How to make an antenna from beer cans for a TV. How to make a TV antenna from beer cans Make a TV antenna from beer cans

Do you want to watch all your favorite channels at your dacha, but your modest family budget doesn’t yet allow it? Learn how to make an antenna from beer cans, and you can assemble a structure from the simplest materials available that will allow you to receive 5 or more channels.

Materials

To create an antenna you will need:

  • 2 or 4 beer cans. The brand of beer, the color of the can and other differences do not affect the ability to receive a signal. The only thing that matters is the size of the jar. It is believed that liter ones take more.
  • TV cable with plug. The length of this wire depends on where the antenna will be installed. Usually 3 m is enough.
  • Wooden stick or hanger.
  • Scotch tape or tape.
  • Soldering iron and tin or metal screws and screwdriver.

Manufacturing

Prepare the TV cable. To do this, strip it from the shell by about 10 cm. Under the shell you will find a copper braid and a foil screen. Carefully separate the copper braid and weave it into one cord, and remove the foil. Under the foil you will find a layer of polyethylene foam. Cut it off by 5 cm too.

Connect the copper winding cord to one of the beer cans and the cable core to the other. You can do this in 3 ways:

  • solder (this is ideal);
  • fasten with self-tapping screws;
  • insert the can into the cut and clamp it (this is the worst option).

Line up the beer cans (this is very important!) and attach them to a bar or hanger. It is best to secure them with electrical tape so that you can adjust the distance between the cans. In practice, for 0.5 and 0.75 liter jars, the optimal distance is 7.5 cm; for liter jars, it is usually necessary to move the containers away from each other a few more mm. The ideal distance is determined empirically. Once set up, secure the beer cans with tape.

Having assembled such a structure, plug the TV wire into the TV and walk around the house to determine where the signal is best received. Attach the antenna in this place and enjoy the result.

If desired, you can assemble an antenna from 4 or 8 cans. The principle of its creation will be the same, but with some nuances. When creating an antenna from a larger number of cans, they all need to be secured in pairs above each other and connected to each other with two wires. In this case, the television cable is no longer soldered to the banks, but to the 2 wires that connect them. An antenna made of 4 or more beer cans in most cases can pick up more TV channels, but this is not always possible. Much depends on the quality of the signal and the location of the antenna. At the dacha, to receive signals, you often have to install an antenna on the roof, pointing it towards the TV tower, therefore, when assembling the antenna with your own hands, you should play it safe and buy not the minimum 2 m of television cable, but 5-6 m.

Situations when you urgently need a new television antenna do not arise very rarely. You went to a barbecue with friends, but at the same time, you would like to watch an interesting football match. Or we went to the country, where there is no stationary catching device yet. It happens that the wire on which the whole house receives TV broadcasts is cut off by the wind - and then what? You can always find a way out of the situation. Aluminum cans of beer, lemonade or energy drinks are quite suitable for watching the football game. How to make an antenna from beer cans? This is what we will talk about now.

Why do you need an antenna?

The ancient Greeks called antennae the antennae of insects. Nature has made sure that the smallest creatures receive signals about what is happening around them. A television antenna actually exists for the same purpose - it catches radio waves and amplifies them.

Catching devices are:

  • external;
  • indoor

An outdoor antenna is the same wire that is plugged into the TV at one end and goes out to the roof at the other. The longer the cable, the better the reception. Indoor devices come in different shapes. The most popular is a stand with two long whiskers, reminiscent of insect antennae.

Important! Instead of “horns” there can be tubes, bicycle wheels and much more. DIY cans of beer or canned vegetables for an antenna are the most affordable material.

What banks are needed?

Before you make an antenna out of beer cans, you need to select the cans themselves. Of course, it also happens that there is no particular choice - what was found in the trash bag will have to be made from it. But if you suddenly find different ones, examine them carefully.

Materials

They can be:

  • entirely aluminum;
  • with tin elements.

This determines how you will attach the cable. Aluminum cannot be soldered, so the ends of the wire will have to be screwed in place. Tin is a completely different matter. Two movements with a soldering iron, and the antenna is ready.

Important! The easiest way to determine whether there are iron elements or not is to use a magnet. Tin is attracted, aluminum is not.

Two words about sizes

How to make a TV antenna from beer cans if they are large? It's even better. In general, a catching device made from beer containers is good because the cans are voluminous, and this expands the reception range.

Important! By the way, you can use them to make an additional antenna for a mobile phone if you suddenly find yourself in an area of ​​​​uncertain reception.

The larger the cans, the more confident the reception will be. A volume of 0.5 liters is preferable to 0.25. Accordingly, if you come across liter ones, it will be a great success.

Important! The antenna can even be made from two identical aluminum pans, if you find unnecessary ones on the farm - holes in the bottom and the lack of handles do not play a role in this case.

What else do you want?

Before making an antenna out of cans, it is very useful to rummage through a tool box or in a closet if this is happening at your grandmother’s in the village.

You need:

  • 2 identical jars;
  • electrical tape or tape;
  • antenna cable RK-75 (RG-6/U);
  • TV connector;
  • sing;
  • soldering iron;
  • screwdriver;
  • 2 self-tapping screws or self-tapping screws;
  • stick.

The cable can be found in two types:

  • coaxial, consisting of a core and a screen;
  • flat two-core.

Important! For an antenna made from cans, the second option is preferable; there will be no problems with it at all. If you have a coaxial cable, at one end you need to separate the core and the screen.

The stick should be of such length that both cans fit on it at some distance from each other. You can take, for example, a wooden coat hanger. Nothing prevents you from screwing the structure to the top shelf of the rack or hanging it from deer antlers. But it is better if the device is located as close as possible to the window, where reception is always better than in the depths of the home.

How to make an antenna from cans?

The start of production is the same for cans with tin elements and pure aluminum:

  1. Tape the cans to the stick, keys to each other - the distance between them is established empirically, but is usually about 7 cm.
  2. Remove the plastic sheath from the coaxial cable approximately 10-12 cm.
  3. You will see foil and copper braiding - remove the foil and twist the copper hairs together.
  4. Under the foil you will find foamed polyethylene - cut that off too.

Option 1

If the cans have tin keys, solder the core to one and the screen to the other. If you have a two-conductor wire, simply strip the ends and solder.

Option 2

For cans made entirely of aluminum, the ends of the cable are screwed and secured with nuts. This option is even better if the antenna is placed outdoors. Soldering does not withstand frost well, and the screws will do nothing.

Shutdown

If you leave the cable as is, it can easily come off. Therefore, it is better to tape it to the same stick, and the antenna is ready. A television connector is attached to the other end, which is inserted into the TV socket.

If the antenna is on the street

Even before you make a TV antenna with your own hands from beer cans, it makes sense to think about where you will stand or hang it. If outside, it is better to protect it from wind, rain and other weather troubles. In general, aluminum is resistant to corrosion, so it is usually enough to coat the joint with tsapon varnish. But some make something like a cover.

What is needed for this? Rummage through your closet and you will certainly find everything you need, because all you need is a large plastic bottle:

  1. Cut off the bottom and neck of the bottle.
  2. Make a hole where the cable exits.
  3. After the cable is connected, scald the hole with hot water.

How to make an antenna from tin cans?

A catching device for a TV can be made not only from aluminum, but also from tin cans - for example, from canned peas. They are even more convenient because they are easier to solder. But tin rusts, and this should be kept in mind.

Operating procedure:

  1. Cut off the lid completely.
  2. Use sandpaper to remove paint and varnish from the soldering area.
  3. Solder the core to one can and the screen to the other.
  4. Tape the entire structure to the stick.

Important! To allow rainwater to drain away, make a small hole on the side of each jar that faces the ground.

It all depends on the range

Beer cans are definitely a very affordable material. But such an antenna only receives a signal on decimeter UHF waves. This antenna is not suitable for the meter range. In principle, using a similar technology, you can make a device from any metal tubes, but first you need to determine the broadcast frequency. The length of the metal cylinders depends on it. The entire broadcasting band of terrestrial television occupies frequencies from 50 to 230 MHz and is divided into 12 channels:

  • 50 MHz – 271-276 cm;
  • 59.25 MHz - 229-234 cm
  • 77.25 MHz - 177-179 cm
  • 85.25 MHz - 162-163 cm
  • 93.25 MHz - 147-150 cm
  • 175.25 MHz - 85 cm;
  • 183.25 MHz - 80 cm;
  • 191.25 MHz - 77 cm;
  • 199.25 MHz -75 cm;
  • 207.25 MHz - 71 cm;
  • 215.25 MHz - 69 cm;
  • 223.25 MHz - 66 cm.

Important! Both the length of the vibrator and the ratio of the cable lengths for the matching device depend on the frequency. For a frequency of 50 MHz, you need a vibrator with a length of 271-276 cm and a cable ratio of 286 cm to 95 cm. For a frequency of 223.25 MHz, these parameters are 66 cm and 66 cm to 22 cm.

Preparing materials

For a tube antenna you need:

  • metal pipe (brass, copper, steel, aluminum);
  • TV cable;
  • textolite:
  • metal strips;
  • barbell.

Important! The metal tubes should be approximately 6 cm shorter than those indicated in the frequency list. Diameter – 8-24 mm. The tubes need to be absolutely identical in thickness and material. The cable length is calculated based on the distance from the antenna to the television receiver, plus two meters for sag and matching band. The thickness of the PCB is at least 4 mm.

About useful gadgets, unusual concepts, the future and the present. Before you is that rare instruction, you can start working with it without reading it to the end. First, prepare two cans of beer...

Beer can antenna

Very often a situation arises when a standard television antenna does not receive broadcast channels well. This can happen at a picnic, at a dacha, in a rural estate. And in a city apartment, especially in old houses, reception is not always ideal due to a mismatch between the load and the common antenna in the house.

Meanwhile, even the laziest person who doesn’t understand anything about technology can make a real TV antenna in 10 minutes, literally from garbage, the quality of which is comparable to industrial designs. It happens that it works even better than a purchased one - it catches more channels and provides higher picture quality. This is all the more surprising since the antenna consists of nothing more than... empty beer cans.

Tools and materials:

Two empty beer cans
tape or tape
two self-tapping screws
antenna cable
plug
stick
screwdriver

Step 1

The cans are taped to the stick with tape or tape.

We attach the cans to the stick with tape

Step 2

Self-tapping screws are screwed into the cans, and the ends of the cable are stripped and screwed to the screws.

The end of the cable is screwed onto a self-tapping screw

Step 3

The cable is tied to a stick with tape or tape for strength.
The antenna is ready!
You can use a wooden hanger instead of a stick, then the antenna can be hung somewhere.

You can use a hanger instead of a stick

For high-quality reception, it is advisable to select the distance between the banks experimentally, but on average it is about 70 mm.
If the opener tabs are not torn off the cans, then the antenna cable can be attached directly to them using a screw and nut with a washer.

When installing the antenna outdoors, it will be exposed to various atmospheric factors such as rain, snow, wind, etc. In this case, to give rigidity and tightness to the entire structure, both cans can be placed in a large plastic beer bottle, having previously cut off its bottom and neck. For the cable, you need to pierce a hole in the middle of the resulting cylinder, which, after connecting, needs to be scalded with hot water. The plastic of the bottle is deformed and seals the hole.

It should be noted that the scope for creativity in the field of amateur antenna construction is almost limitless. The photographs below prove this.

Improved multi-section antenna

This is a long-known design, it was also made from pea cans

Do not make such an antenna in one day, it is harmful to the liver!

It happens that a standard television antenna does not receive a TV signal well due to the distance from the television tower or the poor quality of the antenna itself; in such cases, a homemade television antenna made from beer cans can help us out. This design is very simple and can be made in a few minutes from scrap materials and does not require any special technical experience. Such a TV antenna made from beer cans is suitable for receiving both analogue and digital broadcasting, and in the case of the latter, our antenna will receive better than the telescopic one that is often included in the digital TV receiver kit.

In order to make a TV antenna from beer cans we will need:

  • 2 beer cans, preferably 0.75-1l each, but 0.5l will also work;
  • Scotch tape or tape;
  • Wooden hanger or suitable slats, boards, plastic tubes;
  • Soldering iron with rosin and tin (optional);
  • 1.5-5 meters of antenna cable;
  • 2 self-tapping screws of the “bug” type;
  • Screwdriver.

How to make a TV antenna with your own hands, step-by-step instructions:

First, select the cable of the length you need, it all depends on where the antenna will be placed, indoors or outdoors on a mast. Near the window or near the TV itself. After this, we attach a plug to one end of the cable, and at the other we release the inner core, 5-10 centimeters, while we unravel the braid and twist it separately from the central core. Make sure that the braid does not come into contact with the central core; you can leave from 1 cm to 2 insulating plastic layer.

Let's prepare our beer cans by rinsing them in hot water and drying them, then we have several ways to connect the cans to the cable. The first is to solder the central core of the cable to the upper part (where the opener is) to one can and also solder the braid to another beer can. It is worth noting here that soldering the cable to an aluminum beer can with ordinary rosin is quite difficult; in this case, you need to sand the soldering area with emery cloth paper, but it’s better to take an active flux such as LTI-120. Second - we screw the screws into one and the second can with a screwdriver, not screwing a couple of millimeters to the cap, and wind the ends of the TV cable to these screws according to the same principle as in the first method, now tighten the screws more tightly. And the third method is the simplest, if there are opener tails left on the cans, then you can wind the ends of the cable directly on them.

The TV antenna made from beer cans is almost ready. Now let's take a wooden hanger or any slatted or small board, a plastic tube and use adhesive tape or tape to attach beer cans to it. The distance between the cans needs to be selected experimentally by connecting our TV antenna to the TV and moving the cans along the board, when the signal is the best, we wind the cans in this place “forever”. To begin with, when setting the distance, you can use the following guideline: for cans with a volume of 0.75 liters, a distance of 7.5 cm is suitable. In order for the cable not to come off during active use of the antenna, when you move it in order to catch the best signal, the cable is better Using adhesive tape or tape, screw it to the same board or hanger.

That's it, now our DIY TV antenna made from beer cans is ready. All that remains is to plug it into the antenna socket of the TV and choose the best place for it to receive television stations and enjoy watching TV programs.

There are no limits to people's imaginations regarding the construction of can antennas, and you can see options for ready-made designs of similar TV antennas in the photographs below.

So, imagine this situation: in the evening you decided to watch your favorite TV program, and suddenly the TV stopped showing - the cable TV was turned off. Or another case: you arrived at the dacha, already prepared for a vacation and discovered that you forgot to buy an antenna for the TV - not a single channel works. What to do in this case? The answer is simple - you need to make an antenna for the TV with your own hands from scrap materials, because most likely the cause of the breakdown is in this device. Next, we will look at the simplest manufacturing options, which will require a minimum of available parts and time.

Idea #1 – Use beer cans!

This version of a homemade television antenna is the simplest and fastest to manufacture. The maximum number of channels that you can catch is 7, but this figure can vary significantly depending on the region, terrain features and distance to the TV tower.

To make a TV antenna from beer cans, you will need the following materials:

  • 2 small self-tapping screws, also called “bugs” (not needed if you have a soldering iron);
  • 2 prepared beer cans (empty, washed and dried);
  • from 3 to 5 meters of television cable (can be taken from a failed device);
  • soldering iron and tin (for better fixation of contacts), availability is optional;
  • screwdriver;
  • wooden trempel (hanger);
  • electrical tape or tape.

Finding all the materials in the house will not be a problem, so having prepared them, we immediately get down to business.

In order to make a homemade antenna from cans, you need to complete the following steps:

  1. We prepare the cable. First, at a distance of 10 cm from the edge, you need to make a shallow circular cut and remove the top layer of insulation. Having opened access to the screen, we collapse it into one bundle. After this, we cut off the middle insulating layer, exposing the copper core of the cable by a few cm. At the second end of the wire there should be a regular antenna plug.
  2. We prepare the jars. There will also be no difficulties with containers that will act as signal receivers. First you need to choose the optimal dimensions of beer cans. It is better to use liter ones, but if these are not available, containers with a volume of 0.5 and 0.75 liters will also cope well with the task.
  3. Let's make contacts. At this stage, the twisted cable screen is fixed to one can, and the copper core itself is fixed to the other. Fixation is carried out by bedbugs using a screwdriver or a regular screwdriver. However, it is recommended to fasten the wire not with bugs, but with a soldering iron. The result should look like this:
  4. We assemble a homemade antenna for a TV. The signal receiver is ready, now we make a supporting structure, which we use as a trempel or a regular hanger. Under no circumstances should it be made of wire or metal. Using electrical tape, we fix the containers to the trempel (as shown in the photo). We draw your attention to the fact that the banks must be strictly on the same straight line, otherwise the homemade product will not work and receive the signal stably.

  5. Setting up an antenna for the TV. Now you need to experiment with the optimal distance between the cans, as well as where to hang the device and its position so that the homemade product catches many channels. We turn on the TV and determine exactly how the receivers should be located and where is the most suitable place for their work. This completes the technology for creating the device.

As you can see, the whole process is quite simple and does not represent anything complicated. The optimal distance is 75 mm between the ends of the cans, and the best installation location is near a window or on an external mast. In individual cases, the distance between the banks can be made larger or smaller.

Visual video instructions for creating a simple antenna from cans

Idea No. 2 – Use wire

Another equally good option that is advisable to use in the village is a homemade antenna made of copper wire with an amplifier.

All you need for production is:

  • amplifier (suitable from an old device, for example, a non-working or disassembled antenna);
  • two pieces of wire 180 cm each, it is advisable to choose thick and stiff so that the wind does not damage the device;
  • a piece of metal (or wood) plate 15*15 cm;
  • electric drill with a set of drills (a welding machine is desirable);
  • small bolts;
  • hammer;
  • iron pipe;
  • a television cable of suitable length with a plug (sold in radio stores, not expensive, can be removed from a non-working device).

So, to make your own TV antenna from copper wire, you need to complete the following steps:


Please note that in the photo examples, both the amplifier, the reflector, and the wire are covered with paint. Painting protects the structure from corrosion and other adverse factors, significantly extending the service life of a homemade TV antenna.

Idea No. 3 – Home HDTV device

If the first 2 options worked at a frequency of no more than 270 MHz, then the next manufacturing method will allow you to enjoy a higher quality picture, because The signal range can reach up to 490 MHz. The only part that is unlikely to be found among household items is a matching transformer from 300 to 75 Ohms. You will need to buy it in advance at a specialized store, but some plugs already contain this part.

Although, there are instructions on the Internet for making a homemade transformer, you can find and use it, this will significantly improve your skills in assembling homemade antennas.



Materials you will need:

  1. Scotch
  2. Cardboard
  3. Stationery knife
  4. Foil
  5. Stapler
  6. Scissors
  7. Marker
  8. Roulette
  9. Glue (pencil or PVA)

Having prepared all this school kit, let's get down to business!

First you need to draw (or print on a computer) this diagram:


Now, according to the diagram, we cut out all the spare parts, including the necessary pieces of foil:



After this, you need to make a reflector with dimensions of 35 * 32.5 cm (height and width). Cover one side with foil.



In the middle we cut out two identical rectangles, which are necessary in order to completely assemble the signal catcher for a homemade antenna for a TV. The rectangle should be 3.5 cm long, its purpose is to maintain the distance between the reflector and the auxiliary parts.



We glue the parts onto the rectangle, and when the glue sets, we drill holes for the television cable.



We connect the transformer and cable using twists, tape or a soldering iron. A more powerful TV antenna is ready for use! It should also be noted that this homemade version is only suitable for indoor use, because The paper will quickly become wet from being used outdoors.

Assembling a digital antenna from a TV cable and a cardboard box

Another option for a powerful device made at home:

HDTV antenna made from improvised means

Idea No. 4 – Apartment option

There is another way to make a powerful antenna for a TV from improvised materials, which is suitable for both outdoor and indoor use.

To make the device you will need the following materials and tools:

  • 4-meter copper wire, cross-section 4 mm2;
  • board of arbitrary thickness, 55 cm long and 7 cm wide;
  • wood screws;
  • ruler or tape measure;
  • a simple pencil;
  • screwdriver;
  • soldering iron;
  • antenna plug.

So, first, we transfer the drawing to the workpiece and drill holes in the board:

Then we transfer the drawing data to the board and drill in the appropriate fastening points.

Next, the copper wire must be straightened and cut into 8 equal pieces of 37.5 cm each.

In the middle of each of the 37.5 cm sections, the insulation must be removed (as shown in the picture). To do this, use a sharp knife; a stationery knife is perfect.

We cut off 2 more pieces of wire 22 cm long and divide them into 3 equal parts, bend them slightly and, again, remove the insulation in these places.

We bend the prepared wire in exposed areas. We draw your attention to the fact that for those segments that are bent in half, the distance between the ends should be 7.5 cm (the optimal value for receiving a signal from a homemade television antenna).

Next, we attach the plug to the finished homemade product, and connect the television cable to it.

This concludes the manufacturing process. We select a suitable location and direction where signal reception is best, and install the device.

We tried to select the simplest instructions. We hope that now you know how to make a home TV antenna with your own hands! We draw your attention to the fact that today on the Internet you can find many other options in which inventors come up with more and more new manufacturing options, using, for example, copper and aluminum tubes, disks, electrodes... The choice of components for assembly is usually determined only by their availability, so don’t be afraid to experiment and come up with your own original manufacturing methods.

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