[CQ-Contest] New SDA100 Controller

[Fred Dennin]

Yes.  I had a new one shipped to me 2 or 3 weeks ago and there is a problem
in mine not properly controlling the voltage being sent to the motors on the
DB-36.  

If you power it up and change bands, the controller powers off.  K4WZ went
up my tower to troubleshoot it and we powered up the controller, unplugging
one motor, then changing bands and it worked fine.  We tried this with all 4
motors individually and it did the same thing each time in that when you
plugged the motor back in, the controller shut down the power to it.
It seems to be that there is insufficient power to actuate all 4 motors
simultaneously. 

I was on the phone with SteppIR last week and they were supposed to send me
a new driver board last Wed or Thursday but to date have not received it.  I
called them yesterday and they were supposed to e-mail me yesterday
afternoon to tell me when I could expect shipment but still have not
received the e-mail.

Once I get the the SDA 100 operating with the DB 36 properly, it offers a
couple of nice features that their previous controllers do not such as,
there is a single button to home the elements and automatically powers down
the unit after homing, coarse and fine tuning buttons, and if you order it
as an option (about $79) there is a built in board available that affords
you the tuning protection of the N8LP relay that used to be external to the
controller.

Good luck in your decision.

73'....Fred WW4LL  

On 7/15/09 10:49 AM, "Julius Fazekas" <phriendly1 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> 
> Anyone have any experience with this controller?
> 
> Julius Fazekas
> N2WN
> 
> Tennessee Contest Group
> http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html
> 
> Tennessee QSO Party: Sunday, 6 Sept 2009
> http://www.tnqp.org/
> 
> Elecraft K2/100 #4455
> Elecraft K3/100 #366
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