Slot Antenna

I decided to use Westflex 103 cable without a connector at the slot antenna to reduce losses and because all the problems that I had over the years had come from faulty connectors. An N socket could be fitted if preferred and does help reduce any pulling from the weight of cable. The pipe was 35mm x 900mm. Can be 600mm upwards.The length of the tube beyond the slot is not important, in fact other aerials can be attached to the pole away from the slot. The Westflex 103 is too large for 15mm pipes where Quickform 141 or other semi-rigid etc is more suitable.
Due to the hard copper of the pipe I used there appeared to be no bowing at the centre of the slot, but cable ties would be useful if soft copper is found to 'bow' at the centre.
Weatherproofing: PVC pipe is likely to worsen SWR & needs to be >3 times the diam of the pipe and as thin as possible. I used black DPC sheet and PVC tape instead. They worked really well. I have tried EcoFlex 10 instead of Westflex. The flexability of the Ecoflex comes partly from its thinner sheath. This makes cutting slits a little more tricky than the firmer Westflex and means that care is needed as the cable is bent before connecting to the solder tags. Otherwise it seems a good alternative.
If you do make one of these slot antenna please let me know how you get on and I will pass on the info here for others to read. If you wish to keep the visibility of your antennas to a minimum I recommend that you consider making the Bassoon.