On Wed, 3 Sep 1997 09:39:49 +0100 Peter Chadwick
<Peter.Chadwick@gpsemi.com> writes:
>>Hi all, can anyone explain to me why silver plating is used to
>>decrease loses in tank circuits and so on. Looking at the figures
>>there seems to be a very small difference in resistivity and skin
>>depth between silver and copper. Is is to reduce losses due to
>>tarnishing perhaps?
>
>That's my understanding. But apparently, not all silver platings are
>the
>same - there's a 'hard' and a 'soft' plate, and one of them (and I
>can't
>remember which) can actually reduce Q.
>
>73
>
>Peter G3RZP
Silver plating is used to preserve performance and RF conductivity in
widely varying enviroments such as the military. For average ham use it
probably is not important. The output of my 432MHz cavity amp has not
changed in 20 years and it is all copper and brass.
The only true silver plate is the industrial style hard plate and there
are variations there also. Best to consult a professional plater for
details. The brush-on soft plate is a sham and has been described as
such by many VHF/UHF authors.
73....Carl KM1H
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