- 1). Place a sheet of newspaper on a table to protect the table surface. Stand the empty 2-liter soda bottle on the newspaper. Stand the cork on the newspaper. Measure 1/4th inch up from the bottom of the cork facing you. Use a portable drill to drill a hole through the cork at the measurement. Measure 1/4th inch down from the top of the cork. Drill a hole through the cork at the measurement.
- 2). Rotate the cork 90 degrees to the left. Measure 3/4th of an inch down from the top of the cork facing you. Drill a hole through the cork at the measurement.
- 3). Place a metal rod horizontally on the newspaper. Measure 4 inches in from the right side of the rod. Grip the rod at the 4 inch mark with the jaws of the pliers, and bend it down at a 90-degree angle. Measure 6 inches in from the other side of the rod. Grip the rod at the 6-inch mark with the pliers and bend it up at a 90-degree angle. Repeat this procedure with the other metal rod.
- 4). Push the end of one of the metal rods closest to the 4-inch bend through the hole closest to the top of the cork. Push the end of the other metal rod closest to the 4-inch bend through the hole closet to the bottom of the cork. Insert the point of a nail through the hole in the cork between the two other holes.
- 5). Heat up the soldering iron for five minutes. Solder the exposed end of one of the two wires of the balun coaxial connector to the end of the metal rods at the bottom of the cork next to the head of the nail. Solder the exposed end of the other wire of the balun to the head of the nail. Solder the end of the rod at the top of the cork closest to the head of the nail to the head of the nail. Let the solder cool for four minutes. Unplug the soldering iron.
- 6). Rotate the bent ends of the metal rods, so the rod at the top of the cork is pointed vertically and the rod at the bottom of the cork is pointed horizontally.
- 7). Pour sand in the soda bottle until it reaches the neck. Apply bonding glue to the rim of the mouth of the soda bottle. Place the cork in the top of the mouth of the soda bottle. Let the bonding glue set for two hours.
- 8). Take the soda bottle outside in your backyard. Stand the bottle on a table, so that it is off the ground. Rotate the bottle, so that the horizontal pole is aimed in the general direction of the television broadcast towers that provide the free digital TV signal.
- 9). Screw an end of the coaxial cable to the connector on the balun. Run the coaxial cable into the home and to the TV. Screw the other end of the coaxial cable into the coax input on the TV.
- 10
Turn on the TV with its remote. Press the "Menu" button. Select "Settings," then "Inputs," then "Ant." Press the "Menu" button to exit the menu. Your TV should now be receiving a signal from your homemade antenna.
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