Video: DIY antenna makes good use of wire hangers, spare time

by Darren Murph posted Jan 27th 2009 at 10:08PM

We've seen a few complicated DIY antenna projects before, but we've yet to come across one that makes building one so easy. MAKE has hosted up an eight minute tutorial on crafting your very own short to medium range OTA antenna using just a block of wood, a few spare screws, a handful of old wire coat hangers and a few general tools that are surely collecting dust in your garage. Seriously, it's almost too simple. Head past the break for a look at the video.

[Thanks, Isaac]

Maker Workshop - DTV Antenna & Steadicam on MAKE: television from make magazine on Vimeo.

Filed under: DIY, Tuners, OTA

Tags: antenna, DIY, ota, ota antenna, OtaAntenna, reception, Video

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Highest Ranked

Shoeboy @ Jan 27th 2009 11:12PM

Best do it yourself project ever. What kills me is that it probably works way better then anything you can by in the store unless you want to spend a $100+.
Awesome.

Highest Ranked

Shoeboy @ Jan 27th 2009 11:12PM

D'Oh! buy not by...

Neutral

scyber @ Jan 28th 2009 8:33AM

The problem with his demo is that the test antenna he uses is a VHF antenna, while the antenna he builds is a UHF antenna. So his "bad" reception with the original antenna could have just been b/c there are no digital VHF stations in his area.

Also I don't think he would get good vhf reception with his coat hanger antenna. Which means if any Digital stations are switching back to vhf after the cutover (if it ever happens), this antenna may not work for them.

Neutral

Cory @ Jan 28th 2009 2:30PM

Noticed that also. Wonder if he knows...

Neutral

i4adodge @ Jan 29th 2009 9:52AM

Uhh, that's a VHF/UHF indoor antenna. Watch the video again, the UHF loop is clearly visible.

Neutral

David Hildreth @ Jan 28th 2009 11:24AM

A good friend made one of these a while back and loves it.

Neutral

Sion28 @ Jan 28th 2009 3:10PM

The only problem is the DIY version lacks the "cage" or wire "wall" behind the bow-ties that the retail versions have. I don't know the exact purpose of it, but I'm guessing it helps with rejecting off-axis signals and reflections, which makes an antenna much more effective.

Neutral

Kieran Coghlan @ Jan 28th 2009 3:13PM

Also... The retail version is only $40+s&h... so watch out how much you spend on this project... I'll do it just because it looks fun, but financially it's not going to save you much.
http://www.starkelectronic.com/uhf.htm (first antenna on that page is basically the same as the one in this project)

Neutral

Clayton @ Jan 28th 2009 8:45PM

This same design has been on the internet for years. I made one myself about 6 months ago and it really does work. All channels have between a signal strength level of 92-100 for me. The total cost for me to make it? $7.00

Highest Ranked

dd @ Jan 31st 2009 11:39AM

This 4 fan-dipole pairs (4 bowties) antenna is a DB4, a (badly done) clone of the commercial one we won't name here. The antenna, when done correctly is the second to best UHF antenna you cam make. The model showed here has the following problems:

a) the long vertical wires (phasing lines) are not evenly spaced. They should at all time, including the crossover, be at 1.25 inch from each other.

b) the phasing lines should not be right against the wood board as it changes the electric field property around. There should be at least a 1" standoff under all 5 pairs of screws to rais the phasing lines in mid air. This should simplify also the crossover twist in mid air, in case you were wondering!

c) the whiskers length is supposed to be 9-10 inch, not 7 or 8.

d) the spacing between the whiskers pair is supposed to be 8.5-9.5 inches

e) the voltage 4:1 balun transformer AND the coax cable should go away from the antenna plane toward the back. One simple way to solve that is to drill a hole in the wood board about 1" below the center screws (and standoff), to pass the balun body through. You can lock the balun in the hole the way you prefer, splice of wood, hotglue gun, etc...

f) you very likely will want a 11th screw, a longer one, to pin a flat base to your mast, so the antenna stands by itself and can be oriented. Otherwise whiskers tips will scratch whatever is around (or worst, the sharp coathanger rods could enter the air vents of any surrounding equipment).

Neutral

dd @ Jan 31st 2009 12:49PM

I wrote too fast about point F. I assumed a simpler setup. The steel mast and ties are not necessary and you can avoid those materials. I meant that you can simply screw the wood board directly to the mast. You may want to drill a hole half of the diameter of your long screw so you don't crack the wood mast along its length.

Neutral

bonney @ Feb 17th 2009 10:58PM

a very good gesture,he looks sincere and honest in what he is doing---keep it up! I will try making one--will report the results

PS3 Beatles: Rock Band DLC crashing game's servers overseas Ignition and Marvelous have a Deadly Premonition EEDAR predicts Nintendo dominance, weak GTA and Brutal Legend performance in October sales	How do you download torrentless torrents? Use Magnetiser for Firefox Phytrix: a Tetris-Meets-Match-3 Time Waster Tutorial9 offering free icon sets, Wordpress and Tumblr themes
Found Footage: The iPhone and the WiiMote Dangerously driving a car with an iPhone MobileMe mail offline for 'some users'... again	First Niagara: A bank sector survivor Electronic Arts not popular with investors after Q2 report IEA: Global energy use to resume an upward trend
Reminder: Left 4 Dead demo now available 4 all Games on Demand has a high-price Monopoly Xbox 360 Fancast 142 -- ODSB	Total Croc: Porsche suing popular shoe company over naming rights? BMW defies logic with six-cylinder Concept 6 motorcycle Renault-Nissan vows to build world's cheapest car? Nano-nah-nah-nah-nah!
GoG.com adds Sanitarium to game line up ESA founder gets Lifetime Achievement Award from AIAS Child's Play 2009 charity fund drive begins	NFL Power Rankings, Week 10: The Ugly Side of Parity Bernard Pollard Accuses Chiefs of Trying To Have Him Blackballed Brian Westbrook's Ankle Injury Flares Up