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[TowerTalk] K-factor. Was: Yaesu rotators

To: towertalk reflector <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] K-factor. Was: Yaesu rotators
From: Alan AB2OS <ab2os@att.net>
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2004 22:16:40 -0400
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
In the course of looking around for a good price for a G-1000DXA, I went to the Texas Towers Web site and noticed their explanation of the "K-factor" item that I have seen in ads for Yaesu rotators. The K-factor is defined as the weight of the antenna multiplied by its turning radius, and, in the example they give, if one considers only the surface area of a TH-11DXS, a G-800 rotator will handle it, but when the weight and turning radius are considered, even a G-1000 is not up to the task.

In my case, all I intend to put up immediately is a 3-el. SteppIR, which is within the capabilities of a G-1000DXA (or even a G-800DXA), but adding the 4th element (which I might do later) would put me over the top for that rotator.

If people are not considering K-factor when choosing a rotator, that might explain some of the complaints (e.g., on eham.net) that Yaesu rotators are too flimsy.

Alan AB2OS


I wrote:


I am sure that a Yaesu G-800 would handle what I want to put up, but I thought that a G-1000 would give a better safety margin. Yet I notice that the eham reviews rate the G-1000 rotators lower than the G-800 models; the G-1000 actually received several 5/5 ratings, but the 0/5 and 1/5 ratings pulled the average way down. Are the bigger ones really so much worse than the smaller ones?

Opinions? Experiences?
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