Stainless steel mig welding wire.
Any reason why this won't work as a wire antenna?
Very strong, fairly cheap, but doesn't like kinks.

'I personally think Ray Davies wrote some very good songs.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Davies

wrote in :

Stainless steel mig welding wire.
Any reason why this won't work as a wire antenna?
Very strong, fairly cheap, but doesn't like kinks.

It is small diameter, high resistivity material. If it is magnetic, even
worse.

I depends on its length, and the current flowing.

The article http://vk1od.net/antenna/conductors/loss.htm includes an
example of 316 SS MIG wire.

It is great for stealth antennas, actually doubly so, because not only is
it hard to see, it is hard to hear.


Owen

On 8/2/2011 3:14 AM, wrote:
Stainless steel mig welding wire. Any reason why this won't work as a
wire antenna? Very strong, fairly cheap, but doesn't like kinks.
'I personally think Ray Davies wrote some very good songs.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Davies



SS is a terrible conductor?

I've seen copper clad MIG wire

The real issue is either you're putting that antenna up for the ages, in
which case the NEC (aka NFPA 70) rules are a good sizing guideline; or,
you're putting it up expecting it to fall down sooner or later, in which
case you might as use whatever wire is convenient. For a lot of folks,
buying a 500 foot spool of solid AWG14 wire at the hardware store is a
good compromise.

The real issue is paying attention to "what happens when the wire
breaks" so that you don't wind up inadvertently connecting the 14.4kV MV
distribution line to your hand via the feedline and rig.