[TowerTalk] Unusual Ham-m problem/repair

[Kathy Bookmiller]

I recently did a repair on an old Ham-m rotator that was unusual I believe. I had picked up the rotator many years ago and it never worked properly. One could hear the brake work when the lever was hit, but movement was weak and sporadic. In fact, it would turn in either direction if I gave it a twist, regardless of which way the lever was. (Yes, this one is so old it had a lever for push left or right, the old bakelite control box)
Decided to open it up and found the interior was like new, other than the grease on the bearings had pretty much solidified, what little was left.
After some circuit tracing and head scratching, I found the problem that had probably been there from the time it was built. The wire from terminal 4 of the strip on the bottom going to the motor was internally open. Nice connection on both ends, but somewhere in in its 8" run, it was open. The insulation was intact, no sign of it having been crimped. Replaced the wire and it is working fine once more, probably for its first time ever.
Thought I'd pass this along.
73,
Kathy, W2NK