A while back I caved and got one of the Ali Express ‘red slug’ antennas that folks were using out portable.
It sat unused for ages as the one time I did take it out I had some serious QRM and had an awful experience with the radials.
Since then I bought one of those little ground plate discs and the 40m coil to try and see would it make an improvement. I also added an LDG choke I had in a box of parts and made up my own radials following some tips @MM0EFI discussed on a YouTube video.
That video was super helpful, I took a photo of the chart posted for different band settings for use in the field. Thanks Fraser.
Yesterday I took ‘le slug rouge’ out portable for some CW goodness just to test it and see would it work any better. Setup was as follows, direct to the KX2:
Worked an absolute treat on 20m dialling in around a 1.7:1 SWR and tweaked further by the KX2 ATU to get 1:1. SNR results were super good too and I bagged 16 QSO’s in 31 minutes. Sure I had the 10 I needed 15 minutes, a new PB for me.
Newfoundland, Canada and Raleigh, NC, USA both genuine 599’s. The other way, Bulgaria 2600+km, genuine 599 SOTA chase.
Delighted with ‘the slug’. It punches well above it’s weight for the price I think. Not tried the 40m coil yet though.
How has everyone else fared with it and what modifications have you made?
Not used it a lot as on the few activations I’ve done I’ve been concentrating on VHF/UHF/SHF but did use something similar last year from G/SP-017.
I didn’t add the disc, but had 5 or 6 radials and the coil for 40m. Worked pretty well on 40m and on 10m managed a S-T-S with a South African summit. One thing I found that if you have the radials longer than needed for a band, just fold them back on themselves to bring the SWR down on a particular band. Used the FT-891 with no tuner adjusting the radials and height of the whip.
Also used the thing from a car with the coil into a magmount (with suitable adaptor) to create a ridiculous looking mobile antenna when at full height. It works, but I wouldnt recomend driving with it on the roof . This setup required an external tuner.
My friend Peter has a similar setup so we keep thinking about putting 2 coils together and seeing if it works on 80m. It should but I doubt it would be very good, but who knows.
Here in Germany, we have a very active group of outdoor enthusiasts who activate predominantly POTA. On their website you will find a very detailed description on how to build such an antenna with readily available components. Unfortunately, it seems to be in German only, but loads of pictures speak for themselves.
My version was built according to their plans and looks like this:
This is my solution for summits with very limited space. Whenever possible I prefer to place my radiating antenna components further away from the ground, e. g. on a GFRP-pole or with a string to a tree. My first choice is still my 20 m long EFHW.
I ditched the terrible flat cable radials and made my own from some silicone wire. Not much science in the length: I bought 25m and cut into 6 roughly equal lengths and put a ring connector on each to fit over the ground spike. The silicone wire untangles easily.
I bought a 40m loading coil which works fine but as the man with the swiss accent says: we want more.
I made another coil by winding some enamelled copper wire onto a piece of 50mm PVC pipe connected to an M10 bolt inside the pipe (one of the bolts is screwed into an M10 coupler) then pressed into some 3D printed stop ends glued into the pipe.
I too was tempted into buying one in early 2025 when they were around $30 USD shipped. I have used it now on 30 or 40 activations, and have been very pleased. As others have, I made up my own set of radials. I also constructed a 40m coil which works ok for what it is.
I have a few rigs that do not have an ATU, and this antenna pairs very well with them. It is quick to put up and durability has been good so far. I find it easy to ‘tune’ by adjusting the length of the whip (I quickly memorized how many sections to collapse for each band).
I used it camping on the west coast (USA) a few times, and with the radials into salt water I was working many stations in JA, VK, and ZL with 5 watts and getting good reports. It is a great DX beach antenna!
It has far exceeded my expectations. If/when the whip breaks, I will buy another. It is a bit heavy and bulky compared to my usual wire antennas, and there are a lot of parts you need to remember to bring – yes, coax has been forgotten on a few occasions I don’t take it along on every activation, but for certain summits it is ideal.
By zooming in on your picture, I see you have the red slug marked to show which side the whip goes and which side the radials.
I took my “Red Slug” antenna out to test it today (I originally bought two of the whips as they were dirt cheap and later bought the “slug” and the spike - both discounted from what they are in the complete kit) - having checked the antenna at home on the analyser and noting how many section need to be out for each of the bands between 20 & 6m, I was confident that it would work, first go.
At the same time I took my Diamond RHB-8B on a super small and low tripod, to test that as well. Blow me down the RHM-8B with it’s slider loading coil and 1.5m telescopic whip, far out performed the 5.3m quarter wave/Red Slug antenna! the Diamond has 6 lightweight radials, the Red-Slug 8 tried and tested 3m radial wires.
On taking everything apart to head home, it struck me that it is totally possible to put the red slug in either way around and its possible that I had it the wrong way around - as, as far as I can see, there are no markings on the slug, which I guess may be why you marked yours.
I’m about to head out into the back garden, to see if this was the problem and I’m taking a marker pen with me in case that was the problem and I will mark it up, so that next time I’m out, I get it right!
as regards modifications, I have made a plastic guy ring to sit towards the top of the whip, so that I can guy it if windy.
Yep it is a pain with Le Slug Rouge that it has no markings to identify the correct ends. Glad you got it sorted!
I used a multimeter to test it then labelled the ends so I would not mix it up in future. Same with the 40m coil, aka Le Slug Noir Deluxe.
The supplied ribbon cable for radials is a mess. Those went in to WEEE. I made my own in the end and they work fine.
I was out again this morning to get over the 500 QSO mark at IE-0136 and had my 10 QSO’s within 15 minutes.
I worked Greece over 2600km away on 10w. Delighted with that as I haven’t got Greece in my logs before.
I also tried paper logging for the first time today. I tend to use PoLo as a lookup crutch and am trying to move away from it so I can paper log more often. I used to paper log for SSB but I don’t do much SSB now, nearly all CW!
Going QRV again shortly for one last park for my week off work. Maybe make a QSO this afternoon with some folks here?
As I never bought the complete kit, just the individual parts, I never got their attempt at radials. I already have a couple of sets made-up and working from other antennas, with a large croc clip on them, so that was a no brainer. I will take the “Red Slug Antenna” out on Tuesday with me. Hopefully it will work as expected then.
No, I shouldn’t be calling it that - I’m Yorkshire Born ‘n Bred!
In any case a better translation is Die rote Nacktschnecke Antenne.
The reason being that in German schnecke is both the slug and the snail in English, hence to differeniate it becomes the “naked (as in, without house) snail”.
But you live in Germany so you should do as the Romans do! *
My translation was thanks to Google. I did about 2 years of German at school but dropped it as soon as I could. I managed CSE Grade 1 in French so I’m not the greatest linguist.
* The Romans didn’t occupy Germanic lands and yet the Holy Roman Empire was mostly what we now call Germany.
“Romanes eunt domus” is the obvious reply. However, I’m glad the telescopic antenna thread came up to the surface as it has prompted me to get on with mine after it sat on the bench since I fixed it after some courier goon bent it.
Good work sir. I took it out again today and worked K2UPD again to New York, genuine 599 on 10w. Greece earlier today as well. Russia was a good 559. All on 20m.
I have the deployment down to a tea now and can be ready for QRV within 8 minutes.That includes setting up the Helinox Chair and side table as well.
Le Slug Rouge is an absolute champion for what it is and what it costs, in my humble opinion. Looking forward to trying it on a summit soon but one thing I would be cautious of is that the whip does sway easily in even the lightest breeze.
A champion it may be, but I wouldn’t be setting it up on a windy day.
. This setup required an external tuner.
I don’t take it along on every activation, but for certain summits it is ideal.
