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TopBand: slinky beverage - VK style?

To: <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: TopBand: slinky beverage - VK style?
From: km1h@juno.com (km1h @ juno.com)
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 11:18:54 EST
On Sat, 15 Nov 1997 08:50:34 -0500 "J.V. Staples, Jr."
<kt4u@earthlink.net> writes:
>All,
>       Use only solid wire. Larger the better. Electric fence wire 
>may also be
>used if suspended off ground.

That still does not answer the question of how you propose to keep the
coil formed properly when removed from the winding form and stretched
out. Electric fence wire is typically #18 or 19 in copperweld or
galvanized...not very robust.
 Slinky Beverages are typically 150 to 200' long and require supports
only every 30' or so. Copper wire would require supports every foot or so
and appears to be highly impratical.
Of course one could install  150+ feet of 4" drainage PVC with T fittings
every 30' and 10' sections cemented into the ground and then wind the
antenna on it........This is what you would really call money down the
drain. 


 Reminder: You are trying to get the max
>amount of wire in a min of space using the slinky beverage.

Yep, it is a continuously loaded slow wave antenna and just another
compromise for those without the space for a traditional beverage but a
bit more space than a EWE. 

 For a long 
>wire
>beverage to be efficient it should be one to three full wave lengths 
>in
>length.
>       Question: How rust proof are the factory slinky? Sounds like a 
>lot of good
>money going down the drain.

They are made from cadmium plated steel and last quite a while outdoors.
I just replaced one that had been up for 7 years here in acid rain
country.  Use in a harsh seacoast type enviroment not recommended without
protection.
I do suggest spray painting the end soldered connections with rust
preventative paint since the soldering dissolves the plating. 

At $2 each (even less at WalMart I hear )that is a pretty decent
investment. 

Enjoy your version and if you work out the structual mechanics,  ie:
actually build one, let us all know. 

73  Carl  KM1H


>JV
>
>

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