[TowerTalk] Bigboy rotor / First Call comments

[jeg]

Hi,

I have read the Big Boy rotator comments and thought I would share my 
experience.  I have a PST-61 rotator installed in Rohn 45 tower.

I ordered the PST61 from Joel at First Call in September of 1999 and it 
arrived with an A box in a few days.  I explained that I needed RS-232 
capability, and Joel reassured me that I would have a C box in a few 
weeks, or by the end of November 99 at the latest.  After 10 emails, and 8 
phone calls, I always got same answer "it will ship in 2 weeks".  At the 
beginning of August 2000, in desparation, I emailed the ProSistel 
company in Italy (the manufacturer) and CC'ed the email to First Call.  In 
the email I explained my experience with First Call's "service??".  
Amazingly enough, in ONE HOUR I got an email from First Call saying a 
C box had been shipped.  What a coincidence!  By the way, the owner of 
ProSisTel took time to explain to me the manufacturing and parts 
procurement difficulties they encountered in producing the C box.  Joel 
never told me any of this, only the standard answer  "it will ship in 2 
weeks".

Unfortunately, the C box proved a major disappointment.  As mentioned 
by Dave, WB0GAZ, when you unplug the A box and plug in the C box, 
they don't indicate the same direction.  It requires realignment of the mast 
in the rotator.  The firmware in RAM in the C box is a disaster waiting to 
happen.  Also, if a beam heading is entered while the voice is active, the 
key presses are ignored.  I also did not care for the LCD display on the C 
box.  The RS-232 interface did work satisfactorily and automatically 
detects the baud rate.

I returned the C box to First Call having decided to keep the A box.  I am 
designing an RS-232 controller for it that will also have 8 buttons arranged 
every 45 degrees to allow quick setting of the desired heading (push one 
button).

The display in the A box is very bright.  I dimmed it by adding a few 
1N4104 diodes to reduce the current through the LED display.  Now its 
about the same brightness as my Collins KWM-380.

I only added holes to the accessory shelf (rotor plate) for the PST-61 to 
get it to mount in the Rohn 45.  I did not have to grind it as Dave 
WB0GAZ, had to.  It is kinda tricky to get the rotator mounted inside the 
tower.  I stood at the base of the Rohn 45 tower with the accessory shelf 
and PST-61 and monkeyed around with it until I figured out how to install 
the rotator.  I think it will only fit in at 4 different heights within a 10 foot 
tower section.  The motor sits outside the tower.

For rotator cable I just used the original cable that I had been using with 
the old Ham IV.  It is about 250 feet of R&L 1816 cable.  I doubled up two 
of the #18 connections for one of the motor wires, and used the two #16 
gauge for the other two motor wires.  3 of the 4 remaining wires were for 
the pot, and the last wire for the ground.

I like the PST-61.  Very well built rotor.  It takes about 90 seconds for 360 
degrees of rotation.  The A box is simple to operate and has no brake to 
worry about.

Hope this is of some help to anyone considering a Big Boy rotator.


73,

Jack, WB8BFS

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