Re: [amsat-bb] Counterbalance weight on antenna rotator?
My thinking has been to put it out of balance, especially with the light weight satellite antennas we use.
In a perfectly balanced system, the wind will work the gearing back and forth. In an unbalanced system, the gears will stay meshed in one direction not working the internal parts when the antennas are moving or are at rest.
It's difficult to balance a system when coax and preamps added to the rear. It's also good to have the least wind resistance when SatPC32 returns antennas to the rest position The Yaesu elevation rotors are pretty tough.
I used an Alliance U-110 for years with no problems. Talk about out of balance, check my qrz page.
Good luck with this. It has been an interesting subject.
73, Mike (K9QHO)
Thanks everyone for the input. I think I will go without a counterbalance, per Mike K9QHO, and see how it goes.
Bob W7OTJ
On Mon, Oct 7, 2019 at 4:00 PM MICHAEL WILLIAMS via AMSAT-BB < [email protected]> wrote:
My thinking has been to put it out of balance, especially with the light weight satellite antennas we use.
In a perfectly balanced system, the wind will work the gearing back and forth. In an unbalanced system, the gears will stay meshed in one direction not working the internal parts when the antennas are moving or are at rest.
It's difficult to balance a system when coax and preamps added to the rear. It's also good to have the least wind resistance when SatPC32 returns antennas to the rest position The Yaesu elevation rotors are pretty tough.
I used an Alliance U-110 for years with no problems. Talk about out of balance, check my qrz page.
Good luck with this. It has been an interesting subject.
73, Mike (K9QHO)
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Bob Hammond -
MICHAEL WILLIAMS