[TowerTalk] Long rotor cable run

[Jay O'Brien]

I've found it much easier to run 120vac to the base of the tower, using
uv resistant power cable, and then use relays and a 24V transformer at
the tower (in a weatherproof box).  For a remote tailtwister I bought a
replacement transformer, one with the thermal cutout.  For a remote TIC
ring I just used a similar transformer to that in the control box.  The
cable back to the shack is just multi-pair telephone cable, 22ga as I
recall.

I use 8-pin connectors on the various cables so that when I want to work
at the tower and run the rotator, I just unplug the short cable on the
rotator box, take it to the base of the tower, unplug the cable from the
rotor where it connects to the relay box, plug them together and plug
the rotator box into the AC power, and I have a local control box at the
tower.  Another connector between the relay box and the cable to the
shack would allow testing of the relay box with the rotator control at
the same location.

There are other advantages to having power at the base of the tower,
like powering a soldering iron!

73, Jay
    w6go@quiknet.com

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