Re: [amsat-bb] Fw: Rotator/Elevator controled using LAN?

[Art Goldman <aegoldm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gentlemen:

I think, before you start running your LAN up the tower to control your
rotators, you should consider mother nature.

I'm building a stand-alone az-el controller using a basic stamp
microcontroller. While discussing this with Don, W4VQA this morning, he
pointed out that rotor cables are a wonderful conduit for lightning
surges, and that the solid state relays I'm using would be more prone to
failure in thunderstorms than contact relays would -- though those too
are susceptible. So if I get hit, hopefully the only thing to roast will
be my controller, and perhaps the serial port on my computer that runs
the tracking software.

Considering all the equipment I have on my LAN, I surely don't need
lightning to take out all my computers and radios with one close
strike....what's Greek for "let the builder beware?"

IMHO, I think this whole idea is a bit over the top. Nevertheless, some
of the ideas shared were very interesting and may well serve other
ventures.

Art, N3OY

Doug Braun NA1DB wrote:

> Yesterday I was wondering how you could make a cheap microcontroller
> interface to Ethernet.  Well, here is someone's very creative
> and effective solution:
>
> http://www.rof.net/yp/alphaone/activities/electronics/3c509b/
>
> Doug
> NA1DB
>
> _________________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
>
> ----
> Via the amsat-bb mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
> To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe amsat-bb" to Majordomo@amsat.org

--
 ---------
Art Goldman
Logicon Contractor
NSA Laboratory for Telecommunications Sciences
(301)688-1719


----
Via the amsat-bb mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe amsat-bb" to Majordomo@amsat.org