Can speaker wire be used as an antenna and if so what is min gauge for legal power( or 2kw ) or higher to be safe/ upto 5kw or so like some of these baluns and line isolator seem to be made to handle it?
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Antenna Materials
- Thread starter Heavy Metal
- Start date
Wire is wire. It doesn't know if it is being used for speakers or antenna or to dry laundry. Copper wire is preferred for reasons of conductivity, solder-ability, and price/availability. Even very thin wire will handle substantial power so size is only a factor where strength is concerned. Usually 14 gauge is used as it is a good trade off for size and strength. You will never run enough power to melt 14 gauge wire.Stranded is best as it is flexible but copper-weld is often used where long runs are required. It is copper plated steel and is usually solid.
Ok, what about 10ga electrical wire as well as monster cable @8ga? Also does gauge make a difference when using formulas aka 468/freq? And also on bandwidth?
Also what determines power handling capabilities be it wire solid or stranded or aluminum poles or copper poles ect? And can you mix copper and aluminum as well?
Read Capt KW's reply - the first couple of sentences, anyway. The larger the diameter, the greater the bandwidth, BUT you're not going to notice any significant change in bandwidth at HF.
"468/f" is not an absolute. It'll get you close, and then comes the job of adjusting the length. Antenna analyzer pays for itself at this time.
"10ga electrical wire" (assuming it's copper) would work for most any purpose, but I'd want to know what band you plan to be operating on, and what type of antenna you intend to build. It sounds like a dipole, based on the formula, but 10 AWG wire is a lot heavier than you need for legal power. As CK recommended, 14 AWG is plenty large and much lighter.
Copper and aluminum don't mix well, especially in areas where it's really rainy for much of the year (like right here).
Do yourself a favor: get a copy of the ARRL antenna book or some such volume and get familiar with antenna basics.
Dissimilar metals don't play well together ,they will corrode out in no time. Gauge of wire will change resonate length a little as well as bandwidth ( you wont even notice the difference between say 14# and 12#). Insulated wire has a different propagation factor than bare wire ( radio waves travel slower in the insulation than they do in free space). Means you usually have to cut it 3 to 5 percent shorter .( depends on the type of insulation used).
3 percent at 144 mhz is fractions of an inch but at 1.8 mhz its feet, so the lower you go in frequency the less accurate the formula is going to appear.
3 percent at 144 mhz is fractions of an inch but at 1.8 mhz its feet, so the lower you go in frequency the less accurate the formula is going to appear.
I would never use 8 ga. wire simple because it is far too heavy especially for a long run and too expensive and simple not needed. My preference is 14 ga. or 12 ga. at best. Beetle is correct in that the larger the conductor diameter the greater the bandwidth but when dealing with wire you will never really see any difference. If you went from wire to pipe then you would see some difference but it is still nothing drastic. It is all related to frequency BTW. The higher you go the bigger the difference it makes. Anywhere in the HF spectrum (including CB) the change is not so much but VHF is a different story.The basic formula for determining length is a rough start as ever installation has factors that will determine the overall length. Height above ground, materials used, proximity to other objects, insulators types used etc. all factor in but only a very small amount each. Added together however the difference can add up. It is always easier to start off a bit long as it is easier to cut than it is to solder back on.As for mixing materials you can with certain precautions. Copper and brass work well together and aluminum and stainless steel work well but NEVER mix copper or brass with aluminum. Corrosion will result in short order.
I was wondering cause 6m, 10m, (11m), 12m, 15m, 17m, 20m, even to 30m as heavy as 8ga is. It is possible to over come that weight and have terrific bandwidth but would have to use a support mechnism but, anything lower the legnth would really tax it weight wise, but I am speaking I speaking in general terms of worth it too or can 10ga do as well too and weight would be really really a lot less on 10ga vs 8ga.
Any reply I make to the above would simply be a repeat of what I already said in regards to bandwidth difference and weight versus necessity and cost. I know of absolutely nobody that makes simple wire antennas out of 8 ga. except for perhaps base loading coils for an antenna.