[TowerTalk] Copper Clad Wire and Skin Effect

[Roger Parsons]

I was idly thinking about copper clad steel wire as
used for antennas today. I have seen it written
several times that if the copper coating is thin, it
is ok at high frequencies, but not at lower ones
because the skin depth can be more than the thickness
of the copper, and therefore some current will flow in
the steel.

Then I thought to myself (:-), surely this makes no
difference - the current will take the easiest path -
or more accurately will divide according the relative
impedance of the paths available. In the limit, if it
were copper clad air, all the current would flow in
the copper. At another limit, where the frequency is
zero (DC), the current will divide according to
relative resistance of the paths available.

Do I have this wrong?

73 Roger
VE3ZI





	
	
		
___________________________________________________________ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun!  http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com