Tic-Ring = Broke Feedline

[AB5YG at aol.com]

I have a Tic General Tic-Ring rotor on my Rohn 25 tower that turns a Force 12
4lm 20M monobander (30' boom).

The beam was left at North (center of rotation) last night.  I was operating
160M on high power --- The Tic-Ring preset light always lights when I operate
on 160M using my tower/sloper antenna ----This has not caused a problem in
the past----

Well--- this morning I set the preset to 90 Degrees and the rotor did not
turn!!!  I immediately went outside and found the beam had rotated 360
degrees CW and ripped the balun off the driven element!!!! 

There are NO mechanical or electrical stops on the Tic-Ring!!!  Good thing
the balun had 16ga wire -- If the coax had been directly attached the driven
element would probably had been broken ---  I checked the pot in the rotor
and the cable, and the control unit -- all appears to be normal ----  Is
possible that my 160M RF was rectified and powered the rotor motor?  I don't
think the gears or drive motor slipped as the winds were only around 20 knots
--- The beam was rock solid in 65 MPH winds this past summer as well.
  Anyone have this happen to them???  Anyone add stops to their Tic-ring??
 
Please respond directly to me by: ab5yg at aol.com

Thanks - Bill -  AB5YG in Mississippi

>From Pete Soper <psoper at encore.com>  Mon Feb  5 00:59:17 1996
From: Pete Soper <psoper at encore.com> (Pete Soper)
Date: Sun, 04 Feb 1996 19:59:17 EST
Subject: good ol' boys on 75m (fwd)
Message-ID: <17123.9602050059 at earl.encore.com>


You wrote:

> Why not give them a little publicity?  Start spreading their call
> letters around,  e-mail them to the FCC and to the ARRL  people

These boys don't tend to share their call letters when they're calling 
"Sou-eee". But if they do, I agree: let's weed out the extra special
idiots :-)

I'm convinced the only solution is to pretend they do not exist. I spent
a few years teaching profoundly retarded children various things and 
apart from the big positives like teaching them how to feed themselves and
put their waste in a toilet, there was the insight that they did various 
outrageous things, up to and including self-mutilation, because it was a way 
to get their attendants to give them a little extra (extra *ANYTHING*).
Ignoring bad behavior was the quickest way to extinguish it and replace it 
with positive behaviors, as cruel as that may sound if you've seen the self-
abuse behaviors of institutionalized folks. Of course with amateurs we can't do 
the "replace with positive behaviors" part.

Regards,
Pete
KS4XG

>From kf3p at cais.cais.com (Tyler Stewart)  Mon Feb  5 01:09:55 1996
From: kf3p at cais.cais.com (Tyler Stewart) (Tyler Stewart)
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 1996 20:09:55 -0500
Subject: What's wrong with the SSB sprint
Message-ID: <199602050109.UAA29750 at cais.cais.com>

>
>The good ol' boys on 75 meters were in rare form last night during SSB 
>sprint. Maybe cause we went to 75 early- but I have never heard such fowl 
>languaage on the ham bands. The guys on 3850 really let loose. I only 
>wish the FCC could have heard it. These guys are certainly the worst 
>examples of radio amatuers concievable- how could they have possibly 
>gotten licenses? The guys on 3835 always get on during contests for the 
>sole purpose of harrassing contesters- anyone within 3 khz of them gets 
>deliberately and maliciously interferred with. This is illegal and should 
>should be dealt with by legal means.
>I sure hate it that general class operaters are prevented from 
>participating in contests on 75 meters because of the immature, self 
>centered, and illegal actions of a few jerks who have no business 
>operating a radio. Life would be better for all if these 75 meter jammers 
>were removed the ham (or any other) bands.
>Guess this gets a little steam off my chest. I do wonder what we can do 
>about these guys. We can't ignore them- they chase us down to curse us 
>and QRM us. Fighting with them is counter productive. No one should be 
>subjected to the language and meanness.
>Thanks for letting me vent-
>73 de KM0L
>
>

I'm not going to try and justify their reactions, but I can sympathize with
them.

I took part in my first ever NCJ sprint contest last night which happened to
be on SSB.  

My conclusion:  Not only does this contest SUCK from the east coast with those
hours and these sunspots, but the QSY rule creates pure bedlam on 75 phone.
You've got a bunch of agressive contesters jumping on a whole range of
freqs from 3815 to 3875 causing havok with the good-ol' boys...and this is one
contest where you dont stand a chance if you take the time to ask if it's in
use.  

Sorry.  I think it's a nice, challenging idea for a contest, but it's
implementation needs a hard look.  You can get away with a lot of this stuff
on CW without too much grease, but on phone it's just out of control.

Just as a suggestion, I think this contest would be much more palatable for
the next few years run in the afternoon (like starting at 2000Z at the
latest) instead of evening, and possibly (but not necessarily) using a
combination of 15,20, and 40 meters, avoiding 75.  By the time this thing
starts, 20 is dead on the east coast and 75 is already way long!  I heard
complaints on 3830 after the contest about New England not being
on...believe me, I know why now!  I just about turned the radio off myself
after screaming at west coast stations on 20 meters to no avail.  Granted
conditions were exceptionally poor this time, but I'm sure it's not going to
be that much different for the next several years.

I welcome your comments...

73, Tyler KF3P at cais.com

>


>From kendal19 at kendal19.rabbit.net (Kenneth Dul)  Sun Feb  4 20:55:00 1996
From: kendal19 at kendal19.rabbit.net (Kenneth Dul) (Kenneth Dul)
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 96 20:55 WET
Subject: 3B8CF QSL'ing
Message-ID: <m0tjG9h-000MCfC at Mufasa.AGN.NET>

Has anyone had success in obtaining a QSL from 3B8CF ?
If so, how did you address the envelope? Just...  Mauritius Island
or is there a "VIA ..."  that works better?  Assuming the address in the '96
callbook.

Tnx, Ken K8ZR