How to Build a low Cost WiFi Antenna

Build a high performance WiFi antenna from a salvaged DirectTV dish and pick up WiFi access points over a distance of eight miles. Such a dramatic increase in signal is worth hunting down the parts for this project. The cost of parts is very low but the benefits are high.

Things You'll Need

• Salvaged DirectTV satellite dish
• Panel mount N-connector
• Male "pigtail" connector
• WiFi access point
• 10 feet 400-series coaxial cable
• Solid-core 3-conductor copper wire
• Wire stripper/cutter
• 2 pairs of pliers
• Felt tip marker
• 110-mm square black plastic
• 110-mm square thin sheet copper
• Drill
• Epoxy

Instructions

1. Cut and strip a 244 mm length of copper wire. Mark it every 31 mm with a felt tip pen.

2. Use both pairs of pliers to bend the wire at each pen mark into a bow tie (or double diamond) shape.

3. Drill holes in the center of the black plastic square and in the center of the copper sheet large. The holes need to be large enough to fit the N-connector.

4. Thread the N-connector through the copper sheet.

5. Cut two separate 4-inch segments of copper wire. Strip the wire. Solder one copper wire to the end of the N-connector and the other to the copper sheet next to the N-connector.

6. Attach the copper sheet to the black plastic base with epoxy. Let the epoxy cure.

7. Insert the mid-point of the bow tie shaped copper in between the two copper wires so there is 15 mm between the bow tie and the copper sheet. Solder each wire to the bow tie. Use scrap copper trimmed from the copper sheet as braces. Cut two 15 mm strips and use these to hold up either end of the bow tie as you solder. Trim down the excess wire so there is no excess stand past the bow tie.

8. Detach the feedhorn mounting from the satellite dish and strip it down to it's metal skeleton.

9. Insert the free end of the N-connector (that extends from the black plastic side of the copper/plastic square) into the feedhorn's tube. Screw the coaxial cable onto the N-connector's threads.

10. Reattach the feedhorn to the satellite dish/antenna so the bow tie faces into the dish.

11. Mount the dish on a pole or other solid surface so the dish/antenna faces the horizon. Choose an area with as few obstructions as possible.

12. Use the pigtail to connect the coaxial cable to the WiFi router access point.