Few more thoughts.:
1. Contesters have occasion to swap failed rotators in Real Time, losing
precious Q's every second....
Quick disconnects *1*, Eight screws, *Zero*....
2. Many things are done simply because it is fashionable, stylish and easy
to do (Apologies to the Prime Directive).
But somehow there is no test data available showing it makes any
difference. (Example: CAD welding ground wiring
when there are ten *bolted* tower section joints also in series with
the lightning):
We would wonder if anyone has ever actually had a quick disconnect pin
failure with an *un-weatherproofed* unit
using *gold-plated* pins? Maybe down in P40-land, but up here in PNW?
(Yes, we saw K8RI's comment about the un-plated pin springs)
If it is So_Important to weatherproof the disconnect, what about the
whole #@&$% rotator?
On Ham IV there is certainly breathing (due to barometric changes)
thru the gap between the stator and rotator
at the bottom. The plastic ring is not a pressure seal. Must be some
condensation inside the rotoator at times.
Never seen any evidence of problems from that, or any related
corrosion, in the rotators we have disassembled..
3. Many rotator failures are not strength issues, so a "beefier rotator"
won't necessarily help,
In fact we were kind of shocked reading the complaint about headaches
lifting a heavy 50-70# prop pitch up the tower.
Always thought PropPitches were the brick-outhouse gold-standard of
brute rotator strength and reliability, yet folks
using those always seem to have spares and mention replacement
activity....
Failed direction pots - Failed limit switches - Brakes stick in
'Released' state.- not strength issues
but you still need to replace/repair the rotator.
The one direction pot failure we ever had, at autopsy, revealed the
rotator had been back and forth so many times
that the brush riding on the resistance wire torus had completely worn
away. What was left of it had sprung down
so it was touching intermittently on inside diameter of the
resistance wire torus...it was not a corrosion.issue.
4. In our humble opinion, a well-used station is going to have rotator
failures and require replacement activity.
You only have to cruise the Towertalk Archives to see that no matter
how carefully the Prime Directive is followed,
no matter how religiously spec compliance is observed, sooner it will
happen. Nothing wrong with a disconnect
if it makes the job easier.....
Happy rotating! --- 73, Don N7EF
On Fri, Nov 7, 2014 at 5:44 AM, Jim Thomson <jim.thom@telus.net> wrote:
> Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2014 10:46:57 -0500
> From: Kelly Taylor <ve4xt@mymts.net>
> To: Don <w7wll@arrl.net>, Towertalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Connectorizing rotator cables
> [....]I've changed the rotator, let's see, want to make sure I don't lose
> count
> here, ummmmmm, ZERO times in almost 10 years.[...]
> 73, kelly
> ve4xt\
>
> ## excellent point. You would have to weather proof the quick
> disconnect..with the usual mess of 33/88 tape + heat shrink...[ -SNIP- ]
>
> Jim VE7RF
>
> _______________________________________________
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