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[Towertalk] Tensile strength - Cu wire

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [Towertalk] Tensile strength - Cu wire
From: ccc@space.mit.edu (Chuck Counselman)
Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 14:49:07 -0400
>N1EU wrote:
>>I haven't had luck searching online for info on tensile strength
>>  of garden variety hard drawn copper wire.  I was hoping to compare
>>  10-14 AWG copper versus copperweld, in stranded and solid flavors. 
>>  I'm sure the numbers are out there, and would appreciate help
>  > gathering the info.
>

This doesn't answer your question, but I hope it's helpful and/or 
will provoke others to comment helpfully:

1. In an antenna, stranded wire lasts longer than solid wire of the 
same gauge.  Solid tends to fail by fatigue, due to the 
stress-variation caused by wind etc.

2. It has been suggested that stranded antenna wire should be 
insulated, and where insulation has been removed for 
splicing/connections, the exposed parts should be sealed with 
CoaxSeal, Liquid Electrical Tape, or whatever, to prevent corrosion, 
because some RF current flows between adjoining strands.

73 de Chuck, W1HIS

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