[TowerTalk] Speaking of the Han Series of rotators...Howdoyoutell the difference.

Roger (K8RI) K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net
Tue Oct 26 16:20:30 PDT 2010 


On 10/26/2010 6:07 PM, Brad Pioveson W9FX wrote:
> Sorry, Roger, but what you have is a Ham II rotor.  The code on the 
> base of the unit indicates that it's a Ham M, Series 5, built in 1966 
> during the 04th week.  The Ham M Series 5 was marketed as the Ham II 
> and was the first of the CDR rotors to use the 'modern' (three switch) 
> controllers.   This one, if it is as it came from the factory, will 
> have a cast aluminum ring gear and a nylon motor pinion gear vs the 
> Ham IV's hardened steel final gear and brass motor pinion.
The pinion gear is not all that important as it has very little stress 
on it due to the large gear reduction and very low torque motor. The two 
areas of stress are the brake and ring gear.Even then the ring gear does 
not have a lot of stress as the motor has so little power and can free 
wheel with the brake disengaged.  OTOH all of the braking stress is 
transmitted through the 3 ears that hold the bell to the ring gear.
>   It will also have the closer spaced (finer pitch) serrations for the 
> brake wedge and that early brake wedge, also found in these units, was 
> ground to a knife-edge.  Those brake wedges tended to break under 
> heavy twisting moments with gusting winds.  The newer models sport a 
> brake wedge that's thicker and ground to a flat edge profile.
Which is what this one has.
>   Also, suspect that the terminal board you replaced was phenolic vs 
> the newer black thermoplastic versions.
Actually I've torn the guts out of both Ham IV's and HDR-300s so I'm not 
all that fond of Hy-Gain rotators.  They are fine for small arrays and 
tribanders, but I'd not trust one on anything over 15 sq ft and even  
that would make me nervous. I know many have been used for much larger, 
but I operate, rain or shine, wind or calm.  To me the brake delay would 
be better off removed.  If I'm turning a large tribander in a strong 
wind and let up on the directional lever the motor now has no torque and 
will often speed up instead of coasting to a stop before engaging the 
brake. The HDR needs some kind of mechanical stop to prevent the wind 
from taking it beyond the stops as it has endless rotation with only 
micro switches to indicate end of rotation.  I released the brake and 
the thing swung around so fast it was beyond the sops before I could 
even let go  of the switch. It's bad enough having to take the rotator 
down, but when it tears up the 4 pigtails that require lowering the mast 
to remove the antennas (a full days work for two)  it becomes 
unacceptable.  I went through two HDR-300s and one ham IV IIRC and I was 
just using the Ham IV to hold the array until the PST-61 arrived.

Well, 50% anin't bad.  It has the 3 switch controller, the pinion is 
nylon, but the brake wedge is machined flat on the tip. The terminal 
strip was an original thermoplastic. Phenolic would not break in the 
same manner. It also had steel screws and terminals (badly rusted)
>
> If this had been a Ham IV rotor, the legend would be H4 plus a 
> manufacturing date.  I've never seen a Ham V.  As I recall, they are 
> just Ham IV rotors with a different controller.
Near as I can tell that is correct.

73

Roger (K8RI)
>
> 73, Brad, W9FX
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger (K8RI)" 
> <K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net>
> To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 4:29 PM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Speaking of the Han Series of 
> rotators...Howdoyoutell the difference.
>
>
>>
>>
>> On 10/26/2010 4:56 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
>>> >  Those numbers are 5 604 (space between the 5 and 604) and are the 
>>> only
>>> >  thing on the base.There is nothing on the outside of the base cover
>>> >  which is the brake and nothing on the bell.
>>>
>>> Then it's a HAM-V (Ham 5).  Updated HAM IV  IIRC, the full "decode" is
>>> HAM 5 manufactured June 2004.
>> Thank you Joe!
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Roger (K8RI)
>>> 73,
>>>
>>>      ... Joe, W4TV
>>>
>>>
>>> On 10/26/2010 4:46 PM, Roger (K8RI) wrote:
>>>>
>>>> On 10/26/2010 4:18 PM, Roger (K8RI) wrote:
>>>>> On 10/26/2010 5:34 AM, Todd Coulter wrote:
>>>>>> Roger,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Maybe this page from Norm's Rotor Service will help.
>>>>> A little, but I already know it's a ham series due to the extended 
>>>>> brake
>>>>> housing that adds about 4" to the height.
>>>>>
>>>>> What I can't find are any designations stamped on the base of the
>>>>> housing. I'm assuming that means the bottom outside of the base?  
>>>>> There
>>>>> is no mast extension to cover the base. There is a single digit 
>>>>> followed
>>>>> by a dash and IIRC 3 digits,
>>>> Those numbers are 5 604 (space between the 5 and 604) and are the only
>>>> thing on the base.There is nothing on the outside of the base cover
>>>> which is the brake and nothing on the bell.
>>>>
>>>> It appears to be a Ham IV, but could be a older Ham M and I do not 
>>>> know
>>>> how to tell them apart based on appearance and parts.
>>>>
>>>> 73
>>>>
>>>> Roger (K8RI)
>>>>> but nothing that resembles the codes
>>>>> depicted on norms page which BTW if you wear bifocals is very 
>>>>> difficult
>>>>> to read with the text overlaying the charts.
>>>>>
>>>>> Even then, there is nothing to tell me what's different between the
>>>>> different models even if I do find a designation which seems to be
>>>>> missing. The controller is just the generic "ham" controller.
>>>>>
>>>>> 73
>>>>>
>>>>> Roger (K8RI)
>>>>>> http://rotorservice.com/serv3%20identify.htm
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 73's
>>>>>> Todd
>>>>>> N4JRZ
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
>>>>>> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Roger (K8RI)
>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 2:07 AM
>>>>>> To: TOWERTALK at contesting.com
>>>>>> Subject: [TowerTalk] Speaking of the Han Series of rotators...How 
>>>>>> do you
>>>>>> tell the difference.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I recently inherited a couple of basket cases. They appear to be ham
>>>>>> IV's but how do you tell the ham IV rotator minus control box,  
>>>>>> from the
>>>>>> other models?  Other than having to clean out a lot of dirt and 
>>>>>> replace
>>>>>> the bearings...I replaced the terminal strips with the TailTwister
>>>>>> pigtails and connectors. Welll... I really didn't have to replace 
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> bearings, but I like shiny bearings rather than old dull black ones.
>>>>>> That and I discovered you can purchase them from Hy-gain 
>>>>>> including the
>>>>>> retainers for between 1/3 and 1/4 the price at the hardware store 
>>>>>> which
>>>>>> used to be an inexpensive place to get things like that.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 73
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Roger (K8RI)
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>> 14:34:00
>>>>>>
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