Do-it-yourself antenna for DIY: options and schemes for homemade products + manufacturing instructions

Improvement of a suburban area involves increasing the comfort of living of summer residents. One of the unchanging attributes of passive entertainment is television.

Far from the city, problems with signal and broadcast quality often arise. A self-made antenna for a summer residence allows you to solve this problem, spending a minimum of money and time. There are a lot of options for home-made devices, their choice is determined by the distance from the TV tower and the type of signal.

In this material, we consider the assembly of the simplest homemade models - the article provides detailed manufacturing instructions with diagrams and drawings. There is also a list of the necessary materials and tools.

The nuances of manufacturing signal catchers

When starting to make a home-made device, you need to have an idea of ​​the possible designs and the rules for their assembly.

The whole variety of television antennas is usually divided into several types:

1. All-wave. Frequency-independent antenna is the cheapest, easiest to manufacture. The base is a metal frame, and tin containers or beer cans as receivers. The design does not have high operating parameters, but it is quite suitable for a summer residence if the broadcast tower is located nearby.
2. Log-periodic. The principle of operation is comparable to a fishing net sorting prey upon capture. The device is not difficult to manufacture, and its parameters exceed the characteristics of all-wave models. Antennas are consistent with the feeder in any range.
3. Decimeter. Designs that function well regardless of reception conditions. Various forms of execution are possible: zigzag, rhombuses, circle, etc.

The details of the antenna along which the currents of the useful signal are pushed are joinedby welding or soldering. However, when placing the device on the roof of the house, such contacts will corrode over time.

One of the conditions of sufficient purity and stability of reception is the minimum number of joints in the design of the signal trap

In addition to this norm, when creating your own antenna for a summer residence, it is advisable to adhere to the following rules:

1. The central core and braid are made of inexpensive alloys that are resistant to corrosion processes. However, they are difficult to solder - work is carried out with extreme caution so as not to burn the wire.
2. To connect the elements, you need to use a 40 W soldering iron, flux paste, low-melting solder.
3. Using an aluminum wire to create structural parts is undesirable. Material oxidizes rapidly, losing the ability to conduct a signal. The best option is copper, an affordable alternative is brass.

The collection area of ​​the trap should be large. In order to increase it, metal rods can be symmetrically attached to the frame that eliminates ethereal noise.

Connecting the simplest signal amplifier to the antenna will significantly improve the quality of the broadcast. Factory products are already equipped with this element.

Tandem homemade antenna and amplifier will provide the necessary reception power. It is enough to take the structure to the roof and install in the direction of the nearby television tower.

Best Antenna Build Instructions

With your own hands you can assemble many interesting and effective antennas. Consider detailed instructions for making the best and easiest to make models.

Homemade # 1 - a simple television antenna

If the repeater is located within 30 km from the cottage, then the most common design, assembled from two tubes and a cable, will do. The wire connects to the corresponding TV input jack.

Scheme and selection of materials

A typical device of a primitive country antenna is shown in the figure below. It can be seen that two tubes of the same length are joined on the plate, which in turn is fixed to the mast.

A pipe trap can be made in a couple of hours. The work does not require any qualifications of the performer and the availability of expensive tools

First of all, you need to find out the broadcast frequency of the local TV tower - the length of the pipes depends on the parameter.

The range of the broadcast band is 50-230 MHz. Each channel requires its own antenna whisker length.

The table shows the design parameters of the signal trap based on the frequency of the broadcast ethers. Broadcast band divided into 12 channels

For the manufacture of antennas, pipes from duralumin, steel, brass are suitable. Their diameter can vary between - 8-24 mm, most often they take 16 mm. The main condition - the segments should be equivalent, prepared from pipes with the same properties.

Necessary materials:

• metal pipe - the cut is 6 cm shorter than the length determined by the tabular values;
• 75 ohm wire, the required length is the distance from the TV to the antenna plus 2 m for sagging and matching loop;
• thick insulating getinaks - thickness is from 4 mm;
• metal stripes, pipe clamps on the plate;
• mast for antenna - it can be a corner, with a small height, the use of a wooden bar is permissible.

For work, it is advisable to stock up with a soldering iron, solder, flux. It is recommended to solder the connections of the central conductors - this will extend the life of the device and improve the image quality.

To protect against oxidation, the joints should be filled with silicone, epoxy resin. An affordable, but not reliable way is to tape.

Assembly and customization of the invention

First cut the desired size of the pipe and saw it into two equal parts. You can use wire cutters.

The next step is to flatten the tubes on one side for easy attachment to the holder. The segments are applied to the getinax, fixation points are marked.

The distance between the inner ends of the tubes is 6 cm, and the distance between the far ends is the distance indicated in the table.

The subsequent course of work:

1. Attach the antenna mustache to the holder with clamps, and fix the getinax plate itself on the mast.
2. Connect the pipes through a matching device - a cable loop of the type RK-1,3,4. The parameters of the element are displayed in the right column of the table, the manufacturing principle is shown in the diagram of the antenna device.
3. Solder the central veins to the ends of the tubes, connect the braid with a piece of a similar conductor.
4. Connect the center conductors of the ends of the matching loop to the television cable. Connect the braid with a copper wire.
5. On the bar, fix the loop and downward wire.
6. Raise the mast on the roof of the country house, adjust the antenna.

To determine the optimal position of the device, two people are needed. The first rotates the antenna on the street, and the second monitors the image change on TV.

For quick setup, you can peep at the neighbors on which side of the house the receiver is located and where the vibrators are directed

Having caught good signal quality, the structure is fixed in the selected position.

Homemade # 2 - loop antenna from the pipe

The module is a little more difficult to create, but extends the range of reception to 40 km. The main difficulty lies in the need for flexible pipes.

The bending radius has no special role. The main requirements for the device: the distance between the inner ends is 65-70 mm, the evenness and symmetry of the wings

The cable and pipe lengths are calculated based on the broadcast frequency of the TV channels.

Billets are made to the required parameter - the vibrator is measured and cut, the wire for the matching device. The recommended pipe diameter is 12-18 mm.

Tabular values ​​of the correspondence of the channel frequency and parameters of the signal trap. For example, with an ether index of 93.25 MHz, the length of the pipe should be 151 cm, and the length of the matching cable should be 104 cm

Assembly begins with bending the pipe. The edge of the vibrator is flattened and sealed. The pipe is filled with sand, and the second end is closed up by analogy with the first. The edges can be drowned out by planting the plugs on silicone.

The figured pipe is mounted on the mast. The matching loops are screwed and soldered to the ends of the vibrator, the television cable is fixed. Fasten the braid with a copper wire and begin to configure.

Homemade # 3 - Harchenko signal catcher

The eight or zigzag television antenna is suitable for digital television DVB-T2, broadcasting in the UHF range. The module is easy to manufacture. To implement the project, conductive metal will be needed.

Calculation and development of the drawing

The device of the television antenna is very primitive - two squares / rhombuses fastened together. In the original version, the Harchenko module provides for the location behind the figured elements of the reflector.

A field of metal stripes is necessary for analog signals. Reception of digital television is possible without a reflector. The field can be arranged later if the reception is weak

To make a zigzag antenna, it is not necessary to calculate the wavelength. It is desirable to build a design more broadband - this will increase its capabilities.

If desired, you can calculate the parameters of the device. The value of the wave of the transmitted signal is divided by 4 - the obtained value is the side of the square.

There should be a small distance between the two parts of the television antenna. To maintain the clearance, it is enough to make the outer sides more authentic, and the inner ones shorter. The length of the sides (B1 and B2) - at its discretion

In the example shown, an antenna drawing is shown with the side parameters: B1 - 14 cm, B2 - 13 cm. The length difference of one centimeter gives the necessary distance between the squares.

The lower sections extend by 1 cm. This gap is necessary under the loop to solder the antenna cable.

Frame making and cable preparation

Subsequent calculations will be given relative to the drawing data shown above. The total perimeter of the squares is 112 cm. Cut the wire of the desired length and form the part according to the scheme.

Work order:

1. Bend the wire in the middle at a right angle.
2. Then there are two sections of 14 cm, and behind them the sides of 13 cm. After each bend, we check the evenness of the angles, it should be strictly 90 degrees.
3. When the first square is formed, proceed to create the second figure. Again there are versatile elements of 14 cm, and behind them - two parts of 13 cm + 1 cm.

Slight discrepancies in the length of the sides are acceptable. The main thing is to observe right angles.

If the design is molded correctly, then between the two parts of the television antenna should get a distance of 1.5-2 cm

The next step is preparing the cable. Perform its cleaning from two sides. A cut is made around the circumference of the cable, departing from the edge of 2-2.5 cm.

Work is done carefully so as not to damage the inner braid. The cable is slightly broken along the cut line and remove insulation.

Braid and foil must be twisted into a bundle. Two conductors should turn out: the central mono-core and twisting. Both elements must be tinned. The wire should stick out at 2 cm, cut off the excess

Solder the plug on the second side of the cable. The wire must be cleaned by 1 cm, form the conductors and tin.

In soldering areas, strip the plug with emery and wipe with alcohol. Solder a mono-core to the central exit, twist to the side. Squeeze the grip around the insulation, screw on the plastic tip, alternatively fill it with a non-conductive sealant. Before drying, assemble the plug.

Elements join order

The final stage of assembly is the docking of the frame and cable. If there is no reference to a specific channel, then the spike is best done at the midpoint to expand the signal capture.

The cut end of the cable is connected to the two sides of the square in the center. Before final fixation, you can check the performance of the antenna. If everything is normal, then perform the sealing of the soldering place.

The most reliable method is to pour silicone or glue. For the case, a plastic cover from under a five-liter eggplant is suitable

In the mini-container, make holes for the elements of the squares, lay the frame with the wire and fill it with a sealing compound.

Homemade # 4 - Double Square Antenna

The narrow-band design will solve the problem of a weak signal or clogging of the broadcast with a stronger ether. The antenna is also suitable for receiving digital television. The main working condition is a clear orientation to the signal distributor.

Device layout and dimensions

Structurally, the antenna is presented in the form of two frames connected by arrows at the top and bottom. The big square is the reflector, the smaller is the vibrator.

A variation with three frames is possible, providing a high signal gain. Least Square - Director

The upper arrow is made of metal, and the lower one is made of getinax, textolite or other insulating material.

Teleantenna device requirements:

• the centers of the squares should be on the same line, this line looks towards the transmitter;
• the smaller frame has an open loop, the ends are fixed to the textolite plate;
• the top of the mast under the antenna is made of wood.

The parameters for the manufacture of two-element frame television antennas are taken from the table. The dimensions of the working elements depend on the type of waves: decimeter or meter.

Explanations for the table: B is the length of the side of the smaller square, P is the value of the larger frame, A is the distance between the two elements, W is the cable in the short-circuited bridge.

In a three-frame design, the distance between the ends of the middle frame is increased to 5 cm.

Assembly and connection

To connect the frame to the antenna cable, a balanced short-circuited loop is required. The device is constructed from sections of the antenna wire.

The right element is a loop, the shortened left one is a feeder. A television cable is attached to their docking point. The length of the segments is determined by the table, taking into account the wavelength of the signal.

Before assembling the elements, they are cleaned.The aluminum layer is removed from the loop, the braid is twisted into a bundle. Central conductor cut off

With the feeder, they perform the same actions, leaving the core of the cable.

Further work sequence:

1. To the left end of the vibrator, solder the central core of the feeder, the braid of the loop.
2. Attach a twist of the feeder to the right end of the active frame.
3. Connect the bottom of the loop to the feeder braid with a metal jumper. Braids to solder fusible solder.
4. The cable cuts must go in parallel, the distance is 5 cm. To fix the distance, dielectric material is used. The matching device is mounted on a textolite plate.
5. Solder the television cable to the bottom of the feeder by docking the corresponding elements - braid with braid, rod and rod.

Using a matching device reduces the likelihood of interference, eliminates the effect of a double image. You can not do without it at a significant distance from the transmitter.

Homemade # 5 - tv can antenna

The original design of the antenna from improvised tools significantly improves signal quality. This option is suitable for cottages in the suburbs, not far from the TV tower.

To create a primitive device you will need: 2 beer cans of 0.5 or 0.75 liters each, self-tapping screws, a 3-5 m television cable, a screwdriver, a soldering iron, tin, a wooden pin or hangers, electrical tape.

Subsequent actions can be divided into several stages.

Cable preparation and cable management

When preparing the cable clear insulation, backing 10 cm. Cut the cable into two conductors - the central core and braid twist. At the second end of the cable, you must install a regular plug.

When making contacts, the twisted screen of the cable is fastened with one can, the copper core with the other. Self-tapping screws are suitable for fixing.

To get a better image, it is better to strengthen the fasteners using soldering. Docking places must be sealed

Assembling the construction of homemade

When assembling, it is necessary to make a supporting structure under the signal receiver. In the simplest version, you can use ordinary coat hanger for clothes. A wooden stick will do.

The cans are fixed to the mast with tape or electrical tape, they lift the structure onto the roof and proceed with tuning, choosing the optimal location of the impromptu antenna.

In work it is necessary to use containers with a smooth surface, ribbed materials will not work. Banks are pre-washed, dried

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Step-by-step instruction on the manufacture of a television antenna from aluminum cans:

Calculation, assembly of a digital broadcast antenna according to Kharchenko:

A home-made design will save a budget, because a primitive signal trap can be built from improvised means. Manufacturing work does not take much time.

Subject to a number of standards, assembly and connection technology, it will turn out to be an effective device for replacing the standard television antenna.

Do you have a homemade antenna installed in the country? Please share with other users a unique photo of your homemade product, tell us what materials you needed and how much time it took you to build.

Or maybe you collected a television antenna according to one of the schemes discussed in this material? Tell us about your experience using this model, add a photo in the comments section.