TIC ringrotor control box smoke

[Keith Morehouse - W9RM]

After getting the control box hooked up again for my RingRotor, I had an
interesting "failure" and am curious if anyone else has ever had this
happen with a TIC controller.

After plug in, AC power was applied to the box and the meter swung to
the correct direction.  I turned the preset knob and started the motor.

After about 30 degrees of rotation, the meter pilot lights suddenly
increased in brightness, followed immediately by loud component frying
sounds from inside the box and an immediate LARGE cloud of smoke.  Power
off, 4 letter words on...

To shorten the story, the ZNR (transient suppressor) on one of the motor
lines let loose as only ZNR's can, filling the inside of the box with
ash and smoke debris.  Man, it was REALLY smoked.  After checking
(again) for cable errors and removing the remains of the ZNR, the
controller worked just fine.  No problems...

A glance at the rest of the ZNR's showed a part number ending in 220. 
According to my catalogs, that means a max DC voltage of 18V !  The
motor on a TIC runs off a nominal 24V and mine reads 30V when turning. 
Does the controller have a larger ZNR on the motor line or did somebody
screw up and it just took this long for it to blow ???

I'm not going to reinstall a ZNR in the box because I have all the
control lines shunted by them (65 volt rated) at the shack entrance
panel.

Comments ??  The shack is gonna smell like fried ZNR for weeks - those
things are nasty...

Now - back to vanity call s..t !

---------------------------###-----------------------------
PROBE ELECTRONICS 100 Higgins Road, Park Ridge IL 60068 USA
Keith J. Morehouse /  W9RM  / Society of Midwest Contesters
847-696-2828  FAX: 847-698-2045  e-mail: blckhole at ripco.com
---------------------------###-----------------------------

>From mats.persson at mbox2.swipnet.se (SM7PKK)  Mon Nov 11 17:45:43 1996
From: mats.persson at mbox2.swipnet.se (SM7PKK) (SM7PKK)
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 18:45:43 +0100
Subject: We have a coward on the reflector it seems
Message-ID: <3.0b36.32.19961111184523.006f5834 at mailbox.swip.net>

Hi everyone,

I got this in my mail from someone who obviously is on the reflector but
who is obviously too
afraid to have an oppinion and stand behind it. I will not dignify such a
mail with a real answer
but I gladly answer all mail with a real sender even if I don't share an
opinion.

73 de Mats

P.S I just though people would like to know what mail can show up=20

At 15.36 1996-11-10 -0600, you wrote:
>
>You are such a jerk.  If you want to conserve bandwidth, why is your "sig"
>so long?  You are also a lid, ever since you were a little kid, you are
>jetting all over the world doing "expeditions" and begging for our money.
>Grow up!
>


SM7PKK			E-mail: mats.persson at mbox2.swipnet.se
Mats Persson		The SM7PKK DX-Pedition Site- http://home1.swipnet.se/~w-17565
Zenithgatan 24 # 5		PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SITE HAS MOVED!!!
S-212 14 Malmoe		DON=B4T USE CALLBOOK ADRESS IT=B4S WRONG!
Sweden			CW !!

P.S My logs are open forever.. ever.. ever..

I do not want to receive any MAILORDER offers of any kind to my e-mail
address!!!!