[TowerTalk] HAM IV Slippage

[Charlie Gallo]

On 4/6/2012 K8RI wrote:

...snip...
> Yah but...
> That gets us back to some where between pinning and splining.  Both can
> tear apart any of the ham/tail twister rotators with large antennas and
> arrays.


Another think folks don't think about - maybe, just maybe the mast you are using is too small, so you can't get a good clamp on it for the size of antenna you are using

Big antennas need big masts, and big rotors.  Worms vs brakes vs whatever his holding the rotor from turning isn't the issue IF the rotor isn't turning

Somewhere in your system will be a weakest link.  The trick is to make that as large as it needs to be for YOUR expected conditions.  Of course, when you beef that up, something else becomes the weakest link.  YOUR job (or your tower SYSTEM designer's job if you are not doing it yourself) is to make sure the system won't fail under the largest expected load, and that is it IS going to fail , it fails in the 'best possible' way - for instance, I'd MUCH MUCH rather have a mast slip or a rotor brake break that the torsional load get so high it twists the tower down

Generally, we use, particularly as hams, rules of thumbs and ratings.  a pro who wanted to do the job RIGHT (and I've seen a radar system done right) has a ME doing a lot of math and design work.






-- 
73 de KG2V - Charles Gallo
Quality Custom Machine-shop work for the radio amateur (sm)