I'm mounting an old Alliance U-110 rotator horizontally to use as an elevation rotator, and I have noticed that if it is sitting with the mast clamp on the top everything works very well. If it's flipped with the mast clamps on the bottom (so it can connect to the azimuth mast) it seem stall and jam.
I'm not sure if this is normal or just a sign of age but I traced the problem to a small gear under the shaft that "drops" when the rotator is in the clamp-bottom position and then slips over the top of the gear it is supposed to drive.
Since many people have used this rotator for elevation in the past, has anyone run into this problem before? If so, did you find a solution for it?
73,
Emily
--------------------------------- N1DID formerly W0EEC - CM87tm
Support Project OSCAR - http://www.projectoscar.net
Hi Emily,
I've used the Alliance rotor sideways for years, and have had no trouble with it. I have mine mounted with the 4 mounting legs going sideways into the shaft of the Az rotor, and the lump facing down. I've used it to swing the antennas the full 180 degrees for flipped operation in the past, though now that I'm running Linux / Predict I only use 0-90 (gotta fix that one of these days...). Haven't tried it in a different position; it just seemed to want to mount this way. Was I lucky?
Pictures at: http://home.jps.net/~gregd/hamsite.htm
Good luck,
Greg KO6TH
----Original Message Follows---- From: Emily Clarke [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Help - Alliance U-110 as an elevation rotator Date: Mon, 04 Sep 2006 08:57:57 -0700
I'm mounting an old Alliance U-110 rotator horizontally to use as an elevation rotator, and I have noticed that if it is sitting with the mast clamp on the top everything works very well. If it's flipped with the mast clamps on the bottom (so it can connect to the azimuth mast) it seem stall and jam.
I'm not sure if this is normal or just a sign of age but I traced the problem to a small gear under the shaft that "drops" when the rotator is in the clamp-bottom position and then slips over the top of the gear it is supposed to drive.
Since many people have used this rotator for elevation in the past, has anyone run into this problem before? If so, did you find a solution for it?
73,
Emily
--------------------------------- N1DID formerly W0EEC - CM87tm
Support Project OSCAR - http://www.projectoscar.net
_______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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 used these in the AO-10/13 days. The mast load must be balanced. Position the array horizontally. Loosen the clamps and watch how the mast rotates. If it stays motionless, then you are OK for balance and may have a gear-train problem. The coax needs to be attached when this is tested.
I had the big KLM 2m and smaller 435 beams. Because of the coax trailing off the back, the 2m beam was not mounted at the midpoint, but 1/3 from end. On the 435 side I added counterweights behind the beam. With the clamps loose, the array would stay put no matter what elevation. This relieved the little motor of lifting against gravity.
Jim Sullivan N7TCF
Amateur webpage http://members.cox.net/n7tcf
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Emily Clarke Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 08:58 To: [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Help - Alliance U-110 as an elevation rotator
I'm mounting an old Alliance U-110 rotator horizontally to use as an elevation rotator, and I have noticed that if it is sitting with the mast clamp on the top everything works very well. If it's flipped with the mast clamps on the bottom (so it can connect to the azimuth mast) it seem stall and jam.
I'm not sure if this is normal or just a sign of age but I traced the problem to a small gear under the shaft that "drops" when the rotator is in the clamp-bottom position and then slips over the top of the gear it is supposed to drive.
Since many people have used this rotator for elevation in the past, has anyone run into this problem before? If so, did you find a solution for it?
73,
Emily
--------------------------------- N1DID formerly W0EEC - CM87tm
Support Project OSCAR - http://www.projectoscar.net
_______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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
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Emily Clarke -
Greg D. -
n7tcf