[amsat-bb] Spid RAS rotor issue

Wed Jul 11 13:52:29 UTC 2018

Dimitry,

 I agree that the Green Heron is very expensive after spending a large
amount on the rotor. I wasn't really happy about having to do it, but I
also wasn't happy about the stock controller not working twice in a year.

Dave-KB1PVH

Sent from my Galaxy S9

On Wed, Jul 11, 2018, 9:30 AM Dimitry Borzenko <dibor at iname.com> wrote:

> 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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> >>https://www.avg.com
> >>
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