RAID for offsite backup?

Hello! My question is not specific to Xserve, but the OSX software RAID provided by Disk Utility. I posted on the 10.6.2 installation and setup board, but was recommended that I post here instead. So here goes...
I'm planning to use 2 external drives with Time Machine. But I only plan to keep one of them always connected to my iMac and the other stored somewhere safe (connecting periodically to sync up). The reasons being the usual ones for an offsite backup. And need I say that one of my computers has also been the unfortunate victim of a lightning strike? Ouch!
So instead of having to change the target drive in TM every time, I was hoping to set up a mirrored RAID using Disk Utilities. But I would only keep one drive connected at all times, while the other would be connected periodically to sync up.
Is this doable? Would the second drive automatically mirror the first one when I connect it? Would I keep getting warnings/errors from OSX that the other drive isn't connected? Appreciate your opinions on this. Thanks!

Don't go there. Seriously.
Breaking a mirror should never be considered part of your normal workflow, but that's precisely what you're proposing here - periodically breaking the mirror to take one of the copies off-site.
It might not bring you seven years' bad luck but it is asking for trouble.
IMHO your best bet is to periodically clone the Time Machine disk to the second disk using Disk Utility.app, asr or any of the numerous disk clone apps out there (Carbon Copy Cloner, Synchronize Pro, etc.).
In this way Time Machine can continually backup to its own disk and you take periodic snapshots of that disk on your own schedule. Don't try to get Time Machine to backup to two disks (either alternately or via mirroring).

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