Re: RE- Re: al wire

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: RE- Re: al wire
From: Tesla List <mod1-at-pupman-dot-com>
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 11:45:21 -0600 (MDT)
Approved: mod1-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 11:16:13 -0500
From: "DR.RESONANCE" <DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net>
To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Re: RE- Re: al wire

To: R. Michaels

Aluminum presents small losses at 60 Hertz and is commonly used for power
lines.  At RF frequencies it presents major losses -- it will work if you
are willing to accept a 20% loss in your primary peak current.  A small
quantity of copper 8 AWG doesn't cost that much and would be recommended
over alum. for your coil.

DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net


----------
> From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: RE- Re: al wire
> Date: Monday,October 06,1997 11:02 PM
> 
> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 20:21:35 GMT
> From: Robert Michaels <robert.michaels-at-online.sme-dot-org>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: RE- Re: al wire
> 
>         There's basically only one problem with aluminum wire --
>         and that is the metal it's made from.
> 
>         Hey, other than that, you've got no problems.
> 
>         Actually it's not the metal it's made from, it's the metal
>         which copper wire is made from:  Tying copper and aluminum
>         wires together is like tying the tails of a dog and cat
>         together.   Things may not be too unweidly at first, but
>         after a while,  !-at-$^&(##!!!
> 
>         Not only does aluminum readily form an oxide in air, not
>         only is that oxide an excellent insulator (unlike copper
>         oxides), but copper and aluminum have differing rates of
>         thermal expansion, and form an electochemical couple in
>         the presence of moisture.
> 
>         But -- aluminum wire has been used in many buildings in
>         conjunction with copper, and a surprising number of them have
>         not yet burned down.  
> 
>         There are all sorts of lotions and cremes to be had at
>         electrical supply houses to assist the bonding of aluminum
>         and copper wire (and at pharmacies, too, for burns suffered
>         in the fire).  There are also various fittings and couplings
>         made of alloys said to be mutually compatible with aluminum
>         and with copper.  The larger and better hardware stores and
>         home centers will likely have some of these -- in those juris-
>         dictions where it is still possible to wire a building with
>         aluminum without risking a stretch in the hoosegow (I believe
>         there is still one county -- somewhere in the Ozarks, 
>         I think ...).
> 
>                                                 Robert Michaels,
>                                                 
>                                                 Detroit, USA  (where
>                                                 men are tough enough
>                                                 to wire with alumimnum
>                                                 (!) )
> 
> 
> 
> 
>