[TowerTalk] Silver vs Aluminum vs Copper Re: OT: Inductor Calculator

[jimlux]

On 3/1/19 11:37 AM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote:
> 
> 
> On 3/1/2019 10:45 AM, jimlux wrote:
> 
>> Sure - it's a classic engineering tradeoff - if you look at a dollars 
>> per dissipated watt sort of metric,  it takes 60% more aluminum than 
>> copper to get the same resistance, but copper costs a lot more than 
>> 60% more than aluminum.   So if you've got room, it's cheaper to make it 
> 
> When costing copper vs aluminum:  for a given VOLUME of metal (which is
> what we are talking about here) we have to use both the price per
> pound of the respective metals AND the density of the respective metals.
> That works out to something like 10:1 in favor of aluminum vs copper.
> 
> Rick N6RK

Very much so.  If Aluminum weren't such a pain to make good connections 
to, it would almost always be the preferred material.

Like I say, with the money you save, buy a TIG welder and develop a new 
skill. Or at least that's what you'll tell people.