Is there a such thing an a Manual Antenna Rotor?

[wa4av]

Is there a such thing as a Manual Antenna Rotor?
That you change the direction of your antenna
By the way of a crank or gears???
Looking to get more exercise here...LOL...

I guess you can fabricate one straight mast pipe far down install a ring gear and set it... better off spend the money n buy a rotor

 

[W5LZ]

Generally known as an 'Armstrong' rotor. I can remember doing that with TV antennas too.
- 'Doc

 

[Birddog2009]

My late uncle had a 5 element on a pole. He would just go out and turn the mast if he needed to move it..

 

[hookedon6]

here they are,........... but,.... they don't work cheap

 

[Naysayer]

Really old thread here but I've been trying to rotate on ocassion, certainly not daily.
I have a vertical pipe to start with.
Placed sally clamp at top and another a few feet down. Clamps can be loose around mast so it will spin free inside sally clamps.
2 sets of holes with a thin bolt I insert to lock-in 2 different headings. I'm a city dweller so my choice of headings is limited to 2 good directions but it's 70' AGL.

I wanted to place a bearing race at bottom of mast but ran out of time with Winter. Now, I only have a flat surface from angle iron with a bolt going up inside mast to keep it from going sideways. I tighten sally clamps to maintain heading.

Large diameter pillow block's get expensive but I wanted to adapt a small one with flat plate attached to pipe stub to bear the vertical weight. Now I must loosen 2 sally clamps to spin 20M dipole.
neil, n2eye

 

[HomerBB]

Really old thread here but I've been trying to rotate on ocassion, certainly not daily.
I have a vertical pipe to start with.
Placed sally clamp at top and another a few feet down. Clamps can be loose around mast so it will spin free inside sally clamps.
2 sets of holes with a thin bolt I insert to lock-in 2 different headings. I'm a city dweller so my choice of headings is limited to 2 good directions but it's 70' AGL.

I wanted to place a bearing race at bottom of mast but ran out of time with Winter. Now, I only have a flat surface from angle iron with a bolt going up inside mast to keep it from going sideways. I tighten sally clamps to maintain heading.

Large diameter pillow block's get expensive but I wanted to adapt a small one with flat plate attached to pipe stub to bear the vertical weight. Now I must loosen 2 sally clamps to spin 20M dipole.
neil, n2eye

When you get an opportunity purchase a trailer wheel assembly. Get the back plate with the spindle, or make one. Place this with the spindle pointed upward. Set your mast pipe over the spindle/dust cap. Your mast will now rotate with ease.

 

[Staybolt]

Well my late uncle used channel lock pliers on a 5 element beam back in the 80s to turn it. So I guess that was a "manual rotator!"

 

[AudioShockwav]

Well my late uncle used channel lock pliers on a 5 element beam back in the 80s to turn it. So I guess that was a "manual rotator!"

Pipe wrench works better....

73
Jeff

 

[fourstringburn]

I'm looking to sell my light duty Yaesu 450A rotor that's less than a year old. I just upgraded my beam and I needed a heavier duty rotor.

It's perfect for 3 to 4 element mono band 11 or 10 meter beams or VHF/UHF antennas too.

I'm just selling the rotor, no controller or cable. The controller needs to be capable of AC current. I still use the hy-gain YRC-1 controller with my new Yaesu 800 DXA rotor which let's you manual control the rotor with a selector knob and buttons or with a USB connection, use an in-expensive rotor control software like PstRotatorAZ and never touch the controller.

Here's a pic when I had this rotor used with a Maco103c antenna.

 

[GTC]

Re-bumping this. Someone said earlier "No such thing exists on the market.".

Well, it does:

Antenna rotator operated from ground level to rotate antenna position on a non turning mast. Using a rope pull system the antenna can be rotated to the desired position on a non turning mast. Fits into the top socket of the mast.

Antenna rotator

Antenna rotator

www.clarkmasts.com

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

Re-bumping this. Someone said earlier "No such thing exists on the market.".

Well, it does:

Antenna rotator

Antenna rotator

www.clarkmasts.com

That is neat, would be great for a portable setup.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Re-bumping this. Someone said earlier "No such thing exists on the market.".

Well, it does:

Antenna rotator

Antenna rotator

www.clarkmasts.com

That "someone" was me. I said that on January 9, 2014...........over eleven years ago. It was true then. You make it sound like it was not true. What you have found is indeed a manual rotator but a VERY light duty one meant for VHF/UHF antennas like would be used on a news van. It works but I would not load it with 11m antennas. Especially if it is very cold. Plastic and cold do not go together very well.

 

[GTC]

Plastic and cold do not go together very well.

What plastic? It's metal. Are you being fooled by gloss paint?

Would not make assumptions about loading without seeing the spec sheet.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

What plastic? It's metal. Are you being fooled by gloss paint?

Would not make assumptions about loading without seeing the spec sheet.

OK I'll take your word for it. Senior eyes and small phone screen makes it look like plastic. BTW I did look for specs but could not find any. I would like to see the actual inside of one. Even some metal antenna rotators like the Alliance series used at least one plastic gear inside. Not a fan of ANYTHING plastic if it goes on a tower to support antennas.

 

[GTC]

OK I'll take your word for it. Senior eyes and small phone screen makes it look like plastic. BTW I did look for specs but could not find any. I would like to see the actual inside of one. Even some metal antenna rotators like the Alliance series used at least one plastic gear inside. Not a fan of ANYTHING plastic if it goes on a tower to support antennas.

Agree that plastic gears are not suitable for such purposes.

Here is the loading data on the two versions: light duty and heavy duty.

Not something that I would use in windy conditions, but quite useful for masts that can be lowered as necessary.

(The manufacturer Will-Burt of Ohio advises that they have been in their catalog since the early 1970's.)