The Requirement
Rotating antennas and radar arrays need continuous travel, high torque and a slip ring that carries data and video without interruption.
The single axis rotator covers four torque classes from 185 Nm to 1032 Nm nominal with zero backlash and a slip ring rated for 30 million revolutions carrying 1 Gbit Ethernet and HD-SDI. Where the payload also needs elevation, the dual axis units cover the same interface. Select the support by wind area: masts are rated at 120 km/h.
Step 01
Payload
Here the payload is not ours: an antenna or radar array arrives with a mass, a wind area and an interface. Those three numbers, not a product name, start the selection.
Step 02
Positioner
Rotating apertures need continuous travel and zero backlash, because a scan that repeats must repeat exactly. Single-axis rotators cover four torque classes from 185 Nm to 1032 Nm nominal; where the aperture also needs elevation, dual-axis units share the same interface.
Step 03
Elevation
Wind area, not payload mass, usually decides the support for an antenna. A flat panel presents far more area than its weight suggests, and that area sets the overturning moment on the mast or tripod.
What governs the choice
- Nominal and peak torque
- Sized from the aperture inertia and the wind moment, not from its mass alone.
- Backlash
- Zero backlash is what makes a repeated scan land in the same place. It is a published figure in this range, not an option.
- Slip ring capacity
- Data, video and power all cross the rotating joint. Slip rings rated for 30 million revolutions carry 1 Gbit Ethernet and HD-SDI.
- Duty cycle
- Continuous rotation for hours is a different thermal and bearing problem from occasional repositioning.
Where the site sets the limit
- Masts are rated at 120 km/h. Antennas with large flat faces reach that limit well before the payload limit.
- A rotator that never stops needs a maintenance interval; the slip ring rating of 30 million revolutions is the number to plan against.
Qualified Products
All Products| Model | Product | Family |
|---|---|---|
| PED08 | Compact Electromechanical Pan-Tilt | Pan-Tilt & Positioning Systems |
| PED10 | Ultra Precision Electromechanical Pan-Tilt | Pan-Tilt & Positioning Systems |
| PES10 | Ultra Precision Electromechanical Rotator | Pan-Tilt & Positioning Systems |
| MEM10 | Ultra Stable Electromechanical Mast System | Mast Systems |
| MES10 | Locked Electromechanical Mast System | Mast Systems |
| MES20 | Modular Electromechanical Mast System | Mast Systems |
| MMS20 | Modular Manual Mast System | Mast Systems |
| MMW10 | Winch-Driven Telescopic Manual Mast System | Mast Systems |
| TMH10 | Heavy Duty Tripod | Tripods |
| TMM10 | Medium Duty Tripod | Tripods |
