How to build a homemade HDTV antenna

Do you want to make your own homemade HDTV antenna? You certainly can. As long as you know the different types that you can do with it. An HDTV antenna will give you a clearer image quality and it also has the ability to gather signal in long ranges.

Check out the best HDTV antennas on Amazon here.

You can make a homemade HDTV antenna with the use of coat hangers. You will also need aluminum foil. Straighten the 10 wire hangers then cut off the top and the loopy section of each coat hanger. Make 8 straightened lengths into a V shape by bending all of these in half and place them on the narrow side of the 2 x 4 or the wide side of the 1 x 4. It should be precisely 7 inches from one another. You will need to use a total of 10 hangers because 2 more crisscross the V-shaped wire arrangement for it to make contact between them. The 4 hanger V sections must be placed on each side of the wood as this will create the appearance of bow ties which is why the design is called a bow tie antenna. The aluminum foil will aid reception by bouncing signals to the wire bow ties and at the same time when a the dish bounces signals to the transponder that send satellite signals to the receiver connected to a TV.

This particular design is more for an attic or outdoor mounting while the 1 x 4 design will be better if placed indoors. Create a 7 inches mark from the top of the 2 x 4 or by 1 x 4 then make 3 more marks. Each mark should be 7 inches from the previous one. In between the 2nd and 3rd marks, draw a horizontal line at the 3 ½ inch point because this where the matching transformer will be attached.

Get your drillers ready and drill the pilot hole at each mark so screw attachments. Using a screw washer, screw each to the wood halfway. Make sure that the washers will not touch each other. After this, you must attach the V-shaped hanger to the wood and make sure that you will attach four on each side. The point of contact between the hanger and the washer must be free of paint or grime. It’s time to secure that last 2 hanger. Start at the top of each and connect the second bow tie on the opposite side and down the side through the third bow tie. The final connection must be made of the 4th bow tie on the same side as the first bow tie. Tighten each screw firmly and check that every hanger segment angle is equal and parallel to the work surface. The transformer should be screwed at the midpoint of the wood and in between the second and third bow ties. That’s it! Now you will have your own homemade HDTV antenna.

Check out the best HDTV antennas on Amazon here.

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