Why are hand-wound coils so common if commercial inductors are available?











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In most schematics of ham radio receivers and transmitters the inductor is mostly given specifically as the number of turns around some certain toroidal ferrite ring (for example). This corresponds to a certain inductance, which more often than not is just a standard value, say 220uH. These exist also as "lumped element" components, like the ones in the picture:



enter image description here



It seems a precise inductance is quite difficult to achieve (with homemade coils) and measure, whereas with store-bought inductors this problem is largely gone.



Why are hand-wound inductors so common?



Is it just a nostalgia thing? Do they tolerate more power? Why don't we need to do this with capacitors as well?










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    In most schematics of ham radio receivers and transmitters the inductor is mostly given specifically as the number of turns around some certain toroidal ferrite ring (for example). This corresponds to a certain inductance, which more often than not is just a standard value, say 220uH. These exist also as "lumped element" components, like the ones in the picture:



    enter image description here



    It seems a precise inductance is quite difficult to achieve (with homemade coils) and measure, whereas with store-bought inductors this problem is largely gone.



    Why are hand-wound inductors so common?



    Is it just a nostalgia thing? Do they tolerate more power? Why don't we need to do this with capacitors as well?










    share|improve this question
























      up vote
      2
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      2
      down vote

      favorite











      In most schematics of ham radio receivers and transmitters the inductor is mostly given specifically as the number of turns around some certain toroidal ferrite ring (for example). This corresponds to a certain inductance, which more often than not is just a standard value, say 220uH. These exist also as "lumped element" components, like the ones in the picture:



      enter image description here



      It seems a precise inductance is quite difficult to achieve (with homemade coils) and measure, whereas with store-bought inductors this problem is largely gone.



      Why are hand-wound inductors so common?



      Is it just a nostalgia thing? Do they tolerate more power? Why don't we need to do this with capacitors as well?










      share|improve this question













      In most schematics of ham radio receivers and transmitters the inductor is mostly given specifically as the number of turns around some certain toroidal ferrite ring (for example). This corresponds to a certain inductance, which more often than not is just a standard value, say 220uH. These exist also as "lumped element" components, like the ones in the picture:



      enter image description here



      It seems a precise inductance is quite difficult to achieve (with homemade coils) and measure, whereas with store-bought inductors this problem is largely gone.



      Why are hand-wound inductors so common?



      Is it just a nostalgia thing? Do they tolerate more power? Why don't we need to do this with capacitors as well?







      inductor






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      asked 7 hours ago









      ahemmetter

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      261212






















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          Speaking only for myself... I have found air-wound coils to be relatively easy to make and tolerant of misuse. In the several instances I would have preferred to buy an inductor, I found it difficult to find something appropriate.



          So --for me-- it is mostly ignorance.






          share|improve this answer




























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            There is also the matter of how much current the device needs to carry. A hand-wound coil made from a few turns of relatively heavy copper (compared to the off-the-shelf devices shown in the question) will pass a lot more current than a tiny pre-bought inductor. The ones in the picture look like 1/4W or so, but you could easily put 5W into a small hand-wound coil with the same inductance.



            A hand-wound coil would also have a known (or at least calculated) Q, for which the circuit was designed.






            share|improve this answer





















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              2 Answers
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              up vote
              1
              down vote













              Speaking only for myself... I have found air-wound coils to be relatively easy to make and tolerant of misuse. In the several instances I would have preferred to buy an inductor, I found it difficult to find something appropriate.



              So --for me-- it is mostly ignorance.






              share|improve this answer

























                up vote
                1
                down vote













                Speaking only for myself... I have found air-wound coils to be relatively easy to make and tolerant of misuse. In the several instances I would have preferred to buy an inductor, I found it difficult to find something appropriate.



                So --for me-- it is mostly ignorance.






                share|improve this answer























                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote









                  Speaking only for myself... I have found air-wound coils to be relatively easy to make and tolerant of misuse. In the several instances I would have preferred to buy an inductor, I found it difficult to find something appropriate.



                  So --for me-- it is mostly ignorance.






                  share|improve this answer












                  Speaking only for myself... I have found air-wound coils to be relatively easy to make and tolerant of misuse. In the several instances I would have preferred to buy an inductor, I found it difficult to find something appropriate.



                  So --for me-- it is mostly ignorance.







                  share|improve this answer












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                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 6 hours ago









                  Chris K8NVH

                  365112




                  365112






















                      up vote
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                      There is also the matter of how much current the device needs to carry. A hand-wound coil made from a few turns of relatively heavy copper (compared to the off-the-shelf devices shown in the question) will pass a lot more current than a tiny pre-bought inductor. The ones in the picture look like 1/4W or so, but you could easily put 5W into a small hand-wound coil with the same inductance.



                      A hand-wound coil would also have a known (or at least calculated) Q, for which the circuit was designed.






                      share|improve this answer

























                        up vote
                        1
                        down vote













                        There is also the matter of how much current the device needs to carry. A hand-wound coil made from a few turns of relatively heavy copper (compared to the off-the-shelf devices shown in the question) will pass a lot more current than a tiny pre-bought inductor. The ones in the picture look like 1/4W or so, but you could easily put 5W into a small hand-wound coil with the same inductance.



                        A hand-wound coil would also have a known (or at least calculated) Q, for which the circuit was designed.






                        share|improve this answer























                          up vote
                          1
                          down vote










                          up vote
                          1
                          down vote









                          There is also the matter of how much current the device needs to carry. A hand-wound coil made from a few turns of relatively heavy copper (compared to the off-the-shelf devices shown in the question) will pass a lot more current than a tiny pre-bought inductor. The ones in the picture look like 1/4W or so, but you could easily put 5W into a small hand-wound coil with the same inductance.



                          A hand-wound coil would also have a known (or at least calculated) Q, for which the circuit was designed.






                          share|improve this answer












                          There is also the matter of how much current the device needs to carry. A hand-wound coil made from a few turns of relatively heavy copper (compared to the off-the-shelf devices shown in the question) will pass a lot more current than a tiny pre-bought inductor. The ones in the picture look like 1/4W or so, but you could easily put 5W into a small hand-wound coil with the same inductance.



                          A hand-wound coil would also have a known (or at least calculated) Q, for which the circuit was designed.







                          share|improve this answer












                          share|improve this answer



                          share|improve this answer










                          answered 3 hours ago









                          Scott Earle

                          1,9291620




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