How to Build a 4-bay Bowtie Antenna part 1

I show you step-by-step how to construct a 4-bay directional bowtie antenna to boost your over-the-air TV reception.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Zeb
• Scootchinman
• Over the air
• OTA
• Antenna
• HDTV antenna
• bowtie antenna
• POTS
• Dysautonomia
• Invisible Illness

[brianto12]

Great video , I maked one . But I don't have no chicken wire . Wounld a 8 -bay Bowtie Antenna work even better ?

[Scootchinman]

@brianto12 The chicken wire (or whatever conductive material you use) is only there to act as a reflector to make the antenna more directional. The antenna will still work without it, but it may not have as much gain in the one direction as it would have with it. An 8-bay will have an even higher gain than the 4-bay I built here. The extra gain is not necessary for everyone however, only those who are far from the transmitter sites and have very poor signal strength.

[Scootchinman]

@Scootchinman It's not so much a "bigger is better" situation as it is a "the right tool for the right job" situation. If you are many miles away (say >25) from the transmitter towers and/or have many obstacles impeeding your line-of-site, then it may be better to use an 8-bay to help boost your signal. Since everything but the low power transmitters are now digital however, a better signal doesn't mean clearer picture or even necessarily more stations, just so you know.

[pspaddict80]

About the V-wires...how wide is the angle or the distance between the tips. Did you mention it or did I just miss it...Oooops...I didnt...

I am itchin to try this...

[Scootchinman]

@pspaddict80 I believe the distance between the tips is around 7 inches, but it is my understanding that this is not nearly as crucial as the length.

[OurMemoryMovies]

Did not think this would work, but after last cable hike made just the basic version as shown, no reflector chicken wire. Used some stiff vinyl coated aluminum wire, scraped off the vinyl to make the connections. Set TV to antenna, scanned for stations, voila got all local (within 20 miles) VHF and UHF stations with 8 inch lengths and several stations from about 60 miles. Be sure to tape or fasten the transformer securely or it may pull out connectors. Bye cable

[icleave]

Do not attempt to make this Antenna for UK digital TV signals. It will only pick up the BBC channels and some others for a total of 7 DTV channels. When using a signal booster it only got about twenty or so DTV channels. In London you should be able to get 83 DTV channels (at the present time). I've even tried cutting the coat hanger length to 7" in an attempt to pick up UHF better and it doesn't work. Parts were obtained from Wilkinson and Maplin.

[dnstormdatabase]

i was able to get 150 metal coat hangers (the nice thick kind) for $2.50 at my local good will, i also got 20 300-75 ohm converters off of ebay for $6 with free shipping. merry Christmas friends and family! coat hanger antennas

[liplokker]

hi j

[Perzactly]

You guys got it right.......excellent job & reception !!!!!

Making the Bow-ties 8 inches did the trick for a lot of channels.

I tried the 7 inch coat hanger antenna before this version.

This is in my opinion at least 20% better.

Thanks guys :O)