Ideas needed for TV antenna

[moopups]

Was given a TV yesterday, there is no cable or dish in the budget, so its the metal thing on a vertical stick; but I'm too cheap to buy one. What have you seen work?

[12vman]

Build a dipole..

Take a frequency of a station that is close to you, Divide 486 by the frequency in mhz. (This will give you a 1/2 wavelength of wire) Cut a piece of wire to that length, Make a loop spaced 2" at the ends and through out the loop so that the ends of the loop come together at around 2" apart, Keep it in the horizontal position, Connect some flat lead antenna wire to the loop and run to your television..

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/catv-ch.html

[foxtrapper]

I have heard that an old metal box-spring can make a heck of a TV antenna.

[Auric]

Originally Posted by 12vman

Build a dipole..

Take a frequency of a station that is close to you, Divide 486 by the frequency in mhz. (This will give you a 1/2 wavelength of wire) Cut a piece of wire to that length, Make a loop spaced 2" at the ends and through out the loop so that the ends of the loop come together at around 2" apart, Keep it in the horizontal position, Connect some flat lead antenna wire to the loop and run to your television..

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/catv-ch.html

Now if we could just get Boleyz to illustrate this...

[Jim S.]

When done, it looks like this: 0=

The = is the wires going to your TV. The distance from one side of the 0 to the other is 2 inches.

I have had decent results by just stringing a single wire between two clothesline poles and then tapping off it in the center.

I was never very good at math. LOL

[moopups]

Thats OK, I doubt there is a local math channel anyway.

[Farmerwilly2]

Start buying the 2 for a $ pot pies instead of high fallutin diner dinners. Save all the little foils pans. Once you get bout 30 or so glue to the side of the trailer with liquid nail, not the cheap panel adhesive. Connect all of the little foil pans with wire, one to a nother, use the wire to connect to tv. You still won't get good reception, but you'll be well fed. Set up lawn chair on front porch and enjoy the looks on folks faces when they stop to admire your new antenae. Now THAT'S entertainment my friend.

[idahodave]

I found a "rabbit ears" antenna at the dollar store. One buck.

If you're close to a station they will work.

For real cheap, try a piece of wire 1-2' long with one end stuck in the center of the F connector. Placing the antenna near a window helps.

If you're far away from the station you will need a big outdoor antenna. If you have friends with cable or satellite TV they might give you their old antenna.

[Rocky Fields]

Hey.

Coathanger will work for strong stations. If you use a copper longwire, make sure it is grounded.

RF

[designer]

I heard you can take a section of welded fence wire, 4' or so, and mount it flat on your roof then run an antenna wire to it. I wanted to try this but hubby won't let me. I don't know why, who would see it?

[GREG VT]

I am currently using a piece of flexable copper pipe formed into a 18" diameter, circle attached to the TV by 10' length of twin lead antenna wire.

[wrongwayrick]

Try antennaweb.org to find how big of a antenna you need to build for your location then google tm 11-666 for a free copy of old army manual for making and setting up antenna's

[fixer1958]

Maybe you could adapt a coathanger to a tinfoil lined ballcap and sit resonably close to the tv. I think I would stay away from windows because of lightning.
Just throwing some ideas out there.