[Amps] Cleaning air-wound coils

[ToddRoberts2001 at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/5/2010 1:12:50 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
audioguy at charter.net writes:

Based on everthing presented in this thread, then, at HF would a *very*  
thin layer of plated gold decrease performance in any significant way?
If  not, that might be a long-term method to keep things shiny,  anyway.

73,
Jim, N7CXI
 
 
 
I looked into gold plating about a year ago and it has several
advantages over silver plating.
 
Gold does not normally tarnish the way silver does so if you
want to keep an inductor shiny and protected from corrosion
gold plating is very good for this.
 
Gold plating is usually very thin so the coating would have 
practically no effect on the Q of the inductor.
 
The main expense when having something gold plated is the
polishing and buffing of the base metal. If you don't have to have
a blemish-free finish the cost will be much less.
 
People have many things gold plated, car keys, bathroom fixtures,
cigarette lighters, you name it so the gold plating companies  are 
happy to gold-plate whatever you have within reason as long
as it is a good conductor.  Copper is an
excellent base metal to have gold plated since it is such a good
conductor.
 
73 - Todd WD4NGG