Over the years there were at least 2 different brake designs for the
bell housing type rotors from CDE / Hygain that used a brake.
The older wedge was a V tip while the newer design is a rectangular tip,
each used different a lower bell housing to accommodate the different
wedge architecture, both wedge designs have drawbacks.
Under high wind conditions the V style would slip and over time destroy
the lower bell housing by flattening / wearing the detent notches. The
newer style is less prone to slipping, but it does have a tendency to
stick and the solenoid will not retract the wedge.
The T2X brake is known for sticking, as stated below rocking the antenna
will usually un-stick the brake. The EZ Rotor option sold by
Hamsupply.com (formerly Idiom Press) solves the sticking problem.
"Rotor-EZ protects your rotator, with electronic end stops, provision
for coasting, and start-up jam prevention, especially useful for
TailTwisters. You lose no utility with these features, but add
significant protection for your rotator, antenna and tower. These
features can be bypassed if desired."
I installed one of these options on a T2X that turned a F-12 C-4XL and
later a C3 and Cushcraft 2 element 40, it worked perfectly. The tower
was installed in Colorado at a very windy 9,200 feet, never a problem
with the T2X brake sticking.
https://www.hamsupply.com/rotor-ez-hy-gain-rotor-control/
Cheers,
Gene K5GS
On 2/18/2017 8:44 PM, Earl Morse wrote:
Dave,
The typical HAMIV and T2X rotators have 3 separate systems inside them. A
500 ohm potentiometer to determine position, a motor and gear box to turn
the thing, and a brake solenoid that pulls a brake wedge out of cogs in the
housing sides to allow the rotator to turn. You only mention that the
brake is repaired each time you send it out so I am assuming that the motor
and potentiometer are still good.
Due to the way the brake wedge is designed they tend to hang up if the
antenna is twisting in the breeze and puts any pressure on the brake wedge
pushing it against the cogs and making it hard to retract and free the
rotator to spin. If you suspect that the brake is hanging you can listen
for it as it makes a distinct clank when the solenoid pulls it in.
If it hangs up, sometimes you can free it up by telegraphing the brake
lever while rocking the CCW and CW levers in an attempt to hammer the
brake out of the cog if it stuck.
One thing you might want to check is the size of your rotor cable to make
sure you have the right size conductors for the length of run you have out
to and up the tower. If the wire is too small, it will limit current to
the motor and brake making it turn slower or making the brake harder to
retract.
Earl
N8SS
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