DX Engineering Announces Release of Its New Heavy-Duty Azimuth Positioning Rotator

After years of research, development, and extensive testing, the RT4500HD Heavy-Duty Rotator—designed and manufactured by DX Engineering—is now available to amateur radio operators worldwide.

The azimuth positioning rotator has been built for worry-free performance in most tower-mounted directional antenna systems, combining high-strength, easy installation, serviceability, and longevity. The DX Engineering team based its rotator design on interviews with amateur operators, who detailed the benefits and features they desired in this essential device. To ensure its long-term performance, DX Engineering put the rotator through high-usage scenarios that far exceeded what hams would experience at their own stations.

“The rotator was run for many days at 100% duty cycle, well above and beyond what any normal ham would put it through,” explained Cory Gibson, W3JL, DX Engineering Operations Manager, noting that the RT4500HD “was one of the largest mechanical design projects DXE has ever undertaken.”

“Many improvements were added to the design during the process,” he continued. “Not only did a lot of design and engineering go into the rotator, but extensive work went into designing the test fixtures as well. We wanted to push the rotator to the limit. At the end of the day, the DX Engineering RT4500HD Rotator held up to all the grueling tests—it even broke a few of the test fixtures in the process.”

Operators can take advantage of…

Easy Resetting: Because the rotator does not have mechanical limit switches, users can set soft rotation limits as desired in the controller—to the limits of the installed antenna cables. If the antenna or the mast ever slips, operators can simply reset the controller to the new center of rotation and recalibrate the rotational range. Climbing or antenna mast repositioning is not immediately required.

Superior Rotational Torque: > 4,400 in. lbs. with high ratio worm gear drive powered by an extra-heavy-duty 24VDC motor.

Exceptional Braking Torque: >18,500 in. lbs. by high ratio gear reduction that prevents rotation of the mast-mounted antenna system due to wind.

High Vertical Load Capacity: Internal needle thrust bearing handles up to 2,000 lbs.

High-Compression Heavy-Duty Top Mount Mast Clamps available for 2-inch O.D. or 3-inch O.D. masts.

Precision Movement: Accuracy within +/-0.1 degrees with high-resolution pulse counter controller.

Easy Maintenance: Access panel allows service of pulse counter switch without removing the rotator from the tower.

Built for Longer Life: All steel gears are hardened, high-load gears are welded onto their shafts to prevent slippage, and a larger main gear provides increased strength.

Weather-Protected: Sloped and powdercoated body sheds water; seals at the output shaft, intermediate plate, and access panel keep moisture out; and weep holes make sure it stays dry.

Worry-Free Installation: With its four-bolt standard mount, the triangular-shaped rotator is ideally sized to fit inside any G-series ROHN tower, including 25G. Note: The RT4500HD easily handles larger antenna systems than 25G will withstand.

Works with High-Quality Controllers: Optional DX Engineering Rotator Controller DXE-RT-21DXE or other 24VDC, pulse-counting programmable controllers including the microHAM ARCO Advanced Rotator Controller.

Rotator Top HD Mast Clamps can be purchased separately (DXE-RTMC-2 for 2-inch O.D. mast and DXE-RTMC-3 for 3-inch O.D. mast), or they may be purchased in a combo along with the rotator. Also available are packages which come with the rotator, mast clamp, and either the DX Engineering or microHAM ARCO controller. Rotator control cables are sold separately.

Visit DXEngineering.com to order the RT4500HD Heavy-Duty Rotator or rotator package today.