Coax cable

Curious on something. My yard said that coax cable like from the cable company, is more steel than copper. That I should throw it in the tin pile.

Now some I agree, because a magnet will stick to them. But I have some other coax, that a magnet wont stick too. It actually has somekind of aluminum sheath under the plastic, then what appears solid copper. I even cut the wire, and still shiny copper.



Please clarify

Ya I my yards around here dont have a coax price, so it all goes in the tin pile. But thanks Mechanic and the link, some higher grade coax is copper core. SO i guess I will look more carefully...thanks.

I like to stip the copper coax. The coax that hams use and directTV(so far) is good copper in the center. The rest goes with the steel for me, Mike.

Theres that many sorts of Coax, the newer - the worst return though.
Hard to strip, lots wire jabs into the fingers, newer stuff is greasy.
I scrapped the rest of a roll of satellite cable, only a sniff of copper, hardly worth it, actually I wouldn't even bother, I'd rather pick up Ali cans off the street....

Ok I did a test run. Had a bit of coax. Ran it through my wire shredding machine. Underneath insulation was some kind of shield. Im guessing braid aluminum, not sure. Maybe someone can clarify on that since I still can figure out how aluminum looking wire in tv is copper or how to prove it.

Anyway under the shield was plastic coating and then a thin strand of copper. I ground it and heated it, since aluminum melts with mapp gas, not copper. Sure enough copper. Now as long as I can figure out what the shield is, IM golden.,

I'm sorry to osd, but it just bugs me to know something if I don't...lol!

Also any ideas on how to prove to my yard that the aluminum wire in the tvs is indeed copper and tin coated?

Originally Posted by ozzy214

Also any ideas on how to prove to my yard that the aluminum wire in the tvs is indeed copper and tin coated?

Scrape it, I scrape the washing & dryers motor windings before I start to pull them out.
Just a wee scrape & you can see the difference in colour, when its copper its easy to see.
When its anodised Ali its a bit harder to see, thats when I pick a single wire out with the screwdriver, Ali breaks, copper stretches a little before breaking.
Then I check the broken end, Ali's silver, coppers normally a little darker or golder than the varnish coating.

Its actually working in my favor as people must be throwing out dryers without scrapping them because they think the motors got Ali windings.

Ok thanks for the advice..makes sense. ANy what that braid is ?