How to deal with cable kink in a multi-antenna continuously rotating setup?

Question

Do it yourself

Let's say we want to make a setup with 6 antennas, each with a viewing angle of 60 degrees horizontally, in the shape of a hexagon when viewed from above. The antennas will rotate all the time. Each antenna has a different purpose, but the dimensions are approximately the same. The question arises - how to deal with cable twisting?

Answer 1

Place all electronics (including RF) on the rotating part. From the outside, from the static part, only supply power there, for example, inductively or through sliding contacts. If you need to send some other useful (for example, control) signal there or take some data from there, do it also via radio or optically (IR or laser). You can give more specific advice only if you know the specific case: frequencies, data channel bandwidth, power, etc.

Answer 2

You just don’t need to rotate the antenna in a circle - they turned 360 degrees and stopped, you need to turn further, then they started to turn back to the desired direction.
In general, everything is decided by the limit switch and emphasis.
P.s. on radar installations, the reflector rotates and not the emitter.
P.S.2. With this question, they don’t go to the toaster, but to www.cqham.ru/forum/forum.php or qrz

Answer 3

pi314 : What about a rotating transformer, but with a modulated power supply?

Answer 4

If it was necessary to rotate it, then there are probably problems with the design, you need to think 2 times why it is needed and make it so that it is not necessary.