[TowerTalk] Copper wire prices

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

I just asked MWS Industries (the big magnet wire company)
about aluminum wire with formvar.  They said they don't
make any insulated aluminum wire.

I will note that insulated copper house wire is actually cheaper than
bare copper "ground" wire, so it seems as if the insulation
is dirt cheap to put on.  Or it may be an accounting anomaly.

Rick N6RK

> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Jim Lux
> Sent: Saturday, November 18, 2006 6:45 AM
> To: K8RI on TowerTalk; TOWERTALK at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Copper wire prices
>
>
> At 06:03 PM 11/17/2006, K8RI on TowerTalk wrote:
> >I doubt Alodine would be very effective for buried radials and
> it is a lot
> >of work.
>
>
>
>
> >The Aluminum is etched with Phosphoric Acid, thoroughly washed and then
> >given repeated treatments
> >http://www.rci-products.com/ALODINE.html
> >of Chromic Acid each of which is followed by thorough washing.  This
> >produces the Gold color which is relatively fragile.  A good
> rubbing with a
> >dry paper towel will remove it.  OTOH if handled carefully the
> majority of
> >the wire would remain coated. In a cold climate like here in Michigan the
> >freeze and thaw cycle would eventually remove the coating by the abrasive
> >movement of the soil. How long that would take I have no idea.
>
> The question is whether an aluminum wire manufacturer could provide
> passivated wire, perhaps coated also for mechanical abrasion
> resistance, for a price that's less than bare copper wire.  "enamel"
> wire isn't much more expensive than bare wire, and the wire
> manufacturers do all sorts of chemical treatments, so if they DO the
> corrosion protection at all, I wouldn't expect it to cost a lot.
>
> Jim, W6RMK
>
>
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