RF Test Cable conductors are generally copper-core and copper-clad aluminum materials are more common, so how to distinguish between these two materials? We can distinguish from the following aspects:
Mechanical properties
Pure copper conductors have greater strength and elongation than copper-clad aluminum conductors, which means that pure copper is better than copper-clad aluminum in terms of mechanical properties. From the RF Test Cable design point of view, the advantages of pure copper conductors over copper-clad aluminum conductors in terms of mechanical strength are not necessarily needed in the practical application process. Copper-clad aluminum conductor is much lighter than pure copper, so copper-clad aluminum RF Test Cable in the overall weight than pure copper conductor RF Test Cable is lighter, which will bring convenience to the RF Test Cable transportation and RF Test Cable erection construction. In addition, copper-clad aluminum is a little softer than pure copper, RF Test Cable produced with copper-clad aluminum conductors in terms of flexibility than pure copper RF Test Cable is a little better.
Electrical performance
Because the conductivity of aluminum is poorer than copper, making the copper-clad aluminum conductor DC resistance than pure copper conductor, which has no effect depends mainly on whether the RF Test Cable will be used for power supply, such as providing power to the amplifier, if used for power supply, copper-clad aluminum conductor will lead to additional power consumption, the voltage is reduced more. When the frequency exceeds 5MHz, there is no significant difference in the AC resistance attenuation under the two different conductors at this time. Of course, this is mainly because of the skin effect of high-frequency current, the higher the frequency, the closer the flow of current to the surface of the conductor, in the surface of the copper-clad aluminum conductor is actually pure copper material, when the frequency is high to a certain point, the entire current plating flows inside the copper material. In the case of 5MHz, the current flows in the thickness of about 0.025mm near the surface, while the copper layer of the copper-clad aluminum conductor is about twice as thick as this thickness. For the coaxial RF Test Cable, since the transmitted signal is above 5MHz, the copper-clad aluminum conductor and the pure copper conductor transmit the same effect. In the actual test RF Test Cable attenuation can prove this point. Copper-clad aluminum is softer than pure copper conductors, easy to straighten in the production process, so to a certain extent it can be said that the RF Test Cable with copper-clad aluminum than the return loss index of RF Test Cable with pure copper conductors.
Economical
Copper-clad aluminum conductor is sold by weight, pure copper conductor is also sold by weight, the price of copper-clad aluminum conductor is more expensive than the same weight of pure copper conductor. However, the same weight of copper-clad aluminum conductor is much longer than pure copper conductor, while RF Test Cable is calculated by length. The same weight, copper-clad aluminum wire is 2.5 times the length of copper wire, the price is only a few hundred dollars more per ton. Comprehensive down, copper-clad aluminum will be very advantageous. Because copper-clad aluminum RF Test Cable is lighter, RF Test Cable transportation costs, installation and erection costs will be reduced, will bring some convenience to the construction.
Easy maintenance
The use of copper-clad aluminum can reduce network failures, avoiding network personnel in the maintenance of "winter son cut core, summer son cut skin" (aluminum tape wrapped longitudinally or aluminum tube products). As the copper inner conductor of RF Test Cable and aluminum outer conductor thermal expansion coefficient difference is large, in the hot summer, the aluminum outer conductor elongation is larger, the copper inner conductor relatively retracted, can not fully contact the F-head holder inside the elastic contact; in the cold winter, the aluminum outer conductor shrinkage is larger, so that the shielding layer off. When the coaxial RF Test Cable using copper-clad aluminum inner conductor, it is a smaller difference in thermal expansion coefficient with the aluminum outer conductor, temperature changes, RF Test Cable core failure is greatly reduced, improving the transmission quality of the network.
In general, the overall performance of copper-clad aluminum conductors than pure copper conductors, it will save the user's costs. Industry insiders believe that the wire RF Test Cable industry using copper-clad aluminum wire is also a good way to relieve the pressure on the current business. Aluminum wire wrapped with a layer of copper outside the bimetallic line made by drawing, due to a small specific gravity, good transmission performance and other advantages, especially suitable for doing RF coaxial RF Test Cable inner conductor, compared with pure copper wire, the density of pure copper about 40%. And transmission characteristics better than pure copper wire, is the most ideal RF coaxial RF Test Cable branch line inside conductor. From the appearance of the difference can be seen, copper RF Test Cable core material is copper, copper color is yellow, the line is relatively hard, good tensile strength; copper clad aluminum is in the aluminum core outer layer of copper layer. Copper-clad aluminum conductors are sold by weight, pure copper conductors are also sold by weight, the price of copper-clad aluminum conductors are more expensive than the same weight of pure copper conductors. But the same weight of copper clad aluminum than pure copper conductor length is much longer, and RF Test Cable is calculated by length. The greater the resistivity, the smaller the copper RF Test Cable resistivity, the smaller the power loss transmitted.
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