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Re: [TowerTalk] Slow/Stuck rotator in one direction

To: Dana Roode K6NR <dana.roode@gmail.com>, towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Slow/Stuck rotator in one direction
From: Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net>
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2018 16:55:56 -0700
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Does the control indicator show that you are in "overlap" when it shouldn't be?

= maybe the mast slipped and the coax is restricting motion
= maybe the Yaesu controller indicator Rube Goldberg o-ring drive is kaput to use appropriate terms to describe Yaesu controllers.
= maybe the  "thrust" bearing has failed.
= maybe the bearings in the rotator have failed, or the gears are rusted, or the grease has dried out, or it has slipped position and is contacting a tower leg, or ... = maybe it is vertical alignment, but that is down on my list of possibilities.

I'd start with a control checkout. A 500 ohm pot on the position sense leads should run the indicator end to end smoothly plus overlap. Then it is time to climb the tower.

Grant KZ1W

On 4/14/2018 10:32 AM, Dana Roode K6NR wrote:
[Not sure if this got sent the first time, apologies if duplicate]

Hi,

My 4 Element 20m yagi is on a 15' mast on a Yaesu rotator in a TX-455
US-Tower.  Over the last year, it has become slow to turn across the
NorthWest direction, working fine in other directions.  As of a day or so
ago, I could turn the rotator counter clockwise into the NW area but now I
can no longer turn it clockwise to get beyond about 290 degrees.

My tower et al is at my remote station about 80 miles away and I will need
to go up there to take a look at what is going on.  I am looking for some
general advice on correcting these sorts of problems, which would seem to
relate to the vertical alignment of the bottom 5' of mast in the rotator
and through the thrust bearing.  I forget how much adjustment play there is
in the rotator shelf mounting and don't know if you can adjust the the
thrust bearing.

I don't think anything is binding - cable wise or with my dipole arm mount
- but I will need to check that out too.

    Dana - K6NR
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