Real craftsmen differ from ordinary people in that they do not run to the store if necessary, but try to build the right device on their own. Moreover, they often get devices that are not inferior in characteristics to factory analogues.
As it turned out, the assembled TV antenna with its own hands perfectly catches the signal from the nearest television tower. Moreover, you can design and assemble many effective functioning devices for home use. In this article, we present a selection of the best models with detailed instructions for their manufacture. And for starters, we’ll analyze their advantages over purchased ones.
What makes homemade antennas good?
Even with the advent of computer technology and the Internet, the popularity of television has not declined. A large number of different programs and channels satisfies the needs of both kids and adult family members.
But sometimes TV people are faced with circumstances in which they need to quickly and competently make their own antenna.
The signal comes to home television sets in different ways: through a satellite dish mounted on the outside of the house or roof, a television cable, a special set-top box
Here are just a few reasons to engage in technical "amateur":
- the residential building is still new, the providers have not had time to master it;
- the house is far from the city and shops;
- cable television was turned off for professional work;
- the old device went out of order, but there is no money for the new one, etc.
And some home inventors are abandoning purchased devices for new experiments. Such a hobby often helps out and also saves the family budget.
The cost of homemade products is much less than the price of models presented in stores. And if at home there is a whole warehouse of old parts, then a brand new antenna can get for nothing
Skeptics may object and say that a do-it-yourself television antenna does not compare in quality with branded devices.
However, practice has shown that with a favorable position of the building and correctly performed calculations, the signal is caught remarkably, and the homemade product does its job perfectly.
Homemade Models
It should be understood that the transmission of a digital signal is limited by both distance and visibility. It is believed that the transmitter can provide a good signal at a distance of 60 km, although in practice there have been cases where 90 km were not an obstacle, especially when using an amplifier.
Ideally, the TV tower should be in a free zone of visibility, that is, not closed from the antenna by other buildings or surround structures
Under such conditions, even a weak signal will be sufficient for the image and sound to satisfy the needs of consumers.
However, the following requirements apply to antennas:
- location - along the axis of the incoming electromagnetic wave;
- all work is carried out carefully, in accordance with the calculations;
- do not forget about polarization orientation;
- if there is interference matching in frequency, additional protection is needed.
For signal reception to be high-quality, it must be 1.5 dB higher than background noise accompanying interference. If cable damage or phase distortion occurs, even a strong signal will disappear.
Model # 1 - a simple device from beer cans
This is the simplest modification of a home antenna that does not require special knowledge or calculations. Of course, the device cannot be called powerful, but under favorable conditions it is able to catch several channels.
To make it, you will need two beer cans, a meter-long piece of a television cable with a connector, a construction or office knife for cutting the cable, electrical tape, a small wooden block.
To learn how to make a simple TV antenna at home, just use the photo instruction below. The device is very popular, so the manual is detailed and accessible to everyone.
Step-by-step instructions for manufacturing a "can" device:
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Banks do not require special training, are used in the form in which they are sold. The main thing is that they are empty
Devices for opening cans, which are called ears or tongues, must be cleaned. To do this, you can use a clerical knife or a piece of sandpaper
We take 1-1.5 m of television cable. We prepare the free end for connection to banks: we release the central core from isolation, we disassemble the braid and twist it
We put the end of the braid into the hole of the tongue, wrap it a couple of times and fix it. The distance of the free part between the cable and the mount is about 10-15 mm
We fix the central core in the same way - insert it into the eyelet hole of the second can, then wrap it twice to firmly fix it.
Both connections must be insulated. To do this, take the electrical tape and wrap it with a dense layer along the entire length of the exposed parts of the wire, calling on the ears and the cable sheath
To give the banks the desired position, we use a sanded wooden block. Its length should slightly exceed the sum of the lengths of both cans
For fixing, we use the same electrical tape. For structural strength, we mount in four places - along the edges of both cans
Step 1 - the basis of the device - two beer cans
Step 2 - stripping reeds (ears)
Step 3 - Cutting the TV Cable
Step 4 - connecting the braid to the first bank
Step 5 - connecting the central core to the second bank
Step 6 - wrapping the joints with electrical tape
Step 7 - a bar as a basis
Step 8 - Attaching the Antenna to the Bar
The antenna is completely ready, it remains to connect it to the TV.
For those who do this for the first time, here is another short photo guide:
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Stage 1 - connection to the TV connector
Stage 2 - installing the antenna in a convenient location
Stage 3 - remote control channel settings
Stage 4 - channel selection with good signal reception
This is a primitive version of the antenna, it is not worth hoping for an excellent image or a large number of captured channels.
But with a favorable location of the house relative to the broadcast source, you can find from 5 to 8 different channels that will be displayed in satisfactory condition.
To improve the quality of signal transmission, you can try to change the position of the antenna or slightly increase the length of the wire to bring it to the balcony.
Model # 2 - Digital Broadcast Biquadrat Antenna
The biquadratic antenna, so beloved by self-taught masters, was invented by the engineer Kharchenko in the last century, whose name it is still called.
The dimensions of the zigzag frame design are not taken "from the ceiling". For the image on the TV screen to be clear, and the sound to have no extraneous noise, accurate calculations are needed
To increase the directivity, a double square is equipped with a lattice or screen, but with good wave conductivity it is not required. We offer two similar options that differ in material and manufacturing nuances.
Option # 1 - Copper Wire
To receive an analog or digital signal, a small, simple antenna made of copper wire and coaxial cable is suitable. The design of the device is simple: a biquadrat with a central housing from a junction box. It can be installed in an apartment or on the street.
The cost of the antenna is small, since almost all materials can be found at home or bought inexpensively in a store selling accessories for televisions and other equipment.
For work, you will need: a piece of coaxial cable, 1 m of copper wire with a cross section of 0.3-0.4 cm, a television connector, flux, solder, a plastic junction box
Digital television is now common, so the antenna is designed specifically for it. It is not worth setting random sizes, it is better to make calculations. First you need to find out the range of digital channels, the necessary information can be obtained from directories on the Internet.
For the “digit” the average value of the frequency is 690 MHz. If you still use analog channels, you will need 470 MHz (for decimeter waves).
Next, you need to calculate the sizes - and here it is easiest to use an online calculator, which is designed to calculate antennas of this type. Paste the frequency into the upper window - other parameters are automatically calculated.
For a 690 MHz biquadrat, one side of the square (L1) is approximately 105 mm, and the length of the entire instrument (L2) is 295 mm. These are the basic dimensions you need to know.
Step-by-step instructions for making a homemade copper antenna TV antenna:
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We take a marker and a ruler (meter) and a coil of copper wire, measure a piece 0.9 m long. Using nippers or pliers we cut it off - this is the basis of the future “double square”
We take the marker again, take measurements and make notes. Divide the wire into segments 10.5 cm long - these will be the sides of two squares
We bend the wire, as in the photo, so that two identical square shapes are formed. Cut off the excess piece of wire, but leave a small allowance of 10-15 mm to close the circuit
Fine sandpaper carefully clean the ends of the wire and the connection. To heat a thick copper wire, you need a powerful soldering iron. We take solder, flux and solder at the junction of the ends of the wire
We remove the braid from the end of the television cable, twist and bend it. We clear the freed wire, and then solder it: the central wire to one square, the braid to another
To make the finished product easier to mount, you need to make a small case from a junction box or a socket box. It is too deep, so cut off about half with a hacksaw
We make holes for the wire with a soldering iron or a hacksaw on four sides. We insert the finished antenna with the cable, for fixing with glue, fill all the connection points
In urban conditions, it is better to take the antenna outside the apartment - on the roof, external wall or on the balcony. We fix the plastic box, and we pass the wire through the hole in the window
Step 1 - a piece of copper wire
Step 2 - marking the wire into pieces
Step 3 - bending the wire into a loop
Step 4 - stripping and soldering the wire
Step 5 - connect the TV cable
Step 6 - plastic housing for the antenna
Step 7 - wire and housing connection
Step 8 - roof antenna installation
After installing the antenna, put on the plug on the other end of the cable if it is not there, and then plug it into the corresponding connector on the TV.
To check the signal quality, turn on auto search. Most likely, the quality of the reception will be good.
Option # 2 - from aluminum wire
The second model resembles the first in design and manufacturing method, but it also has distinctive features.
In fact, the antenna is simpler and cheaper, because instead of a copper wire, aluminum is used. No soldering is provided, which facilitates the assembly process
It takes very little time to assemble the structure and connect.
If all the materials are prepared, and the tools are at hand, then one free evening is enough.
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From a multicore cable you need to get one wire. Suitable core thickness - 2-4 mm, length - 1.15 m, but it is better to take with a small margin
Using a cable, a connection is made between the antenna and the receiver - the TV. The length of the segment depends on the distance between the balcony (window) and the appliance
The plug can be purchased in the same place as the cable - in the store of electrical and radio components. Plastic model - the most inexpensive and easy to install
Without exception, most likely the tools are in the house. This is a sharp construction knife, a ruler, indelible marker (preferably light), nippers. From consumables, couplers or electrical tape will be required
We take a ruler, a marker and set the marks at the following intervals: the first - after 2 cm, then after 13, 14, 14, 13, 13, 14, 14, 13, 2 cm. Long segments are the sides of the squares
By marker marks we bend the wire so that we get two squares. We bend the 2-centimeter ends of the wire for further connection and connection
We cut the end of the coaxial cable, as in the first instruction, and fix it on both squares: a twisted braid on one, a central core on the other
Connect the plug to the other end of the cable. To do this, disassemble its body, insert the current-carrying core into a special contact, assemble it back
A piece of aluminum stranded cable
Coil of coaxial antenna cable
TV plug for connection
Tool kit for work
Marking the wire for bending
Bending a wire into a biquad
Attaching a television cable to a biquadrat
Mounting the plug for connecting to a TV
The finished antenna, so that it catches the signal better, must be taken out to the balcony or put in the window.
If the nearest TV tower is on the side, then to improve the direction you can fix the biquadrat on a stick and set it forward. The quality of wave reception is not so negatively affected by the distance as the presence of all kinds of obstacles - for example, residential high-rise buildings.
Model # 3 - Spiral TV Device
This is a suburban option without an amplifier, assembled from improvised material: the remainder of the power cable and the old snow shovel. The cable is used to make a spiral, and a good reflective screen is obtained from a fragment of a shovel.
The antenna design is simple, and an amateur will cope with its manufacture. When assembling, no soldering was performed; all connections were made either with twisting or with screw fasteners
A decimeter antenna picks up digital broadcasts if it suits the reception range. In order to calculate the step between the turns, it is necessary to clarify the frequency of transmission of the “numbers” in the region, and translate the resulting value into meters.
Calculations for this model:
- frequency - 522 MHz
- wavelength (λ) - 0.57 m
- ⌀ of each turn - 0.177 m
- step between two adjacent turns - 0.137 m
- distance from cable to screen - 0.074 m
- reflective screen width - 0.35 m
Before starting work, it is recommended that all measurements be recorded on a chart that will serve as a guide.
For the sample, you can take a typical diagram of a cylindrical spiral antenna, on which you need to identify the main elements of the device, the number of turns and calculation results
To work, you need a flat part of the snow shovel, which is made of stainless steel. If there are no similar items on the farm, then just a steel sheet. It is not necessary to cut a circle out of it; the workpiece may take the form of a square or rectangle.
A spiral needs a conventional electric wire with a diameter of 0.2 cm, or rather, one of its copper conductors in polymer insulation. In practice, it is better to use a wire whose cross section is 5 times larger - so the reception range will be wider. We need a second cable with a connector - coaxial, with a resistance of 75 ohms.
Procedure:
- To build a base for winding cable from a sheet of plywood and wooden battens. Ideally, there should be a dielectric cylinder instead.
- Straighten the steel sheet, fix it perpendicular to the base using a fixed screw mount.
- Winding the cable with turns according to the calculations.
- Connect the coaxial cable with a twist.
For testing, the product must be moved to the top of the house and installed in the attic or in the attic - where the antenna will be protected from rain. But this is provided that the roof is covered with a material through which waves freely penetrate - for example, soft tiles.
In addition to this model, for giving, you can build other, no less simple and effective, variants of antennas from improvised materials. In another article on our website, we presented a selection of the best suburban models with detailed instructions for their manufacture.
A few recommendations for the use and operation of spiral homemade:
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For installation, it is necessary to choose a wall, the plane of which is facing the nearest broadcasting tower, and fix the structure so that the tip is directed towards the waves
You can attach a piece of plywood to the reflective screen in any way, for example, with a finished plastic corner screwed on with 4 screws. Details can also be made of wood
From two clothespins and a triangular copper plate, you can make an adapter between two cables - from 180 Ohms to 75 Ohms. Adjustment is made by turning the plate, which is needed to reduce noise
The signal will be better if you place the structure under the roof itself. It is installed parallel to the floor, the apex towards the nearest broadcast source
To ensure that the turns are even and evenly distributed along the entire length of the frame, a regular 3-liter jar can be used for winding. When the cable stretches to the sides, it will take the necessary shape
Instead of a power cable, you can take a metal-plastic water pipe with a diameter of 0.16 m. It provides an improvement in signal level by about 10%. For installation, instead of the frame, you can use one bar
SWR is an abbreviation of the standing wave coefficient. The SWR meter can be built with your own hands, connecting it with a self-made generator. For the antenna from the power cable, the coefficient was 1.5
In the attic, it is advisable to install the antenna if the roof is covered with glass, plywood sheets, and on top with Ondulin, soft tiles, ordinary slate or ceramic tiles
Antenna mounted on the attic wall
Fastening for plywood to steel sheet
Transformer - matching antenna device
Mounting the antenna under the roof ridge
Three-liter glass jar for winding
Metal antenna option
SWR meter for measuring waves
The roof is covered with soft tiles.
The spiral antenna showed good results at a distance of 90 km from the nearest decimeter wave translator - two channels of the TV worked in satisfactory quality.
An amplifier is optional. It is used if the length of the reducing coaxial cable exceeds 3 m or another 1-2 TVs are connected to such an antenna.
If all the considered homemade models you find difficult or you do not want to bother and spend your time assembling them, you can always buy a ready-made antenna in a store, for example, a satellite one. In this case, you will find the instructions for installing the plate and tuning the tuner yourself.
Express antenna from a television cable:
Bikvadrat Kharchenko with a reflector:
Calculations and manufacturing of an antenna on a grating:
Here are only four guides on how to quickly make a home antenna for a TV, in fact there are many more. There are more serious options, with accurate calculations by formulas and using additional amplifiers. For starters, you can choose the simplest device and see if it really works.
Using a homemade TV antenna? Which model did you prefer and how much time did it take you to build it? Please tell us in the comments section about your experience in manufacturing the device, show photos of the finished product by attaching them below. If you wish, share useful assembly recommendations with beginners - your successful experience will inspire the creativity of other home masters.