[AT] OT - Electric horse fence

[Grant Brians]

Stephen, that is a very well written synopsis of the issues with 
Aluminum to copper wire connections. Having had to deal with these 
issues I can validate that all is completely correct. That is why I have 
so much copper wire on the farm!
             Grant Brians - Hollister,California farmer of vegetables, 
herbs, nuts and fruit
On 7/14/2015 6:22 AM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 13, 2015 at 7:36 PM, Dave Rotigel <rotigel at me.com> wrote:
>
>> At one time when copper and Al wires were spliced together the
>> recomendation was to use a grease sort of paste (don't recall it's name) in
>> order to achieve a good connection. Is that still the case?
>>          Dave
>> PS, Just found
>> http://homeguides.sfgate.com/problems-aluminum-copper-wire-electricity-86313.html
>> (It's worth a read.)
>>
>>
> The short answer is hell yes.  The paste is called antioxidant paste, and
> one common trade name is NoAlOx.  The info in your link is very good.  The
> paste is not the only factor; it does nothing but protect the aluminum from
> corrosion (and corrosion naturally happens because aluminum is sacrificial
> to copper on the galvanic chart).  Special connectors are also needed to
> withstand the micro-motion created by the meeting of two metals with
> different rates of thermal expansion.
>
> BUT.  These factors apply to residential and commercial wiring, hidden
> inside conduit or walls, that will be there for decades and MUST not create
> a fire hazard, ever.  The current, but NOT the voltage, is a major factor.
> Higher current loads create more heating, more thermal expansion,
> accelerate corrosion, and are more sensitive to very small resistances in
> the connections.
>
> Electric fencing is none of the above.  Hidden perhaps, but it's generally
> not going to be a fire hazard, and it is high voltage, very low current.
>
> SO
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