[TowerTalk] Rotor Cable size

[Jim Thomson]

Date: Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:33:37 -0400
From: "Roger (K8RI)" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Rotor Cable size



On 9/8/2010 5:01 PM, john at kk9a.com wrote:
> There can be a lot of voltage drop in 250' of wire so you want to be sure
> that it is adequately sized to avoid problems.   For long runs, I typically
> use house wire for the motor leads and a separate small multi-conductor
> cable for the sensor.
>
I had some C-band positioner cable that had all the wires I needed for 
direction indication and a pair of #10 or #12 (R&B) wires to drive the 
motor along with two RG-6's all molded into the one cable. You might not 
have any use for the FG-6, but it was cheap and rugged. With so few of 
the BUGs (Big Ugly Dishs) around any more they stuff may not be 
available or it may be a lot more expensive. I don't know, but it might 
be worth checking into.

73

Roger (K8RI)

##  Why not just crank up the voltage at the shack end...instead of using
humongous ga wire ??    A  10-90%  increase in voltage would do the trick,
depending on start up current, total loop length, wire ga, whether a start cap
is used, relay contact ratings etc, etc. 

## Plan B might to use bigger ga wire to the base of the tower.. then use smaller
ga cable  going up the tower. 

later... Jim  VE7RF