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Re: [TowerTalk] question on copper wire used for hairpins and the like..

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] question on copper wire used for hairpins and the like...
From: David Gilbert <xdavid@cis-broadband.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2016 18:22:16 -0700
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>


Hi, Gary.

According to some online skin effect calculators I found, and assuming that the hairpin is something on the order of 4 gauge wire, the current at 4 MHz reaches an equivalent depth of 1.4 mils or so. It is of course a logarithmic current density profile, but the equivalent uniform density depth is around 1.4 mils. I doubt that the tarnish is anywhere near that thick.

73 and good to that you're still plugging away on your new station,
Dave   AB7E


On 10/13/2016 2:05 PM, StellarCAT wrote:
So ... Force12 used (uses!) bare copper wire as their hairpins. I have a 80/75 rotary dipole that has a hairpin made from 
bare #10 wire ... it is now 11 years old and it looks dull – tarnished ... not corroded at all – just the 
dull brown color that copper gets to be ... is there any reason why that can’t be reused (I’m putting it 
back up)? I realize the skin effect will mean that only the outside such-n-such micrometers are used for conductance ... 
but would any resistance in the ‘tarnish’ factor in or would it appear to be the same today as it was when 
brand new?

My guess is the answer is yes – it can be reused and it would continue to work as if it were brand new ... 
and my one point of argument towards that fact is that when it was up – for 7 years – there was no 
apparent change in the operation of the antenna! The SWR didn’t change, which is what the hairpin would 
most drastically effect ... the 2:1 bandwidth didn’t change noticeably (Q) ...

thoughts and discussions...

Gary
K9RX

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