Deflection yokes - More efficient as power thief, ammeter or scrap?

[Cliff Matthews]

Just cleaning up a bit and found 10 matched 4" TV yoke ferrite cores (I sold the copper scrap long ago). I had thought of making 5 ammeters (or inductive power thief's) by combining the pairs and winding 30 turns of older 3-pair AWG-22 cat-3 telco cable on each half. The opening down the center would be big enough for even heavy power cable and I could switch in various series parallel connections to give equivalents of 30, 60, 120 or 180 turns. Perhaps a rough picture can speak better.

I know little about magnetics but with the shape as shown, is there any merit to either use?

[T3sl4co1l]

I suppose.  The tests I've done, show the material is pretty crappy.  Low permeability or frequency response or something.

Think I'd be surprised if you'd get much out of it at 60Hz.

Tim

[Cliff Matthews]

I suppose.  The tests I've done, show the material is pretty crappy.  Low permeability or frequency response or something. Think I'd be surprised if you'd get much out of it at 60Hz.

Thanks Tim, I just needed an authoritative push - to the trash (that Sparks thing's really got me moving..)

[SeanB]

Don't trash it, put it in with the sub grade steel. That way it comes back as a tin can.

[Cliff Matthews]

Don't trash it, put it in with the sub grade steel. That way it comes back as a tin can.

Done. We call sub-grade steel "shred" here, but I can only get $160 a ton (I guess every bit counts).

[T3sl4co1l]

FWIW, the most common grade of ferrite is chemically manganese zinc ferrate(III).  So it's oxides, not steel; and contains metals other than iron.  In small amounts, mixed with whatever's needed to balance the oxides, it probably won't matter in a steel melt (the zinc will evaporate and the manganese, as long as it ends up reduced as well, will probably tend to improve the alloy).  Or it melts into slag and no one minds.

It's probably more than a little disingenuous to call it "sub grade steel", but in the quantities that might be found in salvage, it's probably pretty neutral.  So, just don't put heaps of the stuff in there.

Tim

[TopLoser]

Don't trash it, put it in with the sub grade steel. That way it comes back as a tin can.

GASP!!!

my biggest customer for the last 15 years has been Crown Holdings! They produce quality metal enclosures worldwide, not TIN CANS!!!

Wash your mouth out!!

[Cliff Matthews]

It's probably more than a little disingenuous to call it "sub grade steel"

Well it's just 5lbs. out of 500lbs of shred I'll be turning in. Last time they paid me for aluminum sheeting when I clearly had aluminum extrusions. As they say, it all comes out in the wash..