Broadcast television is free to watch, providing that you have a digital antenna connected to a television set. You can watch television while camping by making your own digital antenna beforehand to take along on the trip. A few hardware parts are required as are some common tools found in most households. You will also need a few electrical parts from an electronic or computer store. Your homemade digital antenna does not require any electronics expertise.
Instructions
1. Put a sheet of newspaper on a work surface. Place the wood board on the newspaper with the short end facing you.
2. Measure down two inches from the top, right edge of the wood board. Measure a half-inch across the board from the two-inch mark. Make a dot with the black magic marker. Measure two inches across the board from the dot. Make a dot with the black magic marker.
3. Repeat this entire process an additional three times.
4. Place a wooden screw washer over each of the dots. Screw a wood screw through the wooden washer and slightly into each of the dots using the electric screwdriver.
5. Cut eight 14-inch strips of copper wire using the wire cutters. Bend each wire so as to create a three-inch long end on one side. Pull the two ends of the copper wire towards each other to create a point.
6. Wrap the point of each of the bent copper wires around one of the wooden screws using the pliers. Angle the three-inch wide end of each of the copper wires outward either to the left or right, depending upon whether the screw is at the left or right side of the wood board.
7. Cut two 22-inch lengths of electric wire with the wire cutters. Strip a half-inch of insulation off of each of the ends of the two wires with the wire strippers.
8. Place the end of one of the electric wires around the topmost, left wooden screw on the wood board. Run the electric wire around the second from the top, wooden screw on the right side. Run the electric wire around the wooden screw below the one that was just wound around. Wind the end of the electric wire around the bottommost, left wooden screw.
9. Place the end of the other electric wire around the topmost, right wooden screw. Run the electric wire around the second from the top, wooden screw on the left side. Run the electric wire around the wooden screw below the one that was just wound around. Wind the end of the electric wire around the bottommost, right wooden screw.
10. Screw the wooden screws all the way into the wood with the electric screwdriver.
11. Strip the insulation off of the two electric wires with the wire cutters, with the exception of those areas where one electric wire crosses over the other. Turn the wood board over.
12. Put a reflective mesh grill screen onto the wood board with the long end facing you. Place the other reflective mesh grill screens below the first one with the long end facing up. Separate the top of the reflective mesh grill screen closest to you from the bottom of the reflective mesh grill screen farthest from you by four inches.
13. Screw four wood screws each in a vertical line through the the reflective mesh grill screens and into the wood board using the electric screwdriver. Turn the wood board over.
14. Strip a half-inch of insulation from each of the two wires attached to the coaxial cable connector using the wire strippers.
15. Wrap the end of one of the wires from the coaxial cable connector around the electric wire it is closest to at the right side of the wood board.
16. Wrap the end of the other wire from the coaxial cable connector around the electric wire it is closest to at the right side of the wood board.
17.Screw one end of the coaxial cable into the coaxial cable connector's plug. Screw the other end of the coaxial cable into the coaxial cable input on the portable television.
18. Stand your homemade digital TV antenna up against your camper or a tree. Turn on the portable television and enjoy watching TV while you're out camping.
Tags: electric wire, wood board, wooden screw, coaxial cable, electric wire around, wire around