[TriLUG] OT: remote controlled antenna rotator

[Tadd Torborg via TriLUG]

Ron,
  I expect the $30 everything included antenna system will work, especially if you only put it in the attic.  

However… back to making projects.  

I would trade equipment for coding labor if you are interested.
I have two pair of identical TV rotors.  There are two models, but two of each. 
I even have the control boxes for one pair. 

I would pay for parts for one working home-brew control box if you would build two, one for you, one for me.  I would donate one set of rotor equipment to you for the project and you build a control box for my duplicate set??   

Actually I have 5 rotators but one of them is really huge. 

There is some possibilities that the rotors won’t turn due to age and lack of use but I’m pretty sure the set with the control boxes do work and turn.  Somebody borrowed them from me in 2017 for ham radio field day and returned them with good results.  

You would certainly become an expert at rotators when this is done! 

I have some clue about rotor designs having participated in such a project many buffalo ago.   From what I know there are two common architectures.  
One architecture has a potentiometer which inserts a variable resistance depending on the position of the rotor.  The control box reads the angle by testing the voltage output from the return wire.  An additional resistor and a load (3.3v?) is required to read the resistance to an AtoD converter. 
One architecture has a pair of return wires where one of the lines intermittently closes to ground (pulse-type) every couple of degrees as the rotor turns counterclockwise.  The other line intermittently closes to ground every couple of degrees as the rotor turns clockwise. 
Generally speaking, but not absolutely, the pulse-type rotor would have a control box which has a solenoid clacking every 2 degrees to push a pointer around in a circle.  The other kind has a motor which moves the pointer around in a circle, or it has a meter which shows the rotor position.  The meter movement units are usually more expensive and higher load. 

The first ideal output from this project would be to take the older pair of rotors I have, which do not have mated control boxes, and create a new control box for each of those.  
The second ideal output would be to create an azimuth-elevation pair of control boxes which would take serial input from a PC (or Raspberry PI) and would keep an antenna pointed up at the sky to track a fast moving low-earth-orbit satellite or space station.  This would be used for doing two-way communication via the satellite or space station. 

Do you have that maker itch?   
BTW, if you are in doubt about having a small computer handling the signaling required, I’m pretty good at that kind of stuff.  I also like doing firmware projects like this but I’m in too deep in a couple of other hobby projects.  I’ve wanted to do this for years and I keep getting distracted!  

My other hobbies include teaching a once a month course to new “ham” Amateur Radio operators, and building and promoting a long distance (multiple counties) digital radio network using surplus 2-way-radio gear, licensed as ham radio equipment.  

   Tadd


Tadd / KA2DEW
tadd at mac.com
Raleigh NC  FM05pv

“Packet networking over ham radio": http://tarpn.net/t/packet_radio_networking.html <http://tarpn.net/t/packet_radio_networking.html>

“Raleigh-centric ham radio resources page": http://torborg.com/a <http://torborg.com/a>




> On Jan 16, 2018, at 9:30 AM, Ron Kelley via TriLUG <trilug at trilug.org> wrote:
> 
> Thanks everyone for the fantastic ideas!  I knew the folks on the mailer would step up with some great information.  I might start with the cheap $33 unit from Amazon since the motor and remote control are included.  If that fails to work, I will dig deeper into a better system.
> 
> Definitely appreciate everyone's input!
> 
> -Ron
> 
> 
> On 01/16/2018 08:17 AM, Scott Chilcote wrote:
>> Hello Ron,
>> 
>> An imperfect, but Very Cheap solution...
>> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NQMCDK
>> For all of $33, you can buy a digital TV antenna that has a built-in
>> rotator, signal amplifier, and remote control.
>> 
>> I installed one of these for a relative in the burbs of Washington DC,
>> but in a weak signal area (low elevation).  It was a great improvement.
>> It brought in HDTV signals that were impossible to get with any indoor
>> antenna.  With careful pointing it would even receive channels from
>> Baltimore.  I installed it on the upper level of a deck using PVC pipe
>> as the mast.
>> 
>> As you might expect, it has a significant shortcoming.  The antenna will
>> enthusiastically spin forever if you press down on one of the rotate
>> buttons, up to the point where all of the slack on the signal/power
>> cable is used up.  There's no indication indoors where the antenna is
>> pointed.  You just press the CW/CCW buttons until the reception
>> improves.  I guess adding a stop/reverse requirement would have pushed
>> it out of its price point.
>> 
>> I've considered installing one of these in our attic as well, but I'm
>> certain that the cable and rotation issue would lead to problems.
>> There's probably a way to add a limit switch that would prevent it from
>> travelling past 360 degrees in either direction.  Not as much fun as a
>> Raspberry Pi project though!
>> 
>>    Scott C.
>> 
>> On 01/15/2018 07:47 PM, Ron Kelley via TriLUG wrote:
>>> Slightly OT, but I know we have a bunch of smart people on the mailer…
>>> 
>>> Looking to attach sort of antenna rotator to our HD antenna in the attic.  It is a smallish unit (maybe 10lbs) that needs to adjusted every so often, and I would like to use some sort of remote control device (electric lazy susan?) to avoid a trip to the attic.  Amazon has a number of pricey units, but I was hoping I could do some sort of low-cost DIY project with Arduino or Raspberry Pi.
>>> 
>>> Any pointers?
>>> 
>>> -Ron
>> 
> 
> -- 
> This message was sent to: Tadd Torborg <tadd at mac.com>
> To unsubscribe, send a blank message to trilug-leave at trilug.org from that address.
> TriLUG mailing list : https://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/trilug
> Unsubscribe or edit options on the web	: https://www.trilug.org/mailman/options/trilug/tadd%40mac.com
> Welcome to TriLUG: http://trilug.org/welcome