Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television

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DIY do-it-yourself television antenna for digital television: dimensions, simple diagram, outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television, made by yourself. Just recently, television appeared in a person’s life. For almost a hundred years in our reality there has been such a thing as a TV. From their invention until recently, televisions have been powered by analog signal technology. The main difference from the modern type of signal used, digital, is the transmission of electricity to the receiver. This electricity corresponds to a certain frequency and amplitude, which is subsequently converted into an image and sound.

Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television
A simple antenna for receiving digital television with your own hands [/ caption] The main reason for the transition of the whole world to digital broadcasting is the limited so-called analog TV resources. https://gogosmart.ru/kak-podklyuchit/priem-cifrovogo-televideniya.html Simply, at one moment, the frequencies that a large number of channels begin to claim cease to be enough. In Russia, the process of a complete transition to digital television began in 2006 and ended in 2019. “Digital” differs from analog transmission not only in increased image quality, but also in the scheme by which it is built and functions. So digital TV is no longer tied to a single regional television center from which signals go through the wires. An antenna appears in the operation scheme, which receives a signal and transmits them to the TV. In this article, we will tell you how to make an antenna for digital television with your own hands. [caption id="attachment_11672" align="aligncenter" width="983"]
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital televisionAntenna circuit for digital television [/ caption]

What you need to make a do-it-yourself antenna for receiving digital TV

The list of materials that will be needed to make the antenna depends on the type of future device for receiving radio waves. The main list of materials consists of:

  • tube with a diameter of 0.5 mm2;
  • copper or aluminum wire/coaxial cable;
  • aluminum strips, cans, connectors, etc.

To make an antenna with your own hands, any conductive materials, for example, rods and corners, are suitable.

Conductive materials include: copper, aluminum, steel, iron, bronze, brass, tungsten, molybdenum.

Speaking of cost, for a homemade wave receiver, a coaxial cable is best suited. [caption id="attachment_3206" align="aligncenter" width="488"]
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital televisionHow a coaxial cable works

Its price is significantly less than that of a copper cable, but it has the same properties as another popular conductor, widely common in electrical engineering. In extreme cases, you can use a regular antenna wire. One antenna is useless and doesn’t make sense without the other details that help transform the digital signal into a picture. In addition to the above materials for the antenna, you will need:

  • a plug that transmits a signal from the antenna to the receiver;
  • if the TV is of an old model – a receiver – a receiver;
  • the TV itself.

Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television
Another example of homemade – antennas for receiving numbers, based on tin cans
You can give the materials the desired shape and fasten them without special tools, but to simplify work and save time, it is worth preparing pliers and wire cutters, insulating tape, and a soldering iron.

Varieties of antennas that receive a high-quality digital signal for do-it-yourself manufacturing

A wide choice in technologies for manufacturing antennas from improvised materials allows you to proceed from your capabilities and circumstances. It happens that a person cannot physically get the necessary materials in the near future. Improvised tools come to the rescue, which almost everyone has in the garage. The antenna is a structure, a device designed to capture the waves of television broadcasting. Devices that are intended for general use are capable of picking up a frequency in the range from 41 to 250 MHz. It is less likely, but possible, that a homemade antenna will be able to pick up ultra-high frequency waves, which range from 470-960 MHz. Capturing devices designed for televisions, can be divided into two categories – internal (located near the TV in close proximity) and external (installed on the outside of the building in which the TV is located).

Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television
Antennas for receiving digital television, indoor and outdoor, diagram, dimensions [/ caption] With your own hands you can make the following types of antennas for broadcasting digital television:

  • coaxial (has the second name “From the wire”);
  • from cans;
  • figure eight (aka “Zigzag”);
  • log-periodic;
  • wave.

Homemade antennas for digital TV – diagrams, dimensions, tips and photos. Despite the fact that digital broadcasting seems more complex than analog broadcasting, it does not impose special requirements on the quality of the device that receives or transmits radio waves. Even any mismatches and irregularities in the structure do not greatly affect the distortion of the received signal.

However, one should try to observe the geometric ratios of all elements as clearly as possible, the error should not exceed a few millimeters.

It is worth remembering that:

  1. The number of received channels decreases with antenna gain.
  2. By narrowing the directivity of the device, the gain increases.

From the above, it follows that the antenna will pick up less interference if the list of received channels is smaller. It should be noted that an ideal design cannot be obtained due to the existence of these direct and inversely proportional dependencies.

indoor cable antenna

This type of antenna is suitable if the distance to the TV tower is minimal, and there are no physical obstacles such as high-rise buildings and mountains on the way to it. A coaxial cable device is indoor and for its manufacture you will need the cable itself 2.5-3 meters long, wire cutters, a pen or other marking device, a length meter: tape measure, ruler, plug for signal transmission to a TV or receiver. It takes up to 10 minutes to make.
First stepOn the cable, we retreat 5 centimeters from one edge and remove the outer layer of insulation. Dielectric material, which can be rubber, paper, PVC, or even cross-linked polyethylene, is needed not only to ensure safety for humans, but also to increase the wear resistance of the wire, to reduce natural shock absorption. That is why the release from external insulation should be as accurate as possible. Only the dielectric is removed, the foil and the inner braid are gently deflected to the side so that they simply do not interfere with the cut.
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television
Second stepThe central core is cleaned of internal insulation. In order to clean carefully, you should use a knife. We press the wire with our thumb to the knife blade and remove the dielectric with a sharp shift. We do not recommend stripping the cable by burning with a lighter, which exists in everyday life: it is not safe and not correct.
Third step The cleaned inner core, the foil and the braid removed, are twisted into one bundle. It is very important to make the weave as strong and dense as possible. The twisting of all elements should be carried out in such a way that at the end there are free 2.2 cm of the bare inner core.
Fourth stepOn the wire from the end of the insulation on the dielectric side, 2 decimeters are deposited and the outer insulation is removed, while everything that is under the inner insulation, including itself, is not affected. [caption id="attachment_11693" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Do-it-yourself
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital televisiondimensions and diagram of an antenna made of cable for digital television[/ caption]
Fifth step 2.2 dm is measured from the stripped two centimeters and an external dielectric of 1 cm is removed length, do not touch the braid.
Step Six Wrap the 5 cm end around the 1 cm long treated area. It is important to make the winding tight to make a ring. The final step is to install the RF plug on the unused end. [caption id=”attachment_11676″ align=”aligncenter”
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital televisionA simple home-made antenna for digital TV from a wire [/ caption] A simple indoor home-made T2 antenna from a coaxial cable for digital TV with your own hands: https://youtu.be/DP80f4ocREY

From cans

If tin cans are lying around at home or in the garage, then you can use them in the manufacture of a home antenna. A homemade catching device from cans can catch 7 channels in the medium and long ranges. The main condition applicable to such improvised material as a can is the absence of defects, dents and other damage, as well as bumps.

Tin cans must be clean, before proceeding with the manufacture of the antenna, they must be washed and dried thoroughly.

For manufacturing you will need:

  • soldering iron;
  • two banks;
  • wooden base;
  • ordinary television cable (marked RK-75);
  • electrical tape and self-tapping screws (3-4 pcs.);

The first step A cable several meters long is stripped from one end of the outer insulation by 10 cm. The central core is cleaned, the inner plastic insulation is removed. The inner braided screen is twisted into a tight bundle around the central core.
Second step At the opposite end of the wire, you need to connect a plug that will connect to the TV and transmit a signal (marked “RF”).
The third step We remove small “ears” from the cans, with the help of which they open, we fasten parts of the cable with self-tapping screws: a twisted core and a braid. We fix with a soldering iron.
Fourth stepBanks already connected (step 3) are installed strictly on one line and fixed on a wooden base or even a hanger with any materials at hand (any dielectric), for example, electrical tape or adhesive tape. Such an antenna can be placed on the street or at home (it is important to know that the longer the cable, the worse the image will be), you can amplify the signal using an amplifier or additional lines with banks.
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television

Eight, aka Kharchenko’s antenna for receiving digital television with his own hands

The design became known to people in 1961. It allowed people living outside the zone of a strong signal to improve the quality of the image. The design consists of two rhombuses, the angle between the faces of which is 90°. To make a figure eight, you need:

  • 1-1.5 meters of copper wire with a cross section of up to 5 mm;
  • coaxial wire 3-5 meters long;
  • soldering iron, solder and rosin;
  • TV plug;
  • ruler and marker;
  • insulating tape, the basis for the manufactured structure.

Step One We measure and cut off 1152 cm from copper wire. We mark the resulting segment into 8 equal parts with a marker, while leaving 5 cm at one end, which should later bend. Only copper material can be suitable for this design, since neither aluminum nor other conductors can be soldered as tightly as possible with copper. [caption id="attachment_11688" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital televisionBisquare


Step Two According to the resulting marks, bend the wire at an angle of 90°. We solder only the free ends of the wire. In this case, a gap should be obtained between the inner corners: soldered and bent.
Step ThreeThe antenna wire is exposed from one end by 3-5 cm. To do this, the outer insulation is carefully removed, the internal parts are bent and the central core is released. The central core of the wire is wrapped around the non-soldered corner, and the part of the wire responsible for the screen is wrapped around the soldered area. It is important to make the winding tight.
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television
Step Four The resulting structure of bare wires is insulated with electrical tape or with a glue gun. A plug is attached to the other end of the wire to transmit a signal to the TV. The device is ready, the bent end is attached to the base.
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television
homemade outdoor antenna for digital television 8-ka (eight)

log-periodic antenna

The main features of this design is the arrangement of vibrators of variable length – they are mounted on the same axis. The dimensions of all working elements of a log-periodic antenna should not go beyond the location of action and capture. A log-periodic antenna is the best option for home performance, as it surpasses other types in all characteristics, but it is difficult to manufacture. In order to make it yourself, you should have two metal tubes (hollow or not – it doesn’t matter, the current will run along the surface). You should also have copper wires of different lengths, which will be the receiving parts. Below is a table with ready-made calculations that should be applied when preparing parts for a future signal receiver.
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital televisionWe prepare vibrators according to the data given in the table. It is important that the diameter is the same for each vibrator. A feeder cable is passed through the cavity of one of the rods or simply with the help of fasteners, which is carried out as shown in the image below.
Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital televisionAfter that, the vibrators are fixed with a soldering iron. Do-it-yourself powerful log-periodic UHF antenna: https://youtu.be/txZJkjPkOoY

Wave

It is not suitable for receiving long-range signals and has little gain, but the design itself has been popular since the invention and propagation of radio waves in everyday life, and is still popular. The design consists of several elements: a copper wire (or tube), a director, a reflector and a vibrator. Additionally, a base is created to which the finished antenna will be attached (plastic or wood – it does not matter, the main thing is that it be a dielectric). It is important to place the parts at an equal distance from each other. The parts are connected in accordance with the figure below.

Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television
Wave channel

How to improve signal quality on homemade antennas

There are many reasons why the TV signal is weak. For example, image quality is often lost or sound is lost due to the fact that the antenna receives only the reflected signal. Other reasons may be:

  • low sensitivity;
  • high resistance cable;
  • long distance from the TV tower;

In order to improve the signal quality on homemade antennas, you need to try the following steps:

  1. If it is indoor, then you should place it as close to the window as possible. So on its way there will be fewer obstacles due to which part of the signal is lost.
  2. If it is located on the street, you need to install it on a higher place – the roof. Make sure the signal is not obstructed by mountains or forests.
  3. Change direction. Interference and scattering of the picture often disappears if you turn the receiving device in the right direction, even a few tens of degrees play a role.
  4. Buy an antenna amplifier.

Homemade outdoor and indoor antenna for digital television

How to calculate parameters for digital TV

For an antenna from a cable, you need to calculate its length. This is done using the usual formulas of physics. First you need to understand at what frequencies the
multiplex broadcasts , after which we derive the average value. For example, at frequencies of 605 and 613 MHz, the arithmetic mean is displayed to be 609 MHz. The next step is to determine the wavelength through the formula for the speed of light divided by the derived arithmetic mean. Calculation: 300/609 \u003d 0.492 m. From the resulting number we calculate 1/4, which will be the required cable length to create an antenna. To facilitate the calculation task, you can use online calculators that will accurately calculate the required size for half-wave, quarter-wave and full-wave antennas. Online calculators in Google or Yandex:

  • dipole and pin calculator;
  • amateur radio calculator.

The best do-it-yourself antenna without a soldering iron for T2 digital television: https://youtu.be/h7pcp-nvYqQ Making an antenna with your own hands is not difficult, it is quite problematic to solder and attach all the details so that it works without interference and picture spillage. Today it is not necessary to go to the store and buy expensive equipment, there are situations when it is simply not possible to get to the store. You can make an antenna from improvised materials. We advise you to choose either the design of the coaxial wire, or the “Eight”. As practice shows, they are the easiest to manufacture, and their characteristics allow you to watch TV anywhere.

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