Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TowerTalk] Ham IV Rotor Motor Voltage Boost ? (Sluggish rotation)

To: Doug Snowden <dougn4ij@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Ham IV Rotor Motor Voltage Boost ? (Sluggish rotation)
From: Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net>
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:25:08 -0800
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
The motor is AC and the internal transformer 24 volts so you can add a 
boost filament transformer of 6 or 12 volts in series with terminal 2.  
I don't recall the current needed since its been 25 years since I did 
this, but around 3-4 amps sounds right for the boost transformer 
rating.  This worked fine on my Tailtwister which was 330 ft from shack 
to rotator using the 16/18 gauge cable.  Select 6 or 12 volts boost so 
the voltage at the rotator is close to 24 volts, or do the Ohm's law 
math for the wire resistance loss.

You can check for the correct transformer phasing by measuring the 
voltage at the boost output to terminal 1.

IIRC both the transformer and box for it came from Radio Shack, add a 
switch to turn it off.

Grant KZ1W

On 11/27/2011 6:33 PM, Doug Snowden wrote:
> Seen a few posts about putting the moor capacitor next to the rotor,
> rather than in the control unit in order to
> enable better turning (less slugishness).  I have a problem in getting
> the antenna to turn.  I substituted a section of cable from the base
> of the tower, and, indeed the antenna turns ok.  So it is dig up the
> buried cable, and replace, or figure out how to jack the voltage up
> several volts to the rotor.  Ideas on an easy way to increase the
> voltage? another xfmr and a rheostat?  Seems like I should be able to
> measure the series resistance to get an idea of how much to increase
> the voltage.
>
> Doug, N4IJ
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>