I’ve been messing around with antennas lately, you know, trying to get better signals from those satellites flying around up there. It’s kinda fun, like a puzzle. So the other day I stumbled upon this thing called an “Eggbeater” antenna. Sounds funny, right? But it looked interesting, so I decided to give it a shot and build one myself.
First, I started digging around for info. Found a few articles and even a kit called EggNOGS. Basically, it’s a type of antenna that can pick up signals from all directions, which is cool because you don’t need those fancy motors to rotate it. Apparently, it is good for those satellites that are closer to Earth.
I decided to go the DIY route, ’cause who doesn’t love a good project? The main parts are these two loops of wire, like big circles, made out of copper wire. I found some at the hardware store, 16 AWG. They say it has insulation, but I wanted to be extra sure, so I also grabbed some heatshrink tubing to wrap around the wires.
The tough part was figuring out the size of these loops. There was some math involved. I found out that the size of the loop was equal to something. So I got out my measuring tape and started bending the wire into circles, making sure they were just the right size. It took a few tries, I’m not gonna lie. Wire’s a bit stubborn.
Next, I needed to connect these loops together. I used some scrap wood and screws to make a little frame to hold them in place. Then, I grabbed my soldering iron and got to work. It was a bit tricky, but eventually, I got them connected.
Finally, I needed to connect the antenna to my radio. I used some coax cable I had lying around and hooked it all up. Took it outside, held my breath, and turned on the radio.
And guess what? It actually worked! I started picking up signals from some weather satellites. It wasn’t perfect, but hey, I built it myself! It’s not as strong as those big dish antennas, but it’s a heck of a lot simpler to set up. No need to worry about pointing it in the right direction, which is a huge plus.
So, yeah, that’s my Eggbeater antenna adventure. It was a fun little project, and I learned a lot along the way. If you’re looking for a simple and cheap way to pick up satellite signals, you might want to give this a try. Just be prepared to get your hands dirty and maybe mess up a few times. It’s all part of the fun!
