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[TowerTalk] Re: [CQ-Contest] TIC Ring Potentiometer Failure?

To: <w2up@mindspring.com>, "Jim Idelson" <k1ir@designet.com>,"TowerTalk Post" <towertalk@contesting.com>,"CQ-Contest Post" <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Re: [CQ-Contest] TIC Ring Potentiometer Failure?
From: "Tyler Stewart" <k3mm@comcast.net>
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 20:31:38 -0500
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Yeah, what Barry said!

I've had lightning get them as well. You can order replacement pots from Mouser for about $8 last time I checked. It's a 500 ohm 1/4" shaft 10 turn pot. Also get a fist ful of 11 V MOV's or something fairly low to put across the pot wires at both ends and some 50 V ones for the motor wires at both ends. They also have the indicator back light lamps if you need those, but you might want to replace them with something a bit less expensive.

If water is getting your pots, do what you can to seal off the top of the motor assembly using tape and/or caulk.

Other than the indicator pots and lightning hits, my rings (old 1022's) have been extremely reliable.

Ty K3MM

----- Original Message ----- From: "Barry " <w2up@mindspring.com>
To: "Jim Idelson" <k1ir@designet.com>; "TowerTalk Post" <towertalk@contesting.com>; "CQ-Contest Post" <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2004 7:35 AM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] TIC Ring Potentiometer Failure?



Jim,
Could be one of two things.  In the earlier rotors, there was a
suspected problem of RF burns on the pot coil.  This seems to have
been cured putting a few bypass caps on the pot.  This was added to
their production models 3-4 years ago, if I recall correctly.

Another possibility, which has also happened to me, is water getting
into the pot and rusting it inside.  I don't recall all the details,
but Carl at TIC made some changes to help prevent this as well.  One
thing I did in additionis drill a few small holes in the bottom of
the motor box, for drainage.  If water gets in, there's no way for it
to get out.  Now there is.

The only solution is replacing the pot.  There is (was?) an informal
TIC reflector run by K4RO.  I don't know if any archives are
available, but this problem was discussed in the past, so you may
want to contact him.

My TIC rings worked fine this weekend.  However, my T2X froze up
pointing west (40m Yagi and top TH7) on Saturday afternoon, when I
was ready to move from working some JAs and Pac on 15m, back to 40m
to work EU.  So much for this contest :.(

73,
Barry W2UP



On 28 Nov 2004 Jim Idelson wrote:

Hi all,

Not far into the contest this weekend, we began to have trouble with
the TIC 1022E [a 2003 unit]. It exhibits erratic readout and rotation
behavior. The load is an Optibeam 4-el 40m yagi. I recently tightened
the drive motor to eliminate slippage of the ring gear. I suspect
something has happened to the potentiometer that feeds back rotor
position back to the controller. A search of the towertalk archives
shows that there have been problems like this in the past [1996/1997].
I went up the tower to have a look this afternoon, but did not see
enything suspicious. There were no bad external wiring connections,
etc. I sprayed the drive shaft and what looks like the position pot
shaft with contact cleaner from the outside. That did nothing, but I
suspect I would have to disassemble the motor to get the spray into
the right places.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Jim Idelson K1IR
email    k1ir at designet.com
web    http://www.designet.com/k1ir

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-- Barry Kutner, W2UP Internet: w2up@mindspring.com Newtown, PA Frankford Radio Club



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