Aluminum magnet wire for induction coils?

[crrozario74]

Does anyone know if there are any issues with using aluminum magnet wire for crossover coils?

 

[abraxalito]

Its less conductive than copper, so higher DCR will be an issue. Copper clad aluminium wire is used where mass is an issue (like voice coils).

 

[sreten]

Hi,

It has no advantages over copper here at all, and a PITA to solder.
I'm not sure there is such a thing as aluminium magnet wire.
However CCAW could be fine for air cores with a resistance.

rgds, sreten.

 

[bwaslo]

A big advantage would be the cost, copper is expensive stuff.

 

[woody]

I looked it up and aluminum magnet wire has been available for
a long while. Typically for a given application you will need to use
wire 2 gauges larger than if it was copper which would make our
inductors take up a bit more space.

 

[Bare]

A big advantage would be the cost, copper is expensive stuff.

Really!?
If That frugal.. best glean deposit bottles from the neighbors' recycling bins

 

[crrozario74]

Well, I have a lot of it and a pretty good selection of gauges. I salvaged it from CRT TVs. i understand the coil would be bigger altogether because of its resistance vs. Cu. The largest I have is 19 gauge, could that do the trick?

 

[bwaslo]

Have you checked price on large many mH air core inductors lately?

 

[crrozario74]

Oh and mentioning frugal? I am, not just Frugal but FRUGAL! Found a 1965 HH Scott amp (299T Solid State) plus original speakers in excellent condition for $18.

 

[bwaslo]

Inductors would be physically larger for sure, also harder to solder. But probably lighter (too lazy to calculate). Al is less conductive than Cu, but not horribly so. Mostly I wonder about costs. In passive xovers of decent complexity inductor costs can approach cost of the drivers. For diy at least.

 

[abraxalito]

Copper magnet wire over on Aliexpress goes for around $8/kg in large enough gauges. For aluminium, the price is about half that. Since Al is around a third the density of Cu, you get a lot more wire per kg.

 

[JMFahey]

^^^^^^ thanks for checking.

personally, I'd use copper (like anybody else), but if I had a Ton (literally ) of enamelled aluminum magnet wire I'd definitely find some use for it, or try to sell it for ca$$$$$h .

Wasting it? no way !!!!!!