Introduction: TV Antenna From Junk.

About: My name is Simao and I love eletronics ,glass art,metal working,casting,paint ,draw... But above all... Trains

So, let's start from the beginning. A few years ago, I bough on a flea market a small black and white portable TV. This is an analogue TV, and in Portugal there is no analog television since 2012. But at the the time, the main goal of such piece of equipment wasn't to see the ball game or the news but for just have fun with the fact that such TV has an RCA plug for composite video. After some time, when one day I was looking into an electronic garbage bin, used for you to dispose from electronic devices (strange hobby I know...) I found a DVB-T receiver, closed in the box, with the instructions manual, the remote control and the invoice! And plus, it was working perfectly! The only thing that I didn't own was an antenna. First I've tried to connect the ANT IN (the antenna input of the DVB-T receiver) to the small antenna of the portable TV. This resulted on ability to tune de DVB-T on the proper channel (it was the 34 thank you...) but the reception was pretty poor. So I decided that I need a quite powerful antenna for my needs. Oh! I forgot to say! I didn't want to buy an antenna. After searching on the Internet I found a design that was simple to build and efficient ( a middle term between the paper clip and the 1 meter high wood and steel...). Another requisite of it: it needs to be interior! So, let's go!

Supplies

  • Old medium/big cardboard boxes.
  • Old 75ohm coaxial cable w/ plugs.
  • Aluminum foil from kitchen.
  • Hot glue and glue gun.
  • Contact glue or white glue.
  • Scissors.
  • Hobby knife or X-Acto.
  • Stapler.
  • Graduated ruler.
  • Printed template (optional).

Step 1: Cutting the Cardboard.

You must cut the card board pieces with according measures:

  • 2 pieces with 8in x 8in.
  • 2 pieces with 8in x 11in.

Note: If you prefer, you can use thin wood, PVC sheets, foam core, etc... To build the antenna.

Step 2: Cut the Aluminum Foil.

Use a printer to print the template or you can draw it by hand using the upper draw, use squared paper where each square is equal to 1/2 mm. Cut the mold. Now place the mold over de aluminum foil and draw with a permanent marker around the edges. Make this two times and then carefully cut the foil. Now you must have two foil-made pieces.

Step 3: Glue the Foil Pieces.

Take the 8x11 pieces and, with a ruler make a mark on de middle of the 11in side. Glue the foil pieces that you cut and glue them onto the card as shown.

Step 4: Add the Cable.

Use a pair of scissors to cut of one of the ends of the coaxial cable, the end of the cable must be the one that doesn't connect to the receiver! Use the scissors to strip the ends of the cable ( the end of the cable must look like the picture). Then use the stapler to staple the each group of wires to each of the 8x11 cardboard pieces (as on the 2nd picture). After staple the inner core to one of the sheets and the outer copper wires to the other sheet, use the hot glue gun to properly fix the cable. The two aluminum sheets must be insulated from each other!

Step 5: Assemble the Antenna.

Now, with the glue gun. Glue the sheets as the above picture shows.

Note: If you are using foam-core take care to not met the foam!

Step 6: Operation.

It's time to put your own-built antenna in working order!

Find a good place to place it, this will be like a place near by a window or non-concrete attic, avoid inner rooms of your hose, these don't have much of a good reception.

Connect your antenna to the ANT IN of your receiver (HDTV or DVB-T).

Follow your receiver's instructions to tune your channels.

Note: After tuning your receiver try to turn your antenna to the sides to see it's properly orientated.

Let me know if you made this project on the "I made It" option on the end.

Cheers!

Trash to Treasure Contest

Participated in the
Trash to Treasure Contest