[TowerTalk] Heavy Duty Rotor

[David Thompson]

I bought a small prop pitch in 1975 from a ham in California WB6 something 
his name was Bob Leo. (Not W7LR). He sold them via the old yellow sheet 
classifieds.

I got a mounting plate from Lou Tristao and put inside my 71 foot crank up. 
I had 3 antennas back then, a 5 El KLM 20 meter Big Stick, a 4 el 10 meter 
beam on a 17 foot boom, and a Mosley 2 el
40.  The prop pitch worked great but I had to keep working on the selsuns to 
get the direction right.
Never a problem with the prop pitch motor.  But a couple of years later I 
had a problem with tree branches and one of the elements caught and the prop 
pitch kept going and one of the cross bars was sheered off.  It took two 
attempts with a welder to get it back correctly.

I moved to my current location in 1979 and noticed that I had a problem in 
the same location.  I called a fellow called Pat the welder and he went up 
on the roof and welded the spot and one other place standing on the roof.  A 
welder on the roof drew a crowd.  See what that crazy ham was having done 
now.

A fellow in Asheville NC was selling complete units about 1990 or so.  He 
said, yes, a prop pitch will probably rotate your house.   He noted a NC ham 
rotated his coax to the breaking point.  So be careful with a prop pitch.

Back in the mid 1990's I seem to recall K6NA in San Diego was selling 
converted units.

73 Dave K4JRB