Hello out there in Tic Ring land -----
Thought I would let y'all know that I installed the replacement motor
assembly yesterday. I disassembled the old motor assembly today and other
than some corrosion on the motor ground wire could find nothing wrong. The
nylon gear on the pot shaft and drive gears did not slip on the shafts.
There were no pinched wires--- I checked the 10 turn pot resistance with an
analog VOM and it is ok. Ran pot through its entire range about 10 times. As
some of you told me - the unit is not water tight! ---- Everything comes out
pretty easy - but it will help if you have a spanner tool to remove the
c-ring from the motor drive shaft.
To remove the motor do the following:
1. Remove screw from end of drive shaft (has one gear).
2. Carefully pry up the gear off drive shaft and half moon shaft/gear key.
3. Carefully pry out the half moon key - It is a real tight fit - you can
pull it straight out with pliers once you get it a bit out. You will pull
it out at a right angle from the shaft.
4. Remove the C-ring using spanner tool or push off with screw driver - be
carefull as it would not take much to break it.
5. Push off the nylon bushing.
6. Remove the 3 screws that hold the motor assembly in place.
7. Yep - If you fool around with it long enough the motor will come out of
the housing!! ** Important - Try to remember how you got it out!
8. Remove the nylon flat washer from the motor shaft as you remove the motor
from the housing. That washer is the only thing that slows down the water
from
entering the motor assy - The pot shaft and other shafts are not sealed
either. Don't seal the cover plate -- you want to let the water get out!
9.Take note of the position of the flat washers inside the box that go
between
the motor and the box - one has one side cut off so it does not get in way
of
the motor drive shaft.
Replace pot or whatever ---- clean motor ground connection and apply small
amount of conductive compound such as what can be obtained from I.C.E. or
Polyphaser.
Center pot at 250 Ohms -
Put it back together in reverse order---- Gently sand any burrs off half moon
shaft key
I feel that my problem was caused by the ring/motor jumping teeth. I
thought, until yesterday, that the 160M EMI may have triggering the op-amp
and caused the tic ring to run out of contol until the coax cable stopped
it. (after the coax tore the balun off the driven element!!) If this had
been the case, the 10 turn pot would have been torn up as it does have stops.
In any case, it is a good idea to get rid of any EMI!! Bypass control cable
wires at the control unit terminal board with .1ufd ceramic caps. Plug
control unit into a 3 wire grounded outlet. Work on tower grounds.
I learned a very valuable lesson -- NEVER PUSH THE START BUTTON AND LEAVE
THE ROOM TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE!!!!!!
Watch the meter at all times when turning your beam. If the direction meter
does not move when you press the start button turn the control unit off
immediately! Something is wrong! Go outside and check your antenna position
and coax cable! Mine went from the stowed north positon CW to 360 degrees!
The position looked ok! --Then I noticed the coax was wrapped tight and the
balun was hanging from the coax!!!!!!!!!!!! The control box indicated the
position to be NORTH - I had tried to move the beam to 90 degrees and after
pressing the start button the preset light lit and the meter indicated NORTH
but did not move -- I could move the beam CCW ---- OH well -- live and
learn ----
73's and many thanks for all of your help ---- Bill, AB5YG (ex K2MHJ)
PS - Hope I don't have to go up the tower soon - It's tough on my 55yr old
legs!
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