"I AmnotGeorgeBush" wrote in message
...
From: (yea right)
On Sun, 08 May 2005 10:38:40 -0400, dxAce wrote:
cooltube wrote:
No Bids @$10, gotta see.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MESE:IT
As opposed to 'fake' copper wire?
dxAce
Michigan

Hahaha..

Most all copper wire on the market is soft draw
and will break after a few years of constant

tension. Hard draw copper wire is very tough

and robust. I use 18g lamp safety wire. This is

the thin copper wire that servers as a safety

ground and as a safety wire in case a link in

the lamp chain breaks in hanging chandeliers.

Copper wire should NEVER be used as your ground because ( the reasons
you stated, in addition to... ) the inductance value is **** poor.
Copper strap is always desirable over wire. FWIW, many people, hammies
included, feel they are using copper wire when they are in reality using
copper COATED wire. No matter,,, copper wire doesn't compare to copper
strap.

Strap is better, but due to skin effect, you could copper coat steel and it
would work as well for rf as solid copper. Hmmmm .... come to think of it,
they do make that stuff.

I used to use 8 gauge copper wire for my longwire antenna. Despite being
held by several trees and anchored at the house, nothing ever brought it
down. Nothing like a *lot* of copper. Come to think of it, it was several
hundred feet long and worked gangbusterly on 160 as well as the other bands.
25 watts and I was solid pretty much across the country at night; during the
daytime, I still pounded into Washington D.C. from Rochester, NY using 65
watts. That was on 160. 15 and 20 meters and 75 watts worked the world
with no problem - other than the fact that the pattern of that antenna was
real strange. I never got more than a fair report from England, but Norway,
Sweden, and Denmark would always give me a report of a very strong signal.
Same with Italy.

Regardless, I'd never use anything as light as 18 gauge wire for anything.


73 from Rochester, NY
Jim