Television antennas are actually composed of very simple materials. In fact, metal and copper wire alone can make a very powerful antenna, even in areas where television reception is difficult. The most complex component is the ohm converter, which sends the broadcast signals through a coaxial cable into your TV. Besides that, you probably have the components to make a simple and powerful TV antenna in your home right now. All you have to do is put them together properly.
Instructions
1. Measure 8 spots on one side of a 1 by 3 board at least 3.5 feet long. The spots should be located as follows: 2 inches from the top, 1 inch from the left side; 2 inches from the top, 1 inch from the right side; 7.25 inches from the top, 1 inch from the left side; 7.25 inches from the top, 1 inch from the right side; 12.5 inches from the top, 1 inch from the left side; 12.5 inches from the top, 1 inch from the right side; 17.75 inches from the top, 1 inch from the left side; and 17.75 inches from the top, 1 inch from the right side. Mark each spot with a magic marker after you are done measuring.
2. Slide 8 washers onto 8 matching screws and screw them into the positions you have marked. Screw them in far enough to hold firm, but no father than that: you'll need to connect more components to them before you tighten them.
3. Clip the hooks off of 8 coat hangars with a pair of pliers, straighten them, and then bend them into a V. The leg of each V should be 7 inches long, with 3 inches of space between the tips.
4. Slide the coat hangars into place on board, with each screw at the bottom well of the V. Make sure the washers are between the coat hangars and the wood, and that the hangars stick out in a perpendicular pattern. No coat hangar should touch any other coat hangar.
5. Mount a pair of 15 by 9 reflector grids on the opposite side of the board using washers and screws. They should be directly opposite the 8 hangars, without touching any of them.
6. String 2 lengths of copper household wiring along the 8 screws holding the coat hangars. The first wire should start at the topmost left-hand screw, cross over to the right-hand screw second from the top, pass along the third right-hand screw, then cross back to the left before terminating at the bottom left-hand screw. The second wire should do the reverse: starting with the topmost right screw, crossing over to the left before the second screw, continuing to the third screw, then crossing over to the right before the final screw. The two wires should cross just below the top screws and just above the bottom screws.
7. Strip the insulation from the wires at the points where they touch the screws, but make sure they stay insulated at the points where they cross over. Then tighten the screws into place.
8. Attach an ohm converter to the center of the board, with one prong connected to each piece of wire. The wire should not be insulated where the prongs touch (strip the insulation if you need to) and the prongs themselves should never be in contact with each other.
9. Mount your antenna in a proper location and run a coaxial cable between the converter and the TV. You should be able to pick up most channels as normal.
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