[Boatanchors] (Solder Kester 88) now copperweld

[Jim Wilhite]

Richard, the deal may be that there is a Flexweave copperweld type of 
wire.  The single strand wire is easy to break should you get a kink in 
it then pull it tight inadvertently, whereas the Flexweave is a bit 
easier to work with.  I believe it (I haven't counted yet) is 9 strand 
copperweld type of wire woven like stranded antenna wire.  It is much 
stronger than a similar type that RS sells.

Maybe that is what they are doing.  I bought some of the Flexweave from 
the coaxman at the Mena, Arkansas hamfest \this past week.  I had to 
discard my old copperweld antenna when I moved last.  It was made of 
wire from old telegraph lines that were used by a railroad and removed a 
few years back.  Had to put vinegar on the end to get the wire to shine 
but that works.

Jim/W5JO



----- Original Message ----- 
>
>     This brings up something I find curious. The local ham
> store (HRO) seems to think that stranded wire is the right
> stuff to make antennas out of. I tried to tell them that it
> oxidized lots faster than copperweld but was told that
> copperweld was "brittle" and broke. When did the classic
> wisdom about antenna wire change? AFAIK the whole idea of
> copperweld is that it is very strong and, if coated with the
> right lacquer, is pretty resistant to oxidation.
>     This goes along with the "trivia" answers on QRZ.com,
> many are plain wrong and no one seems to edit them.
>