[TowerTalk] Problem with M2 Orion controller

[Jim Thomson]

Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2020 10:32:55 -0500
From: Edward stallman <ed.n5dg at gmail.com>
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Problem with M2 Orion controller

<Had a car hit a power pole , this created mutable rapid power surges . 
<My RC-2800P-A controller has not worked properly since . Before buying a 
<Green Heron controller I need to be sure the pulse counter in the rotor 
<is still good.

<The first time I turned the controller on after the surge , the rotor 
<started turning immediately as soon as I pressed the (CW) went to (L 
<346.0 ) Limit .? Pushing the CW / CCW does nothing . Using one of the 
<ten presets , I used the 30 degree , the rotor turned 30 deg and counted 
<on the controller from the (L_346.0) limit , now reading 16 deg ... What 
<ever preset I use , the rotor turns that much from say 16deg . Pressing 
<and holding the MODE up arrow in hope to program the numbers only makes 
<the 16 deg jump back to (L_346.0)? .

<I checked the MOV across 5 and 6 ,? and I also have the 11.3 VDC across 
<5 and 6

<If I'm counting numbers while using the presets , would you think the 
<pulse counter at the rotor is good ? Is their a way to test the pulse 
<counter using the 2 leads in the shack ?

<Not trying to repair the Orion controller but hoping the Green Heron 
<will work if I buy one

<Thanks Ed N5DG


##  Which version of the M2  controller, do you have ?   The latest version
is called a RC2800PXAZ..and uses a switching supply...good  from 
88-264 vac. 

##  Does your controller have a MOV  on the 120 vac  input ?   Mine doesnt,
thats most of your problem  right there.  The  130 vac rated mov can  installed inside
the  controller, between hot  120 leg...and  chassis.  For the price of the controller box,
you would have thought they woulda  spent the extra  1  dollar, to install a HD MOV
across the  incoming 120  vac. 

##  Ideally,  you want MOVS right at the main  200A  entrance panel.  Typ they  will use
a  2 pole breaker installed into a spare slot in main panel.... then cabled over to  commercial
MOV box.   MOV box will  consist of  2 x   130 Vac  MOVS, one from each hot leg..to neutral.

##  Then, everything in the home is protected.   Otherwise, you could easily get a repeat performance.
make sure the  GH box  has a MOV across the  incoming 120 vac line too.

Jim   VE7RF