>The lemon is sometimes a bitter fruit, but it can make the difference
>between buying a HDR300 or a Ham IV.
>Everyone gets to figure out which solution is best for them. I just want
>them to do it from an informed position.
>
>
>Everyone have lots of fun and put up really great stuff that stays up.
Additions to "Lemon" comments:
I put up my first rotator in 1954. When the television craze started here in
Texas
at that time, we all had to have fairly complex antenna systems; especially
those
of us in the far-fringe areas.
I have owned just about all brands and models of rotators over the years; up to
and including the Hygain 300 presently in use. Until the Orion and Big Boy
appeared
on the scene, I found remarkable similiarities and design charcteristics in all
the
various brands...they were mostly slightly "blown up" models of the origonal TV
rotors of the 50's. I think I can safely make a blanket statement that we have
all
been trying to pull a twenty mule team load with one horse! They are
underenginnered,
over-priced, over-spec'd, and not reliable for their intended use. (how come you
can
buy a garage door opener or washing machine for much less than a rotator, and
use
it 20 years with no problems?) I would venture to say that the rotator is right
at
the
top of the high-maintenance item list in the ham shack.
The rotor manufacturers (Orion and Big Boy, so far) have finally taken the hint
that
should have been obvious years ago when prop-pitch rotors became popular.
The use of a.c. motors (I guess to save money) was another big blunder, along
with their companion capacitors. Any old engineering book will tell you that a
d.c. motor develops maximum torque a ZERO rpm., and requires only two wires
and no capacitors to run it.
Whoever designed the HDR-300 rotor should be tarred and feathered for putting
that dreaded key and set-screw on the output shaft! I wish I had a nickel for
all
the ones I have dropped from 130 feet; I could afford a new Big Boy!
I will now remove myself from my soap box and try to place an order to MFJ
for my fourth new output gear.
(((73)))
Phil, K5PC
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