OK, so I am crazy, but I have been bashing my brain about using a servo motor to simulate the human wrist movement of varying the orientation of an antenna, as done in portable hand-held operation.
As I understand, servos primarily rotate 180 degrees left or right governed by the control signal. That would accomplish the above requirements of pointing the antenna and adjusting for optimal signal.
However, and a BIG however, I know zip about servos or controlling them. I realize too that their would be a antenna weight problem to overcome and other mechanical factors too!
Consequently, I am wondering it any of you experienced operators have contemplated this before?
Jerry AB5R
Jerry,
Check out Mark Spencer's "WRAPS: A Portable Satellite Antenna Rotator System" published in Jan 2014 QST.
http://ww2.amsat.org/xtra/wraps-mark-spencer-wa8sme-qst-jan-2014-copyright-a...
EMike
EMike McCardel, AA8EM Rotating Editor AMSAT News Service Sent from my iPhone
On Sep 12, 2016, at 2:57 PM, Gerald Payton gp_ab5r@outlook.com wrote:
OK, so I am crazy, but I have been bashing my brain about using a servo motor to simulate the human wrist movement of varying the orientation of an antenna, as done in portable hand-held operation.
As I understand, servos primarily rotate 180 degrees left or right governed by the control signal. That would accomplish the above requirements of pointing the antenna and adjusting for optimal signal.
However, and a BIG however, I know zip about servos or controlling them. I realize too that their would be a antenna weight problem to overcome and other mechanical factors too!
Consequently, I am wondering it any of you experienced operators have contemplated this before?
Jerry AB5R
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
ou seek has already been done. AMSAT sells the boards and a programmed microcontroller for an AZ/EL rotor using servo motors. It is very robust and can take directions directly from SATPC32. I built mine and love it.
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 1:57 PM, Gerald Paytongp_ab5r@outlook.com wrote: OK, so I am crazy, but I have been bashing my brain about using a servo motor to simulate the human wrist movement of varying the orientation of an antenna, as done in portable hand-held operation.
As I understand, servos primarily rotate 180 degrees left or right governed by the control signal. That would accomplish the above requirements of pointing the antenna and adjusting for optimal signal.
However, and a BIG however, I know zip about servos or controlling them. I realize too that their would be a antenna weight problem to overcome and other mechanical factors too!
Consequently, I am wondering it any of you experienced operators have contemplated this before?
Jerry AB5R
_______________________________________________ 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
Just curious. Are you asking about azimuth/elevation type rotation or are you asking about rotating the antenna around its long axis to adjust for vertical and horizontal polarization changes?
Steve AI9IN
On 2016-09-12 14:57, Gerald Payton wrote:
OK, so I am crazy, but I have been bashing my brain about using a servo motor to simulate the human wrist movement of varying the orientation of an antenna, as done in portable hand-held operation.
As I understand, servos primarily rotate 180 degrees left or right governed by the control signal. That would accomplish the above requirements of pointing the antenna and adjusting for optimal signal.
However, and a BIG however, I know zip about servos or controlling them. I realize too that their would be a antenna weight problem to overcome and other mechanical factors too!
Consequently, I am wondering it any of you experienced operators have contemplated this before?
Jerry AB5R
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
participants (4)
-
dougphelps＠ameritech.net -
E.Mike McCardel -
Gerald Payton -
skristof＠etczone.com