Homemade TV Antennas

Assemble Your Parts

• Check what you've got in the house. If you don't have wire hangers, get them from a laundry. If mounting outside or in an attic, a metal grate or old oven shelves can be used instead of wood as a reflector. Get the screws, washers, and transformer; the transformer can often be found at a dollar store.
  
  

Assemble the Reflector

• Wrap a 30" X 16" piece of plywood, metal grate or heavy cardboard in aluminum foil. Secure it on the back of the surface with high temperature duct tape. Then, place it atop a 2 X 4, center it, and nail or screw it to the 2 X 4. Note: this is only a step for attic or outdoor placement.
  
  

Mark the Hanger Placements

• 7" is optimum. Mark down from the top of the 2 X 4, or a 1 X 4 if the antenna is staying indoors. Then mark each 7" section: there will be four of them. Between the 2nd and 3rd mark, draw a line at the 3 1/2" point; this is where the matching transformer attaches.
  
  

Prepare the Hanger Vs

• Straighten each of 8 hangers, and cut off the curved top of the hanger. Next, cut off the squiggly end of the hanger. Make each straight length 14" long, and fold them in the center to make a V.
  
  

Attach the Screws With Washers

• Take each prepared hanger section, making sure each contact point is free of paint or grime. Screw each hanger semi-tight to the board with washers. Place the Vs on the board, making sure none of the washers touch.
  
  

The Final Connections

• Run the two remaining hangers from each top V across and down the opposite side through the third V, returning to the starting side for making the final connection on the fourth V.
  
  Repeat this sequence for the opposite side of the antenna. The wires will cross between the Vs, and at these crossing points, at least one wire should be insulated.
  
  Tighten each screw firmly, and check that each V segment angle is parallel to the reflector. Lastly, attach the matching transformer, or UHF/VHF adapter, to the inter-connecting hangers at the 3-1/2-inch mark between the second and third Vs.
  
  

Connecting to the TV

• Install the finished antenna in the attic or outside. If built with the 1 X 4, position the antenna for best reception in a corner, behind the flat screen, or wherever else the signal is strongest. Connect a 75-ohm coaxial cable from the antenna to the coax input on the TV.