[TowerTalk] Copperweld

[HP]

In about 1951 Steinbergs in Cincinnati was selling 500 foot rolls of #18 Copperweld 
something like 2 rolls for $5 - I have an 80 M inv vee I made originally in Cincinnati 
in 1951 -had tuned feeders then - I have used that same antenna for 67 years 
now fed with RG213 - its great - virtually invisible after it turns black - has never 
broken thru Ohio,Illinois,Iowa, and now Arizona since 1970. I still have most of 
one roll will be glad to send a SMALL piece to anyone who wants to check 
copper thickness of what was probably WW2 surplus Copperweld . 

Anybody remember "Jules" from Steinbergs and his demo of "SSB" magic on 
75 M at Cincinnati Hamfest with a Central Electronics 20A ? circa 1954. 

Hank K7HP 


On 3/12/19 7:37 PM, Ken wrote: 
> I see you are not capitalizing "copperweld".? Copperweld is actually a 
> trademark and company name.? Most of what I see advertised is "copper 
> clad steel" and I wonder if the cheap wire we buy has thinner specs than 
> true Copperweld.? OTOH, I see that Copperweld has been acquired and is 
> now headquartered in China, so maybe (or maybe not) capitalized 
> Copperweld does not live up to it's old reputation. 

It would still have to meet the resistance spec, and even the 21% IACS 
stuff would have a fairly thick layer of copper. 
> 
> Speaking of 70 year old Copperweld, when I was a young ham in high 
> school (50+ years ago) I received an "antenna kit" from MARS.? It was 
> for a rhombic and included a 5200ft roll of 3 strand #12 Copperweld.? I 
> still have some of it left. 
> 
> Ken WA8JXM 
> 
> On 3/11/19 6:38 AM, Rob Atkinson wrote: 
>> I've been told a lot of the copperweld problems today are due to 
>> modern copperweld plating being cheap and no where near the thickness 
>> of your dad's copperweld.? The wire from say, 70 years ago is 
>> nonexistent now and what you buy today has minimal copper.? It's kind 
>> of like the difference between steel hardware from the store that's 
>> been zinc electroplated, and the good hot dip galvanized hardware from 
>> manufacturers like Rohn. 
> _____________________