Joe Spirit Walker
Member
A friend asked a question, I would REALLY like some help from the folks in here in answering.........For a common person to understand......What are your opinions?
Below is his E-Mail:
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I am fixing to replace the alternator and battery-to-main-buss
cables and want the least cable and least resistance. This
generates a question for any EEs out there. I seem to recall
that something around 45 years ago, I was taught that
electricity travels on the surface of the wire [strands] and so,
for a given diameter of cable, finer strands => more surface
area => less resistance with the bonus of being more flexible.
More recently, I thought I heard that this only applies to very
high frequency AC, and that for DC or lower frequency AC it's
the cross sectional area that matters, not the surface area, so
a solid conductor is better. Help me out here. Do I use 8-ga
wire out of ASS or Wick's, or go to a welding supply shop and
buy some 10-ga fine strand cable?
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Thanks For Your Help.
Joe
Below is his E-Mail:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I am fixing to replace the alternator and battery-to-main-buss
cables and want the least cable and least resistance. This
generates a question for any EEs out there. I seem to recall
that something around 45 years ago, I was taught that
electricity travels on the surface of the wire [strands] and so,
for a given diameter of cable, finer strands => more surface
area => less resistance with the bonus of being more flexible.
More recently, I thought I heard that this only applies to very
high frequency AC, and that for DC or lower frequency AC it's
the cross sectional area that matters, not the surface area, so
a solid conductor is better. Help me out here. Do I use 8-ga
wire out of ASS or Wick's, or go to a welding supply shop and
buy some 10-ga fine strand cable?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks For Your Help.
Joe