RE: Tesla Ground Strap - aluminum??

To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
Subject: RE: Tesla Ground Strap - aluminum??
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 22:44:20 -0600
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net
Subject: 
        RE: Tesla Ground Strap - aluminum??
  Date: 
        Sun, 30 Mar 1997 22:06:08 -0500
  From: 
        "George W. Ensley" <erc-at-coastalnet-dot-com>
    To: 
        Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>


At 07:39 PM 3/28/97 -0600, you wrote:
>Subject: 
>        RE: Tesla Ground Strap - aluminum??
>  Date: 
>        Fri, 28 Mar 97 14:19:48 UT
>  From: 
>        "William Noble" <William_B_Noble-at-msn-dot-com>
>    To: 
>        "Tesla List" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>
>
>I don't understand how the increased resistance of aluminum over copper
>could 
>be frequency dependent.  It makes sense that with high peak currents,
>the 
>increased resistance could cause increased voltage drop, but that can be 
>compensated for by using a larger ocnductor.  I know that airplanes,
>which are 
>made of aluminum, carry some pretty large currents through the skin
>during a 
>lightning strike, and they are also the source of the ground for the
>onboard 
>radars and radios operating both above and below the frequencies
>suggested 
>here for tesla coils - can you elaborate on this frequency dependency of 
>aluminum???
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From:   Tesla List 
>Sent:   Thursday, March 27, 1997 9:44 PM
>To:     tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
>Subject:        Re: Tesla Ground Strap
>
>Subject: 
>        Re: Tesla Ground Strap
>  Date: 
>        Fri, 28 Mar 1997 09:18:46 -0700
>  From: 
>        "DR.RESONANCE" <DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net>
>    To: 
>        "Tesla List" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>
>
>To: Chuck Curran
>
>Not a good idea to use aluminum.  The Tesla secondary requires a very,
>very
>good ground.  Aluminum is not a good conductor (relative to copper) at
>the
>high frequencies employed by Tesla oscillators.  I know it costs more
>but
>consider the effect a less effective ground may have on your secondary
>coil
>-- like burning it up!  Save your aluminum buss for the 60 HZ currents.
>
>Consider copper again unless you are on a very very tight budget and
>never
>use aluminum for a primary.  
>
>DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net
>
>
>
I am not sure about the fequency question but i understand that aluminum
oxide has insulating propertys where copper oxide does not. In antenna
work
we often use a copper paste to dress the joints in aluminum tubing. This
reduces corosion and aids conductivity.

I can imagin that the oxide combined with the natural skin effect can
impatc
rf resistance. But i doubt it is of great signifigance at tesla
frequencys.
As an in ground conductor or ground rod it would indeed be practicaly
useless.

george.......
George............