[WIham] Soliciting your thoughts on my tower problem

[Rick Kissell]

Dear fellow ham:

Ive got a problem, and Id like your advice. Please understand that I 
understand that offering advice does not commit you to do anything else. 
I simply want to pick your brain, as I dont have a lot of experience 
with towers and rotors.

I have a Rohn HDBX-48 tower. Technical details on that kind of tower can 
be found at: 
http://www.rohnnet.com/CommPro/Towers/BX/BX%20Allowable%20Antenna%20Loads.HTM 
I believe Rohn recently stopped manufacturing this model.

Mounted inside a shelf on the topmost section is a Tailtwister.

Extending up from the Tailtwister (without a thrust bearing) is an 
aircraft-grade aluminum mast 6 feet tall. Attached to that mast is a 
Sommer Antennas XP-508 log-periodic antenna covering, at least in 
theory, all amateur bands from 40 through 6 meters.
More information on that antenna is here: 
http://www.sommerantennas.com/xp504.html
While at the Sommer Web site, you might want to take a look at their 
model XP-708
http://www.sommerantennas.com/xp704.html and their largest model, the XP-808
http://www.sommerantennas.com/xp804.html both of which I own but neither 
of which Ive ever assembled and put into use.

A few years ago, my Tailtwister stopped working. I have swapped out both 
the control box and the rotor control cable, but neither move fixed the 
problem.

What would you do in these circumstances? One option Ive been thinking 
about is buying another top section of the HDBX-48 and a Prosistel model 
PST61 rotor (see http://arraysolutions.com/Products/prosistel.htm ) for 
details. I understand that the Prosistel will not fit the HDBX without 
some modification to the tower. Do you know any local machine shop that 
could do that work? Then, I suppose, use a crane to (a) remove the 
antenna from the top of the tower, then (b) remove the topmost section 
of the tower with the nonfunctioning Tailtwister, (c) install the new 
top section containing the Prosistel, and (d) re-install the beam. Your 
thoughts?

Thanks for your time and 73 DE WB9GYT
rick@kissell.org