[TowerTalk] Ring Rotor problem

Jon Zaimes AA1K jz73 at verizon.net
Sun Oct 24 13:57:02 EDT 2004


Dave,

Thanks for the tips. This box is as you describe....vintage 1993, though it was unused till I installed about 2 years ago.

I'll do an ohmmeter test on the pot.

73/Jon AA1K

At 09:28 AM 10/24/04, you wrote:
>For ring rotors you have to specify the type of control box you have.  I
>assume from the mention of meter and start button that it is one of the
>ones that has a knob for setting the direction you want and then you
>momentarily press the start button and it turns the right direction to
>match the knob.  And that this uses a pot at the motor to indicate
>position... this type of problem is likely an open in the pot or the
>wires to it.  If it's the one I think it is it has a 10 turn wirewound
>pot that does the direction, those pots were prone to opening and
>depending on where you where the needle on the box could follow the
>control knob position or just pin one way or the other.  You can force
>it to turn by putting a pot across the indicator terminals on the
>control box and watching the beam to point it where you want it... but
>the real fix is to find the open, probably in the indicator pot, and fix
>or replace it.
>
>Oh, and if it is the one with the 500 ohm 10 turn wirewound pot I just
>happen to have a couple spares... $20 shipped.
>
>David Robbins K1TTT
>e-mail: mailto:k1ttt at arrl.net
>web: http://www.k1ttt.net
>AR-Cluster node: 145.69MHz or telnet://dxc.k1ttt.net
> 
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:towertalk-
>> bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jon Zaimes AA1K
>> Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2004 12:06
>> To: towertalk at contesting.com
>> Subject: [TowerTalk] Ring Rotor problem
>> 
>> My Tic Ring Rotor has been working fine for a couple of years, turning
>a
>> HyGain Explorer 3-el 40m yagi. I last used it a couple of days ago.
>> 
>> This morning when I turned on the control box, the meter indicator
>> immediately pinned to the left. (The beam had been
>> left around NNE).
>> 
>> When I changed the preset a few degrees and hit the start button,
>there
>> was no change. When I changed the preset
>> a greater amount (to 150) and hit start again, the meter initially
>pinned
>> to the right. And the beam did not move. Then
>> I hit start again, and the relay in the box clicked intermittently as
>long
>> as I held the start button on, and the meter
>> moved back to about 135 degrees but wobbled. Still no movement of the
>> beam.
>> 
>> Any ideas for debugging?
>> 
>> 73/Jon AA1K
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> 
>> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers",
>"Wireless
>> Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041
>with
>> any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>> 
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