SPID Rotator Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't find the answer here, then please contact us.
What type of Power Supply does the controller need?
The control box expects a nominal 12 Volt DC supply, however it may be operated from other unregulated DC or AC sources as well. Any DC source of between 10 and 26 Volts capable of at least 5 Amps is suitable. Typically 12 or 14 Volts DC. 18V (RMS) AC can be used as the control box has rectifiers and smoothing built in.
What difference does using a higher voltage make?
At 12 volts the rotation time for 360 degrees is about 120 seconds, at 24 volts it will be faster - about 60 seconds. The drive torque is also doubled at the higher voltage.
What type of Cable do I need between the controller and the rotator?
4 core cable is required, 2 wires for the motor and two for the sensor.
For runs up to about 25 Metres the thickness of the motor wires should be at least 0.75 mm2, for longer runs 1.5 mm2 wires are recommended to avoid excessive voltage drop at the motor. The sensor wires can be thinner as they carry only a tiny current.
You may wish to use screened cable for the sensor wires if you are planning on transmitting high power (1KW).
Does the Rotator use Plastic gears?
No, all the rotators we supply have metal gears, you may have read on Spid's website about a plastic geared model, but we do not supply that for obvious reasons.
What size of mast can the RAK rotator take?
The antenna mast can be up to 2.1" (53.3mm) diameter. Typical scaffold tube is 48.3mm O.D. and will fit well. The 8 bolts hold the mast very tightly indeed.
How about the new BIG RAK?
The antenna mast and the mounting pole can be up to 2.6" (68mm) diameter.
Can I fit the rotator in my tower head unit?
Yes, the rotator can be mounted on the optional adaptor plate which has a stub pipe.
Note the BIG RAK will not fit into a standard Versatower headunit as it is too large.
What if I don't have a tower?
If you don't have a tower then the rotator is designed to fit directly onto a mast of up to 68mm diameter.
The Elevation only Rotator RAEL fits a mast of up to 2.1" (53.3mm) diameter.
How does the digital position indicator work?
The rotator has a rotating magnet and reed relay sensor which provides a pulse for every degree of rotation of the rotator. The electronic control unit counts those pulses and displays the heading on the LED display. The heading is stored even when the power is removed from the controller.
There are several advantages to this method over the more common potentiometer and voltage sensor used in other makes:
*Easy to calibrate the North point of the controller down at ground level (initially and if the antenna should slip on the mast in high winds).
*No pot to wear out and go noisy over time.
*No linearity problems, accurate.
Can I use my favourite tracking / logging software to control the rotator?
Almost certainly, the controller as well as having its own proprietary SPID control protocol can emulate other rotator control protocols like Yaesu, Orion and Hy-Gain. The controllers have a built in RS-232C serial port to connect to your computer with the supplied cable.
You can also use a USB to RS-232C converter if your computer has no conventional serial ports available.
What are the communication settings for computer control?
The ROT2PROG az/el controller and the ROT1PROG(EL) controller use 600N81 (600 baud, 8 data bits, No parity bit, 1 Stop bit).
The ROT1PROG Az controller uses 1200N81(1200 baud, 8 data bits, No parity bit, 1 Stop bit).
Will the controller firmware be upgradeable in the future?
Yes, simply by replacing a plug-in chip in the controller.
How much does the RAK rotator weigh?
8Kg - It is very solidly built with Steel gears.
How much does the BIG RAK rotator weigh?
12Kg - It is very solidly built with Steel gears.
How much does the RAS rotator weigh?
14Kg - It is very solidly built with Steel gears.
There appears to be an option in the set up of the Spid Az ROT1PROG Controller (0.5 or 1.00) This seems to
double the rotation, what is this for?
It should be set to 1.00 - this is a recent change the manufacturer has made where you can set 0.5 or 1.0. Basically the 0.5 is for the BIG RAK which has half speed gear ratio. Press "S" and use the < or > to change to 1.00 then press "F".
The connector on the rear of the ROT1PROG controller is a 4 pin socket, does the numbering on that correspond to the numbers on the rotator terminal strip?
Yes it does, the 4 pin plug supplied is numbered 1 to 4, as is the terminal strip.