Frank Dresser wrote:

"Dale Parfitt" wrote in message
...


Larry Echols wrote:

I've always been taught that gold was the best conductor!

Larry

Well, you have always been taught incorrectly. Gold is only about 2/3
that of copper and 1/2 that of silver.

Dale W4OP


Well, more or less. But more importantly, conductivity isn't a factor for
99% of the work we do. All the conductors work well enough, and other
factors, such as availibility, durability and ease of handling are the most
important. I'm sure stainless steel wire could make a fine SWL antenna or
ground wire, even though it doesn't conduct electricity as well as copper.

http://hypertextbook.com/physics/ele...ty/resistance/

Frank Dresser

For HF, I totally agree. My passion is 1296 MHz Moonbounce- and silver plated
cavities are a must for high efficiency.

Dale W4OP

"Dale Parfitt" wrote in message
...

For HF, I totally agree. My passion is 1296 MHz Moonbounce- and silver
plated
cavities are a must for high efficiency.

Dale W4OP



Sure. Skin effect is a big deal at 100 times a typical SW frequency. It's
also important inside IF and some RF transformers. Have you ever seen ads
for those expensive audio cables in which they make a big deal the skin
effect? To paraphrase some comedian -- "Being an audiophool is God's way of
saying you have too much money".

Frank Dresser

On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:33:19 GMT, "Frank Dresser"
wrote:


"Dale Parfitt" wrote in message
...

For HF, I totally agree. My passion is 1296 MHz Moonbounce- and silver
plated
cavities are a must for high efficiency.

Dale W4OP

Got news for you. skin depth IS a big deal at SW freuquencies as well.
For copper is it roughy 6.6/(f^.5) in cm....

The skin depth at 1 Mhz in copper is a whopping .066 mm. That is about
2 mils (1/500th of an inch). That is why copperweld wire (copper
over steel) works as well as pure copper for an antenna.

And yes, it is a bigger deal 1Ghz, but a 1 micron silver plate is
about all it takes. Skin depth in copper at that frequency is .0021
mm, or about .07 mils, one 15,000th of an inch in copper, in Silver it
would be more like 1/20,000th of an inch.

Even at 60hz, it doesn't pay to use a conductor larger then an inch in
diameter. Skin depth at 60Hz in copper is .85cm
Sure. Skin effect is a big deal at 100 times a typical SW frequency. It's
also important inside IF and some RF transformers. Have you ever seen ads
for those expensive audio cables in which they make a big deal the skin
effect? To paraphrase some comedian -- "Being an audiophool is God's way of
saying you have too much money".

Frank Dresser

"matt weber" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:33:19 GMT, "Frank Dresser"
wrote:


"Dale Parfitt" wrote in message
...

For HF, I totally agree. My passion is 1296 MHz Moonbounce- and silver
plated
cavities are a must for high efficiency.

Dale W4OP

Got news for you. skin depth IS a big deal at SW freuquencies as well.
For copper is it roughy 6.6/(f^.5) in cm....

The skin depth at 1 Mhz in copper is a whopping .066 mm. That is about
2 mils (1/500th of an inch). That is why copperweld wire (copper
over steel) works as well as pure copper for an antenna.

Well, thanks for the newsflash. I guess that means that skin effect isn't
worth worrying about for 99% of the work SWLs do. Like antennas and ground
wires.


And yes, it is a bigger deal 1Ghz, but a 1 micron silver plate is
about all it takes. Skin depth in copper at that frequency is .0021
mm, or about .07 mils, one 15,000th of an inch in copper, in Silver it
would be more like 1/20,000th of an inch.


Wow. That must mean that skin effect makes a difference in the hair fine
wires oftentimes found in IF and RF transformers used in SW radios. Maybe
1% of SWLs will be dealing with such things.

Even at 60hz, it doesn't pay to use a conductor larger then an inch in
diameter. Skin depth at 60Hz in copper is .85cm
Sure. Skin effect is a big deal at 100 times a typical SW frequency.
It's
also important inside IF and some RF transformers. Have you ever seen ads
for those expensive audio cables in which they make a big deal the skin
effect? To paraphrase some comedian -- "Being an audiophool is God's way
of
saying you have too much money".

Frank Dresser



Frank Dresser