[TowerTalk] Rotor replacement

[Jim White, K4OJ]

keep your eyes open at the hamfests for an old hygain boom to mast clamp 
- the two piece cast toothed sided ones...

they use four bolts ot hold the halves against each other - that grasp 
very securely...

When you have to restrain the mast from dropping - first loosely install 
the b2m clamp around the mast just at the top of your tube mast or 
thrust bearing...then, initially take the weight with the gin pole from 
the ground - have your ground crew boost things enough with the gin pole 
to allow the rotor to clear, then tighten down the b2m clamp onto the 
mast and have the ground crew slowly ease up on the rope...

The antenna's weight will settle onto the edge of that clamp and it 
ain't goin no further...

I have the luxury of having two Rohn 55 towers with flat top 
plates...for these tower I use a really cool trick to raise and lower 
the mast.

I have an automobile jack I saw in a flea market that operates off of a 
rotating rod... the rod is in several pieces that interlock... loose 
those you wont need them...

Instead of using those to operate the jack, I chuck up a flat bit 
screwdriver blade in my 14V cordless drill motor...

Place the jack on the top plate so that the lowest boom on your 
christmas tree is over it and raise the jack up to the boom... once it 
is snug up against the boom loosen the mast at the rotor and then go 
back to the jack.

A squeeze of your finger will magically raise/lower (in reverse) the 
antenna - talk about a joy to behold.

With these tools a rotor change out can be done easily in a half hour 
without a gin pole...

Kul

Jim, K4OJ




Jim wrote:

> I dont know if you have access to one, but what I do
> is raise the antenna system up with a gin pole, tie
> the rope off and remove the rotator.  Also, if I
> recall correctly, it your using the top section for
> the rohn 45, there should be a keeper bolt in the tube
> the mast slides in, raise the system up amd tighten
> that, as long as your not going to have it off for
> long, that should work ok.  But, the safest bet in my
> mind is the gin pole...
> 
> 73  Jim  AD6IJ
> 
> 
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