Hi Pete: Perhaps you're right. My little 800 has not caused
a great problem, although another ham here had his self destruct.
He said it rattles so bad when you shake it that he's afraid to
open it. (KL7CC)
I was just dismayed at the quality of the gear drive which is not
up to the standards I am used to in U.S. made rotators. If the
main rotator unit is of the same stuff, I'm amazed that it hasnt
cratered. I'm sticking a HAM-IV up in it's place.
de KL7HF
----------
From: Pete Smith
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 1998 8:32 AM
To: Towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Rotators
At 06:22 AM 1/21/98 -0900, you wrote:
>For those of you contemplating a new rotator, I would like
>to pass on this tidbit.
>
>A couple of years ago, I picked up a Yeasu Rotator (the 800 model)
>to turn a small antenna. It looked good on the brochures, so I thought
>I would give it a shot.
>
>It worked well until last week when the indicator quit. I disassembled the
>control unit - which is not easy - and was amazed at what I found.
>
>The problem was a broken "rubber-band". actually it is a small rubber
>drive belt from the selsyn to the gear train. As luck would have it, you
>have to disassemble the drive train because the belt is on the farthest
>back set of pulleys.
>
>The gears in the unit are slightly inferior to gears you would find in
>a Tonka Toy, very weak and small plastic.
>
>The Yeasu rotator does have a great method of centering the mast and
>is easy to install - so these comments aren't totally negative. But, for
>those wishing for a good quality device for turning that aluminum - look
>inside before you buy.
>de KL7HF
Whoah! A little fierce there, Del. I have one with, I think, the same
control unit. Seems to me those plastic pieces are about right for the
job. More to the point, has the rotator itself given you any trouble?
When I put up my 1000, I was concerned because the rotator itself was so
light -- how could anything so light do the job? But through two winters
and into a third, it continues to turn my Force 12 C3 very easily. More
impressive, perhaps, a friend has had one in service in New England for 5
winters, including some famous ice storms, turning a Tennadyne LP and a
40-2CD, with nary a problem except occasionally having the mast turn in the
clamp.
73,
Pete N4ZR
In Wild Wonderful, fairly rare WEST Virginia
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