Antenna Builders! Copper?

[314]

Just wondering if anyone has thought of taking aluminum to the next step, and building an antenna out of copper? Like the design of a maco yagi and making it out of copper instead..Of course as builders like that the price would be steep, but for some joe blow like me, how crazy would the idea be? Copper is 6-8 times more conductive than Aluminum, wouldn't that make for more power out and not down.and sure more factors play in..Just thinking of an idea wondering what you guys think.

 

[binrat]

I think Aluminum is preferred as its cheaper, light and won't go missing when the copper midnight recovery crew comes around.

 

[314]

lol people eyeing the antenna for the copper. I get it. How well you think it'll do compared to aluminum.

 

[Sarasota Slim]

I can't speak to the functionality, but if you were to build such a thing, then went over it with a silver or grey rattle can, that might fool the copper theives.

 

[Robb]

Copper is far more expensive. Copper is also heavier. Radio waves will work/conduct as well with aluminum as it will with copper. Aluminum is also far more rigid than copper and not prone to bending in high winds as softer copper would do.

 

[sp5it]

Depends on antenna. My 70cm gp is made with copper wire, but I wouldn't use it for 20m Yagi for sure.
Mike

 

[rabbiporkchop]

I use copper all the time. This is all copper would be good for from a structural perspective.

 

[wavrider]

Does not really matter on what type metal you use.
There have even been some antennas built out of aluminum foil wrapped around PVC.

It is the electrical length that matters not what type of conductor.

Copper will work just fine within the limitations of mechanical integrity of the metal itself.

 

[Road Squawker]

Just wondering if anyone has thought of taking aluminum to the next step, and building an antenna out of copper? ... Copper is 6-8 times more conductive than Aluminum....

Actually, on the resistivity scale, copper is 16.8, Al is 26.2.
that is less than twice the value. but, you can made the resistance of Al effectively the same as Cu by making the Al tubing larger.


You haven't looked at the I squared R issues

Al is mechanically stronger than Cu, so hollow Al tubing is much stronger that the same size Cu tubing.
RF travels on the surface of the conductor only, so until you get to small diameter radiators (wire) hollow conductors (tubing) is the best mechanical design.

This issue has been somewhat rsolved by the production of COPPERCLAD steel and Aluminum wire. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...perweld.com/&usg=AOvVaw0YR2Vqm4xMT1q2qFF5Y8vD

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Just wondering if anyone has thought of taking aluminum to the next step, and building an antenna out of copper? Like the design of a maco yagi and making it out of copper instead..Of course as builders like that the price would be steep, but for some joe blow like me, how crazy would the idea be? Copper is 6-8 times more conductive than Aluminum, wouldn't that make for more power out and not down.and sure more factors play in..Just thinking of an idea wondering what you guys think.

Actually aluminum has a conductivity 61% of that of copper so while copper is indeed a better conductor it is certainly not 6-8 times better than aluminum. Copper is also 67% heavier than aluminum and a whole lot more expensive. As for rigidity, type K has a thicker wall and is much stiffer than either type L or M but is also much more expensive. I have made antennas out of aluminum and copper many times but most copper antennas were for VHF where the size and hence cost was smaller. Copper is easier to make feedline attachments too, simply solder it, but aluminum is easy if you are handy with a tap and die set and use stainless hardware. As for actual on-air performance you will not see any difference so in the end it all comes down to how heavy do you want it and how much are you willing to spend.

 

[rabbiporkchop]

Here's a nice chart showing electrical characteristics of different metals.

 

[Mudduckmobile]

lol people eyeing the antenna for the copper. I get it. How well you think it'll do compared to aluminum.

After reading this thread... so far today I will chime in.
Back in the 1970's my Dad helped me build a 2 el. beam for 11 meters (cb).
The way my dad did it (I looked and acted as a kid helping...) was to get copper tubing that fit over the aluminum tubing we had from my old wind killed 3 el beam. My dad soldered the tubes together, and we had big fun.
The copper antenna as I recall did no better the the old 3 el. I think the 3el worked the best.....but a 3 el works better then a 2el I think.Skip was rolling good back then and I think I could have done well with any thing. I know my star duster (A/S) seamed to work very well.
Sorry for the rambling tangent.

 

[rabbiporkchop]

Does not really matter on what type metal you use.
There have even been some antennas built out of aluminum foil wrapped around PVC.

It is the electrical length that matters not what type of conductor.

Copper will work just fine within the limitations of mechanical integrity of the metal itself.

The type of conductor is what determines the Dimensions you need to achieve a certain electrical length.

 

[314]

Thanks for the replies, I was doing a little search on metals and found it interesting that a few people said that copper was the best material for antenna building. The fact that I read copper was more conductive, and not the 6-8 times, but more conductive,thought the idea was a good one.So what I've learned is from reading your thoughts, 1 it's way more heavier, 2 it's pricey, and 3 the electrical length will change..I thought I could do the same electrical length as a Maco but with copper, and that's not the case right?

 

[Riverman]

The type of conductor is what determines the Dimensions you need to achieve a certain electrical length.

If I use a ground plane calculator to determine the length of the vertical and radials for a 1/4 wave GP, and trim as needed for SWR, will the final dimensions for a copper antenna differ from those of an aluminum one if the diameter and wall thickness of the tubing is the same for both?