Al,
The manuals can be a little disorganized, but the information is there.
First you should zero the digital readout system according to the manual
by shorting out points A and B.
If you decide to retain the limit switch actuator (I would strongly
recommend that you remove both the actuator and the paddle arm for
good), then as the manual says, turn the gearmotor until the actuator is
exactly half way between the two limit switches. IMO the limit switches
have NO useful purpose.
Then as the manual states, zero the potentiometer.
The HDR should then rotate from less than zero to greater than 360. The
000 setting can be any direction you choose to initially install the
antenna.
Doug
I'll run the race and I will never be the same again.
-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of
al_n6ta@comcast.net
Sent: December 28, 2009 11:34 AM
To: TowerTalk
Subject: [TowerTalk] Update on HDR 300 operation question
All,
Thanks for the all of the suggestions. I have since found that there
are issues with the documentation on my rotor and its actual build
details. I have reversed two of the pot connections and now get
readings, though way off, indicating that the pot's resistance values
are off. I am guessing it relates to it being a 3-turn pot and maybe
off by a full turn somehow. I can deal with that by rotate it 'down
form the too high values with the mast clamp loose. The **range** of
resistance varies about as expected. However, the limit switch stops
are not working well and I now need to recalibrate the whole system and
may disable them. Too easy to 'coast by' .
What really bugs me is that the manual says that '000' is with the
actuator arm that hits the limit switches must be exactly half way from
full CW and CCW . This is stated in Section IX for replacement of the
pot. However, I have a manual for this same rotor that shows the
actuator in the '000' position just barely touching the CCW limit
switch, Figure 4, detail A. A total discrepancy in the documentation.
This unit is NOT the one that can be centered either North or South. It
never states how it is centered or how to go from NE to NW. Since I
have never run this rotor, I do not know how it is supposed to function
and the manual is not good at describing its actual operation. There
are two possibilities.
1. Start with the actuator in the full CCW position, ready to push the
CCW limit switch. I assume '000' is North. Running it CW should go
to 90 deg, East and on to 180 deg South and after nearly a full rotation
of the antenna, I would be at 360 deg, North again. The actuator should
be near the CW limit switch. The display would be seeing an linear
change in pot so the numbers would simple count up from 000 to 360 if
the pot and tronix are calibrated. Seems clear enough. It does mean
that if I want to rotate from 30 deg, Europe for me to 300 deg, JA , I
must rotate about 270 deg CW instead of just 90 deg CCW . I can live
with it if this is how it is designed to run and will default to this as
my assumption of correct operation.
2. Start with the actuator half way between he stops as the calibration
step describes. Set the pot to read '000' as the manual instructs and
assume this to be North. Then, I can go from North, CW about 180 deg
until I reach a limit switch. That takes me 0 to 180 or South. Going
back to the north, I can continue another 180 deg all the way to the
opposite stop, again near 180 but approaching from the other direction.
However, the display will not transition from 000 to 360 and count down
to 180. I assume that in the old days when this 'fancy' digital display
was designed, they had no way to do otherwise. An analog meter would
have worked since its display can easily transition from 000 to 360.
Anyone want to comment on this basic issue? Believe me, I am more
tired of it than you are!
Tnx ,
Al
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