Rotor power

serengety · 17-Dec-2010, 5:48 AM

Hi, I am hoping one of you folks will know much more about this subject than I. How do you know if your antenna rotor (or Rotater, as some call it), has the power to turn your antenna? I got a brand new antenna to replace my beat up, bent one and the rotor promptly went kaput. It was suggested to me that the new antenna might simply have been too big. I myself suspect that it might have had something to do with the ancientness of the rotor. But my new antenna is substansially longer than my old one so I guess it is possible.
The new antenna is a Winegard HD7698P and its specs are 15.8ft. by 13in. and 13.6 pounds. So do any of you know what kind of Rotor would work for an antenna of this size? If any of you have an answer on the subject I would very much appreciate it. The inability to move the antenna has taken away nearly half my channels! Thank you.

serengety · 15-Jan-2011, 10:32 AM

Hi everyone.
I am desperately trying to find out how strong a rotor I need for my new antenna. I replaced the old, badly bent one, with a new Winegard HD7698P. (Its specs are 15.8ft. by 13in. and 13.6 pounds.) But when I did, my old rotor went kaput. It has been suggested to me that it was because my new antenna was bigger (it isn't really, it IS longer but it is also much narrower) but it is POSSIBLE that the greater length somehow puts greater strain on the rotor. I tend to think it might have more to do with the ancientness of the rotor. My aunt had it for a while before she decided to go to cable and gave it to me and I had it for years and years. The poor old thing had to be AT LEAST twenty years old and could well have been quite a bit older. It was so old it didn't even have remote capability. My aunt had gotten it from Sears so it might have been one of their brands, Craftsman or Kenmore, but I would have to get up on the roof to find out and since I have been having bouts of dizziness lately, that would not be a really good idea.

I know I could go for one of the heavy duty ones and call it good, but I really can't afford to get a $300 rotor unless I have to. (Well, actually, not even then. If that is what it would take, then I'll just have to settle for half what I should be getting.)

So, do any of you know what type of rotor it would take to reliably move a 13.6 pound antenna with a ten foot mast? The information would be much appreciated.

John Candle · 15-Jan-2011, 11:23 AM

The rotor is old and dead. If you post your tvfool report. We can help you a lot more. http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=4 . enter in your address , it does not show put on the posted tvfool report. Make the tv antenna 25 feet high.

coco · 15-Jan-2011, 1:44 PM

If you have 10 feet of mast above rotor,that is too long.I wouldn't go more than a 2 or 3 foot mast above rotor. A long mast above rotor will put too much stress on rotor.Your new rotor will not last .

coco · 15-Jan-2011, 1:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Candle

The rotor is old and dead. If you post your tvfool report. We can help you a lot more. http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=4 . enter in your address , it does not show put on the posted tvfool report. Make the tv antenna 25 feet high.

HE has a brand new Wingard HD7698P antenna.He isn't asking for antenna help, he's asking about a rotor.

John Candle · 15-Jan-2011, 8:26 PM

Here are 2 rotors , The Channelmaster CM9521A and http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=460

No static at all · 16-Jan-2011, 4:55 PM

The 9521 should work well as long as the mast is very short. I would personally use a 1 foot piece of mast to keep the load to a minimum.

I had quite a load on mine for 3 years & it still works today. I reduced the load this summer & both cold weather performance & synchronization are much improved.