Hi Brian,
I'm even not sure that you could even visibly detect a significant
differnece in the output of a copper coil vs an aluminum one, as-
suming all other parameters equal AND that your wire IS in fact
pure aluminum. The magnet test would only verify that your wire
is not predominantly ferrous in content but is certainly no guaran-
tee that it's JUST aluminum. Another quick observation that would
lead one to lean more toward its being aluminum is if it has a notably
lower density. Many grades of stainless steel are also relatively non-
reactive to a strong magnetic field but do have similar densities to
more ferrous metals. Aluminum has a notably lower density than any
kind of steel alloy which is easily recongnizable just by its feel. How-
ever, titanium also possesses aluminum like qualities, including
low reactance to magnetism and a relatively low specific gravity,
but is also a relatively poor electrical conductor. You may
want to verify that it is pure aluminum more aggressively before
you go to the trouble of winding a secondary coil with it.
David Rieben