[Antennas] Amp Rating

[Tim Billingsley]

No George, I wouldn't go as far as to assume that there was an easy answer,
but the fuse theory applies directly. I even hate to admit why I asked, but
because I know that there are those that have the answers and all the angles
that the answer could be influenced by I came to the right place to ask. I
figured that the way some of you guys toss this stuff around like playdough
in the hands of master sculptors, if there were an answer or a complete
dialog of discussion with all of it's possibilities and the factors that
only RF can provide that my simple question shouldn't be a challenge, but
would in fact be well discussed and I would walk away with a reasonably
accurate answer given the information that I presented. Indeed there was no
RF to consider at least I don't believe it has anything to do with RF, so
with that again I thank you all for your input and ask that since this is
not antenna related we should leave this one alone because I don't ant to be
the start of someone saying "well I signed up here to learn about antennas
.... yada yada yada" and so on.

Now I think that was a run-on sentence, but I think I said it all.

Thanks again to everyone and I certainly hope everyone had a great Field Day
whether you slugged it out somewhere in the field or stayed at home and held
down the easy chair with a tall iced tea in one hand and a mic in the other.

thanks and 73 all

Tim Billingsley KD5CKP
http://www.qsl.net/kd5ckp/start.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: "George, W5YR" <w5yr@att.net>
To: "Tim Billingsley" <kd5ckp@centurytel.net>
Cc: <antennas@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 6:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Antennas] Amp Rating


> Not really, Tim!
>
> In reading the various responses I was afraid that was what you might
> conclude.
>
> The current rating of a piece of wire depends upon the wire material -
> copper, aluminum, etc. - its insulation, its installation (open air,
wiring
> tunnel,??) and the temperature rise that is tolerable. Not to mention the
> voltage drop that the circuit requirements can handle.
>
> So, the fusing current is absolutely the highest value of current under
any
> condition that you would expect to use: at that current, the wire
> vaporizes! Not a very useful rating unless you are using the wire as a
> fuse.
>
> So, as a practical matter #20 wire can probably handle "a amp or so"
> provided that it is located where it can get rid of its heat and that the
> insulation is rated for the temperature involved.
>
> A couple of data points to remember is that #10 wire is commonly used in
> 30-amp circuits and #12 wire in 20-amp circuits, while #14 wire would be
> used for 15-amp circuits. Most wiring codes work around those values.
>
> Bet you thought there was an easy answer to your question, didn't you?
<:}
>
> 73/72/oo, George W5YR - the Yellow Rose of Texas
> Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13qe
> Amateur Radio W5YR, in the 56th year and it just keeps getting better!
> QRP-L 1373 NETXQRP 6 SOC 262 COG 8 FPQRP 404 TEN-X 11771 I-LINK 11735
> Icom IC-756PRO #02121  Kachina 505 DSP  #91900556  Icom IC-765 #02437
>
> Tim Billingsley wrote:
> >
> > Thanks to everyone for all the answers.
> > Seems that somewhere in the neighborhood of 58+ amps covers it.
>