8
interface. If not, go through this sequence again but selecting Port 3. Repeat with Port 4 if
necessary.
Once you have determined the correct port for your interface, you can use the Kermit
program to interact directly with the Sat
EL
controller at any time. Normally, however, you will
just want to use the
AzElControl.exe
program which you can run by selecting Start | Programs
| AzElControl.exe. Its operation is described later.
Before closing Kermit and getting on with things, you should now try some of the simple
commands to move the elevation rotor in the upward direction (typing a single ‘U’; upper or
lower case, either works) or downward (a single ‘D’). Typing an ‘S’ will always stop the motion.
Typing an ‘R’ causes the azimuth rotor to rotate clock-wise (increasing azimuth) while an ‘L’
makes it go the other way. Appendix A gives a brief summary of the commands and their
effects. Notice that, as you have moved the rotor about, that the controller is keeping track of
the present position. Typing a ‘Z’ causes it to give its’ status and that status includes where it
is presently pointing. NOTE: to keep from causing large current surges, it is advisable to stop
the rotors between motions. That is, do not go directly from an upward motion of the elevation
rotor to a downward motion. Instead, while it is moving upward, first stop it and then start the
downward motion.
Finally, to put the rotor system into a known state, type the ‘cx’ command (
lowercase
only!
). This command will cause the two rotors to go to a known position and will set the
internal stored pointing position to an azimuth and elevation of both zero. In other words, the
rotors are now set up to be pointing at the horizon to the north.
How to use
Kermit
to aim your antennas during setup
You have just set the internal EEPROM values for azimuth and elevation set to zero.
Ideally, you would then just mount the rotors in their final position and put the antennas on
them so that they are pointing due north at the horizon. Then, when you next apply power, it
will be positioned correctly and there’d be nothing more to do.
Well, is that true? How do you know which way is up? We are talking about the
elevation rotor, of course! Depending on which way you look at it, either direction could be up.
If you are facing north and you have the rotor system in front of you, the elevation axis will be
horizontal and you should unclamp the section of conduit holding the elevation rotor and rotate
it so that the elevation axis is running EW. The correct orientation is when the axis is EW and
when the blue rain shroud that covers one end of the elevation rotor’s axis is on the west side;
that is, your left. Then, an antenna clamped to the boom running through the elevation rotor
and pointing north, will move in the correct direction. That is, it will rotate upward when the
system is pointed to a higher elevation and will rotate downward when it is pointed to a lower
elevation.
Now, if you know which way north is and can easily point the antenna at the northern
horizon, you are completely done.
The problem comes when you don’t exactly know where true north is or when trees,
mountains or other obstructions obscure the northern horizon. It turns out that there are other
ways of solving the problem and we’ll describe them here.
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