[amsat-bb] Portable AZ-EL Rotator?

[Carl Lefebvre <Carl2@xxxxxxx>]

I was visiting with my neighbor last night who is an astronomy buff. As
I  watched him position his new Telescope with his computer controlled,
motor driven tripod, it occurred to me that such an apparatus might make
a great portable satellite AZ/EL rotator for a small array.  Your
typical "Yeasu 5500" class rotator seems to be built with much larger
wind load in mind than a "Arrow" or similar sized arrays.

Has anyone tried using a telescope mount, or similar lighter duty servo
device, to create a portable (or simply low-end) antenna positioner for
the satellites?  I've just started working the satellites recently, but
I'm not ready to shell out the cash required to put a serious AZ/EL
rotator in operation.  For now, I am plowing ahead with my Eggbeaters,
but still investigating other alternatives.

I would welcome any feedback or suggestions from the group.

-Carl

PS. Someone already suggested the "Armstrong" method  :-)

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---------------
Carl Lefebvre
W1NDS
EL87
Carl2@gte.net
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