[PaQSO] Rotator repaired!

[William N. Goodman, CPA (K3ANS)]

I am exhausted, but I am sitting down with good news.  The prop pitch =
rotator now again turns the 40 and 20 meter yagis!  As suspected =
critters chewed the cables, many places.  First, WF3H and I on June 14 =
determined that the rotator cables going from the tower bottom to the =
tower top had continuity.  We cut the cables at the tower base and =
installed a terminal strip.  Then we shorted the cables at the terminal =
strip and measured conductivity (resistance) through the wires to the =
control box in the shack and they were all open.  We measured the three =
wire motor cable from the tower base to the tower top and had a few =
ohms, which makes sense through the center tapped motor windings. =20

Today I walked the cable and spent hours cutting tangles, brush, =
stickers, multiflora rose bushes (big thorns), black berry vines =
(thorns), raspberry vines (thorns), poison  ivy (rampid), sumac =
(jungle), and other bushes, to pull up the cables and inspect them. It =
was too hot to wear long pants, so now I have many cuts and punctures on =
my legs. =20

I have two cables serving the prop pitch rotator.  One has three wires =
to the motor, and one has two wires to the reed relay which counts the =
revolutions of the motor armature and tells the control box how many =
degrees the antenna rotated..  Sure enough the cables were chewed in =
many places.  The cables were cut completely at three places, near =
ground hog holes.  So I suspect the ground hogs like the taste of the =
black vinyl "twigs".  I must hunt and shoot the ground hogs.  More =
likely I will throw some chewing gum down the holes and let the hogs =
suffocate. =20

After those repairs I had continuity in the reed relay cable and in two =
of the motor wires between the control box and the tower base.  So =
reluctantly, I cut the motor cable where it comes out of the underground =
(lawn) conduit and goes into the woods.  I then measured good continuity =
from the conduit to the tower base.  I measured continuity to the =
control box and found two good wires of the three. One wire was open to =
the control box. I pulled the cable out of the conduit underground and =
found it chewed viscously in several spots.  I am amazed the rotator =
worked before at all.  I am sure I had power loss through the poor =
connections at the chew sites. Some of the chews were not all the way =
through the wires.  The 14 gauge wires were very frayed, probably down =
to only 22 gauge, carrying 6 amps.   The chews were all within a few =
feet, so I merely cut out that section.  I had enough spare cable to =
afford that lost section.  I put a terminal block on a tree at the edge =
of the woods and connected the repaired cable to it.  I reconnected all =
the cables to the control box and  terminal blocks and ,voila, the =
rotator turns again, with more gusto than before.  Here I delayed this =
repair for months thinking it required a tower climber.  All the damage =
was on the ground.  While I was repairing the cable that had been in the =
conduit I watched a chipmunk crawl in and out of the conduit.  He is the =
guilty one.  I did not reinstall the cable back through the conduit, =
thinking it would be chewed again.  I will later trench the lawn and =
slip the cable under the turf where it is less likely to be bothered =
again.  I will also throw some chewing gum down the conduit hoping the =
chipmunks will suffocate.  I will later cram fiberglass insulation in =
the ends of the conduits to keep out more critters.  While doing this =
repair work I discovered that the former reed relay cable had also been =
chewed in two pieces near where the current chews were found.  It was =
replaced with newer and better cable two years ago, thinking that I =
would not be able to locate and repair the old cuts.  So now I know =
where to probably find future damage.   Most of the cables going through =
the conduits are hard line, less sensitive to chewing.  Occasionally I =
find my 120 volt 500 foot extension cord laying across the brush and =
through the woods has chew marks too. =20

My next project is to walk the 5 beverage antennas and repair them.  =
Over the last 6  months many trees and limbs have blown and fallen down =
pulling down or breaking the beverage antennas.  I often must replace =
tie ups and terminating resistors at the far ends.   I also need to pull =
up the 40 meter wire yagi.  Its rope going through a pulley is tangled =
with other ropes, so I would appreciate a climber for a brief repair.  =
If I get home early enough weeknights I will start on those projects, =
but I tend to work past 6 PM in my office and get home after sun down.  =
So these repairs will be mostly done next weekend.  I would appreciate a =
helper, making the jobs go easier and quicker. =20

W0RSJ and WD5BRP came here Saturday, after the DLARC hamfest, with a 20 =
foot X 8" steel pole which they stuck down the 5 foot hole they dug by =
hand.  It has a hinge on top to hold their 70 foot tower.  That pole =
must weigh around 800 pounds. =20

W0RSJ said he has a computer with sufficient com ports which he will =
bring.  I have a sixth computer ready to use.  It has been used for CT =
in many contests. We will try to install and network NA in those two =
computers before K3ZV comes back.  If successful we will have 7 =
computers in the network, which should be enough.

We are making progress.  I was disappointed when K3CP told me he is =
giving his PA QSO Party points to DLARC, not FRC.  WT3P is giving her =
points to Mid Atlantic ARC.   We want their points just this one year =
for the FRC 75th anniversary and special event.

More later.  I am going now to my sister in law' viewing.  She died =
Friday from Cancer, age 53.  She had an inoperable tumor in her chest, =
probably caused by smoking.  I am glad none of you smoke.  I do not want =
to attend your funerals.

73, Bill>>

. =20




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