[TowerTalk] Alfaspid acoustic noise?

[Jim Miller]

My Alfaspid works fine but does make quite a grinding racket. Mine is only
up about 35ft as I have a rather short crankup. If it was at 100ft no one
would notice of course.

>From the sound it makes it sounds like just the noise from the wiper motor
whirring away but it does produce quite a growl. Since it appears to be
just a repurposed windshield wiper motor I'm a bit surprised at the noise
level produced.

I've had the rotor apart just a bit to peek in the top and nothing seems
amiss. The top doesn't seem to do anything other than support the split
rubber grommet and keep crud and water out. As far as I can tell it doesn't
provide mechanical support on any axis.

I was thinking of cranking the tower down and removing the grommet and
lifting the cap so that I could watch/listen while it rotates to try to
determine the real source of the noise.

I was also thinking that if it is just "normal" I could try constructing a
cylindrical muffler that I could wrap around the rotor made of a hard
surface lined with foam to try to reduce the noise a bit.

Neighbor who goes to bed early is complaining a bit...

Suggestions anyone?

Thanks

Jim ab3cv