How to build a UHF Digital TV antenna.

This page is dedicated to making your own over the air digital tv antenna. UHF digital HDTV is the future. Starting in Feb. of 2009 all over the air broadcast television will become digital signals. You will need a digital converter box or a HDTV set to receive any TV broadcast over the air. All the materials you will need to build this antenna you probably already have laying around your home. Let's get started.

Refer to step 7 throughout the other steps for a reference picture.

-1-

Start with a piece of thin plywood or some old paneling, cut it to about 30" x 14", then wrap one side of the piece with foil wrap, good old aluminum foil, use duct tape to hold it in place around the edges.

-2-

Next you will need to cut a 2x4 to about 35" this will give you some extra so you can mount it. The best place would be in the attic or garage rafters or just set it behind the TV set if it is above ground level.

-3-

Lay the plywood piece (or whatever you used) foil side down on to the 2x4, center it side to side and flush on one of the ends and screw or nail it down

-4-

Now we need to measure out where the metal bows will be mounted. Measure up 15" from the end where you mounted the 2x4 flush, this is the center of your antenna, now measure 3.5" from each side of the center, and another 7" from each side of 3.5" mark. Your bows will be spaced 7" apart with the cable connecting at the center.

-5-

Grab some old coat hangers or any stiff wire and cut them into 8 14" lengths, bend them into a v shape, if you are using coat hangers make sure you sand off the coating at the v section to make sure you have a good contact. Get some screws and washers and start them into the board at the 7" lines that you did earlier, and also in the center line.

-6-

Get some more stiff wire and place it under the washer with the metal bow sticking out sideways and screw it down. Crisscross the wires at each end and insulate them from each other. The middle ones is where you will be mounting the transformer. Let's get digital

-7-

Mount the antenna and check out some good UHF digital HDTV.