Antenna Rotor Remote Control Hacking 

A micro controller like an Arduino with 2 full bridge drivers from 24VDC would allow you precise rotation control. This would require 4 wires to the motor or 2 half bridge drivers with + and - 24VDC. The computer would count out square wave pulses 90 degrees out of phase at any speed up to 60 pulses per second. The syncro motor has a integer number of steps per revolution of the antenna so you would always know your angle. If you use a ESP32 with WiFi running a web server you could use any web browser or cell phone as a display and controller. Could put it on the internet and have control from anywhere!! Total cost about $20. Thanks Peter for this great video. I am putting up a new 50' tower with tilt down top and have one of these old Alliance Model U-100 TV rotators using the same syncro motor. Of course it's missing the control box.....DE KC7BNC 73

I always wondered why these things had a motor in them. Never had one but tinkered with other people's. Thanks for the explanation!

i have CCTV cams on my house, and your mod gave me an idea. I could use this to rotate one of my cams to cover more area, since I dont have PTZ cams at this time. 😀

@Peter Fairlie what do you do for a living? where did you learn so much? thanks for the hard work! great video

perhaps a digital compass IC and a cool readout next?

Interesting technology

Cool video, thanks for sharing

Very very cool! Do you keep track of the position of the antenna by using the antenna, even at night?. Anyways very cool, wish I had stuff like that laying around I live in an area nicknamed purgatory because there's nothing I have yet to find a tv antenna that picks up any stations. One cell carrier works with one bar (sometimes) out here T Mobile and that's it. Thanks again for the interesting video!

Gave me a great ideal for the rotor for my hygain 3 element beam.

I didn't know such a thing existed! How common is or was this in the USA? In Australia it just isn't a thing as far as I know.

Cool mod. Never knew how those things worked. Then again, antennas on roofs aren't a common sight anymore over here. How do you protect the connected equipment against lightning? Just unplug it if thunderstorms are forecasted?

Hi Peter great video keep them coming, I don’t suppose you would know where to find the brown spindle that’s driven by the controller motor as the one in mine has split and I can’t find any one in the UK who stocks spares thanks in advance Steve.

link to the same uhf remote ????

I think, strictly speaking, the capacitor advances the phase of the current, rather than delaying it.

Just bought two of them at a trunk sale (for just 20 dollar). But is it correct that there are no end switches in them? In your modded version they could turn over 360 degrees?

My channel master 9537 rotator has terminal 1,2 and 3. which one is common?

Would some sliprings be appropriate to eliminate cord winding?

cool