Roger:
Thanks for the reply. I too am a fan of direct connections, but several
persons I talked to around the Dallas/Fort Worth area persuaded me to
use quick disconnects because its much easier to get the rotor off the
tower when you don 't have to undo eight little screws. Also with as
much lightning as we get here I like to have a quick way of
disconnecting everything at the station, besides the grounding.
Yes everything worked fine after Norm rebuilt it. It started
malfuctioning a few weeks ago when I started getting some wild needle
swings. Nothing was changed prior to the problem.
My next step is to crank the tower down, rent a scissors lift and take
the box up to the disconnect on the rotor, which I tested after
recabling everything several months ago.
Tom, WW5L
Tower (K8RI) wrote:
Did the rotor and indicator work well after you had it rebuilt?
Did it work well at all after being installed in the tower?
When did it start malfunctioning again?
Had you changed anything prior to the failure?
Is anything other than the indicator malfunctioning?
IF so did they are go goofy at the same time?
There are only a couple things that are likely:
The most likely are the
1. The wire wound resistor for the indicator.
2. The wiper for the resistor,
3. Connectors.
Going to less likely
The cable could have been pinched if the tower has been raised and
lowered or it could have been pulled loosening one of the connectors.
Failure in the cable itself such as a pinch or cut.
Poor solder joint to the screw terminal strip on the rotor.
Loose crimp on spade lug to wire on terminal strip.
Even less likely would be a connection or the meter itself.
I'm not a fan of quick disconnects unless they are absolutely needed.
The wires to the rotor on my system go direct. My reasoning is each
addtional joint, splice, or connector contact are another source for
failure.
Roger Halstead (K8RI, EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
N833R, World's Oldest Debonair (S# CD-2)
www.rogerhalstead.com
Fellow Tower Talkians:
I've got a Ham IV (1987 vintage that has been overhauled three years
ago by Norm's Rotor Service). But I still seem to have problems with
it such as wild meter swings, etc.
A few months ago I completely replaced the rotor cable with one that has
2 16 ga and six 18 gage wires in about a 75 foot total run. Now it
seems to be on the fritz again. Can't get any readings from the rotor
itself at the control box, per using the Telrex/Hygain manual. SHould
I step up to a higher gauge wire, which would probably be overkill at
such as short distance of 75 ft. total. The cable is attached to my
Tri-Ex 50 foot crankup by 3 standoffs bought with the tower.
The connectors on both ends are 8 plug trailer disconnects from
Wireman and are each wrapped first in heat shrink tubing, then
Scotchcoted, then wrapped in Scotch 33 tape and Scotchcoated again,
and finally in a piece of sticky butyl rubber made for weatherproofing
large outdoor connectors, and this is Scotchcoated again. I don't
think moisture is the problem, just can't seem to isolate what is the
problem though.
The system is wired so I can take the rotor control box direct to the
rotor and plug it into the rotor pigtail I ran from the 8 screw
terminal board to the trailer disconnect.
May have to pull the whole thing down and start over as far as cabling
is concerned, However, I will crank the tower down and take the rotor
box to the rotor and connect them directly to see if the problem is
somewhere in the 75 foot run of rotor cable.
Any suggestions gladly accepted.
Tom, WW5L
_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers",
"Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free,
1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
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_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
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