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Old 21-Jun-2011, 8:35 AM   #1
serengety
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 8
Rotor questions

Hi everybody.
I have a huge problem pertaining to my antenna. It needs a rotor to enable me to get all the signals available to me in my area. I did have a really great rotor (an old Alliance Tenna-Rotor) that lasted and lasted. It was so old it had no remote capability, but hey who cares. The control unit sat right on top of the TV and it wasn't much of a trip. But the poor old thing went kaput when I replaced my old, broken antenna with a new Winegard HD7698P. (Its specs are 15.8ft. by 13in. and 13.6 pounds.)
Well, I posted a question on this site about what rotor would be powerful enough to reliably turn the new antenna and was given some great information about the Channelmaster CM9521A and the Eagle Aspen ROTR100.
After checking them out, I discovered the Eagle Aspen draws power through the coaxial cable and my system is wired for a seperate lead for the power. So when I went online to actually BUY the Channelmaster CM9521A I discovered that about 80% of the product reviews where absolutely dreadful. Apparently they used to be very reliable when they were made in Ohio, but since being outsourced to China the quality went down the dumper and they are now extremely UNreliable.
So this gives rise to several more questions. Can I use the Eagle Aspen ROTR100 even though my system is wired for a seperate lead? And if I do, do I need a special kind of coaxial cable or does it use the regular variety? Considering how long the Alliance Tenna-Rotor lasted wouldn't it be a good idea to get another one of those? But are they still even being made? And last but not least, is it possible (or advisable) to have an old rotor repaired?

Thanks awfully folks,

Serengety.
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Old 21-Jun-2011, 4:29 PM   #2
GroundUrMast
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Location: Greater Seattle Area
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For a large antenna such as the HD7698P, I would suggest you consider the Hy-Gain AR40. IMO, this is a case of 'you get what you pay for'.

If you elect to use the Eagle Aspen, use coax with a center conductor of all copper. You can also upgrade to quad shield coax which will have less resistance. (You don't need the extra shielding for for OTA but it won't hurt anything either.) The separate rotor control wire would be unused in the case of an Eagle Aspen.

The sad fact is, there is a limited market for OTA reception hardware and the choices in high quality rotators have become few.
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If the well is dry and you don't see rain on the horizon, you'll need to dig the hole deeper. (If the antenna can't get the job done, an amp won't fix it.)

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Last edited by GroundUrMast; 21-Jun-2011 at 4:33 PM.
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Old 29-Jun-2011, 6:46 PM   #3
OTAhead
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Beaumont/Port Arthur, Texas DMA
Posts: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by serengety View Post
Hi everybody.
I have a huge problem pertaining to my antenna. It needs a rotor to enable me to get all the signals available to me in my area. I did have a really great rotor (an old Alliance Tenna-Rotor) that lasted and lasted. It was so old it had no remote capability, but hey who cares. The control unit sat right on top of the TV and it wasn't much of a trip. But the poor old thing went kaput when I replaced my old, broken antenna with a new Winegard HD7698P. (Its specs are 15.8ft. by 13in. and 13.6 pounds.)
Well, I posted a question on this site about what rotor would be powerful enough to reliably turn the new antenna and was given some great information about the Channelmaster CM9521A and the Eagle Aspen ROTR100.
After checking them out, I discovered the Eagle Aspen draws power through the coaxial cable and my system is wired for a seperate lead for the power. So when I went online to actually BUY the Channelmaster CM9521A I discovered thtat about 80% of the product reviews where absolutely dreadful. Apparently they used to be very reliable when they were made in Ohio, but since being outsourced to China the quality went down the dumper and they are now extremely UNreliable.
So this gives rise to several more questions. Can I use the Eagle Aspen ROTR100 even though my system is wired for a seperate lead? And if I do, do I need a special kind of coaxial cable or does it use the regular variety? Considering how long the Alliance Tenna-Rotor lasted wouldn't it be a good idea to get another one of those? But are they still even being made? And last but not least, is it possible (or advisable) to have an old rotor repaired?

Thanks awfully folks,

Serengety.
I have been using a Channel Master remote control rotor unit for almost 3 years now with no problems. I have a big ol' honkin' Channel Master 3671 and the rotor has served me well. I live in SE Texas where the heat and humidity can be brutal. Not much snow or ice, but summers are tough. I would recommend the CM rotors...
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