| | |  | Antenna Accessories | Home » » » » Philips Sdw1850/17 Antenna Remote-Controlled Rotor | | | | | | | Description: | | Positions outdoor antenna for best reception .Stores 12 different locations for easy access. 3-device remote controls antenna, TV and VCR. Controls all functions from remote or console. | | | Features: | |
• Storage Envelope Provides Quick & Inexpensive Protection For
• Stores 12 Different Locations For Easy Access
• Includes A 3-Device Programmable Remote That Controls Antenna, Tv & Vcr
• Extended Durability
• Rugged Heavy-Duty Rotor Motor
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 12.0 inches | | Product Width:
| 7.8 inches | | Product Height:
| 7.2 inches | | Product Weight:
| 1.0 pounds | | Package Length:
| 11.8 inches | | Package Width:
| 7.8 inches | | Package Height:
| 7.5 inches | | Package Weight:
| 8.25 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 18 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 18 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 27 found the following review helpful:
 Died During SetupSep 17, 2008
By Telecom Pete
If there was ever was a good example of why you should always read the instructions, this rotator is it. According to the instructions, the rotator must be synchronized and it is recommend this step be performed on the ground prior to installation. If you are going to buy this rotator, make sure you do this step. The motor in my rotator died during this step. I got maybe 6 or so rotations before it died. I'm so grateful that it died on the ground, before I had spent considerable time on the roof mounting the rotator and antenna and permanently wiring everything.
Other reasons to reconsider purchasing this model:
1) The contol box showed the antenna position moving even though the motor had burned out. This indicates that there is actually no reliable feedback from the rotator to the control unit, essentially making the antenna position indicated by the control unit meaningless.
2) I expected to see a larger motor. The motor size may in fact be adequately sized but to me, it does look a little "toyish." For those that remember "LPs", let me just say that most turntables had motors that looked more substanstial than the one in this unit.
3) The universal remote control that comes with this unit is a primitive TV/VCR only. I don't why Philips didn't change the remote with this product to a TV/DVD remote years ago when DVD players pretty much killed the VCR. Once the digital transition occurs, this remote will be pretty much useless with TVs because you won't be able to punch in digital channels.
Philips generally puts out solid 3.5 star products - this doesn't appear to be one of them.
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Own three, two are deadMar 31, 2009
By Joseph Somsel
I've bought three of these units so far. One is up and working now for 4 months. One just died after about 6 months, and one was dead on arrival. I've traced the failure to the drive motor; it's not in the controllers.
I do drive big FM antennae but in coastal California with a mild climate.
At this price, they are not worth the repair bills and there is ZERO customer service or support from Philips or Magnavox.
I won't buy another so learn from my mistakes!
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Avoid, failed after 4th use. Now made overseas, not in the USA.Feb 04, 2009
By Book Nitpicker
After purchase the initial test steps specified in the manual showed that it was working OK so it was installed on a TV antenna mast, but on the next day it stuck at zero degrees (north) and would not turn anymore. Had to take it down and check the wiring - control cable, connections, and voltages to the rotor housing were good, but I replaced the cable anyway to be sure, and triple-checked wire polarity. The control unit worked but the motor was dead. A look inside revealed that a motor wire had burned apart, and no wonder because the wire used for the motor windings is no longer the large size formerly used in USA-made rotators (years ago I repaired one of those, so I'm sure), it is now a very small and cheap size near the thickness of a human hair. With the insulation on it appears to be a reasonable size, but with that removed the wire itself is tiny, too small to last long. This size of wire used to be found only in very small electrical devices, like toys.
I then searched the Internet for user comments, and found that failures of this brand seem to be widespread. Users say that rotator quality in general has sunk since production was outsourced to China, so much so that many only function for a short period, less than a year, sometimes in weeks. In fact, pictures of various brands show that some look the same except for the brand name on them, so perhaps they are now all made at the same factory in China and all have the same problems. That in general is what users say in numerous tech forums on the Internet, and that good rotators are no longer being made.
Phoned Philips for a warranty replacement, but they said I would have to pay return shipping costs and wait a month for it. They also said they did not have a headquarters address to which consumers could mail written complaints. Hmmm?
13 of 13 found the following review helpful:
 There's hopeSep 03, 2009
By Ardel
This is not specifically about the product under the Phillips name. But the identical unit is sold under numerous brand names, including Magnavox, Zenith, and others.
Two or three years ago I bought a Zenith TV antenna rotator to replace the Radio Shack unit that had worked flawlessly for over fifteen years before finally quitting. The new "made in China" rotator (not the inside controller) looked in all points to be identical to my old Radio Shack unit. It also looks like the pictures of most of the rotators sold under various brand names that so many customers are complaining about.
The new one worked perfectly just barely long enough for the warranty to expire and then quit. Seeing the huge number of similar complaints by purchasers of other similar looking units carrying a number of different company labels, and seeing that a great many of them seemed to say basically the same thing, I decided not to purchase another, but rather to take apart the Radio Shack unit for practice and then tackle the Zenith just to see if I could identify the problem.
In the process I found that the Chinese unit not only looked like the Radio Shack rotator on the outside, but was identical on the inside too, in every particular, including the quality of the components. The gears, which are often blamed in stories of failure, were in excellent condition. When disengaged from the motor they operated perfectly. They frankly don't have the look of likely candidates for failure. I'd be willing to bet that the frequent "the gears got stuck" explanation to customers is often the result of bad guesswork. Trouble there can't be ruled out, however. Crud such as the one reviewer found in the gear area could and would cause problems. In my case the gear area was immaculate.
The problem was in the motor, and, despite the fact that the rotator had quit working, was not a serious one. There were no signs of overheating. Everything looked like new. I noticed that the motor shaft didn't have the usual end play, and the motor's rotor could only be turned with difficulty. Something was obviously stuck. Fortunately the motor is easy to remove for thorough inspection. A little squirt of oil at both bearings freed the shaft. Easy rotation and free end play were both restored. Despite that I disassembled the motor so I could check the bearings and the shaft where it ran in them.
There was absolutely no scoring. The shaft surfaces were shiny and clean. The bearings looked good too. My notion is that the lubricant used by the manufacturer changes properties with time, perhaps hardening, and finally serving to impede rotation instead of making it easier. The fact that so many people report failure after about a year of use is consistent with the deteriorating lubricant idea. I applied some penetrating oil via a saturated Q-tip to hopefully help clear clogged pores in the oilite bearings and added some regular oil to the packing to keep lubrication happening when the volatiles in the penetrating oil evaporate.
The unit is working like new again.
Bob S. Omaha, NE
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Works after I fixed itJul 23, 2009
By Charles White
This rotator is relabeled by several famous name companies. So far, I've bought one "from" Philips and one "from" Hygain. In the case of the "Philips" unit, as others have found, it worked about 10 times and then jammed. I metered to see if it was getting electrical drive. It was. Also I could hear it humming. Took it home and disassembled it. Found lots of manufacturing debris inside, such as a thin plastic spacer, solder splash blobs, and a blob of what appeared to be epoxy. Naturally, all this junk was mixed into the grease and that's what caused the gears to jam. Once I cleaned it out it worked fine. Perhaps this is what happened to the folks who had the motor burn up. It's fairly easy to take apart. Pull off the plastic weather seal at the top and then remove four bolts out the bottom. It then all slides out.
The annoying part is the controller. As others observed, this level of rotator does not have a feedback potentiometer. In other words, the controller has no idea what direction the antenna is pointing except that there are two hard mechanical end stops and it knows how fast the rotor is supposed to turn. Directional indications are strictly by timing. This is very common in low-end rotators and it works well enough, I suppose. The manual that comes with the unit is rather vague about how to calibrate the controller to the rotator. The old-fashioned manual controllers were much more obvious. In the modern microprocessor-controlled unit, it's too easy to punch the wrong button and send the unit into a calibration cycle. I bought this rotator for my senior in-laws and they have a difficult time with it. Unfortunately, there isn't much to be done without going to a vastly more expensive rotator with position feedback. Perhaps I'll brew up a controller of my own someday and make my fortune.
See all 18 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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