Elevation Drive Motor
January 2009 First burn-out
Motor winding fried last year due to motor stoppage from ice build up in actuator
channel
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Pictures from first installation of motor in 2002
ELEVATION DRIVE MOTOR FAILURE NUMBER TWO - JANUARY 2010
This is the second burn-out in just over a year. The first motor lasted 7 years.
This time it failed at 13 degrees elevation. That could be a REAL problem, if the
wind came up. So I had to figure out a way to get the antenna cranked down to the
park (zenith) position. The motor failed in total lock-up. So I had to remove it.
I still had the previous motor which failed in a freewheeling mode, so I put the
old burned out motor in place and connected an electric drill to the motor shaft
and cranked the dish down that way.
These burn outs are occurring mainly due to freeze up of the elevation gear box
(1200:1 worm gear). I believe I have solved this problem by wrapping the housing
with a heat tape. Unfortunately I didn’t do this soon enough. The duct tape on
the actuator worm gear housing is to hold the heat tape on.
I have ordered a replacement (motor only) and I plan to modify the motor gear box
to decrease the rpm from 135 to 91. This will increase the torque by 50%.
Hopefully the better gear ratio and heat tape will prevent further problems.
I plan to be fully operational by DUBUS time!
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Mike, KL6M
