[TowerTalk] Frozen Rotor

[W1GOR]

Martin,

I've had similar problems with the mast freezing in the sleeve...  My 
solution was to make a cone-shaped guard and fasten it around the mast 
slightly above the sleeve opening (seal it well).   It can be of sheet-metal 
although I used fairly stiff plastic sheet and heated it to form the cone. 
When done properly, any moisture (rain, snow, sleet) will be diverted away 
from the mast-sleeve junction and the mast will not freeze in the sleeve. 
You might want to apply some low temperature silicone grease to the mast, 
where it passes through the sleeve.  Don't use ordinary grease because it is 
not capable of withstanding very low temperatures without getting stiff. 
If you have enough space between the mast and sleeve, a sheet of TEFLON can 
be used in place of the silicone grease.   According to DuPont, TEFLON is 
the slipperiest material on Earth...<grin>   By the way, if you can find a 
GIANT FUNNEL, you will have most of the shield right from the start...!

73, Larry - W1GOR

There are 10
types of people
in the world;

Those that
understand
B I N A R Y
and those
that don't.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Martin AA6E" <msembx-aa6e at yahoo.com>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 11:54 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Frozen Rotor


> Winter greetings!
>
> With the help of a good antenna guy, I installed a roof-mount tower (20
> ft Rohn 25) with a Yaesu G-1000 holding up a 3-el SteppIR on an 8 ft
> mast.  Nothing exotic here, but it gets out nicely.
>
> We've had a couple of nights this winter of below 10F.  I've found the
> rotor just won't budge until morning, when things warm up into the
> teens.  What's going on?
>
> There could be some ice in the tower sleeve.  Is that the most likely?
> Shouldn't the G-1000 be able to break through?  The rotor does not slip
> against the mast.  (Indicator does not move.)
>
> What do people do to prevent this?  Lubricate the sleeve, provide a
> weather shield, heating tape, ...?
>
> 73, Martin AA6E