[TowerTalk] tower/rotator woes...

[Jim Thomson]

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2017 11:30:29 -0500
From: "Roger (K8RI) on TT" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net>
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] tower/rotator woes...

Possible, but unlikely.

Even drastically overloaded with the large array I had up, in wind the 
Ham IVs would be unable to turn the array, but they never bound up.  A 
few times, the antennas would rotate all the way to the stop with the 
motor unable to apply enough torque to stop the rotation, but again, 
they never bound up.  The tail twister is just a beefed up version. With 
the brake released, I could apply enough force by hand to turn the mast. 
That was the number one reason I dislike rotators with wedge brakes  
with tiny motors (cheap) and a very high ratio spur gear train stamped 
from sheet metal.
If the wind overpowered the motor, you didn't dare engage the brake 
without the danger of damage.

73, Roger (K8RI)

##  Toss the toy rotors, get off the..get cheap program..... and loosen up the purse strings.
You save nothing in the end.   Loads of  worm gear type rotors available, like the OR-2800
combo, buy it without the mating semi useless controller, and instead buy the mating green heron control box. 
Then its all point and shoot, and ramp up and ramp down etc.   Or the big yaesu rotors, or the prosistel
rotors or the alpha  spid rotors.  The  ham-4, t2x etc, dont come with a proper mast clamp.  mast has to be
an exact OD, or it will bind, and will have to be shimmed.  If the T2x is made for a 2+ inch mast, then u also have to
shim it..if using a 1.9 or 2.0 mast.  

##  add up all the grief, packing and shipping back and forth, buying a spare t2x, rotor removal
and replacement...and u lost it right there.   U saved zero.  In fact it cost u more than if u bought 
a real rotor in the 1st place. 

Jim   VE7RF