Television plays a leading role in a simple and accessible way, not only of relaxation, leisure and entertainment, but also of the way to obtain informative information for most people. Therefore, it is important for the population to have a stable and high-quality image on the TV screen. This trend will remain as long as there is an active demand for broadcast services. But which antenna can provide reliable broadcasting? As it turned out, the television signal can be received not only by the factory device, but also made independently. And subject to all the rules of manufacture and connection, home antennas can surpass even expensive factory models in the quality of signal reception. However, few will be able to answer the question of how to make an antenna with your own hands, without special knowledge in the field of telecommunications. In fact, in her device there is nothing complicated. We will analyze the existing methods of how to make a home antenna.
Kinds
Self-designing antennas is based on their existing types and methods of signal reception. So, the following types of antennas are known:
- Working on the principle of "wave channel".
- Host "running wave."
- Assembled from frames.
- Done in a zigzag fashion.
- Having a trellised basis.
- Log-periodic.
Analog and digital signal
As already mentioned, in recent years, a digital signal has become widespread and is actively used. But before you make a home antenna, you need to clearly understand what signal you need to receive from it. After all, not everyone can capture both analog and digital signals. You can even make such an antenna - an ordinary wire inserted into the TV jack and pointing up. But such an antenna will definitely not accept a digital signal, and the analog one will hardly show. Even with a small distance from the location of the TV tower and the complete exposure of the wire to insulation, such a device will cope poorly with noise, and the signal will not be stable. However, in the complete absence of material or as a temporary measure, this option also applies. To get a high-quality screen picture, you should first consider the existing types of factory devices that are capable of receiving a digital signal. And then you can go to home-made types and methods of how to make a digital antenna.
If the repeater is located at a distance of no more than 10 km from the place of reception, a normal indoor antenna can provide good reception of a digital signal of DVB-T2 format.
But the popularly known antenna "Crow" qualitatively receives a digital signal already at a distance of 30 km from the tower. In this direction it is desirable to exhibit.
The most reliable signal is received by the DIPOL 19 / 21-69 antenna, which can be located 50 km from the signal source, and when connected to an amplifier, even up to 100 km. In this case, the exact direction towards the TV tower is necessary, because any obstacles and interference will immediately affect the image.
Now consider the home-made samples with which you can make a digital antenna with your own hands.
Homemade to receive a digital signal
Many varieties of home-made antennas were invented by craftsmen or designed in the likeness of factory antennas in the past decades, when digital television was either not widespread or even absent. In today's environment, the markets are saturated with televisions, of which almost everyone has the opportunity to receive a digital signal. Its coverage is present even in remote corners of the country, and a homemade antenna should be able to receive it. In this example, we will look at how to make a digital antenna.
Its base will be plywood about half a meter long and about 7 cm wide. It will consist of 8 pieces of wire, each of which has a length of 40 cm and a cross section of 4 cm. In the center, each of the pieces should be cleaned to ensure reliable contact through which the signal will be transmitted to the TV screen. After stripping, each of the 8 pieces is bent in half to give it a V-shape. Every 10 cm from the top of the base of the antenna, the bent pieces are set angles to the center of the base and are mounted on plywood with self-tapping screws. The left and right rows, each of which has 4 pieces of bent wire, are separately connected with a forty-centimeter wire. This wire must be stripped at the junction with bent wires. In the center between 2 and 3 pieces of each row, one self-tapping screw is attached to connect to the cable. This connection is in the form of a plug to be purchased. Two wires extend from each of the two self-tapping screws in the center, which are soldered to the plug that receives the TV cable. Actually, this is one of the best options to make a DIY antenna for digital TV. To amplify the signal, if necessary, the device can be understaffed at the back with a grating that captures the signal.
From cans
This is the next type of homemade antenna that receives a digital signal. You should not demand from her constant and reliable work, but temporarily this device can serve well. Beer can be used, as well as any other aluminum cans. It is important that all their proportions remain the same (banks were intact, about the same shape and size). Before you make an antenna from cans at home, you need to prepare the following materials:
- Aluminum cans (may be used in any even quantity).
- Ordinary television cable about 5 meters long.
- Plug
- Bolts or screws.
- T-shaped base for holding cans (a wooden mop is often used).
- Insulating tape, pliers, screwdriver and knife.
When materials are prepared, the following work procedure is performed:
- A plug is attached to the stripped end of the cable.
- The second side of the cable is freed from the insulating layer by 10 cm.
- The cable braid is wound into a cord.
- The insulating plastic layer on the central core of the cable is cut by 10 mm.
- One self-tapping screw is screwed into the center of each of the cans (bottom or lid) in the center to secure the cable.
- A cable core is screwed onto one of the screws and tightened; a braid twisted into a cord is screwed onto another screw and is also tightened.
- Now the cans are attached horizontally to the base (for which they usually use a mop. If it is convenient to hang the base for fixing the cans on the window handle, then often use a wooden hanger with a hook).
- When using a squeegee, the cable must be secured to a vertical base.
- Next, the image is adjusted by choosing the best place for receiving the signal and fixing the base of the antenna.
There are also various variations on how to make an antenna of this type with four, six and eight banks, connecting the left and right sides separately. But based on the feedback from the masters of such a system, the number of cans did not directly affect the improvement in signal quality.
Zigzag Digital
Such an antenna is also often used to receive a stable and high-quality digital signal, although KP Harchenko was invented long before the advent of digital television - in 1961. It got its name due to its shape in the form of two rhombs that are located in one line and combine to form zigzags. This invention is also appreciated by the fact that it is possible to make both an indoor antenna of this type and an external one. But here you can not do without soldering. Therefore, before you make the antenna yourself, you need to stock up with a soldering iron, solder, a cable of at least 3 m, a copper wire with an average cross section of 4 mm, a TV plug, an insulation tape, a piece of plastic or plywood about 70 cm by 70 cm in size and self-tapping screws.
First you need an antenna frame, which is made of a piece of copper wire 109 cm long. This piece is bent so as to get two rhombuses located in one line and interconnected. Each side of the rhombuses should be 13.5 cm. After bending, 1 free cm of wire remains, designed to form loops fastening the frame. After this bonding is soldered for strength and reliability of signal transmission. In the end, we get a frame of two connected and closed rhombuses.
The second step in the process of how to make an antenna according to the method of Kharchenko K.P. will be the connection of the cable. It is mounted in the center in the corners at the junction of the rhombuses. The cable terminal is screwed onto the upper corner and soldered. The braid is also attached to the lower corner. It is important that the corners do not touch in any case, and the distance between them is approximately 20 mm.
After the frame with the cable is mounted on the base of the antenna. This may be a mast mounted at a height. Before installation, it is better to paint the antenna, despite a slight drop in signal quality. The fact is that copper will oxidize over time and a coating will still be present, but the rest of the antenna will remain untreated.
Zigzag digital with screen
For the above-described construction example, how to make an antenna at home, a screen can be useful to improve the quality of signal reception. In this case, it is mounted behind the antenna, and it should be away from the TV so as not to interfere with the broadcast image. The screen is most convenient to use kitchen foil, which is placed on a plate a little larger than the antenna.
For the same purpose, the device is improved with additional rhombuses in an even amount on both sides with the obligatory observance of all the prescribed sizes.
Room antenna wire
Now let's move on to how to make an antenna with your own hands for the simplest reception of an analog signal. After all, it may be useful to manufacture the simplest device for one evening, without having at home special tools and materials.
So, the simplest and most necessary material for the antenna, without which it will not be possible to produce it, is wire. You can use the simplest wire (but not aluminum because of the low ability to transmit a signal), having previously stripped it and inserted it into the TV socket. The second end is tied to a battery or heating pipe so that the heating system going to the top of the house performs the function of a signal amplifier. Of course, it will not be possible to get a nice picture with a stable signal, but a tolerable broadcast quality of up to five channels under such conditions is quite achievable.
Using a balcony
In terms of accessibility, this is the next self-made antenna manufacturing method. It consists in connecting the TV with a wire to the strings for drying clothes on the balcony, which will fulfill the role of an antenna. It should be noted that usually this method works well if there is no apparent interference to the signal and there is a slight distance from the repeater. The signal becomes better, and even new channels may appear.
Signal amplifier
The amplifier is inevitably used in cases where all attempts to set up a good image with a properly assembled and selected antenna do not end in success.
Typically, the average person lacks special knowledge to independently manufacture an amplifier for the antenna. How to make it without a proper understanding of the principles of the device? It is very difficult. In addition, such attempts often lead to wasted effort, time and material costs. Therefore, it is better to purchase a ready-made amplifier circuit and install according to the instructions and drawing.
But if there is no possibility of acquiring an amplifier when you need it so much, you can suggest the following way, how to make a TV antenna with an amplifier. Despite the simplicity of this method, signal quality usually improves markedly.
We need an ordinary magnet, on which a tv cable is wound several times. Such amplification is recommended to be done either near the antenna or near the TV. But if you follow the designs of devices with amplifiers, then usually the amplifier is not installed near the plug for entering the TV socket, but it is located rather near the antenna or directly on it.
Manufacturing tips
As already described, there are many ways to make an antenna yourself. But even in its manufacture there are mandatory conditions, the observance of which will positively affect the image quality. These conditions include:
- All contacts in the antenna must not only be tightened, but also sealed. Only in this way the received signal will not lose in quality when passing contacts, especially with time. The service life of the antenna itself will increase significantly. All sealed areas are best filled with silicone or epoxy.
- It is always better to use a single cable for the antenna and TV without branching or connections, even the most reliable ones. Each of the additional compounds adversely affects image quality, which will also increase over time.
- When working with modern cables, you need to use a soldering iron with a power of at least 40 W, as well as light alloy solder and flux paste.
- All connections in the plugs are recommended to be soldered. It is better to use metal plugs.
- If you can’t achieve high-quality signal reception, despite all the methods described in the article, there is only one way out - an increased antenna mast.
Perhaps all the main ways to make the antenna yourself were listed. It has already been proven by practice that many of the varieties listed in the article are able to provide high-quality signal reception and save the family budget. Especially if the antenna is installed in the country or in other places where practical purpose is more important than appearance. Although, with a neat and prudent design, externally, the device can also “not suffer”. In its manufacture, it is important to carefully follow the instructions, and reliable operation for many years is provided.