The FM6 Rotor Saga...

[SlcDX]

Today I received the FM-6, after 6 days in transit (the world not on time Fedex).

Installation was pretty smooth, although its a bigger antenna than I thought. This is good though, right? Currently it is sitting on its own mast, and I can rotate everything by hand. That would require going up on the roof every time I need to change the direction though.

I am thinking about hijacking my TV antenna's rotor, and putting the FM6 on top of it. The antenna will sit directly on top of the plastic section of the UHF half of the antenna. I am going to remove the worthless VHF section, since it isn't hooked up anyway, and I get better picture without it.

As I said, it will sit on the TV antenna, pointing the same direction. I plan on keeping it strapped down with some cable ties. There is sufficient room for the FM6. I still want to be able to use the TV antenna, if the MUF would ever get high enough here during skips. Should I leave some space between the antennas so they don't interfere with each other?

I will post some pictures of the whole debacle soon. Heading to NYC in two days though. Watch, while I'm gone, the biggest opening in history will happen. Law of life, that is.

[SlcDX]

Okay, the FM-6 is now riding piggyback with the TV ant. I removed the VHF section and strapped the antenna on with zip ties. Hopefully it will hold. The rotor works though, able to hold both antennas. Lightning in the area though, so pictures will wait.

[Gary Hickerson]

The FM6 Rotor Saga...

I don't understand, about the tie wraps. Is the FM ant., tie wrapped to the TV ant? If that is the case, it won't work. You may not notice, it on FM, but you will on UHF TV. There should be at least, 2 ft., between the two ants. I would put the FM ant. about 10 in. above the rotor and put the UHF ant, about 2 ft., above that, since UHF signals are harder to receive, and need more height...


Gary H.

[SlcDX]

Yes, the FM ant is tie wrapped to the TV ant. I was able to get KJYE (200 miles to the east) loud and clear here today, when the ant was pointed in that direction. 92.3 is still full of Ms as it was previously. The TV antenna still works. I am able to get all of the digital channels I could previously (locals). I'm not sure about TV DXing now with the antennas the way they are, but we won't know until after tomorrow.

[Gary Hickerson]

The FM6 Rotor Saga...

IF, you plan, to leave the antennas, this way (using tie wraps), make sure the tie wraps, are the Black ones. They are UV rated. The sun, will cause the whites ones, to weaken and Break !

Gary H.

[Gary Hickerson]

The FM6 Rotor Saga...

One more comment. Did you not, have a long enough pole above the rotor, to mount the FM ant seperated from the Tv ant. ? IF, you had a 3' pole above the rotor, them you could mount the FM just above the rotor and the TV ant. on top and use two seperate RG- 6/U coax cables......


Gary H.

[SlcDX]

The rotor is not a traditional rotor, that's the problem. It is "attached" to the TV antenna via wing nuts. It (the rotor) is also almost too weak to move both antennas at the same time. DTV still works as of today. I am getting almost all locals, minus one that is having technical difficulties. I might need to break down and just buy a separate rotor and put the TV antenna on its own mast, with the FM6 sitting higher up.

[Gary Hickerson]

The FM6 Rotor Saga...

Sounds like the way to go. Antennacraft, makes a decete rotor #TDP-2. IF you do this, you need to put the largest ant., on the bottom and smallest on top, because of "wind loading". The other way, is hard on the rotor!
Good luck.

Gary H.