Every year, an increasing number of people strive to spend the warm season in the lap of nature - in their summer cottages. After all, today it is possible to equip a country residence with all the amenities; there is also no need to part with your favorite TV shows and films. You just need to install a TV antenna that is suitable in terms of characteristics and cost.
How to choose the right antenna for your dacha
The first thing you need to understand is what types of TV antennas exist.
Antennas differ:
- By type of installation: external (installed, as a rule, on the roof or facade of a building) and indoor (in most cases, suitable only for city conditions).
- Depending on the type of amplification, antennas can be active or passive. The passive one works on its own; the signal is received due to the antenna design. The active one is supplemented by an amplifier, which can be built inside the device or connected separately. Active antennas provide better signal reception. If you need to install an active antenna, it is better to give preference to the option where the amplifier is connected separately, since equipment with an amplifier built inside has a short service life (due to changes in temperature and humidity, the contacts in the amplifier quickly oxidize). At a large distance from the repeater, directional antennas with a high gain level are used.
- According to the frequency range, they distinguish between channel, band (accept only meter or only decimeter waves, suitable for digital television) and all-wave (accept both ranges: both meter and decimeter). The all-wave antenna design is capable of receiving several types of signals, therefore, using such an antenna, you can configure a larger number of channels.
Outdoor DVM antennas catch the signal from the nearest TV tower. For a high-quality signal, not only proximity to the repeater is important, but also the terrain, since any elevations will drown out the signal. To increase the reception area, it is better to install the antenna above all structures and hills present in the residential area.
When choosing an antenna for digital broadcasting, it is important to determine the distance at which the nearest tower is located from the dacha. You can do this on the RTRS website (www. rtrs.ru), having found the location of your home on the proposed map, mark this location, after which the program will provide a list of nearby repeaters and channel packages available for broadcasting in this area. The geolocation service does not take into account the height of the object, so when calculating it is recommended to take into account the height of the tower, adding approximately 30 meters to the resulting distance. In this case, you need to take into account:
- – If the distance to the repeater is 0-15 km and line of sight, a standard passive indoor antenna is suitable, if there is no visibility of the tower, a unidirectional passive antenna is needed, both indoor and outdoor are suitable.
- – At a distance of 15-30 km, you need to purchase an active outdoor antenna, preferably omnidirectional, sometimes unidirectional is suitable. An active indoor antenna will only work when the tower is in sight.
- – For distances from 30-50 km, only external antenna options are suitable: passive spatial (with line of sight) and spatial active (in the absence of a repeater in the visibility zone).
Technically, it is possible to receive a digital TV signal at distances of up to 120 km, but there is a significant probability that in a range of more than 50 km. the antenna will be in an area where signal reception is impossible or very difficult.
Manufacturing of a frame structure resonant antenna
Such antennas are often used by mechanics to receive shortwave signals. For directional signal reception, the antenna is simply turned in the desired direction. Such designs allow you to receive radio signals much more clearly thanks to the magnetic elements.
So, how to make a similar antenna for fm radio at home? First you need to find an aluminum hoop with a diameter of 77 centimeters and a cross-section of 17 millimeters; you can get one at any sporting goods store.
If you still can’t find the hoop, you can use plumbing pipes made of plastic and metal, or a copper pipe with a diameter of 1.6 cm.
The assembly sequence of this design is extremely simple:
- We solder the central core, winding and a piece of coaxial cable to the contacts of the capacitor with variable capacitance.
- We solder the other end of the cable, the central core and the winding to an aluminum hoop. You can also use a car clamp, which must first be cleaned at the mating site.
- The dimensions of the structural elements are calculated so that the length of the frame, in this case the hoop, is five times the length of the connection loop.
- From one end of the cable and from the central core, remove the insulation layer by about one centimeter.
- We remove the insulation in the middle of the cable, having previously removed 5 millimeters from it in each direction. Then we remove the cable braid, since the above actions will lead to its breaking.
- We adjust the range of our radio receiver so that the design has a resonance of 5-22 MHz. With a different capacitor value, the parameters of the receiving and transmitting device can be changed.
- Depending on the desired received range, you can change the frame parameters. So, to receive low frequencies, we select the diameter of the hoop within one to one and a half meters, and to receive high frequencies, 70 centimeters.
These simple rules will allow you to build a device capable of operating in different ranges.
Outdoor antennas
Locus Meridian 07AF Turbo
Average price 700-900 rubles. Compact street model with high-frequency balanced amplifier. It has an improved signal-to-noise ratio of up to 3 dB, which increases the reception range and image stability. Ideal for rough terrain.
ADVANTAGES:
- high-quality assembly
- ease of connection
- light weight
- good welcome
- convenient fastening
FLAWS
- not detected
Locus Meridian 07AF Turbo
GODIGITAL AV 6520 active with amplifier
Approximate cost 1900-2500 rubles. Operation in both passive and active modes is possible. Suitable for adverse weather conditions. Lightweight and durable aluminum construction.
ADVANTAGES:
- quick assembly
- a light weight
- confident reception
- well thought out and executed antenna mounting
- convenient design
FLAWS
- No power supply included
GODIGITAL AV 6520 active with amplifier
LUMAX DA2503A
Cost 1400-2100 rub. Lightweight aluminum construction. Built-in amplifier, excellent signal quality, wide range, suitable for areas remote from the tower up to 50-60 km.
ADVANTAGES:
- compactness
- presence of an amplifier
- confidently catches at a distance of 60 km.
- stable signal
- easy to assemble
FLAWS
- made of thin aluminum, will not withstand strong wind loads
LUMAX DA2503A
HARPER ADVB-2440
The antenna is made in China, the average price ranges from 1400 to 1900 rubles. The shape of the sphere ensures that the signal from the repeater is received without searching for direction (there is no need to turn), and the effects of wind load are also reduced.
ADVANTAGES:
- very compact size
- signal amplifier
- confident reception
- Masta takes little
- The antenna can be easily attached to the bracket (included)
FLAWS
- not detected
HARPER ADVB-2440
Antenna installation and configuration
With an indoor antenna everything is simple. It's usually put on TV
