Because Western Australia is so close to the antipodes for us on the East
Coast of the U.S., the bearing to a station can go over a wide range,
depending on where they are and on whether some skewed propagation is in
effect.  And long path is often just as good as short path for this 11,000
mile QSO.  I worked VK6HD on 80 CW last winter one morning.

I use a standard control box feeding a TailTwister rotor.  For many years I
had a Science Products meter reader (with an RC network in front of it to
smooth out the unfiltered DC coming into it) taking a signal from the
clockwise end and the wiper of the rotor's potentiometer, as available on
the terminals on the back of the control box.  I set full scale for fully
clockwise, and the braille scale gave me readings from 1 to 100 which I
could convert into bearing, with north (0 degrees) being straight up, or 50
on the scale.

Last fall I had someone install a Rotor EZ kit from Idiom Press in the box.
He gives a small discount to blind purchasers.  This adds a 5-second
automatic brake delay, and the ability to turn the calibration knob to the
desired direction, and the rotor can be sent in that direction by
momentarily pressing the brake release switch (the middle of the three
switches).  This unit can also have an RS232 interface incorporated in it,
and I use it for control and reading through N1MM.  I haven't set up the
function for automatically turning toward a particular station.  But it is
very nice to know where this 6-element KT34XA is pointing.  I use
Window-Eyes with N1MM, but only for some fairly simple logging functions so
far.
73,

Lloyd Rasmussen, W3IUU, Kensington, Maryland
Home:  http://lras.home.sprynet.com
Work:  http://www.loc.gov/nls
 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Trevor Dawson
> Sent: Monday, May 09, 2011 3:13 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: For those that use Beam antennas on HF
> 
>     Hi All,
> 
> How are others getting around the ability to read the direction that your
> antennas are pointing?  In the Past, I have always taken the Glass from
> the
> control in the Shack, that way I can look at which way the needle is
> pointing. [Always hoping the information has been correct.] Is there
> anything that is more efficient. What are others doing? or is there an
> audible direction indicator around.
> 
> 
> 
> Regards
> 
> Trevor VK6YJ