Biulding Your Own Antenna?

[hleapha]

My coords are:

zip: 29072
Lat: 33.974387
Long: -81.279154
Scattered trees, in neighborhood
2 or 3 tv's


Most of the channels I want are green uhf and green vhf 32 miles away @ 78deg. I have heard testimony of better reception from the d.i.y. youtube antennas. Has anyone had experience with these and can comment on the range?

If this is a repost, I apologize, but i didn't see it.

Thanks,

Henry

[hleapha]

Is this taboo to talk about in this forum?

[hdtvlabs]

What is taboo?? Nothing is taboo here ...

I have built quite a few antennas myself so I'll take your question, even though you may not like my answer.

The YouTube video you are referring to is a gimmick. The antenna built in this video may work for some, and so is a long piece of wire. The reference antenna to which the YouTube antenna compared is a crap, and even then, you have to be lucky to beat the reference antenna performance. I'll explain why.

Building a real mid to long range antenna is not that simple. Actually, the construction process itself can be pretty simple but tuning a DIY antenna is a whole different story. You have to make adjustments to make it resonate at the right frequency, and you must make adjustments to match impedances. Impedance matching is critical for performance and is impossible to do properly without an appropriate equipment (e.g antenna analyzer). Google antenna tuning, or antenna impedance matching terms and you will see. Somehow, the YouTube video omits all these details ...

Now do not get me wrong, if you want to build an antenna go ahead, we support you . I used to build many for HF bands ... But you must understand this: building antennas is fun but it is not a way to save money. Especially, not when building your first one. After the job is done you may find out that you have worked for well under minimum wage.

[Mallard]

I agree that there are many poorly designed DIY antennas available through the internet. But, there are some well designed UHF antennas that equal or exceed the top commercial antennas. Newer designs even include moderate VHF high gain. Check out the GH (Gray Hoverman) antennas and the M-4 (mclapp 4 bays) at: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=186 Can't just slap them together though, require quality workmanship. Cost wise, these antennas are cheaper than an equivalent gain commercial antenna. But, they're not for everyone. Need to have the time and desire to build a DIY'er.