[mythtv-users] hdhomerun with rotor (external command)

[Jay Foster]

  On 2009-10-29, at
> 1:17 PM, Daniel Agar wrote:
>> >  Is it possible to have myth control an antenna rotor (or run any
>> >  arbitrary command) when configured with an hdhomerun? I've been doing
> No but I've been using this patch on my system:
>
> http://files.nassas.com/22583.mythtv.patch
>
> it's an updated version of what I submitted here:
>
> http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/ticket/4328
>
> Someday I'll change it to work within the existing dvb rotation stuff
> but I have zero time for myth hacking right now. Even simple stuff.
>
> I forget if the gui code is still active so you may have to manipulate
> the externalcommand column of the cardinput table.
>
> - George
>
I have a similar situation.  My TV channels are in about 8 different 
directions.  Most are in 4 primary directions, 2 of which I can 
compromise in the middle, giving me 3 to 4 directions to deal with.

I currently use a Pronto universal remote which has macro timers on it 
that I program to turn the antenna at specific times to specific 
locations.  I thought about having MythTV do this, but the situation for 
me is too complex for me to figure out how to get MythTV to do it.  For 
example, sometimes I record one or more channels from the same antenna 
position at the same time, which is straight forward (move the antenna 
to that position).  Other times, I record more than one channel from 
different antenna positions at the same time.  Not so simple, since 
depending on which two (or three) different antenna positions are 
required, I have to carefully pick a different compromise position. 
Trying to get MythTV to do this seemed not worth it to me.

The other thing is that it takes time to move the antenna from one 
position to another.  The amount of time depends on the antennas current 
position and the new position.  If you are recording back-to-back 
programs on different channels from different positions, you have to 
decide whether to move the antenna early, and possibly lose the last few 
seconds of the first recording, or move it late, and possibly lose the 
first few seconds of the second recording.  My preference has been to 
move it early, since some of my DVRs will drop the entire recording if 
it fails to get a signal lock at the very beginning.

My long term goal is to add additional HDHRs connected to separate 
antennas pointed in the fixed directions and configure them for the 
channels each receives.  This way, the problem goes away completely.

Jay