Hi folks,
I do not have any experience with the Big Rak and/or HDX-555. But I do have
experience with a big 4/5 element 30' boom Quad array slipping on the mast of
my 50' Rohn 25 tower years back. Wrapped up and actually ruined the coax as I
recall. 9913 flex which I don't use anymore. There is nothing so frustrating in
a contest as not being sure where your antenna is pointed without going outside
to see it. Always seem to come up after midnight and in the rain.
Anyway, I have run Yaesu G-1000DXA's and had pretty good luck with them. To fix
the slipping problems which I wasn't sure if it was at the rotator or the
boom-to-mast bracket I pinned them both with a bolt thru the mast. Had avoided
this because of the danger of having a large wind area antenna making for a big
lever at the top of my tower. But it seemed to work out well. Sooner or later
if I get my second tower up I'm going to do it again. I truly hate the job of
drilling thru the mast. If I ever do that again I think I will start with a new
set of drill bits every time.
The Yaesu Clamping mechanism on the G-1000DXA seemed to work pretty well. It is
aluminum and I actually broke the first rotor unit (fractured it) but it still
worked. Seems I can be like the bull in the china shop when fighting something
like a slipping mast problem. Not exactly sure if I had it in a bind or what
but it happened...and I still have used it. Have my second or third Yaesu
G-1000DXA now so you know I like the 460 degree rotation feature and all. The
biggest problem I know of with the Yaesu rotators is getting them fixed. Unlike
the CDE/High Gain/ MFJ this can be a problem. Don't care so much for the tail
twister even though I have two but you can get parts and repair them.
Terry
KI7M
> On August 27, 2018 at 6:46 AM Doug Renwick <ve5ra@sasktel.net> wrote:
>
>
> Neither has my Orion mast clamp slipped. And I am turning large stacked
> yagis on a 2" galvanized chrome moly mast. Don't understand why some are
> having problems.
>
> Doug/VA5DX
>
> "Political correctness is a weapon used to silence people who tell the
> truth" - Ayaan Hirsi Ali
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Grant
> Saviers
> Sent: August-26-18 10:45 PM
> To: Les Kalmus; towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Big Rak and HDX-555
>
> My stock Orion hasn't slipped. Big 40m Moxon and 86' 80m dipole, 6
> years. Alloy 2" mast.
>
> Use a torque wrench and re-tighten a few days later to take out the
> initial relaxation and yield. Most don't do either and some slip.
>
> Has anybody ever broken the stock casting? My guess it is malleable
> iron and try an upgrade of the 3/8-24 bolts from stock grade 5 to grade
> 8 and apply almost 50% more torque.
>
> My Yaesu clamp works and the Orion is super heavy duty in comparison.
> No way the yaesu aluminum die casting can apply the clamping force of
> the Orion.
>
> Grant KZ1W
>
>
> On 8/26/2018 19:27 PM, Les Kalmus wrote:
> > Because the controller tends to miss and thus miscount the pulse
> > counting signals from the rotor and winds up displaying a different
> > direction than the antenna is actually pointing. Also, the circuitry
> > in the controller that provides the counting signal is noisy. In my
> > case at times I couldn't hear anything while the rotor was turning.
> > Replacing the stock controller with a Green Heron cured that problem
> > as well as the miscounting issue.
> >
> > The stock clamp does indeed slip no matter how it's torqued.
> >
> > Les W2LK
> >
> >
> > On 8/26/2018 7:38 PM, Jim wrote:
> >> I have an older OR2800 with the M2 controller. Used it with N1MM and
> >> never
> >> had an issue of any kind with the rotor or controller.
> >>
> >> It works great! I had it on a TH7 with a XM240 above it on a 70'
> >> Rohn 45.
> >>
> >> Stock mast clamp. NEVER did it slip in the 14 years I had it up.
> >>
> >> I'm puzzled why you would think the mast clamp and controller are junk?
> >>
> >>
> >> 73
> >> Jim W7RY
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of
> >> john@kk9a.com
> >> Sent: Sunday, August 26, 2018 3:03 PM
> >> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> >> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Big Rak and HDX-555
> >>
> >> From what I have read on towertalk, it is a good rotator if you
> >> throw away
> >> the mast clamp and controller.
> >>
> >> John KK9A
> >>
> >>
> >> From: Kent Olsen <kilo6dko@gmail.com>
> >> Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2018 08:14:01 -0700
> >>
> >> Phil
> >>
> >>
> >> I went with the M2 Orion 2800 rotor. It fits in the tower completely.
> >> It has
> >> been up for 3 years with a SteppIR DB36 with a NN4ZZ tilt plate. This
> >> is a
> >> very heavy combo, I have not had a bit of trouble.
> >>
> >> Thanks
> >> 73
> >> Kent
> >> N6WT
> >>
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