Build a microwave antenna from household parts

This homebrew 1.2 GHz microwave antenna is built from a 6″ household air duct and picks up a signal from an Icom R3 amateur TV repeater. The device then retransmits the signal over a longer distance. Not a lot about the construction of this giant “flashlight looking” device, but we still like the hacked efficiency of this design.

Amateur TV Receiver

(Update: The photographer asked us to remove the photo, but you can still see at the link above – pt).

4 thoughts on “Build a microwave antenna from household parts

  1. Goose22 says:

    Interesting post, but slightly inaccurate: The ICOM R3 is in fact a receiver, not a repeater. It’s the little box with the screen attached to the antenna. It can pick up AM (broadcast) and FM (1.2Ghz or 2.4Ghz) video signals, as well as AM and FM audio on a very wide frequency range.

  2. Keith DeLong says:

    When Goose22 summarized the description that went with my photo, there was a slight misinterpretation. Here is the original text:

    This is a 1.2 GHz microwave antenna made from regular 6" household air duct. It picks up a signal from our new Amateur TV repeater. (The repeater will take a TV signal from anywhere in the local county, and retransmits it to everywhere in the local county.) The antenna looks like a giant flashlight.

    WiFi wireless network users build something similar to this (but much smaller) called a cantenna (tin can antenna)

    –Keith (N8XD)

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