Antenna made from butterfly electrodes. The simplest version of the antenna. From coaxial cable

So, imagine this situation: in the evening you decided to watch your favorite TV program, and suddenly the TV stopped showing. Or another case: You arrived at the dacha, have already prepared for a vacation, and again the same situation - not a single channel works. What to do in this case? The answer is simple - you need to make an antenna for the TV with your own hands, because most likely the cause of the breakdown is in this device. Next, we will look at the simplest creation options, which will require a minimum of available tools and time.

Idea #1 – Use beer cans!

This version of a homemade television antenna is the simplest and fastest to manufacture. The maximum number of channels that will be provided to you is 7, but this figure may vary slightly depending on the region.

To make a TV antenna from beer cans, you will need the following materials:

• 2 small screws, also called “bugs”;
• 2 prepared beer cans (empty, washed and dried);
• from 3 to 5 meters of television cable (can be taken from a failed device);
• soldering iron and tin (for better fixation of contacts), availability is optional;
• screwdriver;
• wooden trempel;
• electrical tape or tape.

Finding all the materials in the house will not be a problem, so having prepared them, we immediately get down to business.

In order to make a homemade antenna from cans, you need to complete the following steps:

1. We prepare the cable. First, at a distance of 10 cm from the edge, you need to make an incision and remove part of the top layer of insulation. Having opened access to the screen, we collapse it into one turn. After this, we cut off the middle insulating layer, exposing the thin copper core of the cable. As for the second end of the conductor, there should be a regular plug there.
2. We prepare the jars. There will also be no difficulties with containers that will act as signal receivers. First you need to choose the optimal dimensions of beer cans. It is better to use liter ones, but if these are not available, containers with a volume of 0.5 and 0.75 liters will do a good job.
3. Let's make contacts. At this stage, the twisted cable screen is attached to one can, and the copper core itself is attached to the other. Fixation is carried out with bedbugs using a screwdriver. In order to make the picture quality on the TV screen higher (signal transmission quality), it is recommended to fix the wire not only with clamps, but also with a soldering iron (tack a little). The result should look like this:
   
4. We assemble a homemade antenna for a TV. The signal receiver is ready, now we are making a supporting structure, which is the trempel. Using electrical tape, we fix the containers to the trempel (as shown in the photo). We draw your attention to the fact that the banks must be strictly on the same straight line, otherwise the homemade product will not work as we would like.
   
5. Setting up an antenna for the TV. Now you need to experiment with the optimal distance between the cans, as well as where to hang the device, so that the homemade product catches many channels. We turn on the TV and determine exactly how the receivers should be located and where is the most suitable place to work. This is where the creation technology ends.
   

As you can see, the whole process is quite simple and does not represent anything complicated. The optimal distance is 75 mm between the ends of the cans, and the best installation location is near the window. In individual cases, the distance between banks can be made larger or smaller.

Idea No. 2 – Use wire

Another equally good option that is advisable to use in the village is a homemade antenna made of copper wire with an amplifier.

All you need for production is:

• amplifier (suitable from an old device);
• two pieces of wire 180 cm each;
• a piece of metal (or wood) plate 15*15 cm;
• electric drill with a set of drills (or welding machine);
• small bolts;
• hammer;
• iron pipe;
• TV cable of suitable length.

So, to make your own TV antenna from copper wire, you need to complete the following steps:

Please note that in the photo examples, both the amplifier, the reflector, and the wire are covered with paint. Painting protects the structure from corrosion and other adverse factors, significantly extending the life of a homemade TV antenna.

Idea No. 3 – Home HDTV device

If the first 2 options worked at a frequency of no more than 270 MHz, then the next manufacturing method will allow you to enjoy a higher quality picture, because The signal range can reach up to 490 MHz. The only part that is unlikely to be found among household items is a matching transformer from 300 to 75 Ohms. You will need to buy it in advance if you decide to make your own TV antenna as an experiment and improve your skills. Although there are instructions for making a homemade transformer, you can find and use it.

Materials you will need:

1. Scotch
2. Cardboard
3. Stationery knife
4. Foil
5. Stapler
6. Scissors
7. Marker
8. Roulette

Having prepared all this school kit, let's get down to business!

First you need to sketch (or print on your computer) this diagram:

Now, according to the diagram, we cut out all the spare parts, including the necessary pieces of foil:

After this, you need to make a reflector with dimensions of 35 * 32.5 cm (height and width). Cover one side with foil.

In the middle we cut out two identical rectangles, which are necessary in order to completely assemble the signal catcher of a homemade antenna for a TV. The rectangle should be 3.5 cm long, its purpose is to maintain the distance between the reflector and the auxiliary parts.

We glue the parts onto the rectangle, and when the cardboard homemade product hardens, we drill holes for the television cable.

We connect the transformer and insert the cable into the plug. A more powerful TV antenna is ready for use! It should also be noted that this homemade version is only suitable for indoor use, because paper will quickly deteriorate outdoors.

Another option for a powerful device made at home:

Idea No. 4 – Apartment option

There is another way to make a powerful antenna for a TV using improvised materials, which is suitable for both outdoor and indoor use.

To make the device you will need the following materials and tools:

• 4-meter copper wire, cross-section 4 mm2;
• board of arbitrary thickness, 55 cm long and 7 cm wide;
• wood screws;
• ruler or tape measure;
• a simple pencil;
• screwdriver;
• soldering iron;
• plug

So, first, according to the drawing, we drill holes in the board:

Then we transfer the drawing data to the board and drill in the appropriate fastening points.

Next, the copper wire must be cut into 8 pieces of 37.5 cm each.

In the middle of each of the 37.5 cm sections, the insulation must be removed (as shown in the picture).

We cut off 2 more copper wire sections 22 cm long and roughly divide them into 3 equal parts, again removing the insulation at the inflection points.

We bend the prepared wire in exposed areas. We draw your attention to the fact that for those segments that are bent in half, the distance between the ends must be 7.5 cm (the optimal value for receiving a signal from a homemade television antenna).

Next, we attach the plug to the finished homemade product, and connect the television cable to it.

This concludes the manufacturing process. We select a suitable location and install the device.

So we have provided the simplest instructions. We hope that now you know how to make a home TV antenna with your own hands! We draw your attention to the fact that today on the Internet you can find many other options in which inventors do without cans and wire. Among other available means, copper tubes, aluminum disks and electrodes are often used. The advantage of the options we have listed is that you can quickly make such antennas for a TV with your own hands, without spending the whole evening on it.

Related materials:

Visual video instructions for creating a simple antenna from cans

Assembling a digital antenna from a TV cable and a cardboard box

HDTV antenna made from improvised means

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A super simple and super quick to make antenna from a coaxial cable for receiving digital television channels can be made with your own hands in about 5 minutes. For this you will need absolutely nothing except the cable itself. And this is the main advantage of this antenna.
You can't live without a TV now.

This design will definitely help you out, for example, when you have just moved into your home and have yet to install a cable or install a stationary antenna. Of course, this is not the only example where this truly simple loop antenna will help.
Now in the comments someone will definitely write that there are even simpler antennas, like a whip one. To make it, it will be enough to simply remove two insulations from the cable and everything will work. Of course, I agree with this, but the loop antenna that I will make from coaxial cable will have much greater gain, due to its directivity and resonant closed circuit.

Making an antenna from coaxial cable

This is what the version made from black cable looks like.

Now let's start making the antenna in order. All we need is less than half a meter of coaxial cable of any color. I took the white one.

We retreat 5 cm from the edge of the cable and remove the top insulation.

Next, remove the insulation from the central core.

Now we twist everything together neatly and tightly.

Then, from the edge with the insulation removed, we retreat 22 cm and cut out a 2 cm piece of the top insulation and the shielded wire from the hose, without touching the insulation of the central core.

Now we measure another 22 cm from the end of the cut and make a cut 1 cm wide only by removing the top insulation. We do not touch the cable shield.

Next, take the end of the cable from which we started. And we wrap it very tightly at the last cut, forming a circle of the antenna.

At this point, our antenna is ready for use. Of course, this is not necessary, but if you hang the antenna outside, it is better to insulate all exposed areas of the cable with electrical tape. You can also add a rigid frame, but this is optional.

Antenna location

We direct the antenna to a repeater or television tower. The direction can also be selected experimentally by rotating the antenna.
The best option would be to place it outside the window, since the walls of the house greatly dampen the high-frequency signal.

The test showed excellent results

If you still don’t understand how to make an antenna from a cable, be sure to watch the video below or ask questions in the comments.

We will send the material to you by e-mail

In the modern world, there is a significant range of high-tech and functional antennas for installation at home. But there are times when the TV has stopped showing in a country house. Some craftsmen find a way out of this situation and make something that helps correct the situation. Moreover, they give recommendations to others: how to make an antenna with your own hands for a TV. Let's look at simple methods that may be useful to you.

Homemade devices are especially good when they are needed for temporary use

The simplest and most unusual option to construct an antenna is from beer cans. And according to experts, as many as seven channels will be shown. To build such a structure, prepare:

When deciding how to make your own antenna for a TV, keep in mind that the gap between the end parts of the cans should be about 75 mm. And the best location of the structure is near the windows.

The stick that will be used for the antenna should be made of wood. You cannot take aluminum or titanium options. Cable parts can be soldered. Instead of tape, you can use electrical tape or even a band-aid. Containers for creating the device must be thoroughly washed and dried. To improve image quality, you can “play” with the distance between the banks.

Table 1. Antenna made from beer cans

Image	Stages
	Prepare the cable. To do this, make a cut at one edge and remove the insulation layer. Then the middle layer is cut off. A plug for the TV antenna is mounted at the other end.
	Stock up on cans. Their capacity should be 1 liter!
	Make contacts. One end of the twisted cable is mounted to the can, and the other with a copper core to the other. Fastening is carried out using a screwdriver and a soldering iron.
	Assemble the antenna. A trempel is used as a supporting device.
	Set up your device.

Related article:

In the article we will look at the application features, types of devices, secrets of selection and installation.

Is it possible to make a homemade antenna for digital television from wire?

A good way is to use copper wire to create an antenna. For such a mechanism you will need an amplifier, wire, sheet of metal, drill, bolts, metal pipe, cable and hammer.

To make such a homemade home antenna for a TV, we perform the following operations:

• At the first stage we make a catcher. To make it, the wire must be bent so that all sides have a length of 45 cm;
• Next, we fix the wire on the plate. In this case, a connection is made to the plate;
• cable is connected;
• A mast is made from a metal pipe. Its foundation needs to be buried.

Helpful information! All details should be painted over. This will protect the product from corrosion and aggressive operating conditions.

DIY antenna option for digital TV HDTV

There are various methods for making a TV antenna with your own hands. The first two methods we considered operate at a frequency of 270 MHz. And the next option has great possibilities. In this case, the picture will be of higher quality, since the signal can reach 490 MHz. You will definitely need a special transformer, which is unlikely to be found among the materials at hand. Such a device should be purchased in advance. There are also methods for making a transformer yourself, but they are quite complicated. The materials you should prepare are cardboard, tape, foil, stapler, marker, tape measure and glue.

• First, you should print a special diagram for installing such a device. According to the diagram, all structural elements are cut out, as well as all the necessary foil parts. Then you need to make a butterfly out of cardboard and paint over individual parts with a marker.
• The next step is to build a reflector, the size of which is 35-32.5 cm. One of the sides is glued with foil.
• Rectangles of the same size are cut out in the middle. They are needed to construct a catcher for the structure. The length of the plate should be about 35 mm. This product is designed to maintain the distance between additional elements and the reflector.
• The individual parts are glued to the rectangular element. Then recesses for the cable are drilled.

The correct instructions will tell you how to make an antenna for a TV with your own hands. A transformer must be connected, and the cable must be installed in the plug. This method is only suitable for indoor use, as the paper will quickly become unusable outdoors.

The table details all stages of installing such equipment.

Table 2. DIY antenna for digital TV HDTV

Image	Stages of work
	Prepare the necessary material.
	Print the template and cut it out.
	Cut out a reflector from cardboard and then cover it with foil.
	Cut out rectangles in the middle.
	You also need to cut out all the necessary parts from cardboard. This applies the template.
	It's better if you make all the details in color.
	Foil is also cut using stencils.
	To create a bend, a small undercut is made on the dotted line.
	Foil is glued to individual antenna elements.
	The antenna is being assembled. At the same time, measure 35 mm from the reflector and glue the butterfly.
	A hole is made in the middle of this element for the passage of the cable.
	A suitable transformer is installed and the antenna is ready.

Related article:

This article talks about what parameters a high-quality TV stand has, and photos and descriptions will help you choose the best option for your interior.

Nuances of the apartment option

When making some types of structures, you can make an antenna amplifier with your own hands. Try to make a high-quality amplifier from scrap materials that can be used for both outdoor and indoor use.

To carry out the work you will need the following materials:

• copper wire, the length of which is 4 m and the diameter is about 4 mm;
• board of any thickness with a width of 70 mm and a length of 550 mm;
• screws and screwdriver;
• plug and soldering iron;
• pencil and ruler.

Follow the drawing. Start by drilling holes in the surface. The parameters from the diagram are transferred to the board, and drilling is performed in certain places. The copper wire is measured and cut into 8 equal sections. In the middle of each segment you need to remove the insulation.

Cut two pieces and roughly divide them into three parts, and remove the insulation layer at the bend points. In bare areas you need to bend the wire. On these elements the distance between the edges should be about 75 mm. This is the optimal distance for good signal reception. You need to attach a plug to the prepared homemade product, and then connect the cable to it. Then you need to find a suitable place to mount the device.

If the receiver is located at some distance from the generator, then its power weakens. To correct this shortcoming, special amplifiers are used.To secure a homemade device, you need a special mast, which you can do yourself. In this case, steel pipes will come in handy.

Select two pipes and bury them in the ground. It is necessary to drill recesses on the sides of the highways and install steel rods. Then the prepared pipe from the sleeve is put on them. With its help, you can install a different number of pipes. Attach them with a special steel cable. By using additional pipes you can make the mast longer. Making such a design is not difficult.

To make some antenna options it will take no more than 30 minutes. This will create a mechanism for receiving a television signal.We hope that our instructions will help you make an antenna with your own hands. You can find many other interesting instructions. After all, a homemade structure can be made from electrodes, aluminum disks and copper tubes.

High-quality antennas have always been difficult to obtain - the Soviet industry practically did not produce them, so people made them themselves from improvised materials. Today the situation has not changed much - in stores you can only find lightweight aluminum Chinese crafts, which do not show good results and rarely last more than a year. What to do if you like to watch TV, but there is no quality reception? The answer is simple -Given free time and a pair of skillful hands, anyone can handle this.

More recently, analogue television operated in Russia, but now almost the entire country has switched to digital broadcasting. Its main difference is that it operates in the decimeter range.

You can create a homemade antenna for the digital range at home

This was done for reasons of economy and safety - maintenance of transmitting antenna-feeder stations is virtually not required, their maintenance is reduced to a minimum, and the harm from contact with powerful transmitters for masters is minimal. But such stations have one serious drawback - low power. And if in a big city the signal can often be caught even on a piece of copper wire, then far from the transmitter, reception can be difficult. If you live outside the city, in remote areas or villages, you will have to assemble your own antenna and take it outside to catch the desired signal.

Attention:Signal problems can occur even in the city center. Decimeter waves are practically not dampened by other sources, but are reflected from thick reinforced concrete walls. In modern high-rise buildings there are many places where they are completely attenuated before reaching the TV receiver.

It's also worth noting that DVB-T2 (the new TV standard) offers a fairly consistent but weak signal. When the noise level is one and a half to two units higher than normal, the TV reproduces the broadcast quite clearly, but as soon as the noise exceeds 2 dB, the signal disappears completely. Digital television is not sensitive to electromagnetic interference - it is not knocked down by a running refrigerator or microwave. But if a mismatch occurs anywhere in the system, the picture stops or falls apart. High qualitywill solve this problem, but in some cases it will have to be taken outside or onto the roof.

Basic requirements for antennas

The current television standards in the USSR do not fit modern realities - the protective and directional coefficients today have virtually no effect on the signals. The airwaves in cities are clogged and contain a lot of dirt, so you shouldn’t pay attention to these coefficients. You are guaranteed to get interference on any antennas, so there is no need to reduce the efficiency factor and efficiency factor. It is better to improve the antenna gain so that it receives a wide range of airwaves and selects the desired stream, rather than focusing on a specific signal. The processor of the set-top box or TV itself will isolate the necessary signals and create a normal picture.

Classic Polish antenna with amplifier

So, Experienced engineers recommend building band antennas. They must be correctly calculated, receiving signals in a classical way, and not through engineering “optimizations” and traps. The ideal option is that the device fully complies with theoretical calculations and geometry. Also, the constructed antenna must be consistent with the cable at operating ranges without the use of matching devices. In this case, it is best to create a frequency response that is smooth and even, since when the amplitude-frequency response dips or jumps, phase distortions appear.

Attention: analog Antennas with ferrite USS, which provide full reception of the old signal, practically do not work with DVB. What you need to build is a “digital” antenna.

In the article we will analyze modern types of antennas that work with new digital broadcasting.

Antenna types

DIY antennas for digital TV Can you assemble it at home? There are three most common options:

1. All-wave, or as radio amateurs call it, frequency-independent. It is assembled very quickly and does not require high knowledge or specialized tools. Well suited for the private sector, villages, dacha cooperatives - where the airwaves are not clogged with garbage, but not too far from the transmitter.
2. Log-periodic range. It has a simple design and receives the signal well at close and medium distances from the transmitter. Can be used as a remote antenna if the transmitter is located far away, or as a home wall antenna.
3. Z-antenna and its variations. Many radio amateurs are familiar with meter-long “zeshki” - they are quite large and require a lot of effort to assemble. But in the decimeter range they are quite compact and do their job well.

Nuances of construction

If you want to build a quality antenna, you must master the art of soldering. You cannot twist the contacts and guides - during operation they oxidize, the signal is lost, and the picture quality deteriorates. Therefore, all connections are soldered.

Such connections are unacceptable - be sure to solder them

You also need to deal with points of zero potential, where currents arise even in the absence of voltage. Experts recommend making them from a single piece of metal, without using welding at all. Even well-welded pieces can make noise at the boundary values, while a solid strip will “pull out” the signal.

Also when creating homemade antenna for digital TV you need to figure out how to solder cables. Today, copper is practically not used for braiding, since it is expensive and quickly oxidizes. Modern braiding is made of steel, which is not afraid of corrosion, but it is very difficult to solder. It should not be overheated or squeezed. For connections, use 36-40 watt soldering irons, flux and light solders. Dip the winding well into the flux and apply solder - it takes up perfectly with this method of application.

All-wave antenna

The all-wave antenna has a fairly simple design. It consists of triangles, copper wire and wooden slats. You can study the design in more detail in the picture - it does not represent anything supernatural.

The thickness of the wire can be any, the distance between adjacent wires is 25-30 mm, the distance between the plates is no more than 10 mm. The design can be improved by eliminating plates and using PCB. It needs to be given the appropriate shape or simply remove the copper foil in the shape of a triangle.

The remaining proportions are standard - the height of the device must match the width, the plates diverge at right angles. Zero potential is on the extreme line home antenna for tv , just at the intersection of the cable with the vertical guide. To avoid loss of quality, the cable must be tied to it with a tie - this is enough for coordination. Such an antenna, hung outside or directed at a window, receives virtually the entire frequency range, but has a slight dip, so you need to set the correct angle when fixing the antenna.

By the way, this design can be modernized using ordinary aluminum beer and cola cans. The principle of its operation is as follows: as the shoulder span increases, the working band expands, although other indicators remain within the original limits. The Nadenenko dipole, often used in military developments, operates on the same principle. Aluminum cans are ideal in shape and size, creating vibrator arms in the decimeter range.

Two-can antenna for TV

You can create a simple can antenna by simply soldering two cans to a cable. This DIY indoor TV antenna Suitable for viewing channels at a short to medium distance from transmitters. There is no need to coordinate anything in this scheme, especially if the cable length is less than 2 meters.

You can complicate the design by assembling a full-fledged array from eight cans and using an amplifier from a regular Polish antenna. This design is perfect for hanging outdoors in areas remote from the transmitter. To enhance the signal, a metal mesh can be placed at the back of the structure.

Z antenna

Complex Z-antenna designs with multiple loops exist, but in most cases they are not needed. You can easily assemble a structure from ordinary copper wire 3 mm thick. If you don’t have one, then just buy a 3 mm single-core copper wire 120 mm long - this will be enough for your work. This design consists of two segments. We bend the wire according to this pattern:

1. The starting section is 14 centimeters long. Its edge is bent into a loop to connect with the last one (the loop is 1 cm, the total length of the first piece is 13 cm).
2. The second piece is bent at 90 degrees (it is better to bend it with pliers to maintain the angles). Its length is 14 cm.
3. The third piece is bent 90 degrees parallel to the first, length 14 cm.
4. The fourth and fifth pieces are 13 cm each, the bend does not reach the loop by 2 cm.
5. The sixth and seventh pieces are 14 cm each, bent at 90 degrees.
6. Eighth - returns to the loop, length 14, 1 cm goes to a new loop.

Next, you need to thoroughly strip the two loops and solder them. The opposite corner is also cleaned. The cable contacts are soldered to them - one is central, the other is braided. There is no difference which contact to solder to.. It is advisable to insulate the soldered areas; for this you can use sealants or hot-melt adhesive. The ends of the cable are soldered to the plug and also insulated with cambric.

You can assemble such an antenna in half an hour.

To avoid displacement of segments, the edges can be strengthened. To do this, take a regular plastic cap from a five-liter bottle, cut 4 slits in it so that the wire is recessed to the base. Cut the fifth hole for the cable. Then place the antenna in the cover (after checking the quality and reliability of the soldering), and fill it with hot-melt adhesive. The resulting design will be practically eternal - it is capable of receiving a stable signal at a distance of up to 10 km from the source.

So you already know What can be used instead of an antenna for a TV. In fact, the structures are much larger than those we described, but even these will be quite enough for you. If you live far from the signal source, then you will need amplifying antennas - you can get by with a classic “polka” with amplification. Well, if everything is bad with the airwaves, then use satellites.

Making your own antenna is a good idea. You don’t have to spend money on buying a finished product, and you don’t want to attract intruders with a beautiful dish or a high-quality radio installation.

If you have a private house or a summer cottage with a small garage, you can make your own television antenna in literally 20-30 minutes. TV is not only a source of information, but also a special atmosphere of comfort and homeliness.

A television antenna is a device specifically designed for receiving broadcast television signals that are transmitted at frequencies from 41 to 250 MHz in the VHF range, and from 470 to 960 MHz in the UHF group.

There are two types of television antennas:

• Internal - located on top or next to the TV;
• External - installed on the roof or attic of the house.

Outdoor antennas are more complex to manufacture and install, but such devices are necessary for adequate reception in peripheral areas remote from television stations.

Antenna devices are also divided into:

• Active, which are complemented by an amplifier and require connection to an electrical power source;
• Passive, which amplify the signal only due to design features.

An outdoor TV antenna is a high input power device and has a unidirectional radiation intensity so its far end must always face the broadcast station.

Based on the wavelength that TV antennas are capable of receiving, they are divided into three groups:

• MV antennas - such devices receive very long meter waves, the size of which can be from 0.5 to 1.5 m;
• UHF antennas - these devices operate in the decimeter range, in which the wavelength is in the range from 15 to 40 cm. It is in this coverage that digital television (DTV) is supplied;
• Broadband antennas are a hybrid design in which both VHF and UHF elements are installed. Such radio installations are used to receive digital and analogue broadcasts simultaneously.

The most commonly used design is an outdoor television antenna based on a log-periodic dipole matrix. Such products consist of several half-wave elements consisting of metal rods. They act as resonators in which energy is stored by radio waves, which cause electrons to move and create stable waves of oscillating voltage. An antenna can have a different number of rod elements: the more, the higher its gain.

Another popular design, used primarily for UHF reception, is the reflective TV antenna. Such a device consists of a vertical metal screen with several dipole elements installed in front of it.

The television broadcast bands that must be covered by a single antenna are too wide in frequency, so either separate antennas or combined devices are used for the VHF and UHF bands. In such designs there are two types of elements: long elements that pick up the MF (these are located at the rear of the antenna boom and often function as a log-periodic antenna) and short elements that pick up the UHF broadcast (these are located at the front of the boom).

When you listen to the radio, you notice that local channels can be easily tuned in the FM or VHF range, but you won’t be able to catch distant foreign broadcasts on them; to do this, the receiver needs to be switched to MF and HF mode.

This suggests that meter, medium and short waves are well transmitted over long distances, while ultrashort and decimeter signals have a small coverage area. However, the disadvantage of the UHF range in which our digital television operates is minimized thanks to two things:

• Firstly, the presence of a large number of towers;
• Secondly, the ability of large objects to reflect the signal.

If you live in a private house next to a high-rise building, then it is more correct to point the TV antenna not at a distant tower, but at a neighboring house, which perfectly reflects the waves. The right choice of direction largely determines the qualityTV signal.

Materials and calculations

How and from what items and materials can you make an antenna at home? Let's look at the TOP 5 most interesting options:

• Powerful coaxial cable antenna;
• All-wave antenna made of wire;
• "Butterfly";
• "Eight" or zigzag;
• Antenna made from beer cans.

A tube, rod or wire made of copper or aluminum are excellent materials for making an antenna. They are flexible, bend well and hold their shape well. You can use any conductive metal products: wires, corners, rods, strips, etc.

Coaxial cable has the same properties as copper cable, but is much cheaper, and, in addition, coaxial is also mechanically strong, which is important for antenna design. To save money, you can use pieces of wire that are available in your household or buy them in the hardware store.

First of all, let's decide on the size of the antenna. The antenna cable length (L) is calculated depending on. To calculate we need two values:

• The speed of wave propagation in vacuum is ≈ 300 million m/s;
• F - reception frequency (digital TV signal frequencies are usually in the range of 500-800 MHz).

If we take the frequency parameter in MHz, then the desired wavelength value will be in meters. The calculated parameter for the speed of light is 300. The wavelength in the cable can be calculated using a simple formula:

Calculation example: let digital broadcasting be carried out at an average frequency of 610.5 MHz. Then the average wavelength = 300/610.5 = 0.491 m. This is exactly the length of the antenna loop.

To receive a digital signal, it is not necessary to accurately calculate the wavelength; you can simply make the product design more broadband.

Manufacturing and arrangement

Today, all television is presented in digital format; analogue will soon be completely abandoned. Old antennas practically do not function with DVB signals, so you need to create a decimeter antenna.

Digital TV transmission in DVB-T2 format is carried out in the UHF range, and since the signal is broadcast digitally, its reception will always be in good quality, or it simply cannot be caught, and there will be no signal at all. Interference, distortion or unclear picture - this is typical only for analog television.

DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) encoding is insensitive to electromagnetic interference, however, if the air is heavily polluted, signal mismatch may occur, which can cause the image to freeze or completely crumble. Therefore, it is more efficient to place the antenna outside the house: outside the window, on the roof, on the balcony.

To reduce the amount of interference, a reflector (reflector) can be built behind the antenna. The simplest materials with a metallic tint are suitable for the antenna design: foil, coffee or juice packaging, tin can, CD, etc. In order for the reflector to have a narrowly directed effect, the shape of the reflector can be made parabolic. Although this is more relevant for analog receivers, reflectors also help out when the digital signal level is weak.

And the last piece of advice: experienced engineers recommend soldering all antenna connections, and not just twisting or screwing them, as over time they will oxidize and affect the quality of reception. It is better to coat external antennas made by yourself with paint; it will more reliably protect your structure from adverse weather factors.

To connect antenna elements, it is better to use soldering machines with a power of 36-40 watts, flux and soft solders.

Coaxial cable antenna

To create this version of the antenna, you will need about 0.5 m of the most common “RK-75” marking. One end of the insulated wire needs to be stripped to connect to the TV socket (put on the F-connector and an adapter for connecting to the TV), and on the second we will create a round antenna.

Step back 5 cm from the edge and remove the top layer of insulating impregnation compound. Then remove the winding from the central conductor of the cable and tightly twist the remaining wire strands into one bundle.

From this point, measure the next 22 cm and cut through the outer layer of insulation to the shielded foil. Now you need to connect the cable into a ring: to do this, we confidently screw the first prepared end to the newly created cut. That's all - you have in your hands a powerful antenna made of coaxial cable, made by yourself.

Connect it to the TV and start tuning channels. This antenna is considered a good option for receiving digital television. It is better to install the antenna outside the window and on the side of the TV tower, since the walls of the building can drown out the desired signal. You can experiment with its position yourself.

All-wave antenna

A TV antenna can have different shapes. For example, from copper wire with a diameter of 2-5 mm, you can build an all-wave antenna in the form of two versatile elements. Such devices are frequency independent, so they are very popular among summer residents. A CHNA device can be built in literally an hour and receive a good signal level far from television centers.

For this you will need:

• Enameled copper wire;
• 2 metal structures in the shape of an isosceles triangle;
• 2 wooden or plastic slats.

Instead of metal triangles, you can use elastic foil laminate, from which you will need to cut out the triangles (or leave the copper coating in a triangular shape).

The width and height of the antenna must be identical. The blades are installed at right angles and fixed with a soldering iron. The CNA antenna cable must be laid to the point of zero potential, which is located at the intersection of the cable with the vertical guide. Moreover, it must be tied with a tie, and not soldered.

The distance between adjacent wire threads should be 25-30 mm, and between the plates - no more than 10 mm. It is better to install the antenna structure inside the window at 150 cm. The signal catcher in the form of two expanded elements, which you just made yourself, will confidently receive all UHF and HF channels. If you live in an area with poor signal levels, it would be advisable to supplement such a device with an amplifier.

A simple antenna for receiving digital TV

Another useful type of home antenna for the dacha is the “butterfly”. This is a very simple design, to create which you will need:

• Board or plywood about 60 cm long and 7 cm wide, thickness about 20 mm;
• Shielded copper wire with a 4 mm core cross-section;
• Coaxial cable “RK-75”;
• Washers, screws, soldering iron.

Below we provide a marking diagram according to which you need to make the base of the butterfly antenna.

After this, prepare 8 pieces of copper wire, each 37.5 cm long. Step back 17.75 cm and remove 2 cm of the insulating layer in the center of each piece. Give them a V-shape so that the ends of the elements are at a distance of 7.5 cm from each other (this shape is considered optimal for high-quality and clear TV signal reception).

The next step is to prepare two more wire elements about 22 cm long. Mark each element into 3 equal parts and strip the wire insulation between the resulting sections.

We will need two more small pieces of wire to connect the antenna to the socket.

Now all that remains is to simply assemble all the prepared elements into a single structure and solder the cable to the plug.

This is how you can easily make your own effective butterfly antenna for receiving digital television.

Figure-of-eight antenna

The next option for creating a simple UHF television antenna is named after the shape of its design, “figure eight” or “zigzag”. Such a device will reliably pick up the signal even in a remote village.

In order to make an outdoor antenna for digital television with your own hands, you will need:

• Amplifier (you can use any old one);
• 2 pieces of copper wire (180 cm each);
• Plate (wood or metal) 15*15;
• TV cable;
• Iron mast for raising the antenna.

First of all, we create the body of the catcher: from copper wire we form two rhombuses with an optimal side size of 45 cm each. We attach the ends of the two elements to the plate: we form a ring from the core and slightly flatten it, screw it with bolts or solder it using a soldering machine.

We connect the amplifier and insert the cable plug into the connector. In general, that's all. All that remains is to install the finished structure on an elevated mast, which must be firmly dug into the ground.

To make an outdoor antenna for a TV, any conductive material of the appropriate cross-section is suitable: copper or aluminum tubes, strips or a profile element with a thickness of 1 to 5 mm. The main thing is to give the antenna body the correct shape.

Beer can antenna

Ether antenna devices can be created from many simple materials that are used in household use, even from ordinary cans in which carbonated drinks are sold. Such a mini-receiver will not be very powerful, but you can pick up about 7 channels, not only in the UHF range, but also in the longer one - VHF.

There is one important condition: the cans must be smooth, not ridged, clean and dry. The essence of this design is very simple: you just need to solder 2 cans to the cable and place them on opposite sides on a wooden base.

The number of cans can be used differently; it is believed that it is optimal to create 3 or 4 lines of cans, since 1-2 lines pick up the signal weakly, and more than 5 lines are difficult to coordinate. In addition to cans, you need to prepare the following materials:

• About 5 meters of ordinary TV cable marked “RK-75”;
• Wooden or plastic base structure;
• Several self-tapping screws, electrical tape, and a soldering iron.

First you need to prepare the TV cable: step back 10 cm from the edge, make a shallow cut and remove the top layer of insulation. Carefully twist the inner braided screen into a single bundle. On the same side of the cable, remove the plastic insulation and expose the central core. A plug must be connected to the opposite end of the cable.

Next, we will need to connect the coaxial cable to the banks. To do this, it is better to use small flea screws for drywall: screw a twisted cable braid to one can, and a copper core to the second can. For better contact, connections can be soldered.

Now you should secure the cans to a wooden base plate. This can be done using ordinary adhesive tape, electrical tape or a glue gun; you can even use an ordinary clothes hanger or any flat structure at hand. The main thing is that the metal cans are of the same shape, the same size (volume) and are located strictly on the same line. The distance between the sheet metal elements, as well as the location of the antenna installation, is selected experimentally.

You can improve the design by creating a grid of several lines with banks, and if there is such an opportunity, then connect an amplifier. If a homemade antenna made from beer cans is placed on the street, then its elements will have to be hidden in larger plastic bottles.

The length of the cable affects the signal attenuation: the longer the cord, the more the on-air transmission is attenuated. This is especially true for receiving meter waves.

Setting up and searching for channels

Today, digital television offers us as many as 22 television channels in two packages, and in some metropolitan areas there are even more. Setting them up on your TV or set-top box will be quite simple.

In DTV broadcast on 1 frequency, not one channel is broadcast, as it once was on analogue broadcast, but up to 10 channels in one package or multiplex. For example, on frequency 43 you can receive 10 TV channels and 3 radio stations. Therefore, setting up digital broadcasting uses only 2 frequencies. However, the frequency parameter of the channels will be different for different areas.

If you are using a home-made antenna in an area with good signal strength, then there are no special recommendations for setting up channels. You simply turn on the function on your TV "Automatic channel search" and the receiver finds all available channels in digital and analogue air.

If the area of ​​your location is not very favorable for TV broadcasting, and the auto search did not produce results, then you need to perform the following steps:

1. Check which direction your antenna is facing. It should be turned towards the television tower or directed towards the nearest high-rise building. If you don't know which way the broadcast base is located, pay attention to your neighbors' antennas (but don't look at the satellite dishes that pick up signals from satellites).
2. In channel settings, set a restriction: search only for digital channels (or DTV). Well, if you know the frequency parameter, then you can go into the manual channel tuning mode, use the remote control to dial the channel number on which the package is being broadcast, and a signal level scale in percentage should appear on the display. Change the position of the antenna device and see how the stability of this indicator changes.

The change in signal level when rotating the antenna will not change instantly, but after 5-10 seconds. Therefore, pause when changing the position of the catcher.

When you get the best signal strength, start scanning for digital channels and save your settings. Perform the same algorithm of actions to search for the second multiplex. If the situation is completely sad and not a single method has yielded results, you may need to make the design of your antenna more powerful or supplement it with an amplifier.

Antennas come in different shapes and sizes, each designed for a specific situation. Some are narrowly targeted devices, while others are designed for broad radio monitoring, with varying range capabilities.

There is no “one size fits all” solution to antenna design. Well-designed antennas are tuned to specific frequency bands and designed for individual geographic applications. Only an experimental approach will be effective and increase your chances of success.