From: g4gvw <g4gvw@aol.com>
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
In-Reply-To: <003001cae0b0$820545d0$0401a8c0@xphd97xgq27nyf>
References:
	 <681228559-1271689925-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1565535176-@bda171.bisx.prod.on.blackberry>
	 ,<003b01cadfd7$a44098e0$0401a8c0@xphd97xgq27nyf>
	 <BF4A524700075746A6467658DFC7102C19A2156E4C@ICTS-S-EXC2-CA.luna.kuleuven.be>
	 <003001cae0b0$820545d0$0401a8c0@xphd97xgq27nyf>
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:15:45 +0100
Message-Id: <1271798145.1101.11.camel@pat-compaq-evo>
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Subject: Re: LF: EARTH
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Ok so I'm not an expert on this but I remember years ago being told that
it was not so much the metals concerned but the environment in which
they were joined that was important. For instance, one of the rules was
that the joint must be (and remain so ) "gas tight" and for most
PRACTICAL purposes copper was as good a material as was available. AS
amateur enthusiasts few of us are going to NEED extreme longevity in our
systems as we will be continuously dissatisfied with what we have and be
striving to replace and improve.



On Tue, 2010-04-20 at 18:40 +0100, mal hamilton wrote:
> 
> 
> Rik
> I have not investigated gold v silver but high quality low loss plugs/socket
> pins are gold plated, if what you say is correct why not silver?
> mal/g3kev
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rik Strobbe" <Rik.Strobbe@fys.kuleuven.be>
> To: <rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org>
> Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 6:42 PM
> Subject: RE: LF: EARTH
> 
> 
> Mal,
> 
> the conductivity of silver is better than that of copper. But the difference
> is marginal, the main advantage is that silver will not oxidate as much as
> copper (metal oxides are rather poor conductors). That is why silver plating
> makes sense, in particular on very high frequencies (where skin depth is
> small, but solid silver wire does not (apart from the fact that is will
> break very easy).
> However, the conductivity of gold is worse than that of silver and copper, I
> don't think that there is any good reason to use gold plated antennas (maybe
> except for vanity).
> 
> 73, Rik  ON7YD
> 
> ________________________________________
> Van: owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org [owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org]
> namens mal hamilton [g3kevmal@talktalk.net]
> Verzonden: maandag 19 april 2010 17:47
> Aan: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
> Onderwerp: Re: LF: EARTH
> 
> Mike
> Silver is ideal and better than copper but in California and possibly Texas
> they prefer GOLD, listen to those big W6 and W5 signals. I think W6AM had a
> gold plated rhombic around the mid 50's. The heyday of amateur radio before
> the appliance operator appeared.
> Nice to hear from you
> 
> de mal/g3kev
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "WE0H-Mike" <we0h@gmx.com>
> To: <rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org>
> Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 4:15 PM
> Subject: Re: LF: EARTH
> 
> 
> > I run 11,100 feet of radials for my HF and 600m antennas. It works great
> but I have lots of wire and lots of time to put them in the ground...hi hi
> >
> > As Mal said, using a good antenna and a few radials will work good. Use a
> poor antenna and many radials and expect a compromise performance.
> >
> > I have been finding that using silver plated Teflon insulated wire for my
> antennas and any coils, that my antennas seem to radiate well. I think the
> silver plating has a lower A/C resistance than copper which lowers the wire
> losses.
> >
> > Mike
> > WE0H
> > WD2XSH/16
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Mobile on  my BlackBerry
> >
> 

-- 
73 es gd dx de pat g4gvw
 qth nr felixstowe uk
(east coast, county of suffolk)