Wow!  I remember when Channelmaster rotators had a very simple control box 
with a large round dial with a vertical line along one edge which served as 
a pointer.  You could easily put braille labels around the face to designate 
compass directions (or anything else you wanted to use for marking). 
Unfortunately, I don't remember the model number of the rotator.

Steve

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Forst" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 16:17
Subject: Re: rotator?


> Colin,
>
> I'm using a Channel Master  9521A.    This has been up since 2004  and
> seems to still be around, although the price has gone up since that
> time.  Looks like now over $100.
>
> It has a small control box with  3 digit red led display that someone
> with some usable vision may be able to see.
>
> On the box are   cc and ccw  buttons and a syncronize button.   It has
> an IR remote control which has  a keypad as well as cc and ccw buttons.
>   You can enter a 3 digit number in the remote (from 000 to 360) and it
> will go there.   There is no way to tell where you are pointed except by
> good memory or lucky guess.   There is an ability to enter  presets to
> go to  often used headings, but I've never used that feature.
>
> It uses a very light 3 conductor wire, almost like a phone line.  No
> brake in the unit I think it will auto sync after a particular number of
> uses, if you don't sync manually.
>
> I'm actually using this to turn a 2 element tribander.  2 elements of a
> Mosley TA-33 on a very short (4 ft) boom).  All this on a 20 ft.
> telescoping mast.   A pretty third rate HF antenna, but I work the world
> with it.  This is really overdoing it for that rotor, but it's still up
> there and still turns the antenna until I can come up with something
> better.   Actually have a Ham IV here, but not enough supporting
> structure at this time.
>
> 73, Steve KW3A
>
>
> On 8/9/2012 3:33 PM, colin McDonald wrote:
>> someone on list mentioned a rotator quite a while back that was fairly
>> accessible.  I think it was a TV roter, but the control box had a key pad
>> where you could enter headings in degrees, as well as memory storage 
>> buttons
>> along with the regular left/right arrow function to move the antenna.
>> What was the brand and model of that roter or perhaps it's most recent
>> version?
>> A VI friend wants to put up an FM broadcast band beam for receiving, and
>> would prefer to have a roter control box that has some basic 
>> accessibility.
>> He is also looking for recommendations on places to buy FM broadcast
>> receiving directional antennas.
>> Rad shack is no longer in canada so that's not an option.
>>
>> 73
>> Colin, V A6BKX
>>
>>
>>
>