On Wed, Jun 1, 2016 at 3:50 PM, <john@kk9a.com> wrote:
> I had a Telrex rotator which was basically a reversible A/C motor connected
> to a gear box by a chain. It used a selsyn for indicating direction. If I
> were to build one I would use a DC motor and a more modern controller such
> as the one made by Green Heron. If you have some fabrication skills I
> think
> that you can make a very heavy-duty rotator for a reasonably cost. Most ham
> rotator are toys. Look though a Grainger catalog for motor and gear
> pricing.
I wouldn't necessarily rule out an AC motor. There are advantages,
especially for large systems. AC induction motors don't have brushes, so
there's no source of EMI right up at the antenna when it's turning. AC
doesn't imply 110v or 240v -- you can get small AC induction motors that
run on as low as 24v. By "small" I mean in the 1/2 HP range on the low end,
and on the other end the sky's the limit. You can build something that'll
turn a really massive array. As for a controller, if you go with a bigger
motor you'll need something more hefty than a Green Heron -- something like
a Curtis Instruments controller.
73
Jerry
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