Despite the development of the Internet, listening to radio stations remains no less popular. Supply keeps pace with demand: the number of broadcast programs in the fm band allows you to choose a wave to suit every taste. You can stop listening to music, news, audio books, and, if you get tired, change the radio station with a slight movement of your hand.
But there is one problem: high-quality reception of radio stations is not possible everywhere. The sound is accompanied by noise, interference, or periodically disappears altogether.
An fm antenna, which can be made at home, will help eliminate this drawback.
What are antennas like?
Depending on the type of receiving radio signal, the antenna can be digital or analog.
- Digital is designed to receive DVB-T2 signals, which transmit data in decimeter waves.
- Analogue is needed to display channels of the same name. Waves of meter length are transmitted, which means that the dimensions during manufacturing are kept appropriate.
Therefore, in order for a TV antenna to work well, you need to know the dimensions for manufacturing.
There are also broadband antennas. The conductors of the design are made of different lengths, which makes it possible to catch both the MV and UHF ranges at once. So, if you need to set up digital and analog TV channels at the same time, then you need to install an all-wave device.
Depending on the location of installation, they are divided into indoor (home, room) and outdoor (outdoor). Homemade digital indoor antennas, and even factory ones, can pick up channels only if the repeater is close. Moreover, the signal must reach the window where the structure receiving the signal is installed.
Outdoor ones are characterized by greater power, therefore they are better for use than indoor ones.
They are divided into individual and collective.
- Individual digital antennas are purchased separately by each resident of the house and installed outside independently or with the help of a specialist installer.
- Collective (or common house) ones are installed on the roof of apartment buildings. Provide signals to all residents at once. You cannot connect yourself and fix possible problems in the future. Maintenance is carried out by specialists from the company that installed the antenna.
The type of action can be:
- passive - they do not amplify the received signal, and the reception itself is ensured due to the design of the on-air receiver;
- active – in addition to reception, the signal is amplified. The receiver has an amplifier board, which is powered by an external power supply or digital set-top box via a coaxial cable.
By the way, if you bought a passive antenna, and the signal level on the TV or set-top box is not the highest, then you can make the design active. To do this, an external amplifier is connected to the cable television line indoors.
Let's start remodeling
Amplifiers from array-type antennas have a balun transformer, and we will need it to match the antenna with the signal consumer. In the photo below, the transformer is circled in yellow. (A similar modification can also be made in amplifiers for other types of antennas)
Matching transformer on the antenna amplifier board
There is no need to solder it, everything is much simpler. On the amplifier board, on the side of the radio elements, you need to remove the excess. Namely, unsolder the capacitor at the output of the transformer (marked with a red dot) and unsolder the strapping elements in the terminal circuit to which the central core of the cable is connected (marked in orange)
Attention! In amplifiers with other numbers, the number of elements and their location may differ, but the meaning remains the same, disconnect the transformer and terminal from the amplifier circuit.
Antenna amplifier with items marked for removal
This is how I did it! (Photo below) Of course, I washed all the soldering points with alcohol..... well, how did I wash it? — Rubbed with a thin layer, you know))) Although this is not necessary.
Amplifier with elements already removed
Final stage - Using a short wire, you need to connect the free output of the transformer to the terminal for the central core of the cable. That's it, the approval board is ready! You can install and try. And yes! Don't forget to use a regular TV plug instead of the power supply. The one with the separator from the power supply will not work.
Amplifier converted into a matching board
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Two types of TV antennas: active and passive. How do they work, and which one is better for digital television? Read the advantages and disadvantages of each type of antenna in this article.
No, we will not write about how to point an antenna for strategic bombing, as you might think from the picture.
