Channel Master 9521A Remote control antenna rotor | List Price: $118.79
Discount Price: $64.95
|
Brand: Channel Master
Features: - heavy-duty rotator motor
- cast-aluminum housing
- auto synchronization ensures accurate positioning
- direct access via channel number or compass location
- 69-channel programmable memory
Why pay for TV? [Posted on 2007-05-02]
This is a really great product. I live between two major TV markets and it is nice to just rotate the antenna with my remote control and pick up signals from each. Now, with the advent of digital OTA TV broadcasts, it's nice to be able to fine tune my antenna to get the max signal strength on the digital channels.
The rotating unit itself is very solidly constructed. Mines been installed since 1/07 and has not lost and accuracy. The control box is very small, and can be placed anywhere in your room, it does not need to be close to your TV if it's easier that way. The remote is small and well laid out. The codes used are the same as Pioneer cable boxes, so many multi-function remotes can control the antenna. My Sony remote was easily programmed to work it. The antenna rotates at a reasonable speed, and is quiet so it does not bother the neighbors.
Channel Master antenna rotator [Posted on 2007-10-14]
The product is easy to install and operate, and it performs basically as advertised, but there are a few things to grumble about.
First, communication over the control cable is one-way, from the control box to the motor. That means that the controller doesn't really know where the antenna is pointing. Rather, it knows, or thinks it knows, how fast the antenna rotates and figures how long it should take to get to where you want it and then assumes that it got there. My experience is that if it is really pointed where the controller thinks it is and you command it to rotate 180 degrees in one continuous motion, it will go somewhere between 170 and 190 degrees or so, but if you use the UP and DOWN buttons to "tweak" the pointing for best reception, the allowance for acceleration is not all that great, and you can easily have the antenna pointing 20 degrees from where the controller thinks it is. Second, the errors accumulate: if it starts from an inaccurately known position, it will end up with even less accuracy.
There is a "resync" feature, which consists of commanding the motor to turn counterclockwise long enough to give confidence that it's reached the "zero-degree" stopping point. That gets things back to a known condition, but it takes about a minute every time you resync, which is a pain. It would be much handier if the display reflected an actual MEASUREMENT of the position rather than a dead-reckoning guess.
Nevertheless, the unit does its job, and I have had no problems with it. If it's a little off in pointing, you can always do a fine adjustment with the UP and DOWN buttons. Maybe I was expecting too much for the price paid.
Click here for more details and discount information...
|
){kind=link}