[TowerTalk] Slow/Stuck rotator in one direction

[Steve Maki]

An adjustable mast clamp is good, but doesn't solve the fairly common 
issue of the rotator not being centered in the tower (or not lined up 
with the upper collar/thrust bearing).

A neat solution is the one offered by Alfa Spid, which basically has an 
adjustable mast clamp on the bottom as well as the top. With this system 
there's no excuse for not having good alignment.

-Steve K8LX

On 04/14/18 20:30 PM, john at kk9a.com wrote:

> The Yaesu mast clamp is completely adjustable making it easy to center any
> sized mast within the clamping range. Unless you are using multiple thrust
> bearings it should not bind. Perhaps something will be obvious when you look
> at it. Maybe the coax is binding. I had a TIC Ring motor with similar
> symptoms and solved it by replacing the DC motor, I am guessing that the
> brushes were worn.
> 
> K6NR wrote > My 4 Element 20m yagi is on a 15' mast on a Yaesu rotator in a TX-455
> US-Tower.  Over the last year, it has become slow to turn across the
> NorthWest direction, working fine in other directions.  As of a day or so
> ago, I could turn the rotator counter clockwise into the NW area but now I
> can no longer turn it clockwise to get beyond about 290 degrees.
> 
> My tower et al is at my remote station about 80 miles away and I will need
> to go up there to take a look at what is going on.  I am looking for some
> general advice on correcting these sorts of problems, which would seem to
> relate to the vertical alignment of the bottom 5' of mast in the rotator
> and through the thrust bearing.  I forget how much adjustment play there is
> in the rotator shelf mounting and don't know if you can adjust the the
> thrust bearing.
> 
> I don't think anything is binding - cable wise or with my dipole arm mount
> - but I will need to check that out too.
> 
>     Dana - K6NR