<<I forgot to add the Shemiras Shabbos keHilchasah's conclusion (44:12) -- make the eruv without a berakhah, safeiq berakhos lehaqeil. So the answer to RET's question is "yes", at least we're choshedim for berakhah levatalah.>> I later saw that ROU also paskens that if ET is done only for lighting of candles it should be done without a bracha -- Eli Turkel