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Re: Copper VS. Aluminium?



> Original Poster: "Trent Mullins" <neontrent-at-earthlink-dot-net>
>
> Hey everybody,
>
> Can anyone tell me if there are any advantages/disadvantages
> of using aluminum wire on the tank circuit?
> I found a bunch of this stuff for free, heavy gauge (#2,4,6,8)
>
> Thanks a bunch!!
>
> Trent Mullins

Hi Trent,

Good catch! The electrical resistance of Al is 1.6 higher than Cu, so for a
round conductor the multiplication factor would be the square root of that =
1.3. Not that much bigger. If you also take the difference of specific mass
into account (Cu = 3.3 * Al if I'm not mistaken), an aluminium wire will be
twice as light as a copper one with the same electrical resistance!

The differences of the mechanical characteristics however is another
story... (but that's not something for you to worry about)

Greetings from Holland,

Ruud.