Monday, June 24, 2019

Slinky antennas

Many of us had or saw those metal toy Slinky springs as children.

Then when we got our ham licence we noticed the spring-like loading coils on antennas. Especially on mobile and portable antennas, the loading allowed antennas to be made smaller.

What if you could marry the two and operate the Slinky as part of a continuously loaded dipole or vertical antenna?

Performance is going to be a substantial compromise, but some hams have done just that. Read about their experiences here:

* Constructional article by F Dorenberg

* KB6NU's experiences

* Eham user reviews

* Video by W5CYF on building one

* Video by W1GV on how they work

To summarise they seem to be a curiosity rather than a serious antenna. But, especially for receiving they still have something to offer. If you've tried a Slinky antenna please leave comments below on your experiences.

PS: Want to read more about antennas? Consider this selection of antenna books. They are affiliate links meaning that I receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you decide to purchase.
    

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