[TenTec] Planetary reduction drive on Titan

[Tom A]

As an owner of a Titan 425 I'm sure interested in your post.  Mine was one
of the last one's made.  I have not noticed much drag on mine (YET!).  I
don't want to look forward to something else failing on this beautiful amp.
(I will post P.S. cap failure notice shortly)

Are you sure the drag is due to the plastic sheets?

I don't know type of coupling there is between the drive and the capacitor
shaft.  Solid straight ones sometimes bind...flexible is better.

In the past I've loosed the tension nut at the rear of a cap to make it
rotate freely (but would not advise that at the 1.5KW level)

Spraying silicone lubricant might invite flashover.  Don't know what
dielectric properties silicone has.

Me?  If mine failed (and if you don't tell me how you solved your problem)
I'd wedge a sheet metal screw in the balls (if they are exposed) and use it
1:1.   I find it faster to set my pre-calculated band settings using 1:1 and
the vernier drive actually slows my band changing down.

Let us know if you find a solution.

Tom K2TA
tom at k2ta.com


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Brown" <ken.d.brown at verizon.net>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 6:34 PM
Subject: [TenTec] Planetary reduction drive on Titan


> Hi all,
>
> I have a Titan 425 amplifier. Both the Tune and Load air variables have
> planetary ball reduction drives on them. The drive on the  Load
> capacitor (which has the polyethyene sheets between the plates) is
> slipping. I intend to replace the planetary drive as soon as I figure
> out how to get one from Ten-Tec. I expect that to solve the problem,
> however I am concerned that it will only be a temporary fix, because the
> torque required to rotate the load capacitor is significantly higher
> than typical air variables, due to the friction of the rubbing polythene
> (equal time for UK readers) sheets. The torque needed to rotate the
> shaft is noticably greater as the plates are more completely meshed. So
> I suspect that the planetary drive has suffered through an abnormally
> stressful life, causing is early demise. And a replacement drive will
> have a similar fate. What are the options? Is there a better way to get
> the necessary capacitance and voltage rating? Another air variable that
> does not have the polyethylene sheets? A heavier duty planetary drive?
> Delete the planetary drive and have knob rotation to capacitor shaft
> rotation ratio = 1:1?
>
> Thanks for any help,
>
> Ken N6KB
>
>
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