RCA VH226E Programmable Outdoor Antenna Rotator

RCA Programmable Antenna Rotator VH226F ReviewThis new RCA ‘Rotator’ as it is called, is very nice, well engineered, and sturdy, but there is very little information available about it. I have installed it on my 10ft lower, chimney secured mast, and 2ft antenna rotating mast, replacing a 45 year old Radio Shack rotor. I will try to fill in a few details.1. Case of rotor section is metal and very sturdy, but I can find no specification about maximum antenna weight, or moment. They do specify 3ft max antenna mast length, above the rotor. They specify 1.25in main mast diameter but state that up to 2 inch diameter can be accommodated. I believe the same is true of the antenna mast section. The lowest mounting bracket has extra holes that accommodate optional guy wires.Be careful when mounting the base of rotor to the main mast. There is a protruding tongue on the rotor meant to act as a stop as the unit is slid onto the top of the mast. This tongue should just touch the top of the main mast and protrude into the center mast void. If you lower the rotor further that tongue will be pressed against the side of the mast and miss align the rotor on the main mast and weaken it’s mount.2. There is a 3 wire interface between the control box and the rotor. Max length of 20AWG 3 conductor cable is specified at 150 ft, but longer cable lengths are permitted with heaver gauge wire. (Be careful when connecting the 3 wires. They are numbered 1, 2, 3 on the control box, and 3, 2, 1 on the rotor.) The screws are smaller than I would expect and they warn of possible damage to the system if the wires are not connected correctly, 1 to 1, 2 to 2 and 3 to 3. Both units have terminal blocks for the connecting screws, and the screws have square washers that don’t rotate as the screws are tightened. This helps compensate for the fact that the terminal blocks are so small. If your wires are too big for using a U shape to go around the screws, I recommend a simple straight section of wire, maybe ¼ inch be inserted below the square washer while the screw is tightened. (Instructions specify stripping ½ inch of insulation.)3. The display of the control unit only displays 2 digits in degrees, so 18 stands for 180 degrees. The antenna positioning is much more accurate than that, however. The motor in the rotor unit always turns at a constant uniform speed and the control unit synchronizes with the motor unit by digitally integrating the clockwise and counterclockwise motor time. Time and rotation is set to 0 degrees in both units at the same time by pressing the initial button. From that point, time is used in the control unit to keep track of antenna movements. There is no spec on the repeat-ability or accuracy on this control system, but I believe the digital time counter and memory is better than the approximately 1 degree backlash play in the mechanics.Besides the initial synchronization system, there is a auto calibration system to match the digital counter speed to the speed of the individual motor unit paired with the individual control unit. This relative speed calibration is performed at the factory, so does not need to be done by the user, but if it ever becomes necessary, the re-calibration of the two speeds, can be performed by the user.4. There is a 12 position memory system with 12 memory select buttons. There are also clockwise and counter clockwise buttons for arbitrary control. Once a good antenna position is found, a memory button can be set to remember that position by first pressing the memory button then one of the 12 buttons. The antenna can then be returned to that position by pressing that button in the future. The memory and current antenna position are maintained across power cycles, probably by flash memory, so the unit can be powered down most of the time, and only powered up when the antenna needs to be rotated. There is a power switch on the control unit. Memory memory positions can be reprogrammed and all can be erased if desired.5. The display on the control unit is red, and way too bright for viewing at the same time as viewing a TV. I used a cut to fit piece of black dog waste bag to cover the display. It mutes the display while making it still easily visible. The display shows the memory currently selected, A, B C, D, E, F G, H, I, J, U, or L, using one character and a two digit display of the current antenna position in degrees clockwise looking down on the antenna, divided by 10. So, 3 very bright characters need to be muted.I like this unit on the whole. It is well designed, and solid. Its speed is well chosen not too fast for big antennas but not too slow for actually getting there, roughly 55 seconds for 360 deg roughly the speed and direction of a second hand. My antenna is small, but I believe it is well capable of rotating even large TV antennas. I set 0deg West, because there are no stations in that direction.On the off chance a copy of the English user manual is allowed, in this review, it can be found here:https://www.dropbox.com/s/jbvm7kaq0bizi9h/RCA%20VH22GF%20User%20Manual.pdf?dl=0

Using for 6 meter Moxon and 2 meter Yagi antennas. Works well and withstands Oklahoma storms and the winds sweeping down the plains! Have had up through tornadic storm with 80 mph winds, ice storm, and sustained 50-55mph winds during spring. No damage seen to the braking system and works very well. Much cheaper option than ham rotator and can handle 3 sq ft of antenna well.UPDATE: Have now been through 91mph wind gusts of 4-5 seconds with 15 min of sustained 65-70mph winds and still doing well. Oklahoma is lovely during Spring and early summer:) My rotator is mounted on a well guyed aluminum flag pole of 26’ above ground and 30” below ground in concrete. This has been my 6m/2m mast for 2 years now and through countless storms. Everything works well. I do annual maintenance checks on the system and tighten, reseal, etc. I remain happy with this system..UPDATE Mar 2023: Changed antennas to an Eantenna 2850 6m/10m Moxon and a Create 108-1300MHz Log Periodic just over 1 year ago. The RCA rotor is handling the heavier load and increased wind load very well. No issues at all, despite severe storms with 70-80mph wind gusts and hours of steady 30 mph Oklahoma winds with frequent gusts up to 50 mph. For the techies, my total antenna & mast weight is 9.6 kg and the wind load is 0.21 m sq. My other RCA rotator system for my LEO VU satellite array is also holding up equally well. These rotators have been a very cost-effective investment for my ham station and should handle just about any residential TV antenna on the market.

I cut the cable cord years ago and switched to an old fashioned OTA antenna but have only had this remote rotator for a few months. It is the best! Works great with the touch of the remote. No more running outside to fine tune the antenna a tad to the left or to the right. Very sturdy and well built.I measured the length of electrical wire I needed from the antenna to the control box in the house. I found a cheap white wire from Lowe’s with 4 wires but you only need the three. I think it was about 30c a foot. I am not sure if telephone wire will work. Can’t hurt anything to try (fingers crossed).I had a tornado fly overhead last week while I was in the hall closet with my dog and it didn’t bother my rotator at all. Just be sure to use strong supports on the eaves.

This is an excellent unit for the money. The breakking is excellent and so far after 50MPH WINDS has kept 100% in alignment. When installing I set 0 as magnetic north. After multiple rotations it is still dead on. This is not the heaviest duty rotator on the market. It has to be used within it's capacities. If the intention is to swing a 20 meter amateur antenna then this is not the right rotator. I have the new ChannelMaster Pro antenna for TV and it is flawless. My only issue is the remote. It is very erratic and it only works sometimes. Have not had time to deal with it. I just push the button on the control unit and it is fine. Very easy to set up and program. Everything is included EXCEPT control cable. Easy enough to get at hardware store or order with rotator order. The 12 presets are very handy. I only need to use 4 of them to aim at the transmitter farms. Takes about 15 seconds to fully swing to alignment with tower. If you set up initially with either true or magnetic nort.h, it makes it very easy to aim. Find the location of the tower on any number of databases, turn the antenna to the direction using the controller display and push the preset button you wish to use.Overall very happy. Has not lost position and so far, except for remote issue, is perfect. Took about an hour to install and set up.

I ordered a rotor that you do not have to have 2 people to turn it and works great as the antenna's being sold with a rotor with it almost or do need 2 people to turn and watch and tell when to stop it. just order wire also. now get 69 channels and we live in the country probably about 50 to 90 miles from the stations.best I have seen as set up to 12 places to stop the antenna without holding any buttons. just turn the antenna n, e, s, w and set at each place A B C D Then any station in between these you set it at F and up .only bad thing is the remote = battery lid keeps falling off so I put tape over it and you have to have it pointing directly on it.I used 1 inch pipe to the antenna and the antenna pipe bracket was the same . says can use up to 2 inches.

Love it

Nine months after purchase the O-ring that seals the rotator from the base broke and was found lying on the concrete below antenna. RCA Website does not recognize model name and number. Called 1-800 warranty # in manual. Representative gave me the run around said I needed to return it to the retailer I told them 12 month warranty was through RCA (Voxx) not retailer. They said that the units have been on backorder for two months so even if I returned it to them they did not know when it could be replaced or repaired. I said fine just send me my $121 dollars paid for it and they said they could not do that. I said I spent more for an RCA brand and not some cheap knock off so I hopefully would not have to deal with these kind of issues. I said send me a replacement O-ring they said they did not have one. They said contact them back at a later date to see if they have any rotators back in stock. I said how do we document this so that in case it is after the warranty date and they said they do not document it. I asked to speak to a supervisor they said they knew that was coming. I was put on hold and initial representative returned with several more conversations and me asking again several times to speak to a supervisor. They said to return the unit to them and I said I don't trust them and that they don't have any in stock nor do they know when they will get them and I would be without an antenna for who knows how long. They asked how do I know it is an O-ring issue and I said I am looking at it in front of me and it was lying on the ground under the antenna that I would gladly send them a picture of it and if they look at a product photo of the rotator they can see a black line separating the two parts and that that is the O-ring. Miraculously after one of the several breaks to supposedly connect me to a supervisor (they never did) they said low and behold they found an O-ring they can send me so I can fix it myself, not that I am looking forward to having to get back up on the ladder to fix it. I will now have to find the right kind of grease or lubricant to put on the new O-ring assuming it actually arrives so that hopefully it does not break again as I suspect that is the culprit unless it was sun exposure as upon looking at it there are numerous cracks in the broken O-ring. So if these rotators ever come back in stock and you decide to purchase one take the advice of other reviewers and put some thread lock on the screws inside the motor unit (which I did and have not had that loose screw and stripped gears issue) I would research compatible lubes for O-rings that are water resistant to minimize O-ring issues. If it wasn't for it lying on the concrete (not on the grass) I probably would not have noticed it missing. I assume it is important for excluding water from inside the unit but until I have it down and apart I won't know for sure. I may try and rig up some kind of sun shade/shield (metallic duct tape?) that will not interfere with rotation and protect the new O-ring from deteriorating and breaking again. Other than these underlying issues my rotator has helped me get a ton of free tv stations that I other wise would not get on a fixed antenna out here in the middle of no where. Now if I can just find a solution for the weak intermittent digital signals ( I am convinced analog was a stronger more consistent signal) but don't have any history at this location to compare it to. As with everything these days buyer beware as decades old US companies are not what they use to be.

I originally ordered a Channel Master rotator. The bearing play was such that the antenna had almost three inches of play when mounted on a 24" mast. There was also what I consider to be excessive bearing noise when operating the antenna. As my tower is 32' I had concerns about leaving the setup as is and raising the tower, and later having to replace the rotator. I returned the Channel Master and ordered this one hoping to get a better product from Canada rather than China. This rotator has whisper quiet operation and the bearing play allows less than 1" on the mast extension. The setup is straight forward and the instructions are clearly written (with diagrams) and without the annoying Chinese translation. The control box is a bit larger than others, but the display is easy to see. The only cons are that the display is very bright and somewhat distracting if its close to your TV. There is a switch on the side that allows you to turn the box off (it doesn't control the picture signal so no problem there). There is also a button on the remote that says "initialize". If you accidently push the button (or your kid does), the antenna returns to the north facing position ( 0 degrees) and it wipes out your saved locations. It's easy to re-enter the locations, but time consuming to do so especially if you forgot the tower locations for your channels. Overall, I consider this a top-notch rotator unless you want to get into the $300+ range.

شكرا

Qualité prix et Montage facile très bien ; mais le gros problème cet que le bloque commande fonctionne en 110 V ? Donc achat en plus d'un transfo d'isolement 110v/230v

Zit een Amerikaanse stekker en staat 110 volt op.

This was purchased to turn a 4 element 2m quad ham radio antenna.It arrived quicker than expected, well boxed and full instructions.You will need a drop Down adapter from 240v to 110v for around 10.00.Cable is 3 core mains. Available at the local store.Very, very quiet, turns with ease!Program it to all the directions and your fine.You don't even have to do that you can use the remote to control it manually.Excellent value at a yaesu rotator that's overkill for light weight 2m antennas.2e0rte.

Me llego muy rápido, el producto tal cual en el anuncio. Satisfecho