[TowerTalk] Hygain Rotator Checkup and Rebuilding

[Paul Playford]

I used to have trouble with the brake wedge sticking in my T2X.  My original
40 year old Ham M had a 'V' shaped wedge and never stuck however the T2X
(and replacement Ham M) wedge has a squared end.  I filed the square to make
it slightly thinner, knowing full well that the wedge is hardened and the
file really didn't do much, but it still would stick sometimes.

I discovered quite by accident that if I actually suspend the rotator from
the mast (thrust bearing takes the load) the wedge sticking went away.

The next time I take the rotator down I will use my Dremel moto tool and a
micrometer and grind maybe .001 inch off the sides of the wedge.

Also, I used to break the ring gear and I even broke a tooth off one of the
idler gears, but with the addition of a brake release delay that problem
went away.  My antennas are big and I am quite sure I am overloading the
T2X.

And I do replace the bearing grease occasionally.

I am fortunate with my Ham M/T2X rotators as I can still easily get parts
for them.

de Paul, W8AEF

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ZF2TA  FO8DX  FO0PLA  8Q7AA  XZ0A
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Gilmer - N2MG" <n2mg at contesting.com>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 1:00 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Hygain Rotator Checkup and Rebuilding


> I am currently in the throes of checking out three
> fairly old (20 years?) Hygain Tailtwister rotators
> prior to installation.  Also one HamIV.
>
> Of course, I marked the relative position of the
> housing pieces before I started, and opened them
> inside a clean Rubbermaid container to catch any
> bearings that escape - I learned this YEARS ago ;-)
> Also, before I send them up the tower I will verify
> they are all pointing North!
>
> Anyway, I am replacing the (slightly corroded)
> terminal strips with the Rotor Doc's quick connects.
> I have also replaced one (so far) direction-indicating
> wirewound potentiometer - it had a noisy/dead spot
> which was a visibly "flattened" area in the windings
> that resulted in the control box's meter swingy wildly
> when the rotator turned through that direction.  I
> don't know what caused the flat area; it wasn't
> discolored.
>
> I am also cleaning the limit switch contacts with some
> brown paper bag strips soaked in contact cleaner slid
> between the closed contacts.  This paper removed a
> surprising amount of gunk!
>
> I have looked over the bearings and their "races" for
> damage/rust/flat spots but have found none.  I don't
> know if I will change the grease - it looks OK, but it
> is 20 years old at this point so I'm wondering...
> maybe some low-temp stuff from the snowmobile shop?
>
> Any common failures to look for in the brake hardware,
> etc.?  Any other trouble spots I should look for?
>
> I will definitely summarize any hints for posterity.
> Maybe have some photos, too, if anyone's interested.
>
> Mike N2MG
>
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