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Reviews For: Slinky Antenna

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : Slinky Antenna
Reviews: 11MSRP:
Description:
A Slinky® is a toy and a science class tool made from a flexible 90 turn spring coil with a diameter of 2 3/4 inches. Each Slinky coil contains approximately 67 feet of spring steel wire and weighs about ½ pound. When a Slinky is compressed, it is only 1/1.4” long, but it can be stretched into a helix as long as 15 feet in length without becoming deformed .

An antenna made from Slinky coils -is light weight and simple to put up and if need be out of sight.
Slinky type antennas are great for improved broadcast. and, short-wave listening. Another use is for ham radio transmitting in a limited space environment or outdoors where the antenna can be many times smaller than a regular dipole, long wire, inverted vee or vertical antenna.
Product is not in production
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# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00113.1
KB0HAE Rating: 2022-06-25
TOTAL JUNK...DO NOT BUY!!!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
TOTAL JUNK...DO NOT BUY!!!!! I heard that this horrible joke of an antenna was just that...an Aapril fools joke many years ago. Unfortunately, that was after I tried one! No matter what length or configuration I tried, I was not able to get less than 6:1 SWR using my MFJ 949D tuner. The tuner works fine, this antenna is just junk! I would rate it a -5 if I could! I cannot stress strongly enough...STAY AWAY...DO NOT BUY THIS JUNK!!!
Edit: I now have a 20 foot wire as an indoor antenna that works much better than the junk slinky antenna ever did!
KC9SNB Rating: 2016-07-09
Compromised Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The previous reviews, and the range of approval ratings (everything from 0 to 5) indicate the compromised design of this antenna. I was only able to get it to load properly on 2 bands – 40 meter, and 15 meter. I had it stretched out about ten feet on each side. SWR was off the scale at most frequencies. The only time it dropped to less than 3:1 was at 7.42 MHz, and 20.5 MHz, where it was just about 2:1. I use 3:1 as the benchmark because this is the maximum that my transceiver auto tuner can tune out. So this explains the poor ratings some reviewers gave.
On the other hand, I was able to get out on these two bands, and tune up (with very poor efficiency) on 40. If these bands are enough for you, and you have a manual tuner that can tune up other bands, this is an easy to set up antenna that does not require a lot of space, and does not cost a fortune. That explains the good ratings some reviewers gave.
The antenna is sort of a cross between a coil and a plain old dipole. It is possible that I could have tuned up other bands if I had adjusted the length of the sides. Some experimentation may be in order here, with different lengths used for different bands – perhaps a bit like what is done with screwdriver antennas. But not from me. I have found a better solution in the use of a fan dipole in my attic.
So while I don’t knock this antenna, I don’t really recommend it either – a review of 3. Within its limitations it is good enough. With a proper full range tuner it can be tuned to any band, with a resulting loss of efficiency. In this respect it is little better than a fancy random wire. On the two bands upon which it is resonant, it does a reasonable job. For those with space constraints, it is better than nothing, and may be good enough.
K4FLH Rating: 2013-10-05
Not the best but useable Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought one just to see if they worked or not. I strung mine out, as per the directions, between the uprights of our deck railing which is about 15 feet off the ground .
I set it up for 40m, about 7 ft.3in. A Slinky, the big one not the junior, is a quarter wavelength at the upper end of the 40 meter band. I immediately made five contacts stateside and two into South America!
I switched over to my double bazooka a number of times during each QSO and the bazooka was a better on both the in and out but only by a couple S units.
I think those who have no luck with them are not following the instructions included with the antenna. I say this because a friend also bought one, shortly after I got mine. He didn't have any luck with it until I got him to admit he never bothered to read the directions and just stretched it out thinking it should work fully extended. He went back read and followed the instructions and viola it worked. Now both of us use them as portable antennas for when we camp or travel. I use mine inside motel rooms or if I have a balcony I stretch it out outside. Only takes a couple minutes to set up.
One plus about them is anyone can make one in less then an hour for about 10-15 bucks
CT1IEF Rating: 2012-01-30
Bushlite Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bushlite (I do not use rude words ).
It does not work!
Do not! waste your money!
Used outside, inside, extended, unextended, semi-extended and nothing. Used with auto (LDG 100pro) and manual tuners (MFJ-949E), nothing works!
KC4RP Rating: 2010-06-27
Serious Junk Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got one of these (on eBay - $19.95)to use while I decided what I wanted based on what the XYL would allow. Besides being super flimsy (not for outdoor use)I had a heck of a time getting it to match on anything - finally got a decent match with my VersaTuner. Very few good contacts. Next week I took a slingshot and 3/4 oz fishing weight and shot some twine over tow trees in the back yard. Hoisted two 60' pieces of #14 and a balun up and talked to 6 countries in Europe. Got a Challenger DX from GAP and have used it well for over 2 years. Save your money on these and get the Miracle Antenna MMX if you have limited space.
N2IDW Rating: 2010-06-21
Pretty Good Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Use some nylon rope to support it and you can have a quick stealth antenna in the attic.

I converted mine to use ladder line after having it up for about a month. Saw a major improvement in performance (At a friends 40 miles away my signal went from S1 to S8 on 80M). See link for more info about ladder line.

www.w6ier.org/images/The%20Lure%20of%20Ladder%20Line.pdf

Matt
FORMER_K5NOW_HWL Rating: 2010-01-20
Fix it before you install outside Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just purchased a brass Slinkyantenna from eBay. In it's manufactured form it would be great for mounting in an attic, but I wouldn't mount it outside in the weather without doing some work on it. The middle section is open so moisture will easily enter the coax cable. That's not good. The coax connector is a crimp-on type. I think I will seal the connection well when I install it just to be on the safe side.

Two things are important when you install a slinky and I learned that from an earlier CliffDweller II (see my note in the forum under USA2WAY). Run a a sturdy nylon chord thru the antenna before you extend it. If you don't, the thing will turn on you viciously! @#$%! Also do not over extend it past 25 feet on each side. It will not collapse back to it's original shape. It's kinda like over stretching a spring.

I like a slinky antenna because I have space restrictions and I find this type antenna functions quite well. I use mine with an LDG auto tuner.
K0BAY Rating: 2009-11-09
Better than Expected Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
(As another covenent victim) I've been living with a random wire in the attic. It just ain't too pretty folks. I purchased a slinkyantennas.com antenna from eBay. I figured it would be about as good as my random wire. Boy was I wrong. I strung a rope between two trees in the back yard, about 10 feet up. The slinky slides on the rope and voila! I was hearing signals all over every band. As someone else indicated, this is probably the best $29.99 I've spent in the hobby. I tune the antenna with an Alinco EDX-1, so I have no idea what the real ability is. I would certainly recommend a tuner.

For the record, my antenna is the 80-10 basic model.
WB3CEH Rating: 2009-10-04
Works good, better than expected Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have heard about the Slinky dipole for years as an indoor antenna. It is installed in an attic. It works surprisingly well and better that I thought it would. Used mostly on 40 meters where it seems to load up best for my installation. I got it from the website and the build quality is very good. Definitely worth a try if limited to an indoor antenna and have access to the space to install it.
N0FPE Rating: 2009-04-06
Its OK Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had mine up for 4 years. While its not the greatest it does work. The tuner in my TS-2000 tunes it on all bands but 40 meters. Most times if I can hear them I can work them. It is not the same as the full size 80 meter dipole I had up but it works. Its a compromise for sure.