[amsat-bb] Setup Complications

[Joel Black]

This is not going as smoothly as I had anticipated (does anything ever 
go as anticipated?).

I had initially planned on using my Arrow II antenna without the 
diplexer and an old Alliance U-110 rotor. As you'll read below, that 
doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon.

Even though the group was helpful trying to get the Alliance U-110 rotor 
controller synced (sunc?) up, It does not work reliably. It will turn in 
one direction, but not the other. I do not have the money to send the 
controller off for repair and Norm doesn't repair the U-100's and 
-110's. I could buy one from him, but again, that's money that isn't in 
the budget. After this issue, I took the controller apart and after a 
couple of hours, I finally get it to step in one direction correctly, 
but I cannot get it to go in the opposite direction. Shorting the shaft 
to the contacts in the controller rotates the rotor correctly so I am 
fairly certain the rotor is good - I have a controller issue. The online 
diagrams show a blow-up of the parts, but not now to correctly put it 
back together (there is a tab on the back of the black dial face and I'm 
not sure where that or the contacts on the actual geared dial go. I'm 
going to reluctantly email Norm and ask him, but he does this as a 
business and I don't want to interfere with that. In the past, he has 
been nice enough to offer advice though. I'm still playing with it and 
it hasn't "whooped" me yet.

For now, I do *not* have a rotor I can use. I am looking at purchasing 
another controller if I'm too stupid for Norm to help ;) . They're 
fairly cheap on the "Bay of E."

Without a reliable rotor, my pursuit has led me to QFH and Lindenblad 
antennas. Which of the two would be the better performer? I have found 
the pages with build instructions, but what do folks here think. I know 
they will be poor performers compared to CP yagis, I'm not looking for 
that comparison. I understand they're omni antennas with CP. I'm okay 
with that. I realize I'm not concentrating all of my RF in a narrow beam 
width. That's okay too. Yep, I will be disappointed. I'm disappointed 
now with the rotor controller. :)

I had initially thought that I'd put whatever I got inside the attic. 
With an omni, that probably wouldn't be prudent. I have enough coax for 
two runs to the chimney about 60' away.

So, any thoughts comparing the QFH to the Lindy?

Again, thanks for all the help getting me going again.

73,
Joel - W4JBB