DB4 HDTV Antenna
Description
So I recently cut the cord and ditched cable TV. I needed a good antenna to watch over the air TV. Being about 60 miles away from the city I needed a decent one. The DB4 is a good, solid, easy to build design for DIYers. Cheap, easy to build and works great. And if your farther than me from the signal there are some good mods to make them even more effective. Add a back pane, make two for a DB8, four for a DB16. I’m not goin in to that stuff... Plans are all over the net for this. But most of them use piece of lumber. Not the best looking thing to have on the side of your home. To make it you need: • 1” PVC pipe, SCH 80 or 40 at least 2 ft • 75 to 300 ohm Balun transformer • (10) #10 x 2 1/2” machine screws • (20) nuts for the machine screws • (20) #10 washers • 14 gauge solid core wire, or a bunch of wire coat hangers. ◦ 8 pieces cut to 18 inches and stripped bare ◦ 2 pieces cut to about 24 inches and stripped bare • The printed parts. Duh... • Optionally, a Pre-amp. ◦ I like this one. https://www.menards.com/main/electrical/electronics/antennas/rca-outdoor-tv-preamplifier/tvpramp1e/p-1444424471376-c-1454940301502.htm You should be able to get it all for $50 or so, even with the pre-amp. Four of the blocks should be centered 5.75 inches apart. One of the blocks should be centered in between the middle to blocks. This is the one the Balun hooks up to. That’s 2 7/8 inches centered to the other two. It’d be a good idea to paint it now. PVC actually does OK in sunlight. But it looks better. http://www.heritageplastics.com/technical-bulletins/effect-sunlight-exposure-pvc-pipe-conduit-fittings/ (Cause someone’s gonna argue it...) Wrap the two long wires in the pattern in the pics up top. Where they cross they have to be insulated from each other. I used heat shrink tube. On the center block it helps if you do a loop around the screw. It makes the Balun easier to tighten down. Bend the short wires in half and place one on each block and tighten a nut on it and the long wires. There’s extra in the length to make up for the bend. So from the screw cut each so there is 8 inches of wire. Once all the wires are on, separate the V’s so there is 3 ½ inches between the tips. Put the Balun in the center. Mount the pre amp. Mount the whole thing how ever you see fit. Wire it up and enjoy great free TV. The last few pics are of the antennas view of the city (not that great,) and of the reception with and with out the pre-amp. "THE BEER-WARE LICENSE" (Revision 42): https://www.thingiverse.com/kwg08/ wrote this file. As long as you retain this notice you can do whatever you want with this stuff (for non profit uses only.) If we meet some day, and you think this stuff is worth it, you can buy me a beer in return.
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