[amsat-bb] Spid RAS rotor issue

Wed Jul 11 13:28:17 UTC 2018

Hi
Green Heron controller is good idea but price is as RAS rotator and his 
controller.

------ Original Message ------
From: "Dave Webb KB1PVH" <kb1pvh at gmail.com>
To: "kb2m" <kb2m at arrl.net>
Cc: "AMSAT -BB" <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Sent: 11.07.2018 16:12:01
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Spid RAS rotor issue

>Jeff,
>
>I went through 2 Rot2Prog controllers in less than a year. The relays 
>seem
>to be a big problem. I bit the bullet and bought a Green Heron 
>controller
>and haven't had any problems.
>
>Dave-KB1PVH
>
>
>Sent from my Galaxy S9
>
>On Wed, Jul 11, 2018, 8:43 AM <kb2mjeff at att.net> wrote:
>
>>Looks like the elevation up relay is fried in my RAS controller box. 
>>I'm
>>going to take Harald's advice and replace all 4. Before I order the 
>>parts
>>has anyone else experienced a relay failure with their RAS? If so what
>>relay
>>did you replace it with, make, part # ?
>>
>>I'm at this time running the controller and rotor at 13.8 volts, was 
>>going
>>to try 28 volts to the rotor with the Spid approved mod, but now not 
>>so
>>sure
>>:-)
>>
>>73 Jeff kb2m
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Harald
>>Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2018 7:07 PM
>>To: kb2mjeff at att.net
>>Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Spid RAS rotor issue
>>
>>Hello Kb2m jeff,
>>
>>I don't know if you have ELFA over there but from elfa the part
>>nr. is PCB power relay 12VDC 400mW 137-44-376.
>>
>>It is more or less a standard relay.
>>
>>They are a littel bit hard to get out of the pcb but I used
>>solder sucking wick as they called it, you may have to resolder
>>some points to get it totally free.
>>Not too much heat, ,,,,take some breaks :-)
>>
>>good luck in finding them.
>>
>>Harald
>>la7qta
>>
>>
>>
>>Wednesday, July 11, 2018, 12:34:25 AM, you wrote:
>>
>>
>> > Hi Harald. thank you for the reply. I'm sure my control box has a 
>>failed
>> > relay also. I hear a faint click when going both ways in azimuth, 
>>but
>>only
>> > hear a click on down elevation. So I'm sure the up elevation relay 
>>is
>> > defective. I'm going to take your advice and swap out all four 
>>relays.
>> > Would
>> > you be so kind to give me a part number and a source of the relays 
>>you
>> > replaced with. Thanks in advance....
>>
>> > 73 Jeff kb2m
>>
>>
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Harald
>> > Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2018 3:07 PM
>> > To: kb2mjeff at att.net
>> > Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Spid RAS rotor issue
>>
>> > Hello Kb2m jeff,
>>
>> > I recently had the exact same problem but the rotor was running.
>> > To get it out of that position I took the plug out of the az
>> > conn. and put the conn. from ez into az and drove it all the way
>> > around again. they are equaly pinned. test which way you have to
>> > rotate with the az buttons,,,,(or connect 12v with the right
>> > polarity to the ez plug directly),,,,,,, much easyer to use the az 
>>conn.
>>
>> > I replaced the 4 relays, zeroed the controller and all is working
>> > again.
>>
>> > The relays are some cheap ones so the best is to change them
>> > anyway.
>> > I have used it for 3 years and had truble before with those.
>>
>> > Hope this will help in solving your problems !
>>
>> > Best 73's
>>
>> > Harald
>> > LA7QTA
>>
>> > PS: questions,,,just ask !
>>
>>
>> > Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 12:32:26 PM, you wrote:
>>
>> >> I’m having a problem with my RAS rotor at my winter home. When I 
>>turned
>> >> it
>> >> on yesterday, after an absence of about 2 months the elevation went
>>into
>> >> a
>> >> complete backflip when powered up, and is jammed against the roof 
>>with
>>an
>> >> elevation reading of 195 degrees on the control box.  I’m at my 
>>Florida
>> >> home for just a few weeks to do some fishing, so before starting to 
>>work
>> >> on it to maybe speed up the repair process a bit I’m asking here if
>> >> anyone
>> >> else had this problem. When the roof dries off I plan on going up 
>>there
>> >> and remove the antennas before trying to move the rotor, to 
>>diagnose.
>> >> Right now the azimuth will turn, but the elevation is stuck, it 
>>wont
>>move
>> >> up or down. I’m hoping it is just jammed into the roof, once 
>>unstuck
>> >> hopefully all it would need is a re-calibration. Thanks for any 
>>useful
>> >> information....
>>
>> >> 73 Jeff kb2m
>>
>>
>>
>>---
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>_______________________________________________
>Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
>to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. 
>Opinions expressed
>are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views 
>of AMSAT-NA.
>Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite 
>program!
>Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb