For what it's worth:
I tried one of DeMaws "snakes" shortly after the QST publication. It
turned out to be an extremely quiet antenna for stateside signals ( it
was aimed due E and W and fed at the E end) but deaf for DX. The
comparison was a 550' beverage and 5 and 0 land stations that were so-so
on the beverage were crystal clear on the snake. Conversely KH6CC was
579 on the Beverage and inaudible on the snake. All tests were over
about 2 weeks and only at the morning Gray-Line. I was never able to copy
any Pacific DX on the snake which seemed to have about a 2000 mile limit
for me in NH.
It was around that time that I first started using the Slinky toys for
antennas since I had limited real estate to the S and SE. For the same
amount of linear distance the Slinky far outperforms the snake. At this
QTH (since '89) there are now 3 Slinky Beverages and pretty soon 3 more.
Then I can take down all the 550-1200' wires and switch everything from
one central feed point. The length of 5 Slinkys soldered in series is
175' fed and terminated as a regular wire Beverage; then there are three
125' radials in front (optional) to improve F/B slightly. At about $1.89
each at Toys-R-US the Slinky is a fine investment.
73...........Carl KM1H
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