Slinky..Kewl..!

yea I like the concept .

I wonder how an SStran would load up on one of those (a slinky) stretched out to 10 ft. over a piece of PVC?

When I first seen the Ebay antenna, I didn't realize it needed to be stretched out. I thought it stayed tight, as seen in the big pic. So, obviously it's not coated with anything..

Wonder if you could stretch it out, spray the center part with some polyurethane so the coils wouldn't short out, and bunch up a section to make a center loaded helical? Move the bunched-up part up and down the PVC for tuning..

They've been selling these slinky's as amateur radio stealth antennas for years (usually 2 of them in a dipole configuration). However, you do need an antenna tuner to load them up.

Thanks to this thread I was reminded to buy a second slinky toy, while they can still be found in metal.

Wasn't easy, the first time I went shopping. Store after store had plastic slinkies and the metal one's were for the old timer's scrap book.

But K-Mart had the metals.

The 1st one was never even opened, but I was thinking "What if it's not long enough to reach 3-meters?

So, today, while replacing my kaput calculator, I stocked up.

At this time it is unknown whether these are the same as those on eBay.

I'm on a quest to find that simple "Easily Tuned Antenna from a Distance" thing. I haven't messed with this stuff for while but I'm really ponderin' on using a Slinky to build me one..

Problem with this thing is it is too unstable in light to medium wind conditions. It's coil nature and wish to compress all the time plus its own weight tends to sag these things and even worse in a good wind, throwing off tuning.

They are great for reception however, especially indoors. I got one several months ago and it pulls in SW bands really well with the slinky antenna hanging from the roof vertically. The connecting wire with the alligator clip must be extended all the way out for this slinky antenna to really do its job. But it does perform really well indoors, and is what it is really designed for, radio reception indoors where outdoor antennas are not practical or possible.

It can be used as a TX antenna, but not without issues unlike other simpler antennas such as inverted V's or long wire or dipoles.

Oh..for anyone with wild ideas..no need because I already tried. This slinky antenna won't work in MW transmitting even loaded simply because the slinky itself is a coil and any movement, up or down or side to side, shifts that resonance so far out into left field its ridiculous. We all know how sensitive a 3 meter MW antenna is already...wait till you try this slinky as your 3 meter antenna and watch how sensitive it is to external inductive influence!

But it was fun messing with it for MW transmitting. Just became too much of a pain and strain on my ATU system constantly peaking it.

I thought of doing this at some point, but maybe someone can put one of these around a pvc pipe or something to stabilize it, maybe use adhesive or something.

Happy Slinky!

RFB

I know it needs to be stable. I was thinkin' about putting it inside of some PVC to keep the elements off of it. Take the center section of the Sliky and coat the coils with some clear coat or somthing to keep the coils from shorting out against each other. Bunch "X" amount of windings together in the center to make a stable, reactive section. Leave the areas above and below just kinda dangle and spread where they may. (Centered equally as much as possible in proportion within the ~10' section of the PVC, connected top and bottom) Install a smaller section of PVC or anything non-metalic (PEX Pipe?) inside of the Slinky from the bottom and connect it to the "bunched together" section so to move it up and down to change the reactance above and below the "stable" area in the center. Tunable "Helically Wound" antenna. Still might need a fixed coil on the bottom..

Sound doable? Help a Hillbilly out a little.. 😉

"move it up and down to change the reactance above and below the "stable" area in the center."

Perhaps approach that idea with an ancient hunting tool, the cross bow.

Build a mechanism that is non-inductive to the slinky antenna and use that to move the upper and lower sections from the stabilized center. Sort of like a sideways Y with the slinky antenna in between.

Could even add a gearing system to motorize that "Slinky Bow Antenna" and make it remote.

RFB

If the slinky antenna came loose from its hanger, it could drop to the ground. slink down the hill, and escape.

I tried to evolve from beer cans to a Slinky and I still can't win.. 😉

Seriously, I believe there's a place for a Slinky in an antenna. All of those little flat coils would make some big inductance in a small space if they were insulated, wouldn't you agree? Less coil, less resistance, and adjustable without the need to tap it.. (Just stretch/compress it a little) Perhaps cut it to a usable length and use it on a conventional copper pipe radiator?

I'm just tryin' to think out of the box and figure something that can easily become reasonate in the upper end of the band without being super technicial. I've been through solderin' to those taps and tryin' to adjust that base loaded antenna and it stinks! I'd rather find a peak from a distance via field strength with much less frustration from watchin' things change every time ya move..

That's all ya gotta do is find a peak. Ain't none of those kit transmitters gonna put out more than 100 mW. anyway. The Rangemaster and Chez radio is out of the question. You get what you got with those, being they are certified with a specific antenna..

I know ya can't beat the basics but there's gotta be an easier way to tune a ground mounted antenna without a bunch of fancy stuff. I know there's a simple field strength gizmo out there somewhere..