[TowerTalk] Antenna Modeling Programs

[L. B. Cebik]

> How about something that models the difference between stranded wire and
> solid wire (for the same length of wire), or doesn't the scientific
> community feel any such RF-radiation differences exist?
> 
> Big Don
Don,

To the best of my knowledge, at HF most sources hold the view that there
is no significant difference between solid and stranded wires.  Certain
stranded wires are constructed in such a manner that a given nominal wire
size may not be true to the diameter charts.  However, unlike Litz
wire--which is effective below about 0.5 MHz, stranded bare stranded wire
at HF is considered by most to have the same properties as comparably
sized solid wire.  Wire contact and field intensity would place the
maximum RF current on the exposed surface of the wire.  I have found no
source that accounts for any possible differential in exposed surface
area.

If a difference did exist, NEC could not model it.  Wires closer than
0.001 wl are considered connected at junctions, and overlapping wires are
generally considered illicit and produce erroneous results, enless
error-trapped by a particular implementation.  If there is any significant
difference between stranded and solid wire, it would take a
pre-calculation diameter adjustment to the solid size with the closest
performance.

-73-

LB, W4RNL



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