FREE TV antenna - do it yourself - John V. Karavitis
Channel: John Karavitis
Date: 15/01/2020

FREE TV antenna - do it yourself - John V. Karavitis

My TV antenna died this evening. I determined that the issue was that the internal wiring right behind the coaxial cable "screw" had become frayed. So, I thought about what I could do to get an antenna now this late in the evening. I also looked at Best Buy, etc. on the web. Antennas go for as cheap as $6 to as much as $150!!! For what is effectively just a piece of wire!!!

Here's what I did: I got a 6-ft long coaxial cable, both ends "male." I screwed one end into my TV converter box. At the other end, on the thin wire spike that is in the center of the male coaxial cable end, I clipped a size SMALL binder clip. To that I attached a keychain that I had (what you see dangling from it is a small screwdriver, it came with my glasses, but I never use it).

This thing works GREAT. There is some minor "interference" on channels 2 & 5 (CBS and NBC), and a few of the higher ones, but I can make the interference go away by adjusting where I stretch this antenna. Also, the binder clip can slip off, but eventually you will get it to stay in place.

I am disappointed that this antenna does not "recognize" channel 22, but I can live without it. I also get too much interference on channels 24 & 38, but I never used those.

So, yes, you can create a reasonably good antenna FOR $0. This thing works GREAT.

*****IMPORTANT UPDATE: I took another coaxial cable, and, at one end, stripped off about an inch, exposing the central copper wire. To this I attached the binder clip and key chain, and then taped this to my window. IT IS NOW NEAR PERFECT. Channel 22 (22-1 thru 22-8) I can't get, and Channel 23 (23-1 thru 23-3) has a bit of interference, but I can see those channels on Channel 26. IT WORKS BETTER IF YOU STRIP OFF ABOUT AN INCH OF THE COAXIAL CABLE SHEATHING FROM ONE END, AND HAVE EXPOSED COPPER WIRE. MY ANTENNA IS NOW NEAR PERFECT. Only if I had an outside antenna would I get the missing channels.*****