Do-it-yourself antenna for giving: from beer cans, frame, broadband (all-wave)

In summer cottages, a television signal can rarely be received without amplification: it is too far from the repeater, the terrain is usually uneven, and trees interfere. For the normal quality of the “picture”, antennas are needed. Anyone who knows how to handle a soldering iron at least a little can make an antenna for giving with his own hands. Aesthetics outside the city is not given so much importance, the main thing is the quality of reception, simple design, low cost and reliability. You can experiment and do it yourself.

A simple TV antenna

If the repeater is located within 30 km from your dacha, you can make the simplest receiving part in design. These are two identical tubes connected by a cable. The output of the cable is fed to the corresponding input of the TV.

What you need to make this TV antenna

First of all, you need to find out what frequency the nearest TV tower is broadcasting on. The length of the “whiskers” depends on the frequency. The broadcast band is in the range of 50-230 MHz. It is divided into 12 channels. Each needs its own length of tubes. A list of terrestrial television channels, their frequencies and parameters of a television antenna for self-production will be given in the table.

So, in order to make a TV antenna with your own hands, you need the following materials:

1. The metal pipe is 6-7 cm shorter than indicated in the table. Material – any metal: brass, steel, duralumin, etc. Diameter – from 8 mm to 24 mm (more often put 16 mm). The main condition: both “whiskers” must be the same: from the same material, the same length, from a pipe of the same diameter with the same wall thickness.
2. TV cable with 75 ohm impedance. Its length is determined locally: from the antenna to the TV, plus a meter and a half for sagging and half a meter for the matching loop.
3. A piece of thick textolite or getinax (at least 4 mm thick),
4. Several clamps or metal strips to secure the pipes to the holder.
5. Antenna rod (metal pipe or corner, with a not very high height – a wooden block, etc.).
   

It would be nice to have a soldering iron, flux for soldering copper and solder on hand: it is advisable to solder all the connections of the central conductors: the image quality will be better and the antenna will work longer. The places of soldering then need to be protected from oxidation: it is best to fill it with a layer of silicone, you can use epoxy, etc. As a last resort, seal it with electrical tape, but this is very unreliable.

This homemade TV antenna, even at home, will be made by a child. You need to cut the tube of the length that matches the broadcast frequency of the nearby repeater, then cut it exactly in half.

Assembly order

The resulting tubes are flattened on one side. With these ends they are attached to the holder – a piece of getinax or textolite 4-6 mm thick (see figure). The tubes are placed at a distance of 6-7 cm from each other, their far ends should be at the distance indicated in the table. They are fixed to the holder with clamps, they must hold firmly.

The installed vibrator is fixed on the mast. Now you need to connect two “whiskers” through a matching device. This is a cable loop with a resistance of 75 ohms (type RK-1, 3, 4). Its parameters are indicated in the rightmost column of the table, and how it is done is on the right side of the photo.

The middle cores of the cable are screwed (soldered) to the flattened ends of the tubes, their braid is connected with a piece of the same conductor. It is easy to get the wire: cut off a piece from the cable a little more than the required size and free it from all shells. Strip the ends and screw to the cable conductors (it is better to solder).

Then the central conductors from two pieces of the matching loop and the cable that goes to the TV are connected. Their braid is also connected with a copper wire.

The last action: the loop in the middle is attached to the bar, and the cable going down is screwed to it. The bar is raised to the required height and “tuned” there. Two people are needed to set up: one turns the antenna, the second watches TV and evaluates the picture quality. Having determined where the signal is best received from, the do-it-yourself antenna is fixed in this position. In order not to suffer for a long time with the “tuning”, look where the neighbors’ receivers (terrestrial antennas) are directed. The simplest antenna for giving with your own hands is made. Set and “catch” the direction by turning it along its axis.

Watch the video on how to cut a coaxial cable.

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Loop from a pipe

This do-it-yourself antenna is a little more difficult to manufacture: you need a pipe bender, but the reception radius is larger – up to 40 km. The starting materials are almost the same: a metal tube, a cable and a rod.

The bend radius of the pipe is not important. It is necessary that the pipe has the required length, and the distance between the ends is 65-70 mm. Both “wings” should be the same length, and the ends should be symmetrical about the center.

The length of the pipe and cable is shown in the table. Find out at what frequency the repeater closest to you is broadcasting, select the appropriate line. Saw off the pipe of the required size (diameter is preferably 12-18 mm, for them the parameters of the matching loop are given).

Assembly

The tube of the required length is bent, making it absolutely symmetrical about the center. One edge is flattened and brewed / sealed. Fill with sand, and close up the second side. If there is no welding, you can plug the ends, just put the plugs on good glue or silicone.

The resulting vibrator is fixed on the mast (rod). They are screwed to the ends of the pipe, and then the central conductors of the matching loop and the cable that goes to the TV are soldered. The next step is to connect a piece of copper wire without insulation to the braid of the cables. The assembly is completed – you can proceed to the “configuration”.

If you don’t want to do it yourself, read how to choose an antenna for giving here.

Beer can antenna

Despite the fact that she looks frivolous, the image becomes much better. Checked multiple times. Try it!

Beer can outdoor antenna

Looking for:

• two cans with a capacity of 0,5 liters,
• a piece of wood or plastic about 0,5 meters long,
• a piece of TV wire RG-58,
• soldering iron,
• flux for aluminum (if the cans are aluminum),
• solder.
  

We collect like this:

1. We drill a hole in the bottom of the jar strictly in the center (5-6 mm in diameter).
2. Through this hole we stretch the cable, we bring it out through the hole in the cover.
3. We fix this jar on the left on the holder so that the cable is directed to the middle.
4. We take out the cable from the can by about 5-6 cm, remove the insulation by about 3 cm, disassemble the braid.
5. We cut the braid, its length should be about 1,5 cm.
6. We distribute it over the surface of the can and solder it.
7. The central conductor sticking out by 3 cm must be soldered to the bottom of the second can.
8. The distance between the two banks must be made as small as possible, and fixed in some way. One option is sticky tape or duct tape.
9. That’s it, the homemade UHF antenna is ready.

End the other end of the cable with a suitable plug, plug it into the TV socket you need. This design, by the way, can be used to receive digital television. If your TV supports this signal format (DVB T2) or there is a special set-top box for an old TV, you can catch a signal from the nearest repeater. You just need to find out where it is and direct your own television antenna made from tin cans there.

The same design can be adapted to receive VHF channels. Instead of 0,5 liter jars, put on 1 liter. Will receive MW band.

Another option: if you don’t have a soldering iron, or you don’t know how to solder, you can make it easier. Tie two cans at a distance of a few centimeters to the holder. Strip the end of the cable by 4-5 centimeters (carefully remove the insulation). Separate the braid, twist it into a bundle, make a ring out of it, into which you insert a self-tapping screw. From the central conductor, make a second ring and thread the second self-tapping screw through it. Now, at the bottom of one can, you clean (with sandpaper) a speck to which you screw the screws.

In fact, soldering is needed for better contact: it is better to tin and solder the braid ring, as well as the place of contact with the metal of the can. But even on self-tapping screws it turns out well, however, the contact is periodically oxidized and needs to be cleaned. As it “snows” you will know why …

You may be wondering how to make a brazier from a balloon or barrel, you can read about it here.

Do-it-yourself digital TV antenna

Antenna design – frame. For this version of the receiver, you will need a crosspiece made of wooden boards and a television cable. You will also need electrical tape, a few nails. All.

We have already said that to receive a digital signal, you only need a decimeter terrestrial antenna and an appropriate decoder. It can be built into TVs (new generation) or made as a separate device. If the TV has a signal reception function in the DVB T2 code, connect the antenna output directly to the TV. If the TV does not have a decoder, you will need to purchase a digital set-top box and connect the output from the antenna to it, and it to the TV set.

How to determine the channel and calculate the perimeter of the frames

In Russia, a program has been adopted, according to which towers are constantly being built. By the end of 2015, the entire area should be covered by repeaters. On the official website http://xn--p1aadc.xn--p1ai/when/ find the closest tower to you. It shows the broadcast frequency and channel number. The perimeter of the antenna frame depends on the channel number.

For example, channel 37 broadcasts at a frequency of 602 MHz. The wavelength is considered as follows: 300 / 602 u50d 22 cm. This will be the perimeter of the frame. Let’s calculate the other channel in the same way. Let it be channel 482. Frequency 300 MHz, wavelength 482/62 = XNUMX cm.

Since this antenna consists of two frames, the length of the conductor must be equal to twice the wavelength, plus 5 cm per connection:

• for channel 37 we take 105 cm of copper wire (50 cm * 2 + 5 cm = 105 cm);
• for 22 channels you need 129 cm (62 cm * 2 + 5 cm = 129 cm).

Maybe you are more interested in working with wood? How to make a birdhouse is written here and about making a doghouse – in this article.

Assembly

Copper wire is best used from the cable that will go further to the receiver. That is, take the cable and remove the sheath and braid from it, freeing the central conductor of the desired length. Be careful not to damage it.

Next, we build a support from the boards, as shown in the figure. To do this, you need to determine the length of the side of the frame. Since this is an inverted square, we divide the found perimeter by 4:

• for channel 37: 50 cm / 4 = 12,5 cm;
• for 22 channels: 62 cm / 4 = 15,5 cm.

The distance from one nail to another must correspond to these parameters. The laying of copper wire starts on the right, from the middle, moving down and further along all points. Only in the place where the frames come close to one another, do not short the conductors. They should be at some distance (2-4 cm).

When the entire perimeter is laid, the braid from a cable a few centimeters long is twisted into a bundle and soldered (wound if it is not possible to solder) to the opposite edge of the frame. Next, the cable is laid as shown in the figure, winding it with electrical tape (more often, but the laying route cannot be changed). Then the cable goes to the decoder (separate or built-in). All the antenna for giving with your own hands for receiving digital television is ready.

How to make an antenna for digital television with your own hands – another design – is shown in the video.