Nothing can be quite as frustrating as watching your best show on a TV that has poor quality signal. The reason behind the poor quality could be that you are using an inferior antenna or you are not using an antenna at all. But whatever the reason, you can fix the problem by making a simple but powerful antenna from your coat hangers. There are two ways you can make a useful antenna from a coat hanger. One is by attaching the hanger to a needle which then goes into the TV and the other is by fixing the hanger to a cardboard. A coaxial cable is then run from the hanger to the TV.

Method 1: Using A Needle And Speaker Wires

Find a speaker wire that is 3 feet long and strip ½ inch of its casing (strip only from the ends of the wire).  Wrap one end around a sewing needle and hold it firm using electrical tape.

Cut or bend your hanger to a V shape and attach the other end of the wire to the hanger. Then secure it with the tape. Insert your needle into the antenna port of your TV. If the needle does not fit, try other needles until you get one that fits tightly. The only thing remaining is adjusting your antenna looking for a good reception.

Method 2: Fixing The Hangers On A Cardboard

The second method isn't much different from the first one. The only difference is that it uses more V shaped hangers and a wood board. Begin by gathering your items which include a pencil, ruler, screws (the screws shouldn't be deeper than your wood), washer to go between the wire and the screws, and a 3" x 20" piece of wood board.

Then move on to making straight line marks on the wood where you will place your hangers. Make the first line 2 inches from the top, the second line 5¾ inches from the first, the third 5¾ inches from the second line, and the fourth line 5¾ inches from the third.  Draw the letter X two times on each of the four lines you have drawn; from the edges of the wood, measure ½ inch and draw the mark X. You should have a total of eight marks if you have made two marks per line.

Then come up with eight pieces of hangers with each piece cut to 14 inches. Bend them to V shapes and ensure that there is a 3-inch gap between the ends of the V. Then fix the hangers to the board using screws and washers; drill holes on the sections you marked X and use these sections to attach the hanger to the boards. The base of the V is the point that is fixed to the board; the ends should be facing away from the board.  

The final step is to connect the hangers; run a speaker wire to the base of the V shaped hangers and criss-cross the wire on all the hangers. Remember to expose the point of the speaker wire that will join with the hanger. When you are through, connect your speaker wire to a coaxial cable that runs to your TV and check for reception.