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Contesting Online Forums : Tips : Rotators turn through north, why ? Forums Help

1-6 of 6 messages

  Page 1 of 1  


Rotators turn through north, why ? Reply
by F6KCP on October 10, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
Why do rotators turn through north ?
I would think for most the northern hemispeher it would be better if they turned through south.
 
RE: Rotators turn through north, why ? Reply
by W0YR on October 10, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
You have a good question. I would suppose it's because most of the buyers of rotators are in the Northern hemisphere. Those people find most of the directions to which they wish to point their beams MOST OF THE TIME are in an arc from 270 degrees, clockwise THROUGH NORTH over to, say 130 degrees.

If the rotor did NOT turn through North, it would mean going all the way 'round to get from a heading of 40 degrees to 340 degrees.

With the Ham-M, Ham IV and Tailtwister T2X rotor control boxes, the meter face can be reversed to indicate the rotor turns through South. I set up one of my rotors to turn through south and used it that way for about 10 years. I recently changed it back and it now turns through north. It is much less trouble now.

This may not be the raison principal for this, but it is how I see it.

73

Mike
W0YR
 
RE: Rotators turn through north, why ? Reply
by N2MG on October 21, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
Most of the activity for US folks is through the north. I work Africa due east, EU to the NE, Central Asia thru North, Far East is NW and Australia is W. In fact, if one puts up a rotatable antenna that has less than 360� rotation (as some sidemounted, look-around designs are) the dead zone is usually arranged to be over the SW-SSW region.

Also, the North-is-Up look of the meter is probably more ergonomically pleasing to us North-is-Up map readers. So if you put North at the center of an analog meter, it makes sense that rotator turns through North and limit-stops at South.

Mike N2MG
 
RE: Rotators turn through north, why ? Reply
by VE2DC on October 24, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
Why do maps usually have north at the top?
Probably just a convention... Actually my rotators have always been South Centered... Hey, as long as it turns...


 
Rotators : North-stop or South-stop ? Reply
by N1RR on October 28, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
For me, a "through north rotator" is needed on 15,20.
Especially for USA contesters, as many of us have a
dedicated SOUTH facing antenna.(Tribander or mono)

For 10M & 40M, I prefer a NORTH stop.(turning through
south) 10M is rarely open NNW in the morning, and
although we get Summer Es/F-hop to Western Europe
(abt 22,23,00Z)as well as some OH,SM,LA at 2130Z to
00Z in the evening during the winter.

10M = ....follow the sun.....

40M is rarely open to the NW in the earlier evening
as 40 opens. From midnight until a few hours before
sunrise, ANY 40 rotor is used often anyway!

Think of it as if you were using a bow & arrow ....
Would you like to turn to the target or turn your
back to the target first.......

>>>>-------------------------> DX

Charlie
N1RR



 
RE: Rotators : North-stop or South-stop ? Reply
by F6KCP on October 30, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
You hit the nail on the head, previously we only operated 10m and hence "followed the sun".

Most afternoons we were for everturning the beam from South America (240�) to Africa (140�), everytime through north !!!!

Robert
 

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