Get everything lined up and install four flat washers and #4-40 nuts on the outside. On my can, I slipped four #4-40 machine screws with lock washers into the mounting plate for the connector, then slipped the entire unit into the can. I believe I am the only one mounting the connector inside the can, though. Mounting the connector outside the can gave slightly degraded performance for me. As I said before, I mounted my connector inside the can and am getting fairly good results. Now that the connector is assembled, it's time to mount it to the can.

Take care not to bend this wire once you're done, as well. Once you are satisfied with the wire, solder it into the tube, minding to keep it as straight as possible. Do this by sticking the wire into the tube and measuring from the base of the tube out, cutting the wire at the desired length. Try to cut your wire as close to this length as possible. This is measured from the base of the little brass tube on the connector to the end of the wire. That number is what the length of the probe on the connector needs to be. This is where that 'Lo/4' number from the calculator comes in. Once you've managed to drill the hole, it's time to solder the bit of wire to the connector. Don't forget to drill any mounting holes needed to mount the N-type connector while you're at it. If you mount on the outside, you might be able to get by with a smaller hole in the can. I mounted my connector on the inside of the can. This turned out to be the hardest part for me because my bench top drill-press did not have enough travel to chuck the 5/8' drill bit that was needed for the N-type connector to fit through. You can probably get by cheaper if you built the cable yourself, but I could not source the parts locally to do that.Īfter marking the location for the hole on the can, you need to drill it out. The single most expensive part for me was the pigtail, which I purchased from for about $25 plus shipping. My total investment was about $40 because I did not have any of the parts on hand. I know if you've searched around on this, you'll find sites proclaiming that you can build this for only a few bucks, but I'll tell you honestly, it cost me quite a bit more. I used #4-40 screws for mine What is Needed?Īt right you can see the selection of parts that you'll need to build you tin can waveguide antenna. Tin Can (about 3 1/2' diameter and as long as possible)Ĥ small machine screws, washers, and nuts. However, a DIY option exists that, in my experience, has provided a substantial boost to signal strength and range with only a minimal investment.the tin-can antenna.

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