West Marine or Cabela's sell small outboard motor covers that are water
repellent. I used one here to cover my MD-75.
- Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Kent
Olsen
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2020 12:05 PM
To: Grant Saviers
Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] US Tower 72 ft crank up grinds to a standstill
Grant
I did something similar. I had a bucket that I bought a BevMo. The big one
they sell to put cans and bottles with ice for your guest at a party. I
just place it over the top and remove it when I raise or lower the tower.
I have to disagree with the cable replacement. Mine is the original cable
from the 90's. I bought the HDX572 MDPL used in 2015. The cable looks good
and has no rust or broken strands. I do spray it with a cable protectant
now but I dont think the guy I bought the tower from did anything before
me. I am going to let it go for a while longer before I replace it. I do
inspect it every year.
I replaced the oil in my HUBCITY gearbox a year ago. I'm sorry I did. It
did not need it. Im sure this was the original oil from the 90's. The oil
that came out was beautiful!
I guess what I am saying is inspect, and if needed then replace.
Thanks
73
Kent
N6WT
On Wed, May 27, 2020 at 8:23 AM Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net> wrote:
> My HDX motors have a upside down plastic file box over them to keep out
> the PNW rain (lots). Cut a slot for the power lead. Buy a black one as
> even my 47 north sunlight eats up other colors. Or paint one if you can
> find a paint that sticks. A bungee cord keeps it on in the wind. TEFC
> motors still can get water ingress.
>
> A comment on another post - it's way past time to replace a 20 year old
> hoist cable! Esp when there was no maintenance.
>
> Search the archives for the best oil to use in the gearbox - lots of
> experience there. Overfilling blows seals.
>
> Grant KZ1W
>
>
> On 5/26/2020 21:08, Kent Olsen wrote:
> > Fritz
> >
> > When the tower stalls, does it blow the circuit breaker??
> >
> > I had a problem with my HDX572. It was a bad electric motor. Every time
I
> > would raise the tower it would blow the fuse (yes, there is an actual
> fuse
> > on my tower). The motor has rusted and shorted out. I had to replace it.
> >
> > Thanks
> > 73
> > Kent
> > N6WT
> >
> >
> > On Tue, May 26, 2020 at 5:38 PM FritzOAQ <fritz@k4oaq.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Many tks to you all fer all the suggestions & help.
> >> Facts I shud have included in my original post:
> >> Tower is 20 yrs old.
> >> The only maint I've done is to change the belt that started slipping.
> >> The rotor is a Yaesu G-2800DXA.
> >> The suggestion that seemed most likely to be the problem was that the
> oil
> >> had drained out of the gear box.
> >> So, I did some reading & learning abt gear boxes.
> >> I discovered I had to get my neighbor who runs a machine shop to grind
> 1/8
> >> inch or so off an Allen wrench
> >> so it wud fit in that little small spot to loosen the gear box drain.
> >> I tried spraying PB Blaster on it the best I cud. Apparently I shud
have
> >> waited a few days before trying to loosen it.
> >> I now have an Allen wrench a very artist twist and the opinion there's
> no
> >> way to get the drain loose.
> >> A hammer rather than a paint brush was needed to perform my art work.
> >> I'm anxiously awaiting suggestions of how to turn the tower upside down
> to
> >> drain the oil out of the top hole.
> >> So, moving right along, I assumed the oil didn't need to be drained &
> >> filled the oil to the top. I saw no holes on the side to determine when
> it
> >> was full,
> >> so I assumed it was full when it ran over. I'm not sure how much went
in
> >> but I wud gess between 1/8 to 1/4 of a cup.
> >> I wasn't all that hopeful that that wud fix the prob & sure enuf, prob
> not
> >> solved.
> >> It occurred to me to take the belt off & see if I cud turn by hand.
> >> To my surprise I was able to - it was hard to turn it in the direction
> of
> >> "up" but I cud see the tower going up as I turned.
> >> I turned it up & down a number of turns thinking that the oil needed
> >> swishing around in the gear box.
> >> So, back to raising the tower & to my surprise, it started going up. I
> had
> >> to stop it abt 3/4 of the way up to untangle the coax.
> >> When I restarted it on up, back to the same prob. I got my wife to flip
> >> the switch while I prodded the pulley wheel with a piece of wood to
> start
> >> it moving.
> >> After 4-5 "shoves" it started on up & is now sitting at 72 ft ... shud
I
> >> leave it there til I die??? Sorry, that's a bad joke these days.
> >> After all this I noticed oil had come out of the top of the gear box. I
> >> did have the cap on tightly.
> >> One of you suggested a weight issue & provided me with the following
> info.
> >> "From what I understand, UST rates the 72 foot crank up towers at 200
> lbs
> >> of antenna(s), rotor and mast, bearing etc weight with 22 lbs of cable
> >> weight, 222lbs max vertical dead weight. The DB36 weighs 165 lbs and
> the
> >> tilt plate about 60 lbs. The mast, rotor, bearing, cables etc would be
> >> additional."
> >> So, is it the gear box or is it the weight, or both. :)
> >> Fritz K4OAQ
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >>
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