[TowerTalk] homebrew low voltage surge suppressors?

Dick Green WC1M wc1m at msn.com
Wed Sep 27 11:57:20 EDT 2006


Jim Lux wrote:
 
> Why not put all the electronics out at the antennas, and just 
> send ethernet or serial data out?

Not a bad idea for a single array, but probably not physically practical for
the complex system that will be hanging off my tower. All of the controllers
can be operated via RS-232, so that's not the problem. The problem is that I
would have to locate three SteppIR controllers, three Green Heron
controllers, and one MicroHam StackMax at the tower. This would take a big
NEMA box! Also, I'd have to come up with an RS-232 controller for the SO2R
switch, also located at the tower. Could do that with a PIC I guess. Another
complication is that I'd have to run AC to the tower, which I elected not to
do this time because of the cost running buried conduit and the potential
for running into ledge.

However, I am planning on running CAT5e to the tower so I can bring my
laptop down there and operate the station remotely. Great for testing rotors
and TIC rings, doing power loss measurements, etc.

73, Dick WC1M  



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