Iron Pre Essentials Kits For The DIYA Store - Register Your Interest

Re: Kondo and transformers..

It looks like a variation on iron (Fe) is the go-to metal for a transformer due its permeability.... but for the windings we want high conductivity.

Silver (6.30E7)and Copper (5.98E7) seem to be the go to for those... ( silver better than copper). Next is gold (4.52E7) although aluminum (3.5E7) is also very good and a lot cheaper.

Unfortunately for my Mad Scientist dreams... all the radioactive metals don't conduct electricity so well. I was hoping that Roentgenium (111) would be a good conductor but. alas, the people who tested it seem to have had sudden deaths. Spams, glow in the dark. lead lined welded shut coffins, etc...

Looking at the periodic table, it seems like Silver has the correct balance of electrons on its outer shell.

https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/293019/why-is-silver-the-best-conductor-of-electricity

OK, since I ain't getting an Iron... and I'll have to wait 'till they become available suis generi at the store... btw, can we get an email informing us that the Iron Balance is back at the store?

Gotta go... gotta shine the silver stash in the caboose.
 
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Probably not a good idea to drop a board with transformers into an ultrasonic PCB cleaning machine?

hate me - I'm never cleaning pcbs after soldering, except in case of smd work, where I'm going just cotton + alcohol, to remove no-wash-flux, for cosmetic reasons

I'm using Fluitin Sn60Pb38Cu2 and I don't have a problem with normal flux residue

didn't work for eons on radio equipment so there is no reason to fear
 
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BTW, I need to get good solder.

Here in California we get the no-lead-no-silver-no-happiness stuff.

Amazon ( and others ) won't ship to CA addresses. Did you know that Smoke Detectors with a replaceable battery are 'ILLEGAL' here?

Any ideas? I do have an ### of state address. ;-)
 
Thanks you all for the info. I checked them out.... I will place the order tomorrow and we'll see.

BTW, out here in the caboose we're learning lots about transformers... heck, I even went back to Maxwell's Equations... The Divergence and Curl of it... ;-)

I guess core saturation is important.. and so is "reluctance".... who said scientists and engineers don't have a sense of humor? 🙂

So, it all comes down to making a big enough core that can handle the power. Given a big core you can add lots of windings and get something like 40 db of gain? I wonder how practical would be a transformer ( autoformer ) that can take 2v into 200v ( 40 db gain )....
 
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I'm jealous... you got the good Iron, you got the good solder, you people in First Class got the goodies.... back here, where we're so far behind we can almost hear the hula from Waikiki, all we got is an ancient book on E&M and an empty can of VooDoo Ranger Imperial IPA.

Buenas Noches.