Channel Master 9521A Remote control antenna rotor

Other products by Channel Master

Product Details

• Item Weight: 8.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 8.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B000BSGCY4
• Item model number: 9521A
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank

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  #47 in	Electronics > Accessories & Supplies > Audio & Video Accessories > Antennas > TV Antennas
  #47 in	Electronics > Accessories & Supplies > Audio & Video Accessories > TV Accessories > HDTV Accessories > HDTV Antennas

• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 17, 2005

Product Description

Product Description

heavy-duty rotator motor * cast-aluminum housing * auto synchronization ensures accurate positioning * direct access via channel number or compass location * 69-channel programmable memory *

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Channel Master antenna rotator, October 14, 2007

By	J. Tietz (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The product is easy to install and operate, and it performs basically as advertised, but there are a few things to grumble about.

First, communication over the control cable is one-way, from the control box to the motor. That means that the controller doesn't really know where the antenna is pointing. Rather, it knows, or thinks it knows, how fast the antenna rotates and figures how long it should take to get to where you want it and then assumes that it got there. My experience is that if it is really pointed where the controller thinks it is and you command it to rotate 180 degrees in one continuous motion, it will go somewhere between 170 and 190 degrees or so, but if you use the UP and DOWN buttons to "tweak" the pointing for best reception, the allowance for acceleration is not all that great, and you can easily have the antenna pointing 20 degrees from where the controller thinks it is. Second, the errors accumulate: if it starts from an inaccurately known position, it will end up with even less accuracy.

There is a "resync" feature, which consists of commanding the motor to turn counterclockwise long enough to give confidence that it's reached the "zero-degree" stopping point. That gets things back to a known condition, but it takes about a minute every time you resync, which is a pain. It would be much handier if the display reflected an actual MEASUREMENT of the position rather than a dead-reckoning guess.

Nevertheless, the unit does its job, and I have had no problems with it. If it's a little off in pointing, you can always do a fine adjustment with the UP and DOWN buttons. Maybe I was expecting too much for the price paid.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's great - when it works, December 4, 2008

By	Michael B. Marshall "mikeymars" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have this Channelmaster model, which I installed about a year and a half ago. It received moderate use for a seven foot FM-only antenna. I found the accuracy to be good when given occassional resets.

Why the past tense? Well, about a month ago I started having serious problems with the 9521 motor unit: it was not responding properly to the remote commands (the motor unit wouldn't turn past about 200 degrees even when a higher rotation was specified through the controller).

First stop was back to the owners manual. The troubleshooting section in the latter is very thin (a half a page of rather general suggestions, the most annoying being one that says "if you rotator is working but not properly aligning the antenna, either realign the antenna on the mast or re-coordinate it through the remote control." The manual contains no information whatsoever on how to do the latter!!!) So I ended up googling to find general rotator troubleshooting support. That led to more helpful info that allowed me to bench test the motor unit, which turned out to have become defective .

So I then had to shop for a complete replacement of the 9521 rotator unit. In the process of doing that, I learned that while these used to be manufactured domestically (in Ohio) a few years ago ChannelMaster started sourcing them from China. So what?

Well, according the the rotator experts in the shortwave community, there have been ongoing quality control issues (similar to what I experienced) with the Chinese made 9521 motor units. In fact, so much so that the particular retailer I ended up buying from now extensively tests each one before putting them up for sale. So stand advised and if you buy one of these make sure you keep all warranty documentation!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why pay for TV?, May 1, 2007

By	James Rose (Marysville, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a really great product. I live between two major TV markets and it is nice to just rotate the antenna with my remote control and pick up signals from each. Now, with the advent of digital OTA TV broadcasts, it's nice to be able to fine tune my antenna to get the max signal strength on the digital channels.
The rotating unit itself is very solidly constructed. Mines been installed since 1/07 and has not lost and accuracy. The control box is very small, and can be placed anywhere in your room, it does not need to be close to your TV if it's easier that way. The remote is small and well laid out. The codes used are the same as Pioneer cable boxes, so many multi-function remotes can control the antenna. My Sony remote was easily programmed to work it. The antenna rotates at a reasonable speed, and is quiet so it does not bother the neighbors.