Re: Aluminium aka Aluminum Wire (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 07 Oct 2007 11:47:29 -0400
From: Dave Pierson <davep@xxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Aluminium aka Aluminum Wire (fwd)

[I may be getting OT??]

Assume primary and/or secondary of Cu and Al Designed to SAME resistance.
The Al one (s) will be a bit lrager.  Any othe reason to chose one
over the other?

>> Cooper-weld wire was developed as an engineering compromise.  Antennas 
>> for low frequencies, such as the Beverage, flat top and multi-curtain 
>> rhombic become physically large.  The use of copper-weld is a 
>> compromise between and among cost, strength, and r. f. resistance.

>Copper clad steel has been around longer than antennas, I suspect.  The 
>primary use was for telegraph wires.
   Essentially all (and thats a lot) of Telco telephone drop wires are
   (whomever that may be, these days) ARE copperweld.  Try a magnet, careful
   examination of end, etc.
   (OK: my voice service is on the cable, and the core of THAT is copperweld,
    usually....)  Granted the tradeoffs of loss/cost are different for a
    Tesla Coil than for a cable system.)

   Some early telegraph used iron wire, mostly for cost & availability.

   Al is fine for AC power IF HANDLED WELL.  Look at the HV lines.  LOTS of the
   home installations were poorly done, in retrospect.  (Mostly: Al is pickier
   than Cu about tightness of connection, and more prone to stray corrosion.)

   best
    dwp