Earth Banjo Securing Practices

To my mind Banjos have had their day - much more workmanlike solutions (e.g. earthing nuts) are now available which design out almost all these potential problems.

   - Andy.

AJJewsbury said:

much more workmanlike solutions (e.g. earthing nuts) are now available which design out almost all these potential problems

Yes, definitely ... unless there's a limitation on space at the cable entry in the enclosure, or, as Gareth says, insufficient clearance to live parts to put a tag/crimp on the inside of the enclosure.

Banjos have had their day

Agreed, and I'm sure if they did not come for free in the gland kit, but instead had to be bought separately and perhaps instead  there was the correct size of star washer there would in fact be far better earthed SWA out there. -As the other common SWA fault seems to me an inability to tighten the big nuts so that the cable does not spin within the hole in the box.

Quite how a stalk from a stamped brass shim is supposed to improve over a high compression large area circular contact has always been unclear to me..

More generally looking a those screw spikes  one word comes to mind. But  as I can't say that word here, instead I'll say

'yuk'

I can't point to a reg, but I'd be muttering about youth of today, lack of standards, and depending how I'd discovered it, the unreasonable distance to run to the first aid kit while dripping blood.

I suppose a design that demands a blood sacrifice before you are allowed to work on it also allows the last man in to be traced by DNA sample. but record keeping and installation certs are more established and the approved way to do this.

Short of tipping the screws in Curare or something it would be hard to do a nastier job.

Mike.

I can't point to a reg,

How about 134.1.1 - good workmanship and proper materials....

   - Andy.

When you get up to a 32mm SWA gland there's not much thread to fully locate in the nut particularly if you're glanding into an insulated enclosure with brass earthing plate. The glands could do with a longer thread.

When you get up to a 32mm SWA gland there's not much thread to fully locate in the nut particularly if you're glanding into an insulated enclosure with brass earthing plate. The glands could do with a longer thread.