coat hanger antenna

regibbons · 12-12-2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tigerbangs

The only caution that I would offer is to be absolutely sure that the lengths of wire between bays is EXACTLY the same, and that the wires should be drawn taut...

Pardon my limited vocab, but this is referring to the wires that go up and down the board? What about the whiskers? how exact do they need to be? Mine are within a range of about 1/4" of smallest to biggest. Do I need to try to shave them down or anything?

I need to clarify a bit: each of the eight "V"s are the same length straightened, but the bend in each "V" is within ~1/8" of the exact center. Do I need to try to shave that down?

IDRick · 12-13-2008, 02:48 PM

The phase lines are the long lines that run the length of the board. It is important that they be the same length for maximum gain from the antenna. If they're off a little, gain is reduced but the antenna stills receives OTA signal. Mine did. :-) The whiskers should be the same length. A 1/8" difference likely has no effect on antenna gain.

Goodrat · 01-06-2009, 09:54 PM

I made this one today with 10awg copper mag wire. I used terminal blocks that bolt down for better connections. Because of that, the spacing of the vertical wires is closer that 2 inches. I'm not sure how that may affect things but it's working fine in the attic with 4 tv's split and all other dimensions are typical (7" wiskers but an inch more that is in the terminal block, 5.75 spacing).
I looked up formulas about transmissin lines. Maybe the vertical wires being 300 ohms is the key if you consider it a transmission line from the top to bottom whiskers, but just a guess. Impedance = 276 times the log of distance between wires divided by radius of the wire. Meaning Z=276 x log (distance/radius).
My wire has a radius of .05". With a distance of 1" that is 359 ohms.
A distance of .62 would be 301 ohms. So maybe I am OK with the vertical wires about 1 inch apart. Any engineers here?
I wonder what the radius of a typical coat hanger is?

Goodrat · 01-13-2009, 09:10 PM

oops, I think that should be diameter, not radius.

Jodean · 01-24-2009, 08:01 PM

Heres my coat hanger antenna....actually copper wire 14awg since i didnt have enough metal hangers....

It pulls in signal better than this HD phillips amplified antenna ($30)

Im getting fox at 76% now instead of 72 with no drop-outs.....best thing is i dont have to have anything plugged in anymore.

It will eventually make its way into the attic above this tv.....antenna is feeding my home theater just below this room.

spokybob · 01-27-2009, 02:50 PM

My Vanna antenna.

I use a CM4221 feeding my DISH622, but I use this coathanger hooked up to ANT1 when I am recording a OTA and I want to watch another OTA. I use separate YouTubes on the garage & bedroom sets. I live 20 to 27 miles from the towers.

mxz800 · 01-27-2009, 09:05 PM

Ok but you could at least solve the puzzle.
LOL

Tim

jbabb · 01-28-2009, 01:33 PM

remove the coating from thye wires and you might see a little increase in reception, as the insulation is also insulating it from the signal except for the very tip end.

TopiaryCow · 02-18-2009, 09:34 AM

First I'd like to thank everybody on the HighDef Forum for sharing their info and photos of the HDTV antennas.

I'd watched the youtube video but the info here was much more detailed and especially the pictures really showed me how it was supposed to go.

I made my antenna with the 10" whiskers and longer spacing as was mentioned here, because I live in the boondocks and knew reception was pretty bad. I just used the coat hangers for whiskers and some leftover copper speaker wire for the phase wires.

Question: If I replace the coat-hanger wire with good quality copper wire, will it be likely to improve my reception? Or is it more crucial to have the antenna up higher, (in my attic) to improve reception?

From the tvfool printout I'm getting everything at NM 34.9 but nothing lower, and I'd like to improve that.

Thanks again for all of you sharing your knowledge with those of us who are beginners!

IDRick · 02-18-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopiaryCow

First I'd like to thank everybody on the HighDef Forum for sharing their info and photos of the HDTV antennas.

I'd watched the youtube video but the info here was much more detailed and especially the pictures really showed me how it was supposed to go.

I made my antenna with the 10" whiskers and longer spacing as was mentioned here, because I live in the boondocks and knew reception was pretty bad. I just used the coat hangers for whiskers and some leftover copper speaker wire for the phase wires.

Question: If I replace the coat-hanger wire with good quality copper wire, will it be likely to improve my reception? Or is it more crucial to have the antenna up higher, (in my attic) to improve reception?

From the tvfool printout I'm getting everything at NM 34.9 but nothing lower, and I'd like to improve that.

Thanks again for all of you sharing your knowledge with those of us who are beginners!

The youtube DIY are alright but there are better ones derived from computer models. Take a look at mclapp's plans at: http://www.frontiernet.net/~mclapp/Antennas/

Pure · 02-21-2009, 02:19 PM

Is this the transformer for the antenna? Or wont this one work.
http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...Id=35834912323

IDRick · 02-21-2009, 02:36 PM

Pure, Correct, I am using the same balun on my mclapp design 4-bay.

Pure · 02-21-2009, 07:09 PM

So i made my coat hanger antenna. Didn't work so well at my house. (Didn't expect it to) But I took it to my cabin on the side of a mountain and it worked beautifully.

Jetman47 · 03-23-2009, 11:01 AM

Well thanks to everyone's post on this forum, I finally got around to building my first antenna.... and guess what? The sucker worked first time out of the gate.

Tomorrow when the temp is a little nicer and the wind has calmed down I'm going to elevate it another 10 feet or so.
I live on the north shore of Lake Erie and right now at about 20 feet I am pulling in Toronto, it's a little fuzzy but it's there, I figure 30 feet according to tvfools' website should get me the optimum reception.
I am using the 9.5" X 4 whisker configuration if anyone wants to know. Thanks again for all of the great posts, all I had to do was read what everyone else tried and then built one for myself, only took me about 1 hour and all I had to buy was the washers, a whole 68 cents with tax.

smdp1 · 03-23-2009, 05:26 PM

I've built two....one worked great for the folks I made it for...the other was turd

01-27-2009, 02:50 PM	#36
spokybob NASCAR IN HD Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: NW Illinois Posts: 534	My Vanna antenna. I use a CM4221 feeding my DISH622, but I use this coathanger hooked up to ANT1 when I am recording a OTA and I want to watch another OTA. I use separate YouTubes on the garage & bedroom sets. I live 20 to 27 miles from the towers. __________________ Bob VIZIO 55" VIZIO 26" Vizio 32",Directv HR24 HR24 AM21 H24 -Bose

02-18-2009, 09:34 AM	#39
TopiaryCow What is HD? Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1	Refining Coat Hanger Antenna--better reception? First I'd like to thank everybody on the HighDef Forum for sharing their info and photos of the HDTV antennas. I'd watched the youtube video but the info here was much more detailed and especially the pictures really showed me how it was supposed to go. I made my antenna with the 10" whiskers and longer spacing as was mentioned here, because I live in the boondocks and knew reception was pretty bad. I just used the coat hangers for whiskers and some leftover copper speaker wire for the phase wires. Question: If I replace the coat-hanger wire with good quality copper wire, will it be likely to improve my reception? Or is it more crucial to have the antenna up higher, (in my attic) to improve reception? From the tvfool printout I'm getting everything at NM 34.9 but nothing lower, and I'd like to improve that. Thanks again for all of you sharing your knowledge with those of us who are beginners!

03-23-2009, 11:01 AM	#44
Jetman47 FTA and Yagi user Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ontario's South Coast Posts: 1	My first try... Well thanks to everyone's post on this forum, I finally got around to building my first antenna.... and guess what? The sucker worked first time out of the gate. Tomorrow when the temp is a little nicer and the wind has calmed down I'm going to elevate it another 10 feet or so. I live on the north shore of Lake Erie and right now at about 20 feet I am pulling in Toronto, it's a little fuzzy but it's there, I figure 30 feet according to tvfools' website should get me the optimum reception. I am using the 9.5" X 4 whisker configuration if anyone wants to know. Thanks again for all of the great posts, all I had to do was read what everyone else tried and then built one for myself, only took me about 1 hour and all I had to buy was the washers, a whole 68 cents with tax.

03-23-2009, 05:26 PM	#45
smdp1 digital DX'n is alive Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Greenhill, AL. Posts: 695	I've built two....one worked great for the folks I made it for...the other was turd __________________ my antenna is bigger than yours...lol couldn't resist

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12-13-2008, 02:48 PM	#32
IDRick High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Eastern Idaho Posts: 2,715	The phase lines are the long lines that run the length of the board. It is important that they be the same length for maximum gain from the antenna. If they're off a little, gain is reduced but the antenna stills receives OTA signal. Mine did. :-) The whiskers should be the same length. A 1/8" difference likely has no effect on antenna gain.

01-13-2009, 09:10 PM	#34
Goodrat My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 7	oops, I think that should be diameter, not radius.

01-24-2009, 08:01 PM	#35
Jodean 722k,722, 612, 512 HR34 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: SD Posts: 1,145	Heres my coat hanger antenna....actually copper wire 14awg since i didnt have enough metal hangers.... It pulls in signal better than this HD phillips amplified antenna ($30) Im getting fox at 76% now instead of 72 with no drop-outs.....best thing is i dont have to have anything plugged in anymore. It will eventually make its way into the attic above this tv.....antenna is feeding my home theater just below this room.

01-27-2009, 09:05 PM	#37
mxz800 Hmmm Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 58	Ok but you could at least solve the puzzle. LOL Tim

01-28-2009, 01:33 PM	#38
jbabb High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Carthage NC Posts: 84	remove the coating from thye wires and you might see a little increase in reception, as the insulation is also insulating it from the signal except for the very tip end.

02-21-2009, 02:19 PM	#41
Pure How can anyone watch standard def? Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 15	Is this the transformer for the antenna? Or wont this one work. http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...Id=35834912323

02-21-2009, 02:36 PM	#42
IDRick High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Eastern Idaho Posts: 2,715	Pure, Correct, I am using the same balun on my mclapp design 4-bay.

02-21-2009, 07:09 PM	#43
Pure How can anyone watch standard def? Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 15	So i made my coat hanger antenna. Didn't work so well at my house. (Didn't expect it to) But I took it to my cabin on the side of a mountain and it worked beautifully.