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Re: Hookup Wire
From: Malcolm Watts[SMTP:MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz]
Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 1997 3:35 PM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: Hookup Wire
Hi Greg,
> From: ghunter-at-mail.enterprise-dot-net[SMTP:ghunter-at-mail.enterprise-dot-net]
> Sent: Monday, December 01, 1997 1:54 PM
> To: Tesla List
> Subject: Hookup Wire
<snip>
> Also, I've heard references to lossy pvc insulation. Since many
> coilers wind their small secondaries on pvc pipe forms, this seems
> like a pretty lame complaint.
>
> On the plus side, hookup wire is more readily available than magnet
> wire. It's less expensive than magnet wire. It also seems to me that
> the stranded conductor would have lower loss at RF than solid
> conductor. Jacketed wire is tough & resistant to kinking and
> breakage--good qualities during the winding operation.
I've measured it as being worse if the wire diameters are comparable.
I tested a number of different types of wire by measuring a 17'
length of each and running each in turn from the base of a resonator
to ground. Best was a thick 80 strand Litz wire. I didn't have strap
at the time but it would be as good if not better. Worst was braid by
a country mile. Stranded was better but still below solid section
wire. If the wire is thick enough, stranded should be fine.
ASIDE: Braid will *never* be any good because its characteristics
don't change that much with size. What you have are thousands of tiny
connections in braid because as the strands dive beneath one another,
skin effect causes the current to hop from one strand to another to
stay on the outer section of the wire and in doing so, it has to
traverse oxide films, dirt and the like.
FWIW,
Malcolm