# Paper Clip as Antenna For TV Without Cable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 15, 2014, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154 "2014-04-15T05:38:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pauly01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Pauly01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pauly01)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/1 "2014-04-15T05:38:15Z")
I heard this can be done. Is this basically the same thing as getting one of those tv antennas? I seen some video where all you have to do is put a pin. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/2 "2014-04-15T05:48:40Z")
It can be done, but why wouldn’t you just buy a regular antenna? They’re not expensive and likely will give you better reception. They don’t have to be fancy, either. I use a $25 set of rabbit ears, but you could get away with paying less. ---
**Author:** ![Vashbul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Vashbul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vashbul)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/3 "2014-04-15T08:00:34Z")
Whether it works depends on a lot of things, including where you live and what you consider an acceptable number of stations that you can receive well. I recently moved to a basement apartment in Boston. I used to have a roof antenna, but after moving, wanting to get set up in a hurry, I attached an alligator clip with a short piece of wire to the antenna input of my TV and after optimizing the wire position, was surprised at how good it worked. Not as good as the roof antenna, but better than I expected. A dozen stations came in well, as opposed to nearly twice that many with the old setup. As I’m sure you know, once broadcasting went digital, you either get a good picture or an unwatchable one. Or none at all. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/4 "2014-04-15T09:48:29Z")
I don’t know about a paperclip, which seems a bit small to me, but I have done it with a wire clothes hanger. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/5 "2014-04-15T12:20:09Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I don’t know about a paperclip, which seems a bit small to me, but I have done it with a wire clothes hanger. How about one the size of a dime: [| CommLawBlog](http://www.commlawblog.com/tags/aereo/) ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/6 "2014-04-15T13:21:09Z")
Anything conductive which will extend the center of the cable terminal past the shield wire may work well enough to capture a signal. I’ve used paper clips, solid wire, and stripped metal twisty ties in a pinch. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/7 "2014-04-15T13:33:27Z")
I couldn’t find a video, but a great gag on Married with Children was Al saying “Assume Fox viewing positions” then the family would link hands holding various objects to try to pick up the channel. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/8 "2014-04-15T13:35:48Z")
There is one set length for each frequency that is best. VHF tends to be the big ones, about 1 metre… UHF is smaller, about 30 cm. Of course, you can use different sizes, but the antenna is less effective. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/9 "2014-04-15T14:05:21Z")
yeah any metal stuck into the antenna jack input is an antenna. the usefulness of any antenna depends on the strength and quality of the signal at the antenna. the size and shape of the antenna will also determine how useful it will be to receive a signal. some times signals are so strong and good that no antenna other than the receiving device itself is needed, this is rare especially for tv, i have had this when i could see the tv station towers. i have used paper clips or doorbell wire as antennas where appropriate. a rabbit ears (rods) for VHF and a bow tie or loop for UHF work well and cost pennies on the used market. go to [http://www.tvfool.com/](http://www.tvfool.com/) click on Check Your Address for Free TV and enter your location as a zip, address, coordinates and height of antenna. the more specific the location the better the report. the report will give you the stations expected with varying quality antennas. you want to pat attention to the ‘real channel’ numbers to determine if you want UHF or also VHF antenna. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/10 "2014-04-15T14:25:19Z")
My sister lived in a tall block of flats in London back in the 70s. They had a common TV aerial, but found that they got better reception from a wire coat hanger. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/11 "2014-04-15T14:38:13Z")
location of an antenna is important. reflections from walls, buildings and mountains can cause problems. with digital tv signals too strong of a signal can be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/12 "2014-04-15T20:28:53Z")
Ideally the length of an antenna is supposed to match the wavelength of whatever you’re trying to receive. You can get lucky with paperclips or coathangers, but generally you would want a TV antenna that’s designed to receive common TV frequencies. ---
**Author:** ![Carlarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Carlarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carlarm)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/13 "2014-04-16T03:05:34Z")
A simple dipole antenna will work much, much better than a paper clip etc. It will also work better than any of these fancy looking indoor antennas. You can either make one yourself or pay a couple bucks for one from Radio Shack. The dipole antenna will work better if you use an impedance matching transformer also available at Radio Shack for a couple bucks. You can tack the dipole antenna to the top edge of a wall. Try different walls to find the one that works best. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/14 "2014-04-16T16:09:37Z")
Using a piece of cable coax , the little nub of wire that sticks out from the center does nothing. but connecting it to a coat hanger gives me 14 digital and one snowy channel that is still apparently analog. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/15 "2014-04-16T18:35:05Z")
When I was at university I used a small pair of nail scissors jammed into the aerial socket. Gave me a better picture than a wire coathanger, for some reason. (I know, a student with nail scissors! I don’t think they were mine…) ---
**Author:** ![Pauly01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Pauly01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pauly01)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/16 "2014-06-26T22:13:42Z")
Anyone else have recommendations? The tv we have here in brooklyn with the antenna the rca one doesn’t seem to pick up channel 11 and channel 7 either. Also back in manhattan we had zero issues with it and now… there doesnt seem to be channel 4 hd nor channel 5. In manhattan we had no problems. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/17 "2014-06-26T22:20:42Z")
Isn’t there a formula, based on length of wire and the frequency of the signal? Like for FM radio, 30 inches? TV frequencies are adjacent to the FM band. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/18 "2014-06-26T22:24:14Z")
go to [http://www.tvfool.com/](http://www.tvfool.com/) click on Check Your Address for Free TV and enter your location as a zip, address, coordinates and height of antenna. the more specific the location the better the report. the report will give you the stations expected with varying quality antennas. you want to pat attention to the ‘real channel’ numbers to determine if you want UHF or also VHF antenna. you are in a different location. find the direction to the stations. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/19 "2014-06-26T22:27:57Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Isn’t there a formula, based on length of wire and the frequency of the signal? Like for FM radio, 30 inches? TV frequencies are adjacent to the FM band. there are the same formulas. the tv channel frequencies occupy a much larger range than the FM radio band, so characteristics of the type of antenna is different. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154/20 "2014-06-27T00:19:04Z")
But the range is into UHF and the size is getting down to paper clip size… So the paper clip may well work for the high end of the UHF range , and not pick up VHF. However one benefit it that its non-directional, while larger, multi-element, designs are directional. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-clip-as-antenna-for-tv-without-cable/686154.md?page=2)