Rotator

ToddDubya

NES Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2011
Messages
25,455
Likes
42,768
Location
Berkshires
Feedback: 18 / 0 / 0
After a summer of having a 6m hex beam on milsurp masts (~4' sections stacked 8 tall) and having to run outside to turn it, and having a mast and guy wires to dodge when I mow, and it always looking like it's going to fall down because of the little bit of slop in each mast section, I'm thinking about a mast attached to the side of the house and a rotator.

1. Skinflint me immediately went to Craigslist to find some 1970s TV antenna rotator like I grew up with. No luck so far.

2. Handy me said "it's a motor and a control knob, just build your own". This sounds good until it proves to be a nightmare to keep working and I'm on a ladder with a heat gun in the middle of the winter because it froze up solid.

3. How-many-rotators-are-you-going-to-buy-in-your-life me said "Just find the best one and buy its big brother". So I've been heading down that path. The reviews on the Yaesu models seems to be that they work great until they don't. And they're great as long as you don't live where there's weather.

My experience so far with 6m has been disappointing, but I'd like to stick with it. It works, it just hasn't been all that "magic" for me yet. I could see adding VHF/UHF yagis down the road.

Any recommendations on rotators to look at? I don't need to break the bank on this, but I understand the value of buying once.

For reference, this is the Yaesu model I was looking at.

 
It's a cape, poured concrete first floor, stick built second floor. Shack is the dining room table. I'd be able to mount the mast pretty much right next to a dining room window. If I ever had company I'd have to put everything elsewhere.

Now that you ask, I'm going to be adding one of those through-the-window feed through panels so I don't have my coax just hanging out the window all winter again. I'll have to make sure to account for rotator control wires. The poured concrete first story means I have to be very committed to something before I install a hole.

My shack has been temporary forever. I really just got active this year, so there are other things like grounding and lightning I need to address. Currently I just unplug coax when the skies get stormy or when not in use for a bit.
 
It wasn't all that long ago you could buy an Alliance light duty TV antenna rotator for <$50 used and in decent shape. These work OK for VHF/UHF beams and I'm sure cobweb antennas as well. That being said, I haven't seen one less than $125 in the past couple of years and those are pretty beat up.
 
It wasn't all that long ago you could buy an Alliance light duty TV antenna rotator for <$50 used and in decent shape. These work OK for VHF/UHF beams and I'm sure cobweb antennas as well. That being said, I haven't seen one less than $125 in the past couple of years and those are pretty beat up.
I've been tempted to knock on doors when I see someone's TV antenna all beat up and dangling to ask if they want it removed. I wouldn't even charge if they have the control unit too. [laugh]
 
I finally found the one I've been looking for. It's finally in stock at a few places so I jumped on it. It should be plenty to spin my 2m yagi and 6m hexbeam.

Next step is to get my grounding sorted (I know, shame on me), figure out exactly how I'm going to put it up, and get coax/rotator cable figured out.

 
Well shit. I connected the three wires tonight, and attempted to perform the initialization function, and it doesn't turn. OF COURSE, the f***ing manual shows the connections backwards on the control unit, but as was suggested various places online I went with the terminal markings on the units themselves. So who knows what's right. I emailed HRO and offered to send pics. I hope I don't have to send it back.

I didn't want to take it apart to inspect just in case something happens and it has to go back. The motor sounds stuck. I tried helping it by hand with no luck.

Why is everything I buy f***ing broken or missing parts?
 
I dropped the rotor back off at UPS to send back to HRO for replacement. The kid working the desk asks if it's a radio. Okay, I'm sending it to Ham Radio Outlet, that's a reasonable question. I said no, it's for an antenna. "Oh, because a guy was in here earlier sending a radio. A bunch of my friends are into radio, and my neighbor is big time." I asked if it was ham radio they were into, and it was, so I told him it was great to see young people interested and encouraged him to do so too. We finished our business and he goes "Maybe we'll talk on the radio sometime". That'd be great!

Now, if you were to stereotype the ham community, this kid wouldn't fit. He had more of a high school Samoan linebacker look about him than a ham radio nerd look. If there wasn't a line behind me I would have talked to him some more. He seemed really interested.
 
The replacement came today. I wired it up, attempted to use the initialization process in the manual, and it tried to grind the hell out of the gears so I shut it off. The directions say to hold the Initial button and one of the arrows to run the process, but that does nothing. Neither arrow does anything. I guess I'll just use it as is.
 
The replacement came today. I wired it up, attempted to use the initialization process in the manual, and it tried to grind the hell out of the gears so I shut it off. The directions say to hold the Initial button and one of the arrows to run the process, but that does nothing. Neither arrow does anything. I guess I'll just use it as is.
That unit looks very similar to this RCA branded rotator: https://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/connectivity/?sku=VH226E

I've got an old Channel Master rotator on an attic installation - the antenna is mounted below the rotor, which is mounted to the ridge joist. I was just looking into replacing that Channel Master (control box doesn't work), and am wondering if that RCA rotator could work if it were inverted. There aren't a lot of options for antenna rotators these days.
 
That unit looks very similar to this RCA branded rotator: https://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/connectivity/?sku=VH226E

I've got an old Channel Master rotator on an attic installation - the antenna is mounted below the rotor, which is mounted to the ridge joist. I was just looking into replacing that Channel Master (control box doesn't work), and am wondering if that RCA rotator could work if it were inverted. There aren't a lot of options for antenna rotators these days.
It sure does look the same. I hope it's not because then I overpaid for mine. The manual for the RCA said 3' max above the rotor, but mine has no such limitation that I've seen. I wonder if that one is just a lighter weight rotor.
 
Back
Top Bottom