Check out K3NG's rotator. Direct replacement for the LVB tracker, or build the control box around it, as well. So far I've built 5. One is a G-5400 portable with GPS and the other (s) drive the G-5500. One version took 2.5 hours. Did take a shortcut there. Cut the tail off the LVB tracker. No cable to build! Two sit on the bench. Plug either one into a control box and satpc32, then track the birds!!
Building the actual rotators is a pain. Very doable, though. Have one in the corner. Bought Geckodrives because all others are fodder for the dumpster. Anything real needs (moderately) big gear reduction drives. Alibaba is yor friend.
LVB tracker replacement=35$ or less + enclosure. See Youtube.
On Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 9:12 AM, Steven Kalmar pista01@gmail.com wrote:
Satnogs has a pretty good AZ/EL rotator design - https://satnogs.org/documentation/hardware/
I'm not sure how well it holds up in a permanent installation. I started building it but ended up making my own design.
Steve KD8QWT
On Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 8:57 AM, JoAnne Maenpaa k9jkm@comcast.net wrote:
Hi Fred,
... starting with a small single antenna with both 2m and 70cm on it (i.e. Arrow or other) ...
I've found that an azimuth-only rotor with a fixed elevation of 20° or so works well enough for most of what I do with LEO satellites. I got my rotor from ebay for $20. It is a primitive setup - manual tracking. Much of the time I prefer using an Arrow antenna.
If you are looking for rotor projects there have been two designs published over the past year or so in the AMSAT Journal. Here is some information you can use to find out more about these:
The AMSAT store has the printed circuit board for WA8SME's WRAPS inexpensive, portable az-el rotor system. See http://store.amsat.org and look for the "WRAPS Tracker Circuit Board". There is also a link to the article by Mark, WA8SME.
Bob, KI4SBL, wrote an article about his homebrew az-el rotor system, "CNCTRK – A LinuxCNC Based Satellite Tracking System", for the AMSAT Journal. Bob has details of this project and the parts he sells along with a PDF of the article posted on his web site: http://ki4sbl.dodropin.org/CNCTRK/
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
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-- "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes an act of rebellion." --George Orwell _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb