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Reviews For: Norm's Rotor Service

Category: Amateur Radio Equipment Repair

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Review Summary For : Norm's Rotor Service
Reviews: 89MSRP: varies
Description:
Antenna rotor service, sales, and parts.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.rotorservice.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00894.9
KJ5XF Rating: 2021-11-03
Perfect restoration for a HY-GAIN-IV rotor Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After reading the good reviews that Norm had, I contacted him via email and explained the condition my rotor and the rotor controller were in. The rotor had been INOP for years before I received it and the rotor controller was also non functional.

About 8 weeks later I received what looked like a factory new Hygain-IV rotor with an updated Hygain Rotator Direction Controller Plus.

Summary:
If your rotor needs work, Norm is your go to man.
5 stars!!!! Highly recommended
WM4RB Rating: 2021-01-30
GREAT SERVICE!!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Norm recently repaired my rotor and controller. He beefed up the rotor for me so I could use it on my 5 band hex beam. No one compares to Norm's workmanship. The rotor and controller look brand new. Price was reasonable, communication was great and turn around time acceptable. Great service. I am very pleased. Highly recommend.
KR4PI Rating: 2019-08-06
Great and Quick Service Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I had a Ham - iv rotor with the DCU-3 controller. When I first installed my new rotor, it worked great for a year then began not to work so well. It went back to the factory for warranty repair and came back after a few weeks working correctly again, for a while. It soon began to have the same symptoms as before. I contacted Norm's, and over the course of several email, we agreed that I would purchase a refurbished ham-iv and sned in my old one. I received the new rotor in a few days and replaced my old one and sent it to Norm's. They refurbished the old one and sent me money back. Norm’s also sent a complete breakdown of what parts were replaced and what the issue was with my original rotor. I got a better than new rotor for less than the cost of a factory repair of the old one. Norm’s did a great job and provided me all the information I needed to make sure my installation was perfect. They are the best in the business.
K9RE Rating: 2019-06-26
Better than new! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I sent my Alliance HD-73 to Norm for servicing and received it back in "better than new" condition and of course, it works perfectly. He supplies all stainless steel hardware and includes a clear copy of the manual. The unit was well packed and arrived in perfect condition. I really cannot imagine how anyone could do a better job. It takes time to do quality work so do not expect a quick turn-around but you will be delighted when you get it. I had a spare rotor which I put into service while mine was being worked on. I highly recommend Norm's Rotor Service.
W6DY Rating: 2019-04-02
Very worn H4 Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Norm helped me troubleshoot the problems. I bought this 1984 vintage rotor used and I added another 10 years to it. I did the rotor swap and was up and running in no time. The refurbished rotor Norm supplied was just like brand new.
Excellent service!
W9MT Rating: 2018-07-30
Super service, but you need to be patient. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Bought what I thought was a working Alliance HD-73 at a hamfest. (It didn't. Cleaning it up and regreasing the bearing races resulted in "no joy".) Hmmmm...$50 for a doorstop.

I sent it and the control box to NRS. I was warned of an 8 week backlog before analysis and a rebuild price could be quoted and the rebuilt rotor/control box returned.

Well, nearly $300 and the full 8 weeks later I got my HD-73 back. Norm lives up to his reputation. The rotor and control box both look and work like new or better than new. The only thing not returned was the plastic "weather seal door" that goes over the six screw terminal strip. Norm advised these sold out 4-5 years ago and offered advice as to what to use as alternatives.

Norm's knowledge of Alliance, HyGain/CDE, and other major brands of rotors is impeccable. His email replies are returned promptly and are peppered with good advice on how to maximize the life of the returned goods.

So, I have a great rotor with a cult following that will handle 10.7 square feet of antenna load. Norm advised that if I were to pole mount instead of tower plate mount the rotor this number would have to be derated by 50% down to 5.35 square feet of antenna load. So, my pipe dream of a hex-beam will slightly overload the rotor (5.5 square feet) if I were to pole mount the rotor. (No good...I won't be mounting it that way due to the derating caused by the extra rotary torque on the rotor's "innards".) The HD-73 will easily handle a hex-beam with margin to spare mounted on a tower plate or similar. Norm's was "sage advice" that comes with years of practical experience.

At the same hamfest I found another control box for an HD-73-1 rotor (compatible, and a bargain at $5). Everything works FB now.

So, for my investment of about $305, I have a rotor and TWO working control boxes that will easily compete with the older HAM-M rotors and nearly that of the HAM IV, and way better than that of a CD-45. (A new CD-45 would be more than $125 more, w/o shipping.)

Things I learned from my experiences:

1. NRS is a great (five star) vendor/repair depot.
2. He's quite busy, so be patient. The end result will be "worth it".
3. Older (1980's/1990's) rotors that are no longer in production will have limited replacement part availability, so be prepared to improvise for some things. (Sad fact of life.)
4. I am happy with my HD-73, so I have no qualms with the way I did things. I would do it the same way in a heartbeat.
5. I'll look for donor HD-73's at hamfests, working or not. (but they're rare)
6. I won't trust that old guy at the hamfest table anymore. (I'm not a kid. I've been in this hobby 48 years. I should have known better.)

Bravo, NRS !!! You're a credit to the hobby.
KE2ES Rating: 2018-04-04
Overall review of NRS for both new/rebuilt rotors Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Over the past several years, I purchased several replacement parts for my Alliance U100/U110 rotors, for example mounting clamps, mast mounted thrust bearings, etc. Ive always found Norm to be very responsive to my technical questions, quick delivery and competitive prices. I recently shipped him a U100/U110 rotor and two control boxes and he did an excellent job on each rebuild. I plan to ship him another U100/U110 rotor once I bring it down to ground level. I would have absolutely no hesitation to purchase other rotors from him for example, Hygain Ham XX series, either new of rebuilt for my HF yagis. Very reliable service! Best 73 - Tom, KE2ES
N3SCR Rating: 2018-02-26
Excellent Service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have purchased at least 5 rebuilt CDE Rotors from RotorNorm over the years, including CD-44 / Ham II, and Ham III models. All of the rotors have been professionally rebuilt to standards equal to or exceeding the OEM specs. All of the rotors have also performed quite well in my set-up. RotorNorm's exchange program has also saved me extra trips up the tower. Dealing with RotorNorm has always been a pleasure and the pricing is fair for the quality of the products that are sold. I have never hesitated to purchase from RotorNorm and I highly recommend the business to the Ham community.
N7JEH Rating: 2018-02-04
Norm saved my destroyed rotor Time Owned: more than 12 months.
When I moved from Nevada I hired a company to take down my antennas with a bucket truck as I was travelling for work. Unbeknownst to me they disassembled my rotor, losing most of the bearings and some other components. I sent it to Norm and he rebuilt to better than new condition adding the brake delay which was not offered when I bought it.
Norm and I communicated all through the process via e-mail so there were no surprises or misunderstandings. I would not hesitate to use him again in the future. Thanks Norm!!
AA0BL Rating: 2018-01-14
Great product and service Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
My 25+ year old rotor failed last summer and I decided to try one of Norm's refurbished units to replace it.
Norm was very helpful in helping me to choose the proper unit for my installation, and in doing a refurbish of my control unit. Our communication via email was extremely helpful. His shipments were very well packaged, and arrived in good condition.
I am very happy with the replacement Ham IV installation, and it works great.
Thank you Norm and your excellent staff.