Topband: receiving array controllers

[Ford Peterson]

Pete wrote:

> I thought I saw somewhere on the web an ad for controllers for
> multiple-vertical receiving arrays.  I had thought DXEngineering or Array
> Solutions, but neither one's web site seems to have such as thing.  Can
> anyone point me correctly?
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR

I had dinner a couple weeks ago with Tom Rauch at the W0DXCC conference in
Minneapolis.  He mentioned to me that DXEngineering was "working on a
controller."  I've been eagerly anticipating seeing the controller myself.
The Array Solutions two element Array Controller
http://www.arraysolutions.com/Products/twoelearray1.htm#top%20of%20page
seems a bit pricy ($850US) and uses lumped elements : (  The Four Square
Array controller
http://www.arraysolutions.com/Products/foursquare.htm#4%20square%20array%20top%20of%20page
seems a bit outrageous at $1250US and also uses lumped elements  : (.

Just looking at the pictures of innards tells me that based on what they are
selling, the price is reasonable.  But there are better ways to accomplish
the same goals that do not require the finicky lumped elements, which are no
doubt sensitive to variations in feedpoint impedances.

Ford-N0FP
ford at cmgate.com