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Re: [TowerTalk] Long Run rotor problems

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Long Run rotor problems
From: <donovanf@starpower.net>
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 13:11:53 -0400 (EDT)
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Gary,

There's plenty of room on the rear panel of the Tailtwister control box to 
mount a filament transformer to boost the voltage.  I did this successfully for 
years with cable runs well over 500 feet long.

I never found a need to boost the motor voltage, but is was definitely
needed for the brake.

73!
Frank
W3LPL

---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 11:58:11 -0400
>From: "jeremy-ca" <km1h@jeremy.mv.com>  
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Long Run rotor problems  
>To: "Gary Jones" <garyejones@cmaaccess.com>, <towertalk@contesting.com>
>
>Measure the voltage at the rotator and go from there. I seriesed a 10A 10V 
>filament xfmr with the brake line on a 250' long run and it worked fine. The 
>motor itself draws much lower current.
>
>Carl
>KM1H
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Gary Jones" <garyejones@cmaaccess.com>
>To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 10:22 AM
>Subject: [TowerTalk] Long Run rotor problems
>
>
>I have two towers placed roughly 450 feet from the shack and are roughly 100
>feet tall making the total run to the rotors about 550â. To avoid problems,
>I have used 14 gauge ROMEX runs to the tower, moved the starting capacitor
>to the base of the towers, and doubled the runs of 14 gauge Romex lines to
>the pin 5 and pin 6 (used two #14 solid copper runs to each pin) of Hygain
>Tailtwister and HAM-IV rotors which should effectively give me the
>equivalent of #10 solid copper wire to pins 5 and 6.
>
>
>
>However, I am getting intermittent rotation on the two rotors particularly
>in a breeze. I believe the problem is still not enough voltage to the motor
>to start rotation.
>
>
>
>I am looking for alternate solutions to get some more voltage out to the
>rotor motors. Many years ago, I saw K5RC use a variac to actually step up
>the input voltage to the rotor boxes to 130 or 140 volts on some very long
>runs to rotors. I would think that it would also be possible to increase the
>voltage to the rotor motors using a larger secondary transformer output
>voltage (48 to 50 volts) or to parallel two 24 volt transformers (parallel
>the inputs and series their outputs) to generate a higher voltage from the
>control box.
>
>
>
>I would be interested in knowing if others have similar problems, have tried
>any of these solutions, have cured the problem, or have suggestions on what
>will work for me. I would appreciate any experience from other operators who
>have conquered long rotor runs.
>
>
>
>            73
>
>
>
>                      Gary     W5FI
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>5:26 PM
>
>
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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