Hi Randy,

I'm glad to see you doing this. Here are a couple tips:

-Yes, a mounting plate allows the rotor to sit inside the tower and torque against the legs of the tower. Usually they're a flat, triangular plate with U-bolts to connect to the tower legs. A cut-out on the bottom allows for cable passage and holes for bolting the rotor to the plate.

-A thrust bearing can be used at the top of the tower segment. It attaches both to the mast (coming up through the top from the rotor to the antenna boom / elevation rotor) and to the tower. The bearing frees the rotor from directly supporting the weight of the antennas / boom / elevation rotor while allowing the (azimuth) rotor to turn the asembly with ease.

-For a simple assembly of shorter 2M / 432 antennas the thrust bearing is optional but using one can indeed extend the life of the azimuth rotor (it's bearings, in particular, and lesser so, it's motor).

-I'll let someone else address the controller interfaces... am learning more about them myself. :-)

-If you are using only an azimuth rotor you can, for the most part, get by with your antennas "fixed" at a 15 degree elevation for most uses.

73 Lowell K9LDW

------ Original Message ------ Received: Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:00:36 AM CDT From: "Randy" RSwart1@twcny.rr.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Another G5500 Question

Question.. Rotor is on order along with the FT-897D I know I should mount the rotor in a tower with a thrust plate I think its called. But don't

have

one . I only have a 2 meter and 440mhz yagi to mount ooon it .. Will that be a problem .. Or is it mostly when its loaded Up to near the max? or one of those faster wear and tear Things no matter what? Oh .. And 3rd party controllers to interface to the computer.?? Are they all so darn expensive?

Randy - N2CUA

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