Aluminium aka Aluminum Wire (fwd)

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 17:57:37 -0700
From: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Aluminium aka Aluminum Wire

    Just wound the following coil from #10 aluminum wire:

    12 turns
    3.5" diameter
    3" long
    Approximate inductance 8.45 uH

F kHz      Q
2500      375
3000      425
2800      465
5000      510

Measurements were made with a Heathkit Q meter [regular Boonton too 
heavy to lift onto bench with my bad back] which seems to have an 
accuracy of better than 10%  Wire had been sitting on a peg for several 
years and leads weren't cleaned.  Connections via clip leads and banana 
plugs, hardly the best..  Bottom frequency was set by capacitor in 
meter.  I have bigger capacitors of high Q and will try to extend the 
measurement lower at some time or other.  But I'm sure the frequency 
doesn't change the accuracy of the comparison of aluminum and copper.

    Tomorrow I'll wind the same coil with #10 copper and compare 
results.  Expect them to be similar but a little better but not by a 
factor of anywhere near 2..

    Bottom line is that "aluminum ain't anywhere near as bad as it's 
cracked up to be - nowhere near".

    Results of other experiments welcome.

Ed