Great antenna!!! Here in Argentina we only have like 7 HD channels, but it really works... It improves the reception I have with the antenna that came with my ISDB TV tuner...
Your a GENIUS, I tried out your method, and I get 25 HD channels, including, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Global, City TV, CTV, CBC, WNED Buffalo, WNLO Buffalo, TVO, TCN, Cool TV, and a dozen other channels, thanks man, your awesome, and I love your channel, you should call it the DO IT Yourself NETWORK, awesome!!
This thing works perfectly. Beats any antenna ive ever purchased. Nearest station is 47 miles away. I pick up 14 hd channels in the middle of nowhere oklahoma.
Working excellent for me! I used some unpainted wire hangers that I had in the house. I used some electrical tape to insulate the long wires where they crossed. Plugged it in and had hdtv! Nearest station is 60 miles away! o.O I through it up on the top of our old antenna mast and it's even better. Gonna add a reflector to the back too! Thanks so much for this!
Follow the directions. It really works! I used speaker wire for the middle part. I followed his advice and tossed my amplified antenna. Totally worth it!
This is the last project my dad and I made together before he died 2 years ago. I have since bought a antenna from the store, then returned it. It was supposed to be better, however this one out beats all I have tried. Thanks!
@theiammike123 look up "rca outdoor preamp" on amazon.com and read the reviews (almost 5 stars).You can search for other brands if you want. Preamps are used to diminish signal loss, and some people say they've been able to pick up some additional channels by installing one. I don't own one right now,so I cannot tell you whether is gonna work or not. It also depends a lot on the topography of your area.
@dragonball00786 Well picture this. Using an amp when you don't need one is like turning up the radio when there is static to make it clearer. It just doesn't work. But in your case it might.
@1MaskedMexican - Well actually if you install a preamp you could be overloading you signal even if it is already weak."
A preamp will NOT overload from weak signals but rather from strong signals. Only one very strong signal can cause overload (though typically it takes at least a few strong signals). Overload will make your weak signals even harder to lock onto.
Awesome antenna! One small correction though is that you state that the FCC is/was mandating all broadcast stations to switch over to HDTV television by the end of 2008 (around 6:17 with video of sexy girl chat line!). This is a common misunderstanding but the FCC only required broadcasters to switch over to Digital broadcasting (known as DTV) in replace of analog. Many of these TV channels still broadcast non high definition material. DTV and HDTV are 2 separate things.
WORKS GOOD!!!!I had tried to use an amplified store bought one and it didn't pick up anything.After i installed this one, i was able to pick up MANY channels! Thanks
Thanks for the smart presentation. I am very old... 50 years ago I used to build complex VHF antennas. Nobody can complain about this approach to HDTV. God Bless!
If I made one, I'd put several VHF/UHF transformers on it, put that ugly antenna in the attic, and run cable to each HDTV in the house. It'd probably be more functional up that high, plus then you won't have that ghetto looking thing in your living room. LOL.
@AJtheory What counts is outer surface diameter (where signal is carried). Depending on where you live (in regard to the power source transmitting), you may be fine with the simple approach of the great teacher of this vid. Using large-diameter solid metal rods is not a good engineering practice (only surface is relevant). Warning: Bad Humor Next (Sorry): Good thing you didn't use Depleted Uranium (DU - previously DULLRAM)... Oops... Maybe they will use DU to save the world...
It does not work I Live in rhode Island and abc nbc and cbs and fox are within 13 miles from my house. I only able to get cbs and fox. and the frigging nbc home shopping network. I think nbc figure out a way to scramble the regular nbc station. Don't waste your time. I build two antenna one out of coat hanger the other with electrical wires. Waste of F(*&^& time
ur video is great with lot of positive feedbacks..sir may i ask,what materials can i also use other than coat hanger...coz i cant find metal coathangers ..please help...
I just made one of these to give it a try and I am really impressed. I am picking up over twenty channels and could not be happier. Thanks for the simple post!
ha-ha-ha-ha ,.. built this antenna this summer, been watching free over the air HD broadcast ever since ! Best thing i done all summer,.. JUST BUILD THIS THING !
The only downside to this antenna is that the elements will corrode if you use coat hangers and the antenna is outside so every six months or so you'll need to sand the rust off of the elements. Other than that this antenna gets five stars.
@DarkLuigi4321 we dont have a best buy or an anything nearby, made it from stuff just lying around in the bush and i doubt best buys QUALITY AGREEMENT weve got one its shit plus best buy is a damn sams warehouse or in aus theyre all called 2 bob shop meaning cheap.
p.s i dont think you would manage any sort of survivalist situation that requires ingenuity.
Made this and to my amazement it worked!! However im still not getting great signal strength. Get NBC but abc and fox are to weak to stay on and don't even get CBS. Any tips as how to get even better strength. My strongest signal is only like 60/100
@cobb05j You are not getting "great" signal because this design is utterly flawed. I see so many people copying this piece of shit. TV is between 160-800 ,mhz and you need RESONANT lengths of wire. Not the same fucking coat hanger repeated then converted to coax oh but the criss cross, pfft whatever. That is resonant on 1 frequency if that which is why your reception is sucking ass on abc and fox and you dont get CBS. What you need is a multi band antenna that covers more thanONE CHANNEL.
@sc2dave1 Well Depends really. BEST reception would be a YAGI or QUAD beam with a Log Periodic antenna to cover 500-900 MHZ. If you do not want to use a rotor you can get an omni directional i.e. vertical or EGGBEATER antenna, but they will be less efficient at distant stations. Calculate the wavelentgh & make your elements or loops then allign them for VERTICAL polarization. There is no magic antenna for the bands you describe they are too far apart. 60-80 89-106 and 500-900mhz
In North America most digital channels are in the UHF band 470-698 mhz. VHF-Hi 174-216 mhz is also used in some cities, with a small number using VHF-Lo 54-88 mhz. This video is for a UHF antenna (4 Bay Bow Tie), only problem the 7" whiskers and 5.75" spacings will have the antenna peaking way above 698 mhz (wasted gain) and the gain curve will have dips. Making the same antenna with 9.5" whiskers and 9" spacings will work much better.
@cobb05j double the elements. I screwed 2 V's on each section instead of one and the signal increased nicely. I've also heard that screwing some kind of grill or metallic screen on the back helps too. You might also want to try a preamp. Look for them at Amazon.com
@cobb05j , Make sure the wires are bare at all contact points.I had the plastic coating on mine for a while,then removed the coating,BAM! MORE stations.
do you need it to be exactly at 14 inches or can it be a bit longer like 0.3 inch or so longer, the coat hangers are really hard to straighten fully out. ie: The kinks are very tough to straighten.
Live 30+ miles from 1 city and 90 miles from the other. Was getting about 7 chs with rabbit ears now 12 with it on top of window air conditioner outside. Tomorrow will put it up higher, works great...Thanks!
Also, built it using 12AWG copper electric wire instead of coat hangers, because I had it handy... Completely stripped the insulation off the V wires, and then just stripped sections out of the cross lines where the Vs attached. Also added a $25 VHF amp from WalMart... don't know if it would be required or not to make it work from my distance, but I'm guessing yes...
I live about 30 miles from the transmitters, with a rather large mountain range between us, and this, mounted in my attic, allows me to pick up two of my three local VHF channels... and a flat panel UHF antenna mounted next to it gets four of my local six UHF channels... so I'm happy!
FYI, don't mount this at the same level as your UHF antenna, or you'll lose all your UHF reception... Found that out the hard way.
i built this yesterday.. i went from 3 channels to a max so far of 14 ... my signal strength on the original three channels has gone from a average of 20 to about 75...
It tooks eome time to put together but was worth every second. It works better than any antenna I've ever used. A fantastic no-cable solution!!! Thanks!
I built one. It made NO difference in reception from most other antennas. I have a piece of coax that is about 4ft long and isn't any worse than the antenna shown here, Seems every antenna need adjusting station to station.
Does the transoformer increase reception power? Does it filter out "noise"? How does it help?
I have a straight connection from antena directly to the tuner and I'm getting quite a few channels. Will I get more if I use the VHF/UHF transformer instead of a wire connection?
@cobalt4242 Does the transoformer increase reception power? Does it filter out "noise"? How does it help?
The 4:1 transformer balun is to impedence match the antenna (typically averages 300 ohms) to the 75 ohm coax cable that goes to your television. Mismatched impedence will lower the gain or signal strength going to your TV's tuners. Baluns can be purchased real cheap ($2) at places like Radio Shack.
What about if the signal is too weak? All you have to do is add aluminum foil back drop covering (not touching) the entire antenna area. The antenna then becomes more directional. Bounced back signal and preventing static from the other end increases both signal and sign-to-noise ratio.
So, when it's not working so great, you can easily take it a step further.
Thin MDF + tin foil + glue or tape + screw it on at the back. Done.
Hey, i couldn't find uhf/vhf transmitter around town so i just split the cable from the sheathing and hooked each end up like on the transmitter. It works like a charm. Thanks for posting!
I've been using this method for a while now...since you gave me the idea on....now with the changes that they're about to do...no matter what we try, even rabbit ears nothing will work anymore....sometimes it makes you want to hate technology....it's just not fair for everybody......
Sounds pretty good if it can pick up a signal behind the tv cabinet. Are you close by a tv transmission tower, if not it must have good gain. sattvmax.com
wow. i just built this thing today. i live out in a rural area and this thing works like a charm! i get all the major networks & the sub channels. plus, it was so easy to make. all i had to buy was the screws,washers & transformer & that was about $3.50. i had the hangers & piece of wood. can't believe it!
Shaw/Telus get away with murder. They take widescreen HD free over the air channels, and downgrade them to chopped, centre cut "Full Screen" presentation and charge 75.00 per month for the privilege. Even with the basic digital box from Shaw, you still get a chopped view of the major networks, CBC, CTV Global, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS. etc. You only get proper widescreen if you upgrade to a Shaw HD converter, $350, or $15 per month rental. This antenna is a great weapon for ripped off consumers.
@charlyW34 Hi I live under the tyranny of Telus myself ..going to build this thing asap ..curious how many channels can you pick up in your area with it?
Thanks for the great instructional video! I built this antenna and it works great. Much better than the $50 one I bought at BestBuy. Also it is nice to find something to do with those flimsy coat hangers from the cleaners!
Sensational, I live in New South Wales Australia and was sick of the poor reception from rabbit ears and a booster, made yours and it works a treat. Thanks very much. Greg
@3593893 si me dió muy buenos resultados... agarró dos canales mas y mejoro mucho los colores en los que ya tenia alcanze. tenes que direccionarla un poco cuando colocas para un mejor aprobechamiento.
I'll make this antenna , I live @ Tijuana Baja California, Mexico, (Beach Area), & I just cant get any channel (UHF, VHF, Digital), so I hope it works, since I dont want to pay for TV .. :p.. tks..
I created an antena similar to this one and it works. The signal is not strong but I am suspecting the higher it is in elevation such as mounting on the roof might get a stronger signal. The problem is there is no ground wire attached.
Will this work in a basement? I am renting a room in the basement and I am sure my landlord won't let me put an antenna up on the roof or in the attic...
@ET2H i have a digitenna that runs about $70, made this today and got a much better signal than the commercial version. It found 5 extra analog channels along with 3 or 4 extra digital channels that it now gets. Plus the signal strength on the old channels that used to drop out is much better. I'd say make one for a whole 7 bucks (i couldn't find a cheap balun locally so that ran about $5)
So i made this, and tested it on my brothers tv and it works great. However when i plug it into the antenna socket on my computer (i have a tv card in it) it gets nothing. Any idea why?
Surprisingly efficient... And to threedaysofdan... If your apartment is "high class" as you claim it to be, I wonder why you would consider the thought of building your own makeshift antenna to provide your viewing pleasures?? One might suspect you to have something classy, like cable, or if you were really outdoing yourself, possibly satellite...
@nathan88100 i don't live in an apartment , and im not stupid enough to buy cable half the stuf on it is crap when i can watch any show i want on hulu for free and i have netflix so yea the small amounts of tv i watch comes from my tv otherwise my ps3's on all day
If i put this outside would it be even better. I am using an old spiral T antenna at the moment as nothing else works. I get most channels but at times some drop out for a few hours depending upon maybe construction or other devices used in my building. I have the Spiral T antenna outside as reception is very poor as the buildings got taller where i live. HD doesn't get fully switched over in Sydney til next year. Would it be even better if i used copper wire? What type?
@ThreeDaysOfDan put it in an attic space/on top of a wardrobe/cupboard/slide it behind the B&O 103" 135K TV. Or suck it up and have cable in your "high class" room :)
@ThreeDaysOfDan Then use your imagination if you can find it and make it look better. OR Dont build it. This guy is just trying to help people who like projects and need an antenna. PLAY NICE !
@ThreeDaysOfDan why don't you spend 1000 buck to have a nice classy gadget that will do the same? Come on, if you can't built the thing, or don't have the 1000 bucks, don't bother people with it! Are you happy having all the HD channel for free with some piece of s**t - wood - metal scrap and couple washer!? That's one of the most amazing thing in the world : Some piece of s**t can get you to get the best signal on your tv : FOR FREE! What you want, sl*t dressed to impress at the ball?
This really does work better than my store bought antenna!! I didn't think it would work at first but when I got it hooked up, it pulled in more channels than my store bought antenna and this one costed me almost nothing!!!
Is it possible to put it in the attic, attach it to current cable, after disconnecting UVerse or Cox and use for three TV's? Or is separate antenna necessary for each TV? bungy830
Is it possible to put it in the attic, attach it to current cable, after disconnecting UVerse or Cox and use for three TV's? Or is separate antenna necessary for each TV?
@bungy830 One antenna would work for multiple televisions, but with the addition of roofing, a long runs of cable, and splitters, you're just not going to get a good signal on any of them with something like this. I'd go with 3 of them.
I live in Mulvane. How far are you from the tv station antennas I was watching and saw our local chanels and thought i would ask. Exact location is not neccesary
I live in Mulvane. How far are you from the tv station antennas I was watching and saw our local chanels and thought i would ask. Exact location is not Nce
I have built 2 of these and they work great. I live almost 40 miles from the transmitters over hilly terrain and I receive all the major channels. Antenna placement is very important though. Just moving it a foot or 2 one way or the other makes channels appear or disappear. I found the sweet spot in my bedroom closet, completely out of sight!
@RadioControlVideo The two tvs I tried it on have their own digital tuners, one was bought last year and the other tv was bought in 2009 but has the atsc and qam tuners so they should both be capable
I build this one exactly (or atleast I think I did) and I get 0 channels, did I buy the wrong transformer? I cant post link but its from radioshack just search 15-1230 and it will pop up according to a station guide I looked at for my zip code 32547 I should be getting plenty of channels
@ahayes444 That transformer should work. I would double check connections between all hangers and the transformer. Also, did you set your hdtv to "antenna" in the TV source setting and then do a channel search? There are also web sites where you can find out the directions of the signals in your area. You may need to move the antenna around to get the best reception, but if you are not getting any channels at all, something is probably wrong with the antenna.
@biggggups I will redo it tomorrow after I get home from work and I am thinking about trying copper wire instead of the metal coat hangers, only difference between mine and the videos is there is no insulation at all on the wire, but for the long pieces I wrapped in electrical tape where they cross so they dont touch (I think that you have to do that)
could i connect this to my direct tv reciever becuase it dosnt have local channels in hd but everything else is so im just wondering if you could just hook it up to the back of the box so i dont have to switch component channels
Great antenna!!! Here in Argentina we only have like 7 HD channels, but it really works... It improves the reception I have with the antenna that came with my ISDB TV tuner...
zaidol 1 day ago
Your a GENIUS, I tried out your method, and I get 25 HD channels, including, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Global, City TV, CTV, CBC, WNED Buffalo, WNLO Buffalo, TVO, TCN, Cool TV, and a dozen other channels, thanks man, your awesome, and I love your channel, you should call it the DO IT Yourself NETWORK, awesome!!
hailherrosner 3 days ago
will it work without the balun? or will it work in the philippines?
obh12345 1 week ago
You mean to tell me this antenna gets me cable TV ? with cable channels?
fudgedogbannana 1 week ago
@fudgedogbannana Only your local ones.
amazingdany 21 hours ago
This thing works perfectly. Beats any antenna ive ever purchased. Nearest station is 47 miles away. I pick up 14 hd channels in the middle of nowhere oklahoma.
DistractedTillNow 1 week ago
DID NOT WORK.....
gazaking765 1 week ago
Working excellent for me! I used some unpainted wire hangers that I had in the house. I used some electrical tape to insulate the long wires where they crossed. Plugged it in and had hdtv! Nearest station is 60 miles away! o.O I through it up on the top of our old antenna mast and it's even better. Gonna add a reflector to the back too! Thanks so much for this!
P0ttedMeat 2 weeks ago
can you make it for me..
AmirFariz99 2 weeks ago
Follow the directions. It really works! I used speaker wire for the middle part. I followed his advice and tossed my amplified antenna. Totally worth it!
artestudent 2 weeks ago
Cool video and custom antenna! Thanks!
88neilab 2 weeks ago
I payed $30 for an amplified one that didn't work as well as this. Thanks for the tut.
jack002tuber 3 weeks ago
This is the last project my dad and I made together before he died 2 years ago. I have since bought a antenna from the store, then returned it. It was supposed to be better, however this one out beats all I have tried. Thanks!
spencar 3 weeks ago
This also works if you use thick bare copper wire
1MaskedMexican 3 weeks ago
fuck asshole i can't understand what the shit are you telling mother fucker yor will ass hole you will die go fuck your self
dilsanrox4 3 weeks ago
@dilsanrox4 Look who's talking!
abovedeathfornow 3 weeks ago
Works great. Now I pickup channels from Russia. Next I'm going to get rid of my cellphone and use two cans and a string.
purpledude603 1 month ago 7
@babblin5
will this antenna work also for ordinary analog TVs? please tell me. i wanna know why.
theiammike123 1 month ago
@theiammike123 yes. There's no such thing as analog or digital antenna. All TV antennas, including this one, will take digital and analog signals.
dragonball00786 4 weeks ago
@dragonball00786 really? will it get channels as many as IT can? as more than a hundred?
theiammike123 4 weeks ago
Comment removed
dragonball00786 3 weeks ago
@dragonball00786 please tell me. i really wanna know, and i really wanna get many channels in mine.
theiammike123 4 weeks ago
Comment removed
dragonball00786 3 weeks ago
@theiammike123 look up "rca outdoor preamp" on amazon.com and read the reviews (almost 5 stars).You can search for other brands if you want. Preamps are used to diminish signal loss, and some people say they've been able to pick up some additional channels by installing one. I don't own one right now,so I cannot tell you whether is gonna work or not. It also depends a lot on the topography of your area.
dragonball00786 3 weeks ago
@dragonball00786 Well actually if you install a preamp you could be overloading you signal even if it is already weak.
1MaskedMexican 3 weeks ago
@1MaskedMexican What do you mean by "overloading"? Could it get weaker, or stronger?
dragonball00786 3 weeks ago
@dragonball00786 Well picture this. Using an amp when you don't need one is like turning up the radio when there is static to make it clearer. It just doesn't work. But in your case it might.
1MaskedMexican 3 weeks ago
@1MaskedMexican thanks for the advice
dragonball00786 2 weeks ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@1MaskedMexican - Well actually if you install a preamp you could be overloading you signal even if it is already weak."
A preamp will NOT overload from weak signals but rather from strong signals. Only one very strong signal can cause overload (though typically it takes at least a few strong signals). Overload will make your weak signals even harder to lock onto.
CCRider100 3 weeks ago
Awesome antenna! One small correction though is that you state that the FCC is/was mandating all broadcast stations to switch over to HDTV television by the end of 2008 (around 6:17 with video of sexy girl chat line!). This is a common misunderstanding but the FCC only required broadcasters to switch over to Digital broadcasting (known as DTV) in replace of analog. Many of these TV channels still broadcast non high definition material. DTV and HDTV are 2 separate things.
level2789 1 month ago
Works like a charm.
kmburss 1 month ago
ypu have to point it in watever direction is best when u buy one from the store it tells u where to point it.. or google it it depends on ur location
Gm0neyd0llaz954 1 month ago
Good old fashioned American ingenuity.
inetbf 1 month ago
WORKS GOOD!!!!I had tried to use an amplified store bought one and it didn't pick up anything.After i installed this one, i was able to pick up MANY channels! Thanks
sc2dave1 1 month ago
Thanks for the smart presentation. I am very old... 50 years ago I used to build complex VHF antennas. Nobody can complain about this approach to HDTV. God Bless!
VolodiaTheElder 1 month ago
Very good antenna. Perhaps why not double or triple the calculation for better improvements?
Sharptooth100 1 month ago
thats the ugliest thing i ever did see, but you should never judge a book by its cover eh? Awesome!
big2000dave 1 month ago 2
If I made one, I'd put several VHF/UHF transformers on it, put that ugly antenna in the attic, and run cable to each HDTV in the house. It'd probably be more functional up that high, plus then you won't have that ghetto looking thing in your living room. LOL.
mattdj313 1 month ago
The lack of a metric system in this video disturbs me.
TheNamminamm 1 month ago
@TheNamminamm Start getting used to it... It is The British Empire or English System... It is the best for The NWO.
VolodiaTheElder 1 month ago
does it matter if thicker wire is used?
I used 3/16" stainless steel round rod (I wanted it to be indoor/outdoor capable)
(it was crazy trying to bend it, blow-torched it at bend points, then bent it, had help)
I think maybe the thicker material, and the naturally-resulting, less-precise intersect points,
may affect the effectiveness of the design (maybe also the stainless steel composition) ?
That said, however it's also fairly symmetrical as has been advised
AJtheory 1 month ago
@AJtheory What counts is outer surface diameter (where signal is carried). Depending on where you live (in regard to the power source transmitting), you may be fine with the simple approach of the great teacher of this vid. Using large-diameter solid metal rods is not a good engineering practice (only surface is relevant). Warning: Bad Humor Next (Sorry): Good thing you didn't use Depleted Uranium (DU - previously DULLRAM)... Oops... Maybe they will use DU to save the world...
VolodiaTheElder 1 month ago
d the X's actually touch or does the white paint insulate against contact?
sc2dave1 1 month ago
On my way to get the parts; what have i got to loose?; an hour of my time and about $5 bucks!
any thing is better then what I'm getting now.
wacampbelljr 1 month ago
Your reception will always vary. Location, location, location!
inconvenientruth1 1 month ago
Is there any way to modify this antenna to pick up VHF channels too?
Ihcs4rsp 1 month ago
It works I get 22 channels on my sony television
oscar6the9great 2 months ago
It does not work I Live in rhode Island and abc nbc and cbs and fox are within 13 miles from my house. I only able to get cbs and fox. and the frigging nbc home shopping network. I think nbc figure out a way to scramble the regular nbc station. Don't waste your time. I build two antenna one out of coat hanger the other with electrical wires. Waste of F(*&^& time
egg17011 2 months ago
@egg17011 That is because it is NON resonant. You are better off with a Ball of tin foil.
AskHack 1 month ago
ur video is great with lot of positive feedbacks..sir may i ask,what materials can i also use other than coat hanger...coz i cant find metal coathangers ..please help...
len59356 2 months ago
I just made one of these to give it a try and I am really impressed. I am picking up over twenty channels and could not be happier. Thanks for the simple post!
MonkeyBroCA 2 months ago
ha-ha-ha-ha ,.. built this antenna this summer, been watching free over the air HD broadcast ever since ! Best thing i done all summer,.. JUST BUILD THIS THING !
VirusForPrez 2 months ago
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bethebest27 2 months ago
Comment removed
2020oo 2 months ago
The only downside to this antenna is that the elements will corrode if you use coat hangers and the antenna is outside so every six months or so you'll need to sand the rust off of the elements. Other than that this antenna gets five stars.
FNP3 2 months ago
it would cost me less just to buy a good quality 10.99 receiver from best buy
DarkLuigi4321 3 months ago
@DarkLuigi4321 How do you know that it would be a better antenna?
sc2dave1 2 months ago
@DarkLuigi4321 we dont have a best buy or an anything nearby, made it from stuff just lying around in the bush and i doubt best buys QUALITY AGREEMENT weve got one its shit plus best buy is a damn sams warehouse or in aus theyre all called 2 bob shop meaning cheap.
p.s i dont think you would manage any sort of survivalist situation that requires ingenuity.
acidulousfractal 2 months ago
Will this work in the UK?
TheDarkGuardian 3 months ago
Comment removed
TheDarkGuardian 3 months ago
Made this and to my amazement it worked!! However im still not getting great signal strength. Get NBC but abc and fox are to weak to stay on and don't even get CBS. Any tips as how to get even better strength. My strongest signal is only like 60/100
cobb05j 3 months ago 3
@cobb05j You are not getting "great" signal because this design is utterly flawed. I see so many people copying this piece of shit. TV is between 160-800 ,mhz and you need RESONANT lengths of wire. Not the same fucking coat hanger repeated then converted to coax oh but the criss cross, pfft whatever. That is resonant on 1 frequency if that which is why your reception is sucking ass on abc and fox and you dont get CBS. What you need is a multi band antenna that covers more thanONE CHANNEL.
AskHack 2 months ago
@AskHack ,so what do you recommend for a good low budget antenna? what about for a good FM station antenna for a home stereo?
sc2dave1 1 month ago
@sc2dave1 Well Depends really. BEST reception would be a YAGI or QUAD beam with a Log Periodic antenna to cover 500-900 MHZ. If you do not want to use a rotor you can get an omni directional i.e. vertical or EGGBEATER antenna, but they will be less efficient at distant stations. Calculate the wavelentgh & make your elements or loops then allign them for VERTICAL polarization. There is no magic antenna for the bands you describe they are too far apart. 60-80 89-106 and 500-900mhz
AskHack 1 month ago
@AskHack you lost me with calculating wavelengths, mhz,.resonant.,etc
sc2dave1 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@AskHack - TV is between 160-800 ,mhz"
In North America most digital channels are in the UHF band 470-698 mhz. VHF-Hi 174-216 mhz is also used in some cities, with a small number using VHF-Lo 54-88 mhz. This video is for a UHF antenna (4 Bay Bow Tie), only problem the 7" whiskers and 5.75" spacings will have the antenna peaking way above 698 mhz (wasted gain) and the gain curve will have dips. Making the same antenna with 9.5" whiskers and 9" spacings will work much better.
CCRider100 3 weeks ago
@cobb05j There is a tutorial on youtube for an amplifier made from cardboard and tinfoil. That might help.
cadmiumblue 1 month ago
@cobb05j Maybe if you put the antenna outside.
Altair565 1 month ago
@cobb05j double the elements. I screwed 2 V's on each section instead of one and the signal increased nicely. I've also heard that screwing some kind of grill or metallic screen on the back helps too. You might also want to try a preamp. Look for them at Amazon.com
dragonball00786 4 weeks ago
@cobb05j , Make sure the wires are bare at all contact points.I had the plastic coating on mine for a while,then removed the coating,BAM! MORE stations.
sc2dave01 3 weeks ago
does this work in canada
Winnipegplayboy420 3 months ago
do you need it to be exactly at 14 inches or can it be a bit longer like 0.3 inch or so longer, the coat hangers are really hard to straighten fully out. ie: The kinks are very tough to straighten.
hfrdrck3 3 months ago
I've built several work great!
49502carl 3 months ago
Yeah, it's ugly, but you could wrap it with Japanese rice paper so it looks like a lamp. Or just go ahead and make a lamp out of it.
owlcu 3 months ago
@owlcu ive never seen apretty antenna and thats a sick idea im gonna do it.
acidulousfractal 2 months ago
I get 35 channels now,it is just thrown behind tv,
Zadok66 3 months ago
will one of these work in the UK or will it require a different type of transformer?
streamr89 3 months ago
Live 30+ miles from 1 city and 90 miles from the other. Was getting about 7 chs with rabbit ears now 12 with it on top of window air conditioner outside. Tomorrow will put it up higher, works great...Thanks!
DDCExpress 3 months ago in playlist DDCExpress's Favorited Videos
"It's 18 inches. Measure halfway down and that'll be 7 inches."
F
plunderinthe7cs 3 months ago
Built one today. Thanks for the tutorial. F*** COMCAST!!!
bigremo2852 3 months ago 16
@bigremo2852
Amen LOL
kaos3124 3 months ago
@bigremo2852 did u made one? did it work?
theiammike123 1 month ago
@bigremo2852 did u get many channels with it?
theiammike123 4 weeks ago
Wont pick up public stations
JohnyAngel47 4 months ago
@JohnyAngel47 mine does! you might have to fiddle with the directs a bit.
2JobsStillPoorUSA 3 months ago
If I count correctly, we need only 10 washers and 10 screws. Did I miss something ?
jeffnadeau 4 months ago
Also, built it using 12AWG copper electric wire instead of coat hangers, because I had it handy... Completely stripped the insulation off the V wires, and then just stripped sections out of the cross lines where the Vs attached. Also added a $25 VHF amp from WalMart... don't know if it would be required or not to make it work from my distance, but I'm guessing yes...
davbeisner 4 months ago
Worked great for me, thanks!
I live about 30 miles from the transmitters, with a rather large mountain range between us, and this, mounted in my attic, allows me to pick up two of my three local VHF channels... and a flat panel UHF antenna mounted next to it gets four of my local six UHF channels... so I'm happy!
FYI, don't mount this at the same level as your UHF antenna, or you'll lose all your UHF reception... Found that out the hard way.
davbeisner 4 months ago
Meant to say that I was using a decoder box to get that many freeview channels (in the UK) !!
gigglegoodies 4 months ago
May not be the most attractive thing in the world but works great! Picked up 105 freeview channels! Just the job. Thanks for the video!
gigglegoodies 4 months ago
how good is the signal in a basement like how many channels can you get if you are having it in your basement?
the reason being I want to try and build this to see what I can get....
if not much I can always get an extra long cable to put it near a window...
waterlizardz123 4 months ago
Or just go and buy 1 for £20 i receive over a hundred channels and split it to every room in my house
RCZMK 4 months ago
i built this yesterday.. i went from 3 channels to a max so far of 14 ... my signal strength on the original three channels has gone from a average of 20 to about 75...
mzeroxx69 4 months ago
It tooks eome time to put together but was worth every second. It works better than any antenna I've ever used. A fantastic no-cable solution!!! Thanks!
ajw83981 4 months ago
It works !
CappuccinoNic 4 months ago
ShineARidecom: Our HD,antennas, that we sell work great- and will last a life time , we sell to usa, and sold to canada !
SHINEARIDE 4 months ago
The antenna doesn't work. What am I doing wrong?
eatinglightning19 4 months ago
I just built one and the moment of truth didn't work. I have a older tv. Probably 04. 05. Do I need to get a converter box?
eatinglightning19 4 months ago
@eatinglightning19 - if your television is not digital ready, you absolutely will have to have a converter box.
Meely01 4 months ago
I built one. It made NO difference in reception from most other antennas. I have a piece of coax that is about 4ft long and isn't any worse than the antenna shown here, Seems every antenna need adjusting station to station.
fixitjamie 4 months ago
Does the transoformer increase reception power? Does it filter out "noise"? How does it help?
I have a straight connection from antena directly to the tuner and I'm getting quite a few channels. Will I get more if I use the VHF/UHF transformer instead of a wire connection?
cobalt4242 4 months ago
@cobalt4242 Does the transoformer increase reception power? Does it filter out "noise"? How does it help?
The 4:1 transformer balun is to impedence match the antenna (typically averages 300 ohms) to the 75 ohm coax cable that goes to your television. Mismatched impedence will lower the gain or signal strength going to your TV's tuners. Baluns can be purchased real cheap ($2) at places like Radio Shack.
CCRider100 3 weeks ago
ShineARidecom: We make hd tv antennas for you !
SHINEARIDE 5 months ago
Can't wait to build this sucker, and I hope it works.
cadmiumblue 5 months ago
What about if the signal is too weak? All you have to do is add aluminum foil back drop covering (not touching) the entire antenna area. The antenna then becomes more directional. Bounced back signal and preventing static from the other end increases both signal and sign-to-noise ratio.
So, when it's not working so great, you can easily take it a step further.
Thin MDF + tin foil + glue or tape + screw it on at the back. Done.
a1mint 5 months ago
Wow. Thanks for making this video. It doesn't matter where you put it for it to work? It's true that it isn't that attractive.
ponybcurtis 5 months ago
i take it 1.5 million plus have free tv
MrJosePepowner 5 months ago
Hey, i couldn't find uhf/vhf transmitter around town so i just split the cable from the sheathing and hooked each end up like on the transmitter. It works like a charm. Thanks for posting!
millcreekconcessions 5 months ago
I've been using this method for a while now...since you gave me the idea on....now with the changes that they're about to do...no matter what we try, even rabbit ears nothing will work anymore....sometimes it makes you want to hate technology....it's just not fair for everybody......
rockinggirl50 5 months ago
Sounds pretty good if it can pick up a signal behind the tv cabinet. Are you close by a tv transmission tower, if not it must have good gain. sattvmax.com
vedevison 5 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
i want 1000 likes on my comment :(
pholden21 5 months ago
do i need an hdtv to use this?
or will any old tv work?
thanks
12323OP 5 months ago
Do you need an HDTV to use this?
Or can i use a plain old normal TV?
Thanks!
12323OP 5 months ago
@12323OP This antenna is for UHF only. If you want it to work with an old TV, you'll need a converter box.
FNP3 5 months ago
Couple of questions 1. Would it work better outdoors 2. if so how would I ground it agenst lightning.
5937824 5 months ago
Hi im from philippines will it works here?
Hitler8995 5 months ago
@Hitler8995 very cheap to build just try it and see
captnmorgan58 3 months ago
this guy sounds like mr. rogers......dammit now i wanna watch that show
epill07 6 months ago
wow. i just built this thing today. i live out in a rural area and this thing works like a charm! i get all the major networks & the sub channels. plus, it was so easy to make. all i had to buy was the screws,washers & transformer & that was about $3.50. i had the hangers & piece of wood. can't believe it!
BustedSills 6 months ago
@BustedSills does this only work on flat screen s with built in HDTV receivers?
FletcherHabit 6 months ago
@FletcherHabit
yes. i have a tv that i will have to buy a converter box for, but, i don't see why this still wouldn't pull in the channels. i'll let ya know.
BustedSills 6 months ago
Shaw/Telus get away with murder. They take widescreen HD free over the air channels, and downgrade them to chopped, centre cut "Full Screen" presentation and charge 75.00 per month for the privilege. Even with the basic digital box from Shaw, you still get a chopped view of the major networks, CBC, CTV Global, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS. etc. You only get proper widescreen if you upgrade to a Shaw HD converter, $350, or $15 per month rental. This antenna is a great weapon for ripped off consumers.
charlyW34 6 months ago
@charlyW34 Hi I live under the tyranny of Telus myself ..going to build this thing asap ..curious how many channels can you pick up in your area with it?
FletcherHabit 6 months ago
Thanks for the great instructional video! I built this antenna and it works great. Much better than the $50 one I bought at BestBuy. Also it is nice to find something to do with those flimsy coat hangers from the cleaners!
mpeaton 6 months ago
Sensational, I live in New South Wales Australia and was sick of the poor reception from rabbit ears and a booster, made yours and it works a treat. Thanks very much. Greg
lind1gre 6 months ago
It Works. I returned the antenna that I bought, because this antenna works better than the antenna that I bought.
jcii2 6 months ago
hola, soy de Paraguay me encantó la antena y voy a probarla.
hello, i´m fron Paraguay i like this antenna and I will try.
gusmetalful 6 months ago
@gusmetalful Funciona en Paraguay ?
3593893 5 months ago
@3593893 si me dió muy buenos resultados... agarró dos canales mas y mejoro mucho los colores en los que ya tenia alcanze. tenes que direccionarla un poco cuando colocas para un mejor aprobechamiento.
gusmetalful 5 months ago
Do the coat hangers have to be coverd with plastic, or can they be bare?
DrRubrDucky 6 months ago
I'll make this antenna , I live @ Tijuana Baja California, Mexico, (Beach Area), & I just cant get any channel (UHF, VHF, Digital), so I hope it works, since I dont want to pay for TV .. :p.. tks..
emcuve23 6 months ago
sou brazileiro adorei man, se vc poder manda uma deça por sedex pra mim. I loved Brazil, but if you can send this one to me by mail.
twopackwilliam 6 months ago
sou brazileiro adorei man, se vc poder manda uma deça por sex pra mim. I loved Brazil, but if you can send this one to me by mail.
twopackwilliam 6 months ago
sou brazileiro adorei man, se vc poder manda uma deça por sex pra mim.
twopackwilliam 6 months ago
It really works. I spent $6 on the transformer - couldn't find the cheep one.
ortiggs 6 months ago
Thanks so much, it works beautifully.
Living near OKA Parc in Québec, I used to have 7 low quality channels with the rabbit ears.
After plugging this antenna to my Digital converter box I got
SRC CBC CBS CTV NBC TQ VPT V FOX PBS 16 channels all loud and clear.
merelmarc 6 months ago
@merelmarc Sur une télé carrée?
amazingdany 6 months ago
ahah, "Just throw it away!" ;) well put!
mjc301 7 months ago
I had a sixty dollar antenna and this works 10x better!!!!!!!
TheIvoryKnight 7 months ago
I created an antena similar to this one and it works. The signal is not strong but I am suspecting the higher it is in elevation such as mounting on the roof might get a stronger signal. The problem is there is no ground wire attached.
feathernetwork 7 months ago
Will this work in a basement? I am renting a room in the basement and I am sure my landlord won't let me put an antenna up on the roof or in the attic...
jccjccjoanne 7 months ago
@ET2H i have a digitenna that runs about $70, made this today and got a much better signal than the commercial version. It found 5 extra analog channels along with 3 or 4 extra digital channels that it now gets. Plus the signal strength on the old channels that used to drop out is much better. I'd say make one for a whole 7 bucks (i couldn't find a cheap balun locally so that ran about $5)
nowhereusa 7 months ago
This is just a UHF antenna - not an "HD" antenna.
I use my UHF loop antenna and an ATSC to analog converter box to get all the DTV channels in my area.
onanidaily 7 months ago
So i made this, and tested it on my brothers tv and it works great. However when i plug it into the antenna socket on my computer (i have a tv card in it) it gets nothing. Any idea why?
thebonzanator 8 months ago
@thebonzanator Does the tuner card in your PC have an ATSC tuner or just NTSC ?
onanidaily 7 months ago
@onanidaily Mine has NTSC_M, PAL_N and PAL_M. The card is an ENLTV ( Not ENLTV FM )
3593893 5 months ago
@3593893 Are you responding to my question to thebonzanator ?
It looks like the ENLTV card doesn't have an ATSC tuner so this antenna won't help you.
onanidaily 5 months ago
Surprisingly efficient... And to threedaysofdan... If your apartment is "high class" as you claim it to be, I wonder why you would consider the thought of building your own makeshift antenna to provide your viewing pleasures?? One might suspect you to have something classy, like cable, or if you were really outdoing yourself, possibly satellite...
nathan88100 8 months ago
@nathan88100 i don't live in an apartment , and im not stupid enough to buy cable half the stuf on it is crap when i can watch any show i want on hulu for free and i have netflix so yea the small amounts of tv i watch comes from my tv otherwise my ps3's on all day
ThreeDaysOfDan 7 months ago
If i put this outside would it be even better. I am using an old spiral T antenna at the moment as nothing else works. I get most channels but at times some drop out for a few hours depending upon maybe construction or other devices used in my building. I have the Spiral T antenna outside as reception is very poor as the buildings got taller where i live. HD doesn't get fully switched over in Sydney til next year. Would it be even better if i used copper wire? What type?
mcrapattack 8 months ago
problemb is my rooms high class this shit looks like something from the dumpster!!!
ThreeDaysOfDan 8 months ago
@ThreeDaysOfDan put it in an attic space/on top of a wardrobe/cupboard/slide it behind the B&O 103" 135K TV. Or suck it up and have cable in your "high class" room :)
nowhereusa 7 months ago
@nowhereusa yea everything got a modern simplistic look " minimalism"
ThreeDaysOfDan 7 months ago
@ThreeDaysOfDan Then use your imagination if you can find it and make it look better. OR Dont build it. This guy is just trying to help people who like projects and need an antenna. PLAY NICE !
3593893 5 months ago
@ThreeDaysOfDan why don't you spend 1000 buck to have a nice classy gadget that will do the same? Come on, if you can't built the thing, or don't have the 1000 bucks, don't bother people with it! Are you happy having all the HD channel for free with some piece of s**t - wood - metal scrap and couple washer!? That's one of the most amazing thing in the world : Some piece of s**t can get you to get the best signal on your tv : FOR FREE! What you want, sl*t dressed to impress at the ball?
forestqc69 5 months ago
This really does work better than my store bought antenna!! I didn't think it would work at first but when I got it hooked up, it pulled in more channels than my store bought antenna and this one costed me almost nothing!!!
13briand 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
IT really works
MrClausonja 8 months ago
IT WORKS i didnt think this thing woul do anything but it works lol
MrClausonja 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Is it possible to put it in the attic, attach it to current cable, after disconnecting UVerse or Cox and use for three TV's? Or is separate antenna necessary for each TV? bungy830
bungy830 8 months ago
Is it possible to put it in the attic, attach it to current cable, after disconnecting UVerse or Cox and use for three TV's? Or is separate antenna necessary for each TV?
bungy830 8 months ago
@bungy830 One antenna would work for multiple televisions, but with the addition of roofing, a long runs of cable, and splitters, you're just not going to get a good signal on any of them with something like this. I'd go with 3 of them.
pacogoatboy 8 months ago
Works but you have a crap TV brand but they are working on a 3D version
robert5000100 8 months ago
Thanks! this worked out great! Your the best!
11111111jws 8 months ago
This Works! Made it out of romex 12-2 copper wire and other stuff I had in garage in about 20 min..
Pylo360 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I live in Mulvane. How far are you from the tv station antennas I was watching and saw our local chanels and thought i would ask. Exact location is not neccesary
beyourself1977 8 months ago
I live in Mulvane. How far are you from the tv station antennas I was watching and saw our local chanels and thought i would ask. Exact location is not Nce
beyourself1977 8 months ago
I have built 2 of these and they work great. I live almost 40 miles from the transmitters over hilly terrain and I receive all the major channels. Antenna placement is very important though. Just moving it a foot or 2 one way or the other makes channels appear or disappear. I found the sweet spot in my bedroom closet, completely out of sight!
starnstv 8 months ago
@leodungen
Basic analog tv signal is no longer broad casted since June of 2009. You need a converter for old tv's, then this antenna will work.
dtv.gov check out this link.
RadioControlVideo 8 months ago
@RadioControlVideo The two tvs I tried it on have their own digital tuners, one was bought last year and the other tv was bought in 2009 but has the atsc and qam tuners so they should both be capable
ahayes444 8 months ago
I build this one exactly (or atleast I think I did) and I get 0 channels, did I buy the wrong transformer? I cant post link but its from radioshack just search 15-1230 and it will pop up according to a station guide I looked at for my zip code 32547 I should be getting plenty of channels
ahayes444 8 months ago
@ahayes444 That transformer should work. I would double check connections between all hangers and the transformer. Also, did you set your hdtv to "antenna" in the TV source setting and then do a channel search? There are also web sites where you can find out the directions of the signals in your area. You may need to move the antenna around to get the best reception, but if you are not getting any channels at all, something is probably wrong with the antenna.
biggggups 8 months ago
@biggggups I will redo it tomorrow after I get home from work and I am thinking about trying copper wire instead of the metal coat hangers, only difference between mine and the videos is there is no insulation at all on the wire, but for the long pieces I wrapped in electrical tape where they cross so they dont touch (I think that you have to do that)
ahayes444 8 months ago
@ahayes444 That's the same transformer I use and it works perfectly.
FNP3 8 months ago
Comment removed
ahayes444 8 months ago
would this model work for regular coaxil cable? or is it just for HDTV?
leodungen 9 months ago
@leodungen cable is not over the air so its not using antennas. this is for you local Over The Air HDTV reception.
RadioControlVideo 9 months ago
@RadioControlVideo ok i think i understand... but will this work on my 90's TV for basic channels?... sorry if i sound like a dumbass
leodungen 9 months ago
could i connect this to my direct tv reciever becuase it dosnt have local channels in hd but everything else is so im just wondering if you could just hook it up to the back of the box so i dont have to switch component channels
Deadmansp8 9 months ago