RE: Aluminium aka Aluminum Wire (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:23:40 -0400
From: "Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: evp@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Aluminium aka Aluminum Wire (fwd)

Perhaps it's that UK Aluminium that's bad, rather than the good-old US
Aluminum that we had been using ;-)

If I may suggest, try winding the copper coil with #12 copper so that
the DC resistance is comparable.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

> 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
> 
>