This question isn't about dipoles vs loops so I hope I can ask it anyways.
I have a Radio Shack TV rotor which has been in use for around 10 years, and
is currently turning my 2m and 70cm beams. It handles the antennas with no
problem, but I am wondering if anyone has any ideas or experience as to the
life expectancy of these rotors? I realize they are intended for TV antenna
usage-probably being rotated once per day or so.
It has had a problem with becoming stuck occassionally. The first time it
happened was probably 4 years ago. I took a large wrench and hit it a few
times, and that seemed to unstick it. It worked for a couple of years until
it became stuck again. When that happened I hit it again and that time
sprayed some WD40 underneater the rubber boot on it into the rotor track.
This worked again, and I have had to do that a couple of times recently, but
it would always go back to working after a little while when the oil
penetrated through the rust or whatever.
The sticking seems to happen more often now as it happened during the June
VHF contest a couple of weeks ago, and then again today. It is working
again, but I am wondering if it is reaching the end of its life. I have
been rotating it much more recently as I have been playing on the satellites
again and have to move the antennas to follow the sats.
So what can one expect as to the useful life of these rotors? Is it time to
replace it or is something else likely going wrong with it?
73s John AA5JG
(ex: W5TD, NE0P)
6M WAS #1275, 6m VUCC #1260
2m VUCC #615, Satellite VUCC #129
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