How to Make Television Antenna?

Televisions have changed drastically over the period of time but the one thing which is still the same is the Antenna. As the days have gone by, the size of the devices has become smaller and more portable but even, in this case, no big change is seen in an Antenna.

The problems faced by a user because of the Antenna is also the same. The antenna sometimes fails to catch signals due to rough weather and it may also get damaged due to thunderstorms. Replacing it with a new one can be heavy on your purse. Instead, you can become an Engineer yourself and build an Antenna at your home.

1. Supplies First

• A wood Board: More than 1.5 inches wide, and at least three feet long. In every case, it should be deep enough so that short screws can be drilled into it. 

• Wires: If it’s not coated or sheathed and is 8-to-14-gauge, it might work, but make sure it’s at least 3 feet long and 3 feet wide. Invest in at least 20 feet, to protect yourself from mistakes. The wings should not be coated with coat hangers so that you can use them.

• 10 Screws: Make sure your screws aren’t too long to pierce the board.

• 10 Washers: A hole just large enough to provide a passage through which the screws’ threads can pass, but not so small that the head of the screw cannot pass. It’s possible to buy the same size screws and washers when you purchase new ones.

• Transformer: A matching transformer is technically one that matches 75 to 300 Ohms. Coaxial cables can be inserted through two prongs. 

• Coaxial cable: A longer or shorter antenna depends on the distance between the antenna and the TV.

2. Other Tools

You will also need some other tools such as:

• Wire cutters
• Needle Nosed Pliers
• A Drill
• Tape 
• A Marker

3. Optional Tool

Amplified splitter: Buy an amplified splitter for multiple devices or multiple TVs because a standard coaxial splitter can deteriorate your signal. To keep your strong signals from weakening over prolonged distance, you’ll want a line amplifier when you’re running a lot of coaxial cables, around fifty feet or more.

Make two 1.5-inch-apart screw points near the top of the board. You will need another two points that are 1.5 inches apart after measuring down the board nine inches. 

For the next set, we will measure down 4.5 inches, then another 4.5 inches and for the final set, we will measure a gap of 9 inches.

Mark the points you want to screw into, then set an empty washer over each one. Be sure there is enough room under the washer so that your wire can pass through.

If you bought a lot of wire, cut it into a length of about 30 inches. There will be a cross-over between the wire and the next screw. 

Cross back over the top-most screw on the other side and run through the next two screws. For the other side, just cross one of the wires in an arc, so that neither wire touches the other at the cross-over point.

The next step is to create the whiskers. A 9-inch length of wire bent into a V shape measures 19 inches long, with 4.5 inches between each end. 

When cutting wire coat hangers into smaller pieces, you can use them here. The whiskers fit under the washers but leave the middle set because it serves as balun for antenna to cable connections. 

Under gentle, conductive pressure from the washer, you have to ensure that the wires and whiskers touch each other. Each one should be screwed down.

Finally, we fit each prong of the balun underneath the washer in the middle set of screws and then tighten the screws. You should double-check that the wires crossing on the board are not touching and that your whiskers have tips 4.5 inches in space.

HDTV signals can be received in any direction by building an omnidirectional antenna. A TV with HD capabilities and an antenna are all that’s needed to receive these HD signals. 

You can enjoy the crisp sound and high definition from your HDTV by connecting a few coat hangers to a board and connecting copper wire.

With the wire cutters, remove the hooks from each coat hanger. The coat hangers need to be bent into straight wires using the pliers, so they are straight. Using sandpaper, remove painted areas and baked-on enamel.

Make eight wires that measure 14 inches long from the coat hanger wires. With the pliers, bend both 14-inch wires into the shape of a V so that each side measures seven inches. Adjust them so that there is a distance of exactly three inches between each leg.

Make 36-inch cuts to the 1 x 4 board using the saw. Label the one end of the cut board as the top and work your way down the board.

Mark the five, ten, fifteen, and twenty-inch measurements with a pencil from the top of the board. Place the pencil marks on the board about an inch from the left edge. Then, from the top of the board, make four other pencil marks along the right edge.

Over the eight pencil marks from step four, bend the eight V-shaped wires so that each leg points in the opposite direction. Put a washer on the mark so that it clamps around the V shape of the wire. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.

Stranded copper wire should be cut into 30-inch lengths. One end of the insulation should be stripped off by two inches. 

The stripped end should be wrapped around the screw under the washer in the top right corner. Wrap one loop of the wire around each screw on the left side, and cross the wire over to the two screws in the middle. 

Make sure the wire is crossed back over and that it is wrapped around the screw in the corner. Cutaway two inches of insulation from the wire where it’s wrapped around the screw so the wire gets good contact with it. On each screw, wrap the wire one time. Any additional wire can be cut off.

Continue through the Step, starting in the upper left corner and ending with the screw in the lower-left corner to add a new piece of stranded wire.

You will need to attach the 75-ohm balun lead to the top screws of the antenna mast. The left lead must be attached to the screw and the right lead to the screw. Ensure that the antenna wires are securely attached by tightening the screws.

A male coaxial cable from the TV has to be screwed into a female connector on the balun. Watch TV to see if you can receive a signal.

1. Positioning Your Antenna

Your antenna should be installed high inside your house, yet close to your television. A compromise of signal quality will be necessary if you fail to do that.

This antenna captures line-of-sight signals, so if you want to get good reception, place it higher up in your house. The signal is less obstructed when a building is in a higher spot. 

A window can be helpful, but you should avoid windows that have metal mesh screens if you can. Keep it indoors. The bare copper and wood won’t survive outside.

You may sometimes find all your favorite channels coming from one direction. There will also be occasions when you will not care enough to reach out to an outlying channel. 

Then you will have to strategically place your antenna so the screw and whiskers are pointed toward the best signal path.

Wrapping a board in foil and placing it behind the antenna could cause signals from certain directions to be reflected back at it, but that would cut off signals that might reach the antenna from the rear. This should only be used as a last resort.

You should connect the balun to the coaxial cable after you’ve made a decent start with your positioning. Your TV or tuner needs to be connected to the cable. 

In today’s televisions, most of them have a coaxial port and a capability for scanning for HD channels.

A digital converter box is needed if your TV doesn’t support digital. Screw the cable into your tuner, scan through the channels, and watch a few for an hour or so.

There will always be changes to Antenna’s signal reception. The strength of different channels can be affected by everything from precipitation to LTE signals to sunspots. 

However, you get to watch TV you’ve captured by yourself. It’s generally more convenient than an expensive wall antenna. 

2. Reasons To Build A DIY HDTV Antenna

Doing DIY stuff doesn’t particularly require many reasons however there are enough reasons for building a DIY HDTV antenna at home.

The first and major reason why people tend to build DIY HDTV Antenna at home is that it’s cheaper compared to buying an Antenna from the market. The cost of tools and supplies is very minor and most of the time, you may already have most of this stuff at your house.

This is fun. Making and setting up your own Antenna is great fun and at the same time a challenge as well. You will get a great sense of pride and satisfaction whenever you will see your Antenna as you know that you have made it.

The main problem faced by people who use homemade antennas is the lack of decent signal. This problem can be solved by using an Antenna Amplifier or Antenna Booster. 

It is a device that boosts your signal by many folds due to its capacity of catching radio signals.

It is great fun making an antenna at your home. This will save a lot of money over the long run and the maintenance cost will also be negligible. Make sure to place your homemade antenna at the perfect spot for reaping the full benefits.

This article on how to make a television antenna must have helped you out in your DIY task. Feel free to comment on any query that you have to ask.