Some facts on wire made of various metals, and a brief foray into “skin effect:”

http://www.epanorama.net/documents/wiring/wire_resistance.html

The page starts of with information on copper, but adds info on silver and other metals. For those not wanting to do the math for “skin effect,” there is a simple table at the very end of the page.

This information, as I thought it would, kind of blows away any skin effect concerns at normal audio frequencies. I am one, however, that made my own cables out of the heavy double-shielding on some surplus Belden coax partly out of concern for skin effect (center conductor not used). But I did it in a way that cost me only about 10% more than buying 12 gauge copper wire on a 250-foot roll, so I don’t feel that I wasted any money.

curegeorg: interesting solution to your concerns, hope you’ll let us know how it works out for you. Did you consider using flexible tubing as the central ‘core’ and for strength, over which the silver wire and heat-shrink would be placed? Also, and you’ve likely thought of it, if you run the silver wire in pretty much straight lines, when the assembly is flexed, will the conductors on the outside of a bend tend to break? Perhaps you will allow some ‘wiggle room’ in your construction to allow for bends. Maybe some short-length test construction using scrap copper strands before using the silver?

Anyway, hope it goes well. Do you have a place to post ‘construction’ pics?


[This message has been edited by bestbang4thebuck (edited May 07, 2004).]