Electronics experts

[Egon Spengler]

How would I hook up a small retractable motorized antenna to a small push button switch? I also need it to run only on normal batteries and if needed, I guess I could handle it running on one of those large block like batteries for flashlights.

Would it be possible to just get a car antenna and hook it to a battery pack somehow with a switch to get this to work?

Thanks!

 

[Great_Bizarro]

A car antenna is about the only one I have seen that is retractable (12volts) with a motor. There may be something in the RC car world that does, but I have not seen it.

 

[motman241]

Agreed - first find the motor, and the "how to" will follow.

 

[Mr.Engineer]

I have seen those car antennas before and although it uses 12volts, the amount of current needed would kill the normal batteries after a short while. And its huge too.......:eek

 

[Vaderman]

Does it have to be a functional antenna?
Seems like you could make a geared shaft to be pushed up or down by a cog on a small motor.
What is the application?

 

[borgknight]

I actually used a car antenna in the arm of a Borg costume a long time ago. The antenna will run on a 9v battery, and will last for quite some time. I just bought the thing at an auto parts store and hooked the battery leads to the power leads on the antenna switch assembly.

 

[tk8456]

Yeah we need to know the application and how much room you have etc.

Any small DC servo motor will do the trick. A geared cog would work but how would you hide the teeth.

It maybe worth you asking a Boba Fett expert how they've got their lid antenna to work. I know they use small DC servos but which one I couldn't tell you. That swings in an arc though, not a vertical movement

LIPO tends to yield 1.3A these days at 11V