General exam question G4C07
Subelement G4, AMATEUR RADIO PRACTICES· Group G4C
Why should soldered joints not be used in lightning protection ground connections?
- A.A soldered joint will likely be destroyed by the heat of a lightning strike (correct answer)
- B.Solder flux will prevent a low conductivity connection
- C.Solder has too high a dielectric constant to provide adequate lightning protection
- D.All these choices are correct
WhySoldered joints should not be used in lightning protection ground connections because a soldered joint will likely be destroyed by the heat of a lightning strike. A soldered joint's strength comes from a low-melting-point metal bond, and the enormous heat released by a lightning strike's current will melt that solder and destroy the joint right when the connection is needed most, so soldered joints are avoided in lightning ground systems, answer A. Solder flux doesn't create a low-conductivity connection in the way implied, and solder's dielectric constant is irrelevant, a ground connection is a conductor, not a capacitor, so B, C, and D don't hold.
Published 2026-08-28 · Last updated 2026-08-28 · Question text is verbatim from the 2023-2027 NCVEC Element 3 pool (public domain); the explanation above is original writing, see our methodology.
Related questions
- G4C01Which of the following might be useful in reducing RF interference to audio frequency circuits?
- G4C02Which of the following could be a cause of interference covering a wide range of frequencies?
- G4C03What sound is heard from an audio device experiencing RF interference from a single sideband phone transmitter?
- G4C04What sound is heard from an audio device experiencing RF interference from a CW transmitter?
- G4C05What is a possible cause of high voltages that produce RF burns?