Greetings and happy new year to my fellow sat-ops. I thought I would try here before searching the entire ‘net, for some tips in trouble shooting a rotor problem. My up/down link sat antennas are mounted on a common boom, fixed el., above my HF yagi. I turn all of it with a very old Ham IV rotor and the original CDE controller. Here is the problem. The rotor turns fine, but there is no readout of direction. This first began to occur intermittently, then finally the needle just stopped moving while turning the antennas. I have checked the wiring at both ends and all seems in order. I am really hoping to avoid having to tear down the rotor, so any suggestions on trouble shooting from “outside the case” would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much.
Craig N6RSX
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Sounds like the potentiometer inside the rotor housing has died, a common thing with these rotors. IIRC, it's a 500 Ohm wire-wound pot, with the winding connected between pins 3 and 7, and the wiper tied to the ground pin, #1. You can get a manual for it here:
http://www.hy-gain.com/man/pdf/HAM-IV.pdf
HTH! Jim
On 01/05/2011 08:26 PM, D. Craig Fox wrote:
Greetings and happy new year to my fellow sat-ops. I thought I would try here before searching the entire ‘net, for some tips in trouble shooting a rotor problem. My up/down link sat antennas are mounted on a common boom, fixed el., above my HF yagi. I turn all of it with a very old Ham IV rotor and the original CDE controller. Here is the problem. The rotor turns fine, but there is no readout of direction. This first began to occur intermittently, then finally the needle just stopped moving while turning the antennas. I have checked the wiring at both ends and all seems in order. I am really hoping to avoid having to tear down the rotor, so any suggestions on trouble shooting from “outside the case” would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much.
Craig N6RSX
NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to the intended recipient, please advise the sender by reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments without copying or disclosing the contents. Thank you. _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Test it with an external 500 ohm pot with clip leads to the indicator and then at the rotor end before disassembly. If this has been up for a while, check your cabling. Mine has been up a while and I have to replace it(cable) going to my main HF beam. Good luck and let the BB know what you found ...! Sometimes, we think someone fell off a tower and never hear about a successful repair...(HA!) Wear a climbing belt, please!! 73, Dee, NB2F
-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Jim Jerzycke Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 3:59 PM To: D. Craig Fox Cc: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Ham IV rotor problem
Sounds like the potentiometer inside the rotor housing has died, a common thing with these rotors. IIRC, it's a 500 Ohm wire-wound pot, with the winding connected between pins 3 and 7, and the wiper tied to the ground pin, #1. You can get a manual for it here:
http://www.hy-gain.com/man/pdf/HAM-IV.pdf
HTH! Jim
On 01/05/2011 08:26 PM, D. Craig Fox wrote:
Greetings and happy new year to my fellow sat-ops. I thought I would try
here before searching the entire 'net, for some tips in trouble shooting a rotor problem. My up/down link sat antennas are mounted on a common boom, fixed el., above my HF yagi. I turn all of it with a very old Ham IV rotor and the original CDE controller. Here is the problem. The rotor turns fine, but there is no readout of direction. This first began to occur intermittently, then finally the needle just stopped moving while turning the antennas. I have checked the wiring at both ends and all seems in order. I am really hoping to avoid having to tear down the rotor, so any suggestions on trouble shooting from "outside the case" would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks much.
Craig N6RSX
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Thanks again to all for the useful suggestions. LRD- I hope you are wrong! hi
I will report back.
73s
Craig N6RSX
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Hi Craig,
I've attached a copy of the HamIV manual. Let me know if you get it OK. It has some troubleshooting info towards the back.
From your problem description, my bet is that the sweeper arm on the potentiometer inside the rotor is no longer making contact. I've had several wear out over the years.
Of course, this is the worse case scenario requiring the rotor to be removed and disassembled.
However, you might get lucky and find something in the control box power supply has failed or an open/intermittent in the cable between the control box and rotor.
Good Luck,
Scott AA5AM
From: DFox@rwglaw.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 12:26:13 -0800 Subject: [amsat-bb] Ham IV rotor problem
Greetings and happy new year to my fellow sat-ops. I thought I would try here before searching the entire ‘net, for some tips in trouble shooting a rotor problem. My up/down link sat antennas are mounted on a common boom, fixed el., above my HF yagi. I turn all of it with a very old Ham IV rotor and the original CDE controller. Here is the problem. The rotor turns fine, but there is no readout of direction. This first began to occur intermittently, then finally the needle just stopped moving while turning the antennas. I have checked the wiring at both ends and all seems in order. I am really hoping to avoid having to tear down the rotor, so any suggestions on trouble shooting from “outside the case” would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much.
Craig N6RSX
NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to the intended recipient, please advise the sender by reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments without copying or disclosing the contents. Thank you. _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Jim, Scott and Brad,
Thank you all so much for the prompt replies! You have provided the exact info I need as to diagnostics to perform before doing any "real" work becomes necessary!
Thanks again and I will update you when the problem has been pinned down.
Best 73s
Craig N6RSX
From: Scott Armstrong [mailto:em12pt@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 1:02 PM To: D. Craig Fox; amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: RE: [amsat-bb] Ham IV rotor problem
Hi Craig,
I've attached a copy of the HamIV manual. Let me know if you get it OK. It has some troubleshooting info towards the back.
From your problem description, my bet is that the sweeper arm on the potentiometer inside the rotor is no longer making contact. I've had several wear out over the years.
Of course, this is the worse case scenario requiring the rotor to be removed and disassembled.
However, you might get lucky and find something in the control box power supply has failed or an open/intermittent in the cable between the control box and rotor.
Good Luck,
Scott AA5AM
From: DFox@rwglaw.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 12:26:13 -0800 Subject: [amsat-bb] Ham IV rotor problem
Greetings and happy new year to my fellow sat-ops. I thought I would try here before searching the entire 'net, for some tips in trouble shooting a rotor problem. My up/down link sat antennas are mounted on a common boom, fixed el., above my HF yagi. I turn all of it with a very old Ham IV rotor and the original CDE controller. Here is the problem. The rotor turns fine, but there is no readout of direction. This first began to occur intermittently, then finally the needle just stopped moving while turning the antennas. I have checked the wiring at both ends and all seems in order. I am really hoping to avoid having to tear down the rotor, so any suggestions on trouble shooting from "outside the case" would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much.
Craig N6RSX
NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to the intended recipient, please advise the sender by reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments without copying or disclosing the contents. Thank you. _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I had the wiper arm actually break off once years ago. 73, K5HV
-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Scott Armstrong Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 15:02 PM To: dfox@rwglaw.com; amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Ham IV rotor problem
Hi Craig,
I've attached a copy of the HamIV manual. Let me know if you get it OK. It has some troubleshooting info towards the back.
From your problem description, my bet is that the sweeper arm on the
potentiometer inside the rotor is no longer making contact. I've had several wear out over the years. Of course, this is the worse case scenario requiring the rotor to be removed and disassembled.
However, you might get lucky and find something in the control box power supply has failed or an open/intermittent in the cable between the control box and rotor.
Good Luck,
Scott AA5AM
From: DFox@rwglaw.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 12:26:13 -0800 Subject: [amsat-bb] Ham IV rotor problem
Greetings and happy new year to my fellow sat-ops. I thought I would try
here before searching the entire 'net, for some tips in trouble shooting a rotor problem. My up/down link sat antennas are mounted on a common boom, fixed el., above my HF yagi. I turn all of it with a very old Ham IV rotor and the original CDE controller. Here is the problem. The rotor turns fine, but there is no readout of direction. This first began to occur intermittently, then finally the needle just stopped moving while turning the antennas. I have checked the wiring at both ends and all seems in order. I am really hoping to avoid having to tear down the rotor, so any suggestions on trouble shooting from "outside the case" would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks much.
Craig N6RSX
NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential
information. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to the intended recipient, please advise the sender by reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments without copying or disclosing the contents. Thank you.
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
----- Original Message ----- From: "D. Craig Fox" DFox@rwglaw.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 9:26 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Ham IV rotor problem
Greetings and happy new year to my fellow sat-ops. I thought I would try
here before searching the entire ‘net, for some tips in trouble shooting a rotor problem. My up/down link sat antennas are mounted on a common boom, fixed el., above my HF yagi. I turn all of it with a very old Ham IV rotor and the original CDE controller. Here is the problem. The rotor turns fine, but there is no readout of direction. This first began to occur intermittently, then finally the needle just stopped moving while turning the antennas. I have checked the wiring at both ends and all seems in order. I am really hoping to avoid having to tear down the rotor, so any suggestions on trouble shooting from “outside the case” would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks much.
Craig N6RSX
Hi Craig, N6RSK
If the needle of the potentiometer just stopped moving while turning the antennas il means that the spring inside the motor hood is loosing contact between the needle and the motor hood so that you must tear down the rotor and open the hood to repait the spring:
73" de
i8CVS Domenico
participants (6)
-
D. Craig Fox -
Dee -
H. Vordenbaum -
i8cvs -
Jim Jerzycke -
Scott Armstrong