Accurate measurements can be obtained but its a bit demanding on the processor, there are so many other things that the system needs to be doing so reading the azimuth position should be a simple few milliseconds affair.
I think I will still use it, I do like the idea of an on/off switch/button which is not effected by the elements (like water and dirt).
I've come up with the concept of having another wheel (of equal diameter) as one suspended under the Barbette, the idea is that there will be a fishing lie pulley type system so that as the Barbette rotates as does the other wheel (which I think will be just under the deck in from of the gun. This will be directly connected to the Potentiometer, the only issue being that there will now be an additional 3 wires going from what would be a fixed point on the boat to somewhere which is moving as I can see over time the wires breaking.
I've planned for this anyway and included a pull up resistor on the input line (1M Ohm) so that in the even of any of the 3 wires breaking I will be able to detect the error and report it via the remote control.. for example.
If the ground wire breaks the input will float up to supply (3.3V) which it would never normally get to, likewise if the +v wire breaks the input will read 0V.. Another abnormal reading.
On a different note, the camera development kit arrived over the weekend, this will form the radar element using a laser line. It's several months away yet but I thought I's post a picture of it.