Telamon,

An old Metal Coat Hanger (MCH) attached to a Receiver or
Radio's Whip Antenna will function as an Antenna of sorts.
* Maybe not a great performing Antenna but an Antenna
never the less.
* Not a very Scientific Antenna -but- a Workable Antenna It Is !
* Why use a MCH as an Antenna - When There Are Slinkys )

Note - Future Topic To Post :
The MCH Antenna -vice- the Slinky Antenna "Shoot-Out"
between Shaped-Bent-Wire and The-Moving-Coils . . .

My Posting here are simply 'practical' Answers to...
an every day Question : Will This _____________
Work As A Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna ?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/9648

QUESTIONS - Concerning the Evolution of a Slinky as an
Antenna for Shortwave Listening (SWL) :

Q 1 - Can I connect a Slinky {Coiled Piece of Wire} to
the back of a Shortwave Receiver or to the Whip Antenna
of a 'portable' AM / FM Shortwave Radio; and will it work
as a Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna ?
-A- YES - The Slinky will work as a it will but not as
good as someting like a :
* Alpha Delta DX-Ultra Shortwave Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/3377.html
* Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper Sloper
Shortwave Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/0013.html
* Par Electronics End-Fed Shortwave Listener
EF-SWL Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2205.html
* RF Systems Electro-Magnetic Field (EMF)
'passive wire' Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/0743.html
* RF Systems Mini-Windom Shortwave Listening Antenna
* Spi-Ro SWL-2 Shortwave Listeners Antenna
http://www.spiromfg.com/receiving.htm
* BUX Windom Shortwave Listeners Antenna
http://www.packetradio.com/windom.html
and many more "Ready-Made" Antennas for
Shortwave Listening (SWL).
-Or- You are saving up to buy a Miracle Whip Antenna
http://www.miracleantenna.com/MiracleWhip.html

Q 2 - Will the Slinky {Coiled Piece of Wire} work better
'if' I stretch-it-out 5-8 Feet and make it longer for
Shortwave Listening (SWL) ?
-A- YES - The Slinky will work better as an Antenna for
Shortwave Listening (SWL) when it is stretch-it-out and
is longer.

Q 3 - Could I form the Slinky {Coiled Piece of Wire}
around a Hula-Hoop and make the Slinky into a Loop
Antenna for Shortwave Listening (SWL) ?
-A- YES - The Slinky could be used as a Loop Antenna for
Shortwave Listening (SWL) with a simple Twisted-Pair of
Wires or piece of 300 Ohm Twin-Lead as a feed-in-line to
the Receiver's HI-Z Terminals.

Q 4 - Could I Rig a Pair-of-Slinkys {Two Coiled Pieces of
Wire} into a Dipole Antenna and use them for Shortwave
Listening (SWL) ?
-A- YES - A Pair-of-Slinkys could be used as a Dipole
Antenna for Shortwave Listening (SWL) with a simple
Twisted-Pair of Wires of piece or 300 Ohm Twin-Lead as
a feed-in-line to the Receiver's HI-Z Terminals.

Q 5 - Could I Rig a single Slinky {Coiled Piece of Wire}
for Shortwave Listening (SWL) into a :
* Mini-Vertical Antenna about 15-22 Feet long
* Mini-Horizontal Antenna about 15-22 Feet long
* Mini-Sloper Antenna about 15-22 Feet long
* Mini-Inverted "L" Antenna about 15-22 Feet long
* Mini {End-Fed} Inverted "V" Antenna about 15-22 Feet long
Using a Matching Transformer or Magnetic Long Wire Balun
and Coax Cable feed-in-line ?
-A- YES - Slinkys can be used to make all of these five
types of Antennas for Shortwave Listening (SWL) using a
Matching Transformer or Magnetic Long Wire Balun and Coax
Cable feed-in-line.

NOTE - When using a Slinky as a Shortwave Antenna out-side
{out-doors} it is always a good idea to have a good earthen
Grounding Point {Ground Rod} for the Antenna System and the
Radio Equipment.

FWIW - The standard Full Size Slinky has about 100 Turns
with a Diameter of 2 3/4 Inches and a Circumference of
8.64 Inches for a Total Wire Length of 72 Feet. This
results in an Optimum "Stretched-Out" Length about 22.9
Feet based on Slinky's Coil Diameter and a Space between
the Turns 'equal' to the Diameter.

Q 6 - Why could a Slinky be made into a one of those
Slinky Plastic Garbage Can (SPGC) Antennas ? and used
as a Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna ?
-A- Why Yes... Yes It Can ! )
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...1fd6411001bb90


- = B U T = -
IMHO - None of these low cost and simple to make Do-It-Yourself
"Slinky Antennas" will perform as well as most of the
"Ready-Made" Antennas for Shortwave Listening (SWL) Listed
under Q 1 -IF- You have the Money to buy one and the Space
to put one up.
- For More - "Ready-Made" Antennas for Shortwave Listening
(SWL) see Shawn Axelrod's AMANDX presents "Pre-Built Antennas"
http://www.angelfire.com/mb/amandx/recant.html
WebPage with a list of Commercially produced Antennas
listed by Company.


never one to slinky away from a question - iane ~ RHF