How to Make a Homemade TV Antenna

There are some things that just seem silly to buy when you can make your own - a homemade TV antenna is one of them

TV antennas are not hard to put together and work just as well if not better than many traditional antennas, so why not take a stab at making one yourself.

Here are the simple steps to make your own tv antenna.

What You'll Need

There are many different material lists you could use to put together a home made TV antenna. The basics though include a bit of wire, a metal rod that conducts well - and the tools to build it:

Sewing Pin with Plastic Bulb on End
1-6 Foot Length of Speaker Wire
Wire Cutters and Two Face Tape
Your Antenna - Either an old car antenna or a strip of dense, conductive metal.

Putting Your TV Antenna Together

With your materials in hand, it is time to start putting your new antenna together.

Start by stripping the ends of your wire about 1/2 inch into the wire.

Now, wrap one end of the wire around the needle near the bulb. Ensure that there is a good contact between wire and the metal on the needle - you need that for conduction.

Attach the other end of the wire to the antenna and again, make sure there is a good contact to conduct the signal for your TV.

Next, stick the end of the needle into the outlet where your antenna comes through.

Turn on your TV and start adjusting your antenna, both the wires and the antenna rod you used until your picture comes in clearly.

Finally, keep in mind that your home made TV antenna will be better suited by an adjustable antenna rod so you can move it more easily and that the pin you use can fit and stay in a cable outlet without having to fix it constantly when it falls out.

There you have it, the simplest and most effective way to create a working homemade TV antenna.

If you do not have an outlet for antenna reception, it might be harder to grab a signal but with a larger antenna and a larger length of wire, you can connect your antenna directly to your TV or mount something similar on your roof to boost the signal.

With the proper care though, there is no reason you should ever have to buy an expensive store antenna again.

*Remember to submit your own homemade things...