Homemade HDTV Antenna

hotshot · 01-23-2011, 13:48

Gents,
This year I have decided to cut my spending a little bit. I started with getting rid of my cable bill, and keeping my Netflix account. However, during the recent snow days I decided that I need to at least have local stations in case internet goes down for News, and weather.

I decided to build an HDTV antenna to save a few bucks and give myself something to do while "snowed in". Here is what I came up with. (attached)

This design I found online and from start to finish took me about an hour to build. All of the materials I had here in the house, including the ballast I salvaged from an old set of rabbit ears.

I mounted the antenna in my attic and bought an inline amplifier and a couple terminating resistors (radio shack ($50). Then, i ran a line of coax down to my Cable hub and connected it to the distribution block so that it runs to every room in my house. Finally, I installed the terminating resistors on the unused terminals. I now have 24 digital channels, and 2 analog. Of the 24 about 4 or them are in HD.

Being a complete novice in this type of work, I figured I'd share the experience. Maybe to get some finishing advice, and/or pass the idea to someone else.

Salud,
CH

Ret10Echo · 01-23-2011, 14:03

Hotshot, nice work. I've been thinking of building one myself. I refuse to pay the "cable man" so I have been living off broadcast TV for about 5 years now.

I currently use a set-top Yagi that is inconsistent (WX, etc) but I am working the fringe of its recommended range (45 miles). The HOA does not allow external mounted T.V. antennas (although satellite antennas raise no eyebrows to include the larger Hughesnet dishes)

What is the max range to your transmitter sites?

Paslode · 01-23-2011, 14:17

That is pretty cool and I am going to check out.

hotshot · 01-23-2011, 14:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ret10Echo

Hotshot, nice work. I've been thinking of building one myself. I refuse to pay the "cable man" so I have been living off broadcast TV for about 5 years now.

I currently use a set-top Yagi that is inconsistent (WX, etc) but I am working the fringe of its recommended range (45 miles). The HOA does not allow external mounted T.V. antennas (although satellite antennas raise no eyebrows to include the larger Hughesnet dishes)

What is the max range to your transmitter sites?

Thanks, I also live in an HOA. My house is a 2 Story, so that is a benefit being able to mount it up high in the attic. According to www.antennaweb.org, I am about 55 miles from the furthest trasmitter sites. They are located roughly North-East and to the South. My antenna is aimed to the East. I have seen other similar designs of the bowtie antenna but with double the bowties. If I get some extra time, I may build a second one, run them both in series and aim one to the NE, and the other South.

I will upload the plans I used for anyone interested.

CH

dr. mabuse · 01-23-2011, 16:29

*

Ret10Echo · 01-23-2011, 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotshot

Thanks, I also live in an HOA. My house is a 2 Story, so that is a benefit being able to mount it up high in the attic. According to www.antennaweb.org, I am about 55 miles from the furthest trasmitter sites. They are located roughly North-East and to the South. My antenna is aimed to the East. I have seen other similar designs of the bowtie antenna but with double the bowties. If I get some extra time, I may build a second one, run them both in series and aim one to the NE, and the other South.

I will upload the plans I used for anyone interested.

CH

Thanks for the upload. I had read through several sites and was considering building my own but I couldn't find any validation on range and reception beamwidth. Most of the reviews I had seen previously were urban-dwellers.

albeham · 01-23-2011, 17:34

Nice..You a Ham op?

Really nice work...Great the wife saw it guess what I get to do........

Thanks a bunch.....Really nice work..

AL

hotshot · 01-23-2011, 18:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by albeham

Nice..You a Ham op?

Really nice work...Great the wife saw it guess what I get to do........

Thanks a bunch.....Really nice work..

AL

Thanks, I probably could have spent $5 bucks on some matching screws and washers and it would have come out nicer.

I am not a Ham op. This is actually my first official attempt outside of a few jungle antennas. I'm an engineer by trade. However, I just remembered that I fixed a broken PDC Card on a Trip one time after our E's carelessly broke the only 2 we had. Hah Good times.

Good luck on your project. Share Pics

CH