Does the CCAW magnet wire go all the way to the terminals? Or is there a copper pig tail which is brought out to the terminal? The former is reliable with the proper terminals - and more importantly, Re workable. If there is a joint of any sort buried in the over-wrap insulation you cannot get to it, and can’t re-solder CCAW anyway. A screw terminal, rated for aluminum wire, is preferred.
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Aluminium wire in screw terminals calls for another issue, the creeping. Unless you're using specialized terminals for this purpose, you'll have to re-srew the terminals from time to time to avoid increasing contact resistances.
Here in Germany transformers were wound with aluminium wire during WW II, as copper that has to be inported became tight and expensive. They used EI cores with increased winding windows instead of lossless ones then. Later, even house wiring was done with aluminium in the GDR.
Best regards!
I know all that. Every technical solution has its own problem. Tightening screws is one thing, loosening solder joints is another, and so on. When you buy large transformers for industry, you have both aluminum and copper transformers on offer. How much money, that much music.
Here's something to consider for those concerned about what wire is in your transformer. The power lines to your home are copper clad steel. The pole transformers have aluminum wire. The wire from the pole to your residence is aluminum. The circuit breakers have contacts made from some sort of copper alloy. There are miles of non copper alloys between your amplifier and the power company.
Only the one who made it knows such details. The owner just has to hope it's done right. If the postage is not too high, and if the transformer does not buzz, it is a very good purchase. We have small companies here that make high quality trsnsformators, but not at that price, of course.
i do not get it when people look down upon aluminum conductors, even here in Manila folks are prejudiced against aluminum......the pice of copper magnet wires have gone up more than 300% since the covid 19 pandemic...
Steel? Aluminum maybe, steel is not for sure.
steel is used as the innermost core to give the cable better tensile stress capability than using pure aluminum....
steel is used as the innermost core to give the cable better tensile stress capability than using pure aluminum....