Fwd: Re: [Towertalk] Heavy winds...

[Jim Rhodes]

After having the bolts work out of 2 Hy-gain rotators I replaced the bolts 
with short pieces of threaded rod and put a jam nut with spring type 
lockwasher against the bottom of the rotator. I used the blue loctite on 
them too. I have never had one of these work out. I have had the lower nuts 
below the rotator plate loosen up, but since the studs were still tight in 
the rotator body nothing moved much. It also makes the thing easier to 
replace, no messing around to line up the holes to get the bolts in, just 
drop it right into the holes and everything is in place.


>You are right.  The twisting force would not be
>helped at all.
>
>I was only considering the sideways force, which while
>present, is, IMO, NOT the primary bolt-loosener.
>
>It is definitely true that the mating of a steel bolt
>into an aluminum body is not an ideal torque- (as in
>bolt tightness) maintaining arrangement.
>
>Mike N2MG
>
>On Tue, 23 April 2002, kb9cry@attbi.com wrote
>
> >
> > Mike, I'm not sure about the effectiveness of the
>second
> > bearing.  It would lessen any sideways forces on the
> > rotator but it would not reduce any twisting forces
>that
> > are transmitted from the mast to the rotator, as long
>as
> > the brake held up.

Jim Rhodes K0XU
jim@rhodesend.net