HAM-4 ROTOR TROUBLESHOOTING ADVICE

[David O. Hachadorian]

On Sun, 5 Jan 1997 21:24:50 -0500  alsopb@VANCE.NET writes:

>Guys,
>
>I'd like a bit of advice on troubleshooting what appears to be a HamIV
>rotor problem.
>I have a 5 year old Ham IV that rotated my 4 element Gem Quad
>flawlessly.  I recently
>added a Mosley rotatable dipole (12 pounds, not much additional torque
>needed I think) and things went fine for a while.
>
>Lately the rotor has been getting more and more difficult to get
>started.  It's at a point where I have to do something.
>
>The symptoms are:
>1) It "sticks" at random spots on the compass.  Sometimes can be 
>unstuck
>by repeated attempts.
>2) The brake is fully retracting.  I've gone out and listened to its
>repeated snap's while XYL operates it.
>3) The resistance checks indicate the same readings as when it was 
>first
>installed.
>4) The rotor is putting out about 26 volts AC at the rotor when the CW
>or CCW key is pressed.
>5) Rotor was refurbished by CATS  4 months ago.
>
>I can think of three things:
>1) Starting capacitor is bad (although ohmmeter check indicates OK)
>2) Gears stripped inside rotor
>3) Binding somewhere.  Thrust bearing?  (although visually everything
>looks fine, thrust bearing is 3 months old  and I can see things 
>seeming
>normal when wind twists array)
>
>Any advice before I lower the mess?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Brian/K3KO
>Vance Net Inc
>End Of Message 
>
>
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>
Go to your local electric motor shop and get a replacement
capacitor. It will only cost about $3 and will eliminate that
as a source of the problem. It's cheap and easy. There's no
easy way to test the capacitor.

The new capacitor will probably be rated for 120 vac, so it will
be physically larger, but you will find a way to stuff it into
the box. The capacitance value is not critical. Somewhere around
the original value or larger will be ok. Hope that does it!

Dave, K6LL
k6ll@juno.com

--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 K7LXC@contesting.com
Sponsored by Akorn Access, Inc & KM9P