[TowerTalk] Problem with M2 Orion controller

[Les Kalmus]

Ed,

As an FYI, the rotor has a magnet on the end of its motor shaft. During 
each rotation, this magnet actives a reed switch in the rotor which 
causes pulses to be delivered to the controller. Counting the pulses is 
how the rotor keeps track of position. A common point of failure of the 
Orion is the reed switch. There are also two microswitches that act as 
limit switches. These are also a common point of failure. The reed 
switch can be damaged by a lightning induced current surge. The limit 
switches are less likely to have a lighting problem but there are other 
issues that will cause problems. Older rotors may have limit switch 
issues caused by the 1/4" bolt on top of the motor shaft loosing and 
allowing the shaft to drop slightly which may cause a large internal 
gear to drag against the switches making them intermittent.

Don't ask how I know all this : )

BTW, I also know the GH controller is far superior to the M2 controller, 
mainly because it does a vastly superior job of pulse counting.

Les W2LK


On 7/19/2020 1:02 PM, Edward stallman wrote:
> Thanks to all that replied on and off list . A Friend that lives close 
> called telling me, he has a new RC-2800-P controller that  I could use 
> to do my testing ..
>
> Ed N5DG
>
> On 7/19/2020 11:32 AM, Jim Thomson wrote:
>> 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
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
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