightning rod. Lacking a proper grounding system at the time of the incident, customers often find themselves in the salvage and recovery mode and are looking for information on the proper way to prevent a second experience surrounded by the smell of burned circuit boards.

While there is no way to totally protect electronics from a direct strike, the good news is that a megawatt strike is a fairly rare occurrence. The goal of careful hams should be to think maximize and minimize. A good grounding system will maximize your gear’s protection and minimize your exposure and resultant risk.

One important thing to remember is to forget an old saw from “supposed experts” who often disparage newcomers to the hobby by telling them “That’s just overkill”. In my opinion you can never overkill a grounding system.

Here are the steps to properly grounding your Ham station:

1.You will first need a ground bar near your equipment that is large enough to handle the brunt of a surge. “I will say not IF it happens but WHEN it happens.” Always run individual ground wire(s) or braid(s) from each piece of equipment (radio, amp, power supply etc.) to the ground bar, never daisy chain a ground. Your coaxial cable has already introduced enough inductive reactance into the puzzle we sure don’t need more!

2.Next, let’s talk about RF (radio-frequency) Grounding a bit. An important element of a total grounding profile requires proper RF grounding. A recent question from a fellow ham radio operator who was setting up a radio station on the second floor of his home, raised a subject that can be confusing. He was looking at our ham radio grounding kit as well as 4 gauge solid copper wire. He stated 28.900 MHz would be the highest frequency he would be using normally and stated the quarter wave length was approximately 17 feet. He maintained that shortest length that he could get would be approximately 30 feet, and was looking for suggestions.

His miscalculation was not unusual. He was referring to RF grounding on 10 meters, mid-band frequency of 29.000 MHz the quarter wave would be 8.06 feet. For RF he only needed to calculate the feed wire, not both legs. So that will cut the total length to 17′, or basically in half.

The rule of thumb is to use quarter wave length of the highest HF frequency used to plain an RF ground system. The formula to calculate quarter wave is (234/MHz = feet of wire). So, if you are going to operate on 10 meters let’s say center band at 29.000 MHz, the formula gives us 8.06 feet. Most normal Ham Shacks can never achieve this unless your shack is in a basement. By the time you take away the 4 feet of flex-braid or wire that goes from your amp to the ground bar you now only have 4 feet to get to the outside and attach to the ground rod. This rule of thumb formula is for total electrical length from ground rod point of attachment to the chassis of equipment being grounded.

It’s not the end of the world if you do not have a perfect RF ground solution, I don’t have one either! As radio operators we are adapting a room in your home to a radio station and not designing a facility that is ideal so you will have to settle for the best you can make it. Here’s an example of how hard it is to be perfect. Even at 7 MHz, the distance is only 33.42 feet, which is still hard to achieve if your shack is not at ground level or if it’s in the center of your house. Some is better than none at all!

Sorry please don’t shoot the messenger, that is just the way RF and our magnetic field of the earth works. A quarter wave length is the rule of thumb on where to place the first ground rod for good RF protection. So given your shortest length is approximately 30′ you can only protect against RF at a frequency of about 8.00 MHz. This would give you RF protection on 40 – 160 meters.

There are lots of Hams that never use an RF ground rod. It’s usually OK until you add an amp or the conditions get just right and the microphone finally nails your lip when you’re trying to get that unique DX station. I’ve also heard of Hams not even grounding their rigs. The first close lightning strike takes their entire station out, and at that point grounding becomes a step they “should have taken.”

Also make sure the wire going to the first ground rod called the (RF ground rod) is of adequate size, a minimum of #4 AWG Solid is the standard. You can use stranded in heavier gauge but never use anything smaller, you don’t want this to turn into shrapnel in the event of a direct lightning strike. This would be a good time to point out the seriousness of this subject. As mentioned earlier, nothing will stop a direct lightning strike! If this happens while you’re sitting at the radio you’ll be toast and more than likely all equipment in your station.

Bonding is a critical element and unfortunately the most overlooked aspect of a good ground system. Many feel the ground rod they just put in for RF is adequate for total system grounding, but consider this situation.

Let’s say lightning strikes a tree close by, within 100 yards, halfway between the RF ground rod and your service entrance ground rod. The energy wave is so intense at that close of a distance it will split into two separate transformer windings, your house ground and all associated wiring and your RF ground and all associated coaxial cables and chassis. Here’s the kicker, you now have two different voltage sources tied to your Ham equipment. Can you think of what happens next? Arcing, popping and possibly open flames will follow, but hopefully you only “let the smoke” out!

All grounds RF, Electrical Service Entrance and Tower Grounds need to be bonded or tied together! I believe taking this additional step is the root of the saying “That’s a little overkill” I mentioned earlier. I truly think cost is the real reason behind that saying and hope no one is sitting at their radio when lightning decides to drop by for a visit. The price of a life is far more precious than a little copper grounding wire!

73′s from KA4JPB

Posted by Frank Ross at 9:29 am Tagged with: , ,

Storm Copper Receives Award for Excellence in Quality

Press Releases Comments Off
Nov 242010

When Storm Copper Components President, Carol Howard, attended a Supplier Day event hosted by the SSD Drives Division, Automation Group of Parker Hannifin Corporation, Charlotte North Carolina, she wasn’t quite sure why she was invited since Storm is a new vendor to Parker. When she was called to the podium to receive an award for excellence in supplying quality parts, the surprised look on her face was obvious to all in attendance.

“This came as quite a surprise since we’ve only been doing business with Parker Hannifin for 6 to 8 months. This award is a testament to the quality of the people that make up the Storm Copper Components team, and I am very excited to accept it in their behalf,” Howard said.

This is the first time that SSD North America has recognized suppliers for excellence in any area, so being the first recipient of this award is a true honor and competition was tough according to Division Supply Chain Manager Theresa Whitney.

“Our R&D Engineers have been very pleased with everything Storm Copper has made for us. There have been a couple of rejections but they turned out to be issues with our drawings and/or inspection,” she said. Leslie Foster Senior Buyer presented the award to Storm.

The criterion for the award was limited to companies that had been supplying parts for a minimum of seven months, while maintaining the lowest RPPM for the previous 12 months. In addition, the review considered the complexity of the parts sourced and the lead time.

Posted by Frank Ross at 4:54 pm Tagged with: ,

Storm Copper’s Portable Grounding Rods a big hit at Huntsville Hamfest

Electrical Grounding News and Events, Tower and Antenna Grounding Comments Off
Aug 252010

By Frank Ross

Storm Copper sales manager Charlene Miller introduces Hamfest attendees to Storm Copper's line of grounding products.

Storm Copper sales manager Charlene Miller introduces Hamfest attendees to Storm Copper's line of grounding products.

When August rolls around each year, thousands of Ham radio operators gather in Huntsville, Alabama to attend the annual Hamfest organized by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Southeastern Division. This division is the largest in the ARRL, consisting of, Alabama, Georgia, Northern Florida, Southern Florida, West Central Florida, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Island Sections.

This year’s show, held at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center, featured approximately 60 industry related vendors and a huge flea market where you could find just about anything imaginable related to radio enthusiasts. Despite the large number of participants and vendors, Miller gave the organizers high marks for staging an “extremely well organized event”. Of the 5,000 that attended, she noted that as many as 2,000 were on the show floor at any given time so there was no shortage for people to talk with about Ham radio related equipment.

Since having a properly grounded radio tower is a safety issue directly related to Storm Copper Components; Sales Manager, Charlene Miller, attended this year’s Hamfest and introduce attendees to the extensive line of Storm grounding products that are perfect for the radio towers of Ham Radio enthusiasts. She was very impressed with the event and pleased to learn that over half the people who visited the Storm Copper display area had already been to stormgrounding.com and were familiar with the quality line up of Storm Copper grounding components.

“Many of the people I spoke with were what we call “first responders”, the people who are the first to arrive on the scene of an emergency such as hurricanes like Katrina, flooding or any major disaster. With any natural disaster communications are always disrupted, and these Ham operators set up lines of communication necessary to coordinate relief efforts, and save lives. The hit of the show was our new portable grounding kit. Everyone that stopped to see it was excited about how easy it was to set up and tear down,” Miller said.

“We met many people who had not heard of our products, but it was very gratifying to have literally hundreds of people who had been to our web site and were pleased with our products and the service we provide with them. That made the event even more rewarding for me personally,” she said.

Portable Grounding Rods are used in variety of situations by first responders, utility workers, oil rig crews and others working in remote places needing a temporary ground to discharge static electricity or to provide a ground for a construction area using a generator. Storm’s Portable Ground Rod with Auger Tip drives easily into the ground to an adequate depth to reach moist soil suitable for grounding.

For all your grounding needs, consider Storm Copper Components. Call our friendly customer service team for a quote today. The call is toll free: 1-888-334-2177.

Posted by Frank Ross at 9:30 am Tagged with: , , , ,

StormGrounding.com - Exceptional Products, Exceptional Customer Service

Problem Solved Comments Off
Aug 102010

By Frank Ross
There is a time-worn axiom in the nautical world, "The ship that never goes aground never leaves port."

That may be comforting to captains at the helm of industry as well, but the critical issue on land or sea is what you do once you realize that you’ve buried the bow into an immovable object. Some obstinate types are prone to apply more throttle in an attempt to bulldoze through and continue upon the intended path, not a great deal unlike the phrase made famous by Admiral David Glasgow Farragut; "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" While that may make for a colorful Naval career if the battle is won, it’s the astute captain that takes immediate and appropriate action correct the course and restore any damage as quickly as possible.

That’s one of the things I like most about working with stormgrounding.com. They’re not perfect, although they spend a great deal of time and money toward that goal, by putting quality control and customer service standards under the microscope on a daily basis. When something goes wrong with an order, they make it right quickly and don’t spare the horses. And if their error has negatively impacted a customer’s production schedule, overnight red label shipping is always an option.

Recently a customer in Iowa sent an email, following receipt of their order, to explain their problem.

Good afternoon,

Thanks for very prompt shipping of my order from Storm Copper Components. Appreciated.

Unfortunately, what I received is a bit different from what I ordered. I ordered two (2) 8 oz. tubes of NO-OX-ID A-Special (item 10202), and the packing list shows two (2), but I only received one of the tubes (along with one (1) 8 oz. tin of the same product, as ordered).

StormGrounding.com’s Sales Manager, Charlene Miller, responded immediately, offering a credit on the item or UPS Red shipment if it was time critical for a project. His reaction is typical of StormGrounding.com customers across the board.

Charlene,
Thanks for the fast response. I understand mistakes happen – it’s how a business responds that tells much about a business. I’m positively impressed with your organization.

Shipping the “missing” tube using the lowest cost shipping method is fine with me. I do not need the 2nd tube right away.

Thanks,
J. Woestman

If you are looking for metal products, and more importantly, a company that is quick to admit a mistake and make sure that a customer’s needs are met, consider stormgrounding.com. Their bow doesn’t get buried in the sand often, but you can be sure of one thing; the helm is manned by a crew that understands “all back-full”.

Posted by Frank Ross at 9:34 am Tagged with:

The Importance of Static Grounding

Static Grounding Comments Off
May 122010

By Frank Ross

Static electricity is an ever-present danger.

Anyone who has ever slid across a car seat in wintertime and received a jolt of static electricity knows the importance of static grounding, even if they don’t practice it often. Workers whose jobs are performed in an environment where such a spark can create a deadly explosion do not have the luxury of ignoring this dangerous potential. Some high-risk operations are obvious, while others are not commonly considered volatile.

You may have noticed that when a gas tanker fills up an underground storage tank at your local convenience store, the driver always attaches a metal grounding cable before beginning his work. Although gasoline is an obvious liquid with significant risk of explosion, other more common items in our daily lives are equally dangerous under the right conditions. For example, given the right mixture of oxygen and air-borne particulates, even common flour can create a highly explosive atmosphere.

While flour explosions are a much larger risk in areas where large amounts of flour are handled such as mills or bakeries and large grain elevators where grain dust is common, it only takes a little flour to create an explosion. Once formed, a highly dispersed dust cloud of approximately two ounces of flour suspended in a cubic yard of air has tremendous explosive properties. If exposed to a spark or flame the flour dust particles will burn and if the dust cloud is large enough, a flash fire can create a serious explosion. In areas where dust clouds are common, static grounding is a mandatory safety precaution.

Retract-A-Cable (RAC) is coiled corrosion-resistant orange vinyl-coated cable that makes it easy to ground everything from drums to vehicles using the REB2960 or another of the series of Static Grounding Clamps sold by Storm Copper.

The data processing industry, as well as the facilities where semiconductors are manufactured is considered a hazardous location that requires a diligent static grounding system. Likewise, the information technology (IT) world has a primary concern in minimizing static electricity and circulating currents because of the need to protect sensitive electronic equipment from events that lead to equipment failure and data losses.

In hazardous locations such as chemical plants, grounding and bonding circuits are extremely important for safety of personnel as well as protecting the physical plant. When the potential for multiple sources of ignition are a primary concern in explosive atmospheres, a more enhanced protection system of handling static electricity is a common safety solution. Electrical engineering designs in these types of installations typically incorporate a system of static electricity protection.

All matter, whether liquid or solid, is made up of atoms. Atoms are either positively charged protons or neutrons with no charge. Together they form the nucleus or core of the atom while negatively charged electrons surround the nucleus. In their normal state, atoms are considered to be electrically neutral. Basically this means there are equal amounts of positive and negatively charge atoms present. Atoms can become “charged” when an excess, or a deficiency, of electrons is created relative to their naturally neutral state. Sparks from charged conductors that are ungrounded (including the human body) are responsible for most explosions and fires ignited by static electricity. Sparks are typically intense capacitive discharges that occur in the gap between two charged conducting bodies and the potential for an explosion or fire is directly related to the amount of energy contained in the discharge. A capacitor is basically two conductors separated by an insulating material. In the electrical phenomena known as a static discharge, the charge potential is generally separated by a resistive barrier such as an air gap or form of insulation between the conductors.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), defines Static Electricity as an electric charge that is significant only for the effects of its electrical field component and that manifests no significant magnetic field component. And a Static Electric Discharge is the release of static electricity in the form of a spark, corona discharge, brush discharge, or propagating brush discharge that might be capable of causing ignition under appropriate circumstances. The NFPA notes the following conditions must be met to create the potential for an explosive static discharge.

1. An effective means of separating the charge must be present.
2. A means of accumulating the separated charges and maintaining a difference of electrical potential must be available.
3. A discharge of the static electricity of adequate energy must occur.
4. The discharge must occur in an ignitable mixture [NFPA 77 – 4.3.1].

The primary objective when addressing concerns and hazards of static electricity and stray voltages is to minimize, or hopefully eliminate, any differences of potential between electrically conductive objects and the ground. Grounding and bonding are two of the methods most often used to reduce the risk of static discharges.

The NFPA defines grounding as being connected to earth or to some conducting body that serves in place of the earth. By their definition, bonding is the permanent joining of metallic parts to form an electrically conductive path that ensures electrical continuity and the capacity to conduct safely any current likely to be imposed. The bonding process consists of connecting two or more conductive objects together by means of a conductor so they have the same electrical potential, but not necessarily at the same potential as the earth.

Storm’s Personnel Grounding Clamp has an adjustable wrist strap with silver impregnated nylon knitted on inside for superior conductivity.

To eliminate confusion between these two terms, think of grounding as a connection or path to the earth to put electrically conductive materials at the same potential as the earth. Bonding is a physical connection of electrically conductive materials to eliminate differences in the potential between each individually, thereby forming one conductive mass.

Humidity is another factor in the equation that determines the potential for explosion from a static discharge. Generally speaking, when higher humidity is present the potential for an explosion is reduced. Other options for reducing ignition hazards from static electricity would include removing the ignitable mixture from the area where static electricity could cause a discharge capable of igniting the existing mixture. Another consideration would be reducing the generation or accumulation of a charge by means of process or product modifications. And the final option would be neutralizing the charges. To that end, grounding isolated conductors and ionizing the air are the two primary methods of neutralizing charges.

This information is not totally exhaustive about the causes or potential solutions for static discharges, but is intended to increase your awareness of the potential danger that exists. The analysis of risk and any potential solution for any situation should be evaluated by an engineering professional with expertise in this particular discipline. Once a solution has been determined, Stormgrounding.com has all the static grounding equipment necessary to keep your specific static electric hazards under control.

Shop online in our secure Web site, or for static-free service, give our friendly customer service staff a call on our toll-free line: 1-888-334-2177.

Posted by Frank Ross at 2:03 pm Tagged with: , ,

The 6-Month Season of Snap, Crackle and Pop!

Lightning Protection Comments Off
Apr 092010

No, I’m not talking about the breakfast cereal with the cute cartoon characters in funny hats!

April marks the dubious beginning of the season of violent thunderstorms that that runs throughout hot summer and ends in September. These six months that are most often associated with outdoor activities and family fun is also the time when the most severe damage occurs from lightening related incidents.

Over a 35-year period the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has documented that 92% of severe lightning damage occurs, so this would be a good time to evaluate your current exposure to both personal and business property, sensitive electronics and susceptible equipment.

Businesses with the highest level of exposure include utilities, telecommunications companies, cable TV and satellite vendors and other industries that rely on remotely located equipment. Although the amount of financial exposure in less, individuals with home theater systems, computer and home appliances need to be equally vigilant when guarding their assets against potentially devastating direct hits as well as equally damaging electrical surges that travel through the system.

The frequency and severity of thunderstorms during this period creates a constant threat from lightning. Before you or your property becomes part of the NOAA statistics, evaluate your grounding system and surge protection.

According to national insurance data, lightning causes more than $5 billion in damage each year in the US alone.

Surge protection is designed to protect equipment from lightning-induced fluctuations on telephone and power transmission lines. Surge protection is very affordable and available at most big-box stores. Electronics such as computers whose hard drives which are highly susceptible to power fluctuations that occur daily even when no storm is present should have a good surge protection device year round.

When lightning strikes the ground nearby the electrical charge can radiates through the earth’s surface and travels following the path of least resistance. This high-frequency energy can quickly force fault current onto the bonded power circuits leading to exposed electronics.

Eliminating this fault path through the electronics, by temporarily isolating the equipment from the power connection, protects the equipment for the duration of the lightning threat. A properly installed grounding system is designed to quickly dissipate low frequency energy through grounding wires and into the earth.

While the peninsula of Florida has the unfortunate distinction of being the most often location for lightning strikes, the area of high exposure spans the entire Southeast and stretches all the way to the western states of Colorado and Wyoming on the Central Plains. The majority of this vast area will experience at least 50 days of exposure to severe thunderstorms in an average year, while the numbers in the Deep South range from 60 to 90 days of high exposure annually.

Before the air outside is filled with the smell of burning ozone, and the odor of burnt circuit boards fill your home, take a few minutes to evaluate your exposure and your plan of protection. Prevention is always more affordable and less frustrating than dealing with the aftermath of procrastination!

Protecting your property with an Intersystem Bonding Termination is easy and very affordable, as you’ll read in this article posted recently. Protect Valuable Electronics by Bonding all Electrical Systems

Click this link for a complete selection of lightning protection components, or call one of the knowledgeable customer service staff at Stormgrounding.com. It’s a free call: 1-888-334-2177.

Posted by Frank Ross at 2:26 pm Tagged with: , , , , ,

Protect Valuable Electronics by Bonding all Electrical Systems

Lightning Protection Comments Off
Mar 172010

According to national insurance data, lightning causes more than $5 billion in damage each year in the US alone. When a lightning strike is experienced in a home or office building, transferred voltage potentials can develop between multiple ground references that are not intentionally or effectively bonded together.

Most often it is the electronics within a home, such as personal computers, Internet modems, stereo or home theater systems and televisions that are most susceptible to damage when systems are not interconnected. The lack of a proper bonded connection between systems such as electrical and telephone wiring have caused or contributed to appliance and equipment damage, ignited fires and caused personal injury.

Proper bonding between connections and electric power systems will minimize the voltage differences and reduce the potential for damage caused by transients. A home that is properly bonded has an increased level of safety for people inside during a lightning storm. Intersystem bonding provides a low-impedance connection for grounding separate systems and creating an equipotential plane.

For more than 15 years the National Electrical Code (NEC) has specified that ground conductors from various systems be bonded together, but they failed to specify exactly how that was to be done. Then, in 2008 the telecommunications industry submitted and won approval for the intersystem bonding termination requirement. Their intent was to create a dedicated location for terminating grounding conductors from communications circuits and other systems. In Article 250.94 three acceptable methods for bonding systems in a building are identified. The first option is a set of terminals mounted and electrically connected to the meter enclosure. The second alternative is a bonding or grounding busbar near the service enclosure, meter enclosure or raceway for service conductors. And the third alternative is a bonding bar near the electrode conductor.

Since this change was announced, many states have recognized the advantages of Article 250.94 and adopted them into local codes, but have not been proactive in updating existing homes or businesses. A simple solution is available; the Intersystem Bonding Termination (IBTB). This device is an easily installed method for meeting this effective code and all mounting hardware and anchors are included.

The IBTB is designed to meet the requirements of the 2008 NEC® Article 250.94 section titled “Bonding for Other Systems.” The IBTB is mounted adjacent to the meter base or service entrance equipment and is a convenient way to interconnect and terminate grounding conductors from telephone, CATV or radio and television antennas.
The IBTB includes corrosion-resistant, stainless steel mounting hardware and is easily accessible for connection and inspection. The lay-in connection clamp (#6 – #2 AWG, or 16 – 35 mm2) allows easy installation of the grounding electrode conductor in one continuous length, where possible. The polymeric base and housing is impact-resistant, UV-stabilized and meets UL® requirements for weatherability performance. Accommodates (5) 14-4 AWG (1.5 – 25 mm2 bonding conductors and (1) 6 – 2 AWG (16 – 35 mm2) grounding electrode conductor.

When mounted near the meter base or service entrance equipment it is easily accessed for initial connections and subsequent inspection. It is ideal for protecting cable TV, telephone, satellite systems, security systems, sprinkler system controls, pet fencing, landscape lighting, structural lightning protection and more.

For installation, when the grounding electrode connector is accessible, the integral lay-in connection clamp permits the direct connection of the grounding electrode conductor to the Intersystem Bonding Termination. If this is not possible, a #6 AWG conductor can be used to connect the IBTB to the grounding electrode using a listed grounding connector. When the grounding electrode is not accessible, a minimum #6 AWG conductor can be used to bond to the meter enclosure or metallic raceway with a listed device.

The entire installation process shouldn’t take more than a half hour to an hour at the most, and once completed you’ll feel much more comfortable when lightning and thunder roll through your neighborhood again.

Click this link to purchase the IBTB.

For all your grounding and electrical component needs, contact the knowledgeable and helpful customer service team at Storm Grounding. Call toll free: 1-800-394-4804 or log onto http://www.stormgrounding.com/ to peruse products or place an order.

Posted by Frank Ross at 2:40 pm Tagged with: , ,

NATE was Great!

Tower and Antenna Grounding Comments Off
Feb 232010

Sales Manager Charlene Miller and Storm’s OEM Sales representative Joe Radecki are ready to greet customers at the NATE show, held at Disney’s Coronado Convention Center.

Storm Copper Components’ owners and several sales and marketing representatives attended the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) trade show in Orlando, and as far as the staff were concerned, NATE was great!

Traffic to the Storm booth was very strong as attendees discovered they could get a free copper peace sign by stopping by the Storm Copper booth. They were also very enthusiastic about the discount card they received for dropping their business card in the distinctive copper box, made by Storm’s creative shop.

Storm President, Carol Howard and Sales Manager Charlene Miller rated the show a great success based on the feedback they received from talking to many prospective customers. “This was our second year attending NATE. We met a lot of new potential customers and got reacquainted with many existing customers that came by to see what we are doing that’s new,” Miller said.

The hole pattern on Storm's busbars make it easy to position connections at a 45-degree angle.

“We don’t often get feedback from those who are on the front line, installing the components Storm builds, so it was very enlightening to hear what Jeremy Buckles had to say about our busbars,” said Dan Kitts, Storm’s co-owner.

Buckles and a co-worker stopped by after giving his presentation to say how much he liked Storm’s busbars because the hole pattern makes it very simple to comply with specifications of some of the more rigid cell phone companies. According to Buckles, Risk Management Supervisor for Com-Tec, sometimes busbars have to be mounted vertically, and the code requires a 45-degree connection. With the hole pattern on Storm’s busbars the connections line up perfectly and are simple to install due to the generous size and spacing.

The large copper peace sign hanging in the booth was a real traffic stopper, as people who recalled the symbol from the 60’s stopped by to pick up one as a memento. One man asked with a smile, “Will this get me in to Woodstock?”

NATE is an annual event designed to educate industry professionals, update attendees on safety concerns and give the various companies involved in supplying products a chance to display their products and services. While the show moves around the country, attendance this year could have been strong due to the Disney resort location. It gave everyone a chance to take care of business, and spend a little time in the Magic Kingdom. While the weather was a little cooler than normal for February in Florida, Storm staff members enjoyed the work and play before heading back to Tennessee.

Posted by Frank Ross at 2:00 pm Tagged with: , , ,

Tin, Silver, Nickel and Lead Plating - Cost-Saving Advantages From Storm Copper

New Products, Press Releases Comments Off
Feb 222010

Known for streamlined fabrication of copper electrical connectors, Storm Copper Components reminds OEM’s and systems installers to take advantage of another of its cost-saving production capabilities: tin, silver, nickel and lead plating, done in-house at Storm’s east Tennessee production facility.

All too often electrical parts manufacturers have to send out copper connectors to outside vendors for plating or coating, a lengthy process that requires excess packaging, additional freight costs, lost time and risks that commonly occur in shipping. When the plated copper components are returned for testing before delivery, even the slightest scratch in the plated surface can lead to rejection and delays to the customer.

Storm’s electroplating options for copper electrical connectors include bright tin plating, matte tin, nickel, silver, various tin/lead alloys and pure lead. Storm Copper offers this diverse offering of plating options to meet the many varied requirements dictated by a wide variety of industry applications.

For example, tin is a common plating metal most often specified applications like power sub-stations, tower grounding, and high-voltage connections. Tin plating is fairly inexpensive, protects copper from outside environmental degradation that damages connections, masks copper from thieves by destroying its value to recyclers.

Storm’s electroplating process incorporates an electrolyte bath where electrical connectors such as copper bus bars are fully immersed to produce a uniform coating over edges and the rounded surfaces of bus bar holes and bends. For better-quality, Storm uses a trace amount of lead in its tin plating process to prevent the occurrence of tiny crystalline structures called “whiskers” than are electrically conductive and can be broken off during installation, increasing the potential of electrical hazards.

Silver plating is popular in the switchgear industry because it is very good on surface-to-surface conductivity. Because of its high cost, silver is generally limited to application on contact points where two components are joined together.

In applications where lead-acid or wet cell batteries are used, caustic materials or vapors can degrade electrical battery connectors, lead is the preferred plating because it is impervious to sulfuric acid.

No matter what environment or application, Storm offers a clear edge to OEM’s and systems installers through its cost- and time-saving capability to plate tin, silver, nickel and lead in house.

Storm Copper Components is committed to meeting its customer’s requirements by providing innovative, cost-effective solutions and by focusing on continual improvement of all our products, processes, and services. For 20 years, the company has specialized in the manufacture of custom electrical connectors for the wireless, telecommunications, power and alternative energy markets, serving OEM’s, electrical contractors and system installers.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with Dan Kitts, please call Dave Krikorian at 1-800-334-2177 or email dkrikorian@stormcopper.com.

Posted by Frank Ross at 10:21 am Tagged with: , , , ,

Through Value Engineering, Storm Copper Keeps Costs in Check

Press Releases Comments Off
Feb 122010

Decatur, Tennessee (February 12, 2010) – Storm Copper Components, a leading manufacturer of copper electrical connectors in North America, attributes much of its recent growth to a concept called “Value Engineering,” a method of cost-efficient production forged by raw material and component shortages in World War II. With a constant eye on quality improvement, Storm’s systematic approach to value engineering has streamlined the process of fabricating copper electrical components, and reduced the overall costs of high end connectors such as bus bar.

Storm’s value engineering process is focused on keeping costs in check by stocking copper bar or copper sheeting that most closely matches design specifications. Storm Copper co-owner, Dan Kitts, points out a critical factor; “Many OEMs round up in size when purchasing copper busbar, but often the next standard size is more than is required, increasing the cost unnecessarily. Although it may sound obvious, the number one factor in keeping busbar pricing low is often overlooked: only use as much copper metal as is necessary for the required ampacity.”

“Recently Storm Copper surpassed the threshold of 300 unique profiles of copper bar and copper sheet, which means in most cases we have exact size of copper metal required for an order already sitting on a shelf,” Kitts said. Also among the one million pounds of copper metal inventory Storm maintains is an extensive selection of metric copper. Storm Copper has amassed the largest inventory of metric sized copper bar stock in North America, to pass on its cost-efficient value engineering to OEMs in Europe, Canada and other parts of the world.

Another way to control costs and lead-time through value engineering is using an off the shelf bus-bar thicknesses. An OEM’s desire for optimal thickness should not require a special mill run to produce the required size of copper metal bus bar. By utilizing readily available busbar thicknesses, Storm is able to provide quick lead times and avoid the costs of producing a unique busbar profile from the copper mill.

Other key cost-saving value engineering factors stem from punching vs. milling holes. Telling a customer when a hole’s location is too close to a formed or bent area of the bus bar where a punched hole can be deformed, or recommending a copper bus bar design with a wider hole tolerance; these are cost-effective ways to save the expense of milling.

Storm Copper Components is committed to meeting its customer’s requirements by providing innovative, cost-effective solutions and by focusing on continual improvement of all our products, processes, and services. For 20 years, the company has specialized in the manufacture of custom electrical connectors for the wireless, telecommunications, power and alternative energy markets, serving OEM’s, electrical contractors and system installers.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with co-owner Dan Kitts, please call Dave Krikorian at 1-800-334-2177 or email dkrikorian@stormcopper.com.

Posted by Frank Ross at 1:49 pm Tagged with: , , , ,
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