[TowerTalk] TIC ring slipping

[Jim Thomson]

Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 19:03:33 +0000
From: "Zivney, Terry" <00tlzivney at bsu.edu>
To: "towertalk at contesting.com" <towertalk at contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] TIC ring slipping



##  How did you manage to mount a 2 el 40m yagi above a 5 el 20m yagi ?   Is this the top tic ring..which has their 
optional mast extension ?    The quick fix would be to buy the 2nd ..slave motor.  The 2nd motor only has the motor, no indicator. 
It only has 3 wires from it...and parallels to the existing....master rotor.   Then you have twice as much holding TQ....when the
wind is howling...and you don’t want it to slip etc.   Then when actually rotating,  you have double the turning TQ.   I suspect their
mast extension option is adding an additional load on the ring..when its  windy.    You then also have the option of leaving the motor
windings shorted when not in use.  Since BOTH motors have their windings in parallel...when you short one out.... you short the 2nd
motor out as well.   I know one fellow who claims he installed a 3rd motor..so 1 in each corner..... to turn a 800 lb LP array. 

##  A 2nd motor would reduce stress on motor #1..resulting in lower stress on both motors..since they are sharing the braking and turning loads.

Jim   VE7RF

I have 3 TIC rings on my Rohn 45 tower.  They have been  up for 10 or more years, and give good service.  Always turn.
But, I have had a problem from time-to-time with the one holding
the largest antenna - 48 foot boom 5 el 20m and 2 el Cushcraft 40m.  The ring (single motor) seems to turn every time.  It holds its position even in the strongest winds.
BUT, from time to time, generally during a contest, it seems to slip position.  That is, when I start the contest I turn it
SE to use for the Caribbean multipliers.  Then next morning,
I turn it NE for Europe to stack with the top 20m beam.
Repeat the second day.  When I go out Monday morning 
after the contest, I find the antenna, instead of pointing NE,
is pointing roughly East.  That is, it has moved somewhere
between 45 and 60 degrees!  I can't see the antenna
tower from the shack, and of course, generally the
time I need to turn it is dark, so probably couldn't
see anything anyway.

I can leave the antenna parked there for months, and it
never moves.  The antenna NEVER moves (slips) in the other 
direction.  The TIC ring uses a pot to keep track of direction.

Any ideas?

Terry N4TZ