Next week we're going to start building our own antenna... it's a design that was developed in the early 1960s by Doyt Hoverman, and has been improved by a Canadian gentleman over the last several years.  The Gray-Hoverman antenna is particularly good for digital TV in the Syracuse area because its coverage spans all of the UHF channels used here... and it is most sensitive toward the upper end of the band.  This last quality is particularly handy since losses in the antenna cable are worst for the upper channels.

That's a hand-drawn sketch of one of the early versions of the modified Gray-Hoverman, and it's quite similar to the one we're going to build.  The design has been made publicly available, so anyone who has the interest is free to give it a try.

Our version of this design uses material you can get inexpensively at any home improvement store -- the framework is made from 1/2" PVC water pipe, and it uses a piece of heavy metal screening called hardware cloth as a signal reflector.  The result is reasonably light yet durable, and it offers several options for mounting.

Assembly is not terribly difficult, and should be a nice afternoon project.  You will need to be able to:

• Measure and cut plastic pipe accurately
• Drill 18 holes in plastic pipe
• Clean and cement pipe and fittings
• Solder several pieces of wire
• Cut a piece hardware cloth to size

You will also need a flat surface to work on with plenty of fresh air, well away from any flame.

There are several potential hazards you should be watchful for:

• PVC cleaner and cement are flamable and unhealthy to breathe.  You don't want to be using the stuff in a closed area near an open flame (most basements, for example).
• When you drill plastic, it's easy for the bit to catch and spin the workpiece around.  You should secure the pipe in a vise... don't hold it in your hand while drilling it.
• Cutting plastic pipe is best done with a sharp tool.  Sharp tools aren't picky:  they like to cut fingers just as much as pipe.
• When it comes time to install the antenna, you are likely to be on a ladder or at some height.  Gravity is your enemy... so are power lines.

That's not an exhaustive list... but you get the point.  If your sense of the ideal handyman comes from watching Home Improvement, you might want to give this project a pass.

By this time I've either whetted your appetite or scared you off completely.  If you're curious and want to learn more, there's an interesting Canadian forum where you can read more about this antenna and other over-the-air reception issues:  www.digitalhome.ca.

We'll get to work next week.  Until then, have a great weekend!

-- Jeff