Topband: Aluminium antenna wire

[Bernd Wiebus]

Hello Tom

>Does anyone have any experience of using alumin(i)um wire for antennas?

I had bad experience with aluminium wire. The behavier at multiple bending
depends on the alloy, an a alloy is for alu and copper with higher
resistance. Did you think about putting your antenna in the trees by using
reel and counterweights?
I put my antenna in trees by putting a reel in the tree (with a broad pvc
band tied around a trunk). Then i put a cord to the antenna, then across the
reel and down the tree to hevy counterweight made of concrete. I suggest,
that you have to play with the weigt and the mechanical tension on your
antenna. So you have to use a thicker antenna wire for the higher mechanical
tension, but there will be less movement.

Using materials with higher resistance is not a good idea for long, thin
antenna wires. I used pvc coated steel wire for my 80m dipol, an were proud
to got a very good swr with the first attemp....up to the time i notices
that it comes from the high snubbering on the wire. An exeption could be
made for the thick aluminium wire used for lightning protection. This
material is very thick, and has good behaviour for the skin effect.


>expectancy using multi-strand copper is short!

Strange. I made the experience that single strand is worst than
multi-strand. So i think, you used a wire what is not strong enough, without
the problem of the multiple bending.

>I bought a 400 metre reel of 1.6mm Al wire from the local farm supplier for
20 quid (35 dollars). Resistance is specified as 0.065 ohms/metre.

I think about 1,6mm wire is thin, not only for Al. This will be 0,65 Ohms
every 10 meters.......But a what about tressing three or four wires (like
HF-cord)? I personal try to use 2,5mm cu multed-strandet wire. 

Bernd, alias dl1eic


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