One of my Tailtwisters had gone really lame. The brake worked okay, but
the thing barely turned - and sometimes it didn't.
I found one of the two pins that the gears are mounted on was broken in
two places. They are pressed into a base - and I didn't think I cold
get spare parts for it.
Instead - I bought a new AR-22 rotator from the old Henry Radio store
that they had on e-bay. Cost me $67.50 including with shipping. I knew
the gears were all the same (because I recently used a bearing out of
a totally rusted AR-22 that W7NI had to fix one in this rotator before)
so I thought perhaps the mounting plate with the two pins would be the
same. I finally opened it up last night and compare it to the T2X,
and sure enough... it is all the same. Actually, the parts even have
the same part numbers!! If you look at the bottom of a brakeless
rotator, you are looking at what mounts onto the brake assemble that
goes below it.
Such a deal! A set of new gears (which costs about $50 on its own),
a replacement motor if I ever need one... the whole plate assembly
and even some spare ball bearings.
Just had to share. Buying old AR-22 rotators might not be a bad way to
get spare parts. I unbolted the motor assemble (with indicator) from
the broken one, along with the brake assembly and bolted togehter a
working unit without much trouble at all.
73 Tree N6TR
tree@kkn.net
PS: Anyone need a new bell housing for an AR-22?
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