Ham Radio Rotor for a small Beam

Peter KG6LSE

I just got back in to working Sats so I made a small Beam for AO-51 Down Link 435.300MHz.
It works great !! But being a California Kid In the (Cold as "LN2" ) Iowa winter makes me want to not go out side and Play Radio .
So I Had a Idea!!
Why not use some super large Model A/C Servos to turn the beam up and down and side to side ..
I can use a BS2 and then use the "RC time " to read to POTs to control the ANT ,,
and also use the BS2 to display ELE and AZ info ..


Here is the Beam ..

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lAvZqRppF4

I might later re write it for a Propeller..


The reason I can not use normal rotors is I am not near a 120V source.. I Play Radio from my car ..... and inverter seams like a waste of time and also a point of Major RFI ..
and 2 Rad Shack rotors are $160 total ...
I cant work from my Dorm room as any RF over 15 -20 watts will set off the fire alarm . "CQ DX KG6LSE CQ DX" *beep beep beep *

and our rooms are ideal Faraday shields LOL

So car Ops it is ..

Any thoughts are welcome . but I really don't want to muck with steppers at this point .
Peter KG6LSE

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"Carpe Ducktum" "seize the tape!!"
peterthethinker.com/tesla/Venom/Venom.html
Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of tapes hurtling down the highway. —Tanenbaum, Andrew S.
LOL

Post Edited (Peter KG6LSE) : 12/7/2009 5:15:14 AM GMT

W9GFO

Check out Servo City for some ideas - if you haven't already.

Rich H

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The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.

kwinn

Servos are good for that but you may want to consider a windshield wiper or power window motor for that. Cheap, easy to get, made for operating on 12V, and you can always add a potentiometer to read position if required.

Peter KG6LSE

@Kwinn Sadly I have no way to make Mechanical devices (EG the feedback Pot) so COTS is my only route ....for now .
www.servocity.com/html/spt200_pan___tilt_system.html


This exactly what I am looking for ..

Peter KG6LSE

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
"Carpe Ducktum" "seize the tape!!"
peterthethinker.com/tesla/Venom/Venom.html
Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of tapes hurtling down the highway. —Tanenbaum, Andrew S.
LOL

W9GFO

I think you would be better off with one of their geared systems. The movement will be a lot smoother.

Something like www.servocity.com/html/spt400_tilt_system.html together with www.servocity.com/html/spg785_pan.html.

Rich H

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.