Insert your mobile SIM card into the TV and unblock all the HD channels in the world!

Insert your mobile SIM card into the TV and unblock all the HD channels in the world!

Here you will learn how to make handmade antennas to watch over-the-air digital TV channels.

Imagine that you have a TV set, but no antenna to receive digital TV in your area. Or your digital television reception device is broken. It would be a shame to miss the final of a football tournament or your favorite TV series!.. Don't panic, there is a solution to this problem. Here we will give you step-by-step instructions on how to create 3 simplest types of antennas. 

Important! A homemade antenna will not allow you to watch digital terrestrial television if you do not have a set-top box or a decoder built into your TV to decode the digital signal. Using a simple antenna you can try to get several TV channels, but this is not guaranteed, since reception depends on the signal level. 

You can check the signal level on your TV to see if such a simple antenna will work. Turn on the TV and put it into setup mode (no antenna is required at this stage). In the settings, find the signal strength indicator (where exactly it is located depends on the interface of the brand and model of your TV). If the signal level exceeds 15%, then television broadcasting is available for reception with a homemade antenna. If it is lower, you will need a more powerful receiving device.

Make a simple antenna out of a metal paper clip

Exactly! Even from the most ordinary metallic paper clip you can make a primitive antenna. 

  • Find a paper clip that is as large as possible. Bend the paperclip until it forms an L-shape.
  • Insert the short end of the paperclip directly into the coaxial port on the TV.

Tip. A homemade antenna works best if you place it near a window.

How to make a simple antenna from a coaxial TV cable?

At short distances to the transmitting center, an indoor antenna can be made from a television coaxial cable in 5 minutes. This is the simplest DIY receiving device, and you don't even need a soldering iron or other complex tools that you most likely won't have on hand. To make a simple antenna, you will need the cable itself, a knife, pliers and an F-plug, which is needed to connect the antenna to the TV.

  • Purchase a coaxial cable several meters long. Using a knife, strip the last 15 cm (6 inches) of insulation from one end of the coaxial cable.
  • Place the bare end of the wire vertically near the window. Connect the other end of the cord to the TV port with the F-plug to attach the antenna. Some resourceful craftsmen advise soldering an old SIM card to the end of the cable.

How to make a loop antenna from coaxial TV cable?

This type of antenna is a little more complex, but still does not require additional tools or much work. Follow these steps to assemble a loop antenna:

  • Strip the end of the antenna wire from insulation.
  • Measure 40 cm and carefully remove the insulation on a 2 cm segment (it is important not to damage the outer contour);
  • Place the bare end of the cable and the section stripped of insulation against each other and firmly connect them with wire.

You will get a circle of cable with a diameter of just over 15 cm, which will serve as the receiver. Now in the middle (on the opposite side from the connection point) you need to measure 4 cm and remove the insulation. A DIY device for digital television made from coaxial cable is ready!