Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TowerTalk] Tower mast..

To: "AA6DX - Mark" <aa6dx@arrl.net>,"Mike Rhodes" <weightdn@adelphia.net>, <TOWERTALK@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tower mast..
From: "Merlin-7 KI4ILB" <merlin-7@sc.rr.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 01:09:33 +0100
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I was thinking that a power window motor off of most any car would make a
great driver for the rotor. I would just need to find or make the matching
gear for the mast.
 I could also use small SPST momentary contact switches on a the outside of
a cog,  wired to leds to indicate direction ( I have hundreds of leds and
about 30 of so small SPST's on hand.)
 I would just have to make me a ring of led's in the shack and wire them to
the proper LED in the compass ring.
 I also have some multi lead cable (there has to be 50 wires in this cable
that I picked up at an auction, it was in a crate I bought for $5)
 To tell the truth, it sounds like a fun project.
  The only hard part that I can think of is the gear for the mast pole.
 Ideas?
 Joe
 KI4ILB



> Joe .. that is part of the fun of Amateur Radio, `spearmintin' and like
> that!  In the days of yore, many a ham shack had directional antennas
turned
> by hand ..  called the  "ARMSTRONG METHOD" .. I have had some like that, a
> couple as simple as a nylon line looped around the front of a yagi
antenna,
> with appropriate tie-off points in the wanted directions ... with a
> tri-bander or like that, you don't need any north-pointing hoot owls or
like
> that .. find Polaris, stick a stake that-a-way, and go for it.   Look for
> ancient publications with Armstrong Rotator install hints .. not too hard
to
> find .. lots of hams had steering wheels with compass points to spin that
> thar aerial!  AND .. you can find bargains on rotators from time to time,
> especially if you are willing to take them apart and get them functioning
> ... not brain surgery, and lots of help available here, and at the rotator
> (or, rotor .. like you had in your `57 Chevvy distributor) repair places,
> they are really swell at providing info, and have parts galore... quite
> reasonable to redo as new!
> 73  Mark Nelson  -  AA6DX
>
> mailto: AA6DX@ARRL.NET
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Merlin-7 KI4ILB" <merlin-7@sc.rr.com>
> To: "Mike Rhodes" <weightdn@adelphia.net>; <TOWERTALK@contesting.com>
> Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 3:50 PM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tower mast..
>
>
> OK I'm busted...
>  My budget is going to be very tight for a while after I move to the new
> qth. I kinda put my foot down with the wife so that I can get the funds
for
> the tower but there is not much left over after that (unless the home I am
> in now sells for a bit more than I think it will)
>  Most of you might know where I am going with this by now...
>
>  For a while I can see me turning the beams by hand. That should not be a
> problem (just a pain in !$$) as the tower will be right next to my shack.
>  I could keep that set up and build a chain or gear driven rotor myself
and
> add it later. I know its better just to buy one but like most hams, I like
> building stuff.
>  Joe
>  KI4ILB
>
>
> > Maybe I"m overlooking something but, where does the rotor go once you
> > have the mast sitting on a steel ball in the base of the tower?
> >
> > Mike / W8DN
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>

_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>