Stepper: DIY Rotation Stage?

[Julio]

Hello everyone,

I am a student at LCC and I am now getting ready for my final
graduation show starting next week. I have built an installation with
radios, relays and maxmsp, but I basically just realised that I am
missing an important part: a rotating structure to hold a microphone
and rotate it to 8 eight different positions around a circle (I have
attached a quick drawing on my blog at http://www.troglodisme.com/tagged/major-project).

To do this I am planning to use a stepper motor and to build some kind
of wooden pole that would hold the mic while rotating around. As the
show is starting in just a week I have been looking into buying some
ready made thing that I could hack/adapt to my needs.. but didn't
really find anything affordable. Instead I found these really nice and
expensive things that transform the movement of a stepper into flat
rotating surface.. This could work what I need but it's around 1530$
too expensive! (just to give you an idea of what I need.. it might
something really common but I don't know the precise name!)
http://www.zaber.com/products/product_detail.php?detail=RS60A&tab=Series%20Features
http://www.directindustry.com/prod/physik-instrumente/motorized-rotary-tables-with-sub-micro-rad-precision-13949-45094.html

Any suggestion or advice is more then welcome. It doesn't need to be
as I designed it in the drawing.. it just need to be something that
moves around and can hold a 2 meters long arm somehow!

Thanks a lot for your attention!

[Billy]

Use a wireless mike and you won't have to worry about the leads
getting tangled. They're cheap enough these days.

Use a normal mike stand, some bearings to hold/rotate it, and add a
motor to power it. Couple of switches to control it.

On May 21, 7:07 pm, Julio <giulio.ammend...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I am a student at LCC and I am now getting ready for my final
> graduation show starting next week. I have built an installation with
> radios, relays and maxmsp, but I basically just realised that I am
> missing an important part: a rotating structure to hold a microphone
> and rotate it to 8 eight different positions around a circle (I have

> attached a quick drawing on my blog athttp://www.troglodisme.com/tagged/major-project).

>
> To do this I am planning to use a stepper motor and to build some kind
> of wooden pole that would hold the mic while rotating around. As the
> show is starting in just a week I have been looking into buying some
> ready made thing that I could hack/adapt to my needs.. but didn't
> really find anything affordable. Instead I found these really nice and
> expensive things that transform the movement of a stepper into flat
> rotating surface.. This could work what I need but it's around 1530$
> too expensive! (just to give you an idea of what I need.. it might

> something really common but I don't know the precise name!)http://www.zaber.com/products/product_detail.php?detail=RS60A&tab=Ser...http://www.directindustry.com/prod/physik-instrumente/motorized-rotar...

[Giulio Ammendola]

Hi Billy, thanks for your answer.

Radio mic is not a problem, I can get one from college. And mic stand too..
The thing is how to actually build the bearing system etc.. I am not really practical with this stuff. I am trying but not sure I'll make it really. If you could tell me more, that would be great.

Thanks, G

[Anthony Evans]

Hello, 

What speed does it need to rotate between positions? 

Anthony.

[Giulio Ammendola]

Hi Antony,

Every speed would be fine as I am just desperate to get it done. Ideal would be 10 seconds between positions (30, 40 cm), but anyspeed will do! :)