How To Build Your Own DTV Antenna

Digital converter box? Check! Great reception? Not so much. John Park shows how to take a fistful of wire coat hangers and make a TV antenna that gives great digital reception.

Increase the number of over-the-air (and soon to be digital) television channels you can receive with a simple-to-construct antenna. Television antennas are comprised of a series of metal rods cut to exact lengths and positioned so they receive a particular television frequency. For new smart TV options check here.

The following design was invented in the 1960s by an engineer named Doyt Hoverman. It is particularly sensitive in the UHF frequency range, the same range used for the majority of digital television transmissions.

While he’s at it, he also makes a video camera stabilizer using metal piping and counterbalance weight; great for at-home moviemaking.

Download the PDFs for these projects.
cachefly.oreilly.com/make/television/04/DTV_Antenna_FINAL.pdf
cachefly.oreilly.com/make/television/steadycam.pdf