Todd H. wrote:
"dpb" writes:

OK, the big ice event took the TV antenna and turned it into an
inverted "V" so it's now time for a new one. Fortunately, other than
limbs, that's my only real problem unlike the poor folks north and west
who are still w/o power and will be for two weeks or more. Plus, have
water for the livestock and feed and didn't lose 450 head to
freezing/suffocation as fella' one county north...

Anyway, not had a rotator before but considering it as is a new
repeater that could probably pick up in other direction of traditionals
so looking for some info --

Is there a way to control a rotator from inside w/o running hard cable
from the set location all the way? Problem is antenna entry is from
under eaves at attic level of two-story and the TV location is on first
floor and there's no way easy enough to get a cable pulled that I'm
going to the effort for something as superfluous as a TV signal. Dad
used the old flat cable instead of coax, unfortunately, so that's all
I've got to work with.

Anybody have any input? I DA(very quick)GS and didn't find much of
help, but don't have any experience on this subject....

You may be out of luck. While it's easy to mentally envision a
wireless roator control, searches yield no fruit, and technically, you
would be trading the fun of running the control wire against the new
need then to have some sort of power source available to the receiver
of any wireless control signal we might envision.

The last house I had with a roof antenna anda rotator had the rotator
cable run up the side of the house. It wasn't hard to get that routed
since the control location was in a room with an exterior wall.

I wonder if we'll see a return to external antennae in the wake of
hdtv and people realizing how much per year they might save by ditching
cable.

Thanks, Todd. Actually, there is power in the attic and a 110V outlet
right at the location where the antenna lead comes in. Dad had planned
on and tried one of the amplifiers at one time and had run the power
for it when doing the remodel. Too bad he didn't think about
additional updates like coax for network access and/or running an extra
conduit between floors to allow something else to be pulled easily.
It's not being used now, but is live as I used it for a drop cord when
doing some work up there a while back.

I suppose I could do the outside, up the house thingy, but I have a
pretty strong aversion to hanging stuff on the house if it's at all
avoidable, and TV isn't enough of a priority to likely cause a
retraction on that score.

If you were to have an idea given that there is power up there, I'd
certainly be interested in it. As you say, certainly a quick search
didn't find anything. The other respondent suggesting the ham folks
ain't a bad idea, either. Haven't done so yet, but will try it.