[TowerTalk] copper

[Rob Atkinson]

The reason for the cost is not the point.  The fact is that copper is
something hams and broadcasters need and use quite a bit and it's
gotten expensive.  I for one, will not be so fanatical about advising
hams constructing on ground verticals in need of ground systems, to
put down lots of radials, especially on 160 m.   On 75 m., I'd keep
them to around 30 feet in length.  Higher bands I'd go elevated.   The
 price may have an impact on strap and feedlines.

The real question is will the cost go down?  Maybe, but not by much if
you ask me.  Here's what's driving it from agmetalminer.com:

<<Copper seems to be a one-way bet the last six months.

The copper price has risen from a low of $4,371 per metric ton in
March last year to $8,631 per metric ton Friday on the LME.

According to Reuters, Goldman Sachs and Citi are doubling down on
their bull calls for the copper market. The banks have raised their
12-month price target to $10,000 per metric ton.

Copper price drivers:

Exchange-traded stocks are low. China has been buying voraciously as
its economy bounced back from the early spring 2020 lockdown.

Many bulls are touting the green revolution story as reasons to buy.
Automakers' announcements of impending ends to the internal combustion
engine and a total switch to electric has fueled projections of
soaring demand.

Meanwhile, a lack of new mine investment over the last few years
leaves the supply landscape short of new projects to meet projected
demand.>>

So mining is flat or down, and there's speculation that electric car
motor manufacturing will suck up a lot of wire further pressuring
supply.  The free market will eventually correct but I doubt if the
days of $15 for 500 feet of #14 will ever return.

Rob
K5UJ

On Thu, Apr 1, 2021 at 10:56 PM Richard (Rick) Karlquist
<richard at karlquist.com> wrote:
>
> 500 feet of #14 weighs 6.2 lbs.  At $4/lb, the copper content
> is worth about $25.00.  The other $28 is various other stuff.
> There is a general shortage of building matls, like wood.
> I suspect that a lot of the price increase is from that,
> rather than the raw copper price.  I just paid $50 for OSB
> that used to cost $7.  The price of timber doesn't explain that.
> Rather, there are a finite number of plants that can make OSB,
> and it is capital intensive to convert plants over to OSB.
>
> The price of Beldsol magnet wire is now $80/lb,  The copper
> content is only 5% of the price.
>
> Rick N6RK
>