Topband: aluminum wire for antennas

[Milt Jensen]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <mstangelo at comcast.net>
To: "Charles W. Shaw" <chasshaw at leaco.net>; <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 2:32 PM
Subject: Re: Topband: aluminum wire for antennas


> Does anyone know what the electric utilities use for their wiring on
utility poles?
> I doubt if it's pure copper or aluminum since theyare relatively soft and
would stretch ot break. Copperweld has a thin layer of copper plating so the
resistance would be high at 60hz.
>
> Mike N2MS

Mike,

For the past nearly 40 years most, if not all, distribution and transmission
conductors installed in the USA are either AAC (All Aluminum Conductor),
ACSR (Aluminum Conductor, Steel Reinforced), ACAR (Aluminum Conductor Alloy,
Reinforced) or AAAC (All Aluminum Alloy Conductor).

AAC is used where conductor strength is not a factor, and offers a higher
ampacity to weight ratio.

AAAC has a higher strength to weight ratio and affords better sag
characteristics.

ACAR is a combination of these two criteria, offering both strength and
ampacity when those are prime considerations.

ACSR offers optimal strength in line design, and variations of the steel
core stranding enables desired strength to be achieved without sacrificing
ampacity.  It is the strongest, but is also the heaviest per given diameter.

All varieties are constructed of concentric layers of small conductors with
quantities of layers and conductor size dependent on the ultimate total
conductor size required.  The sizes can range from  #6 AWG (American Wire
Guage) stranded to more than 2,000 KCM (thousand of circular mils).

Milt, N5IA