HDTV Bowtie Antenna

thingiverse

I came across these instructions for a DIY HD antenna made from cardboard. https://hubpages.com/art/make-this-powerful-hdtv-antenna-out-of-cardboard I wanted to try it out but didn't like the idea of cardboard. The original version that I printed was using wood PLA, with individual supports for the bow ties. It still wasn't strong enough for my liking, but I had to see if it worked. Using regular tin foil and Elmer's wood glue, I had no problem getting the foil to adhere to the bowties. Note: Aluminum foil tape may be a better option. I stuck with cardboard for the back reflector. 5 minute epoxy was used to glue the bowtie halves together (don't forget to print each side twice!) and sheet metal screws were used to mount the bowties to the supports and the supports to the back reflector. After hooking it up, I was able to get 16 channels in a low altitude wooded area 50-60 miles away from major cities, which was better than nothing. I ended up beefing up the bowties a little and combined the two supports into one to maintain the distance between sides and prevent them from moving when attached to the reflector.