I thought I’d kill 2 birds with one stone and send in a picture of a recent project and respond to a previous issue’s question of working from a plan or not. Depending on the project, I do anything from just jotting down some dimensions to making whatever sketches necessary for the end result needed. But almost anything I make evolves as I go anyway. Sometimes function and the materials on hand ARE the plan as in this project.
A friend needed an indoor antenna for HDTV reception. I found a basic design on the net for a home brew antenna that many had good luck with making their own variations using materials like coat hangers for elements, cookie sheets for reflectors, etc. I decided to make something a little more “finished” but still with materials on hand. The back panel/reflector is a piece of Masonite with foil duct tape carefully applied. The frame work is pieces of oak and maple that I had left from other projects, a couple dowel rods and some brass screws and washers. The elements are 12ga house wire with the insulation stripped off. Size was determined by the dimension requirements for thee antenna elements. Design evolved as I looked at what I had on hand.
The antenna works great getting all the local stations and my buddy loves the design!
– Bill Koski; Chicago, Illinois
