Chris,
Seven to ten years ain't bad for the life span of a TV antenna
really. Some might last longer but most are ready for replacement/
repair in that time period.
You might give a thought to the cabling when replacing that
antenna. Might not have to replace the rotor, but certainly wouldn't
hurt to replace it's control cables. If it isn't used, why not just
remove it? Then again, you might want to see if you can't receive
more stations by swinging that antenna before doing that.
Best advice for finding a 'cost affective' bargain would be to shop
around, see what things are going for. Nothing wrong with being
frugal, but don't expect miracles no matter what the price.
If quality reception is the goal, I also think you might consider
keeping that cable or sat' system, rather than going back to an
antenna. Getting rid of the tower, rotor, etc, shouldn't be a problem
at all, too many of them hams around for that! Something on the order
of, "You get it down and out'a here and you can have it!", will make
your ears pop from the air slamming shut when it disappears.
- 'Doc