[TowerTalk] Rotor for Long Cable Run

[jimlux]

Jim Brown wrote:
> I'm planning the install for a 3-el SteppIR (w/6M element) that 
> requires a cable run of about 400 ft. (no 30M/40M elements -- I've 
> already got dipoles at 100 ft). 
> 
> I'll be doing a lot of contesting, so I don't want it to be TOO slow.  
> Considering the cost of copper, I can spend a few more bucks on the 
> rotor if it's more tolerant of copper loss. I would prefer not to go 
> to the trouble of remote relays if I can avoid it. 
> 
> Other considerations:  This is going to be on a tall tower and I'm 
> well past my climbing days, so paying more for reliability is a no-
> brainer. The tower and the antenna will be sheltered from the wind in 
> a dense grove of redwoods, and top winds outside the grove are about 
> 85 mph. Computer control is not important for me. 
> 
> The cost of copper is going to be quite significant. The questions 
> are, 
> 
> 1) how much (that is, how big) copper do I really heed, and 
> 
> 2) Which rotor should I use? 

What about putting something like a Green Heron at the base of the 
tower, and then just send the RS232 commands to it.  I know you're not 
looking for computer control, but it's putting the power stage at the 
tower that's the copper saver.

ACtually, $500-600 for a green heron may be overkill.

Maybe some sort of other digital scheme though.. You need position back, 
which is usually done with 3 wires and a pot or similar. and you need 
motor and brake commands to the tower.  Some sort of serial port control 
of a remote relay box (Velleman has one for $50), and some sort of 
encoder to send the pot position back (voltage to frequency, or 
microcomputer block with rs232 and a/d)...

Being a hacker type, I might look at using something from 
RabbitSemiconductor, and using Ethernet.


> 
> Thoughts?   
> 
> 73,
> 
> Jim K9YC
> 
> 
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