Dave:

Some of the huge commercial/government system rotators have built in torsion
relief in the form of some sort of springing, but I don't think the smaller
Yaesu have such. I would really be concerned with that much slack, as the
larger the swing is, the more inertia the assembly builds up to pound the
rotator internals into dust. Plus, if that model rotator has a positive
'brake' like the HAM series, then you are in a heap of trouble, as the brake
has definitely failed. Best get it repaired before the spring winds.

--
Crazy George
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"Dave Head" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I have a 4 el., 5 band quad on a Yeasu rotator on a Heights Aluminum
tower.
The antenna is swinging, in a fairly stiff breeze today, a total of about
20
degrees of arc. Of course that's not a problem with the width of the beam
of a
4 el quad, but the 24 el 2 meter antenna I plan to add might have an issue
with
that much swing. I forget which model Yeasu rotator it is, but it is
supposed
to be big enough for the 4 el. quad (30 ft boom). G450? I think?

Anyway, is 20 degrees in a stiff wind too much? Can I expect the rotator
to
fail soon over this? The tower does not appear to be twisting. The rotor
base
plate doesn't seem to be moving. I don't think there's that much play in
the
bolts of the masting, and the tower appears tight to the mast. I think
the
play is in the rotator.

Is it common for a rotator to have that much play?

Dave Head