Rotate TriBand to vertical?
 

I have a Cushcraft A3 beam on a crank up/tilt over tower. When I tilt
it over, it still requires a ladder to work on it due to the length of
the elements.

What I would like to do is to be able to rotate it as though I were
trying for vertical polarization before or during the tilt over
process. That would bring the antenna to a "flat" attitude for
maintenance and storm protection.

Any thoughts? The usual old fashioned Ham parameters apply: Little
cost as possible, build as much as I can my self, etc......

BTW, I have several good TV rotators I might use, but none with a hole
all the way through!

de W8CCW

Joh, email me at . I hate that name but it was
what a gal did to me when she set my computer up for me on the internet
and a site deal and some other crud and I'm sorta tied into that.
Cliff G.

Why don't you just change it, its easy enough?

Jer

"Blue Dawg" wrote in message
oups.com...
Joh, email me at . I hate that name but it was
what a gal did to me when she set my computer up for me on the internet
and a site deal and some other crud and I'm sorta tied into that.
Cliff G.

What size is your boom . you could use a U-100 aliance rotor they have
a 1"5/8 hole throgh. You can find them on ebay for say 40-50 -or
less. Make a T on the mask pipe and mount the rotor on it side use
the clamps to the T and walla. roll it over vertial or horizonal a
very easy fix only need 3or 4 wire to make it work . also u can
insert a 15/8" in the middle of the boom .. pin it well if the boom is
2" or more .. 73 Ralph

What size is your boom . you could use a U-100 aliance rotor they have
a 1"5/8 hole throgh. You can find them on ebay for say 40-50 -or
less. Make a T on the mask pipe and mount the rotor on it side use
the clamps to the T and walla. roll it over vertial or horizonal a
very easy fix only need 3or 4 wire to make it work . also u can
insert a 15/8" in the middle of the boom .. pin it well if the boom is
2" or more .. 73 Ralph

"John Ferrell" wrote in message
...
I have a Cushcraft A3 beam on a crank up/tilt over tower. When I tilt
it over, it still requires a ladder to work on it due to the length of
the elements.

What I would like to do is to be able to rotate it as though I were
trying for vertical polarization before or during the tilt over
process. That would bring the antenna to a "flat" attitude for
maintenance and storm protection.

Any thoughts? The usual old fashioned Ham parameters apply: Little
cost as possible, build as much as I can my self, etc......

BTW, I have several good TV rotators I might use, but none with a hole
all the way through!

de W8CCW

I have a Hygain TH3Mk4, which is on a 14 foot boom. What I do is to first
rotate the antenna so that when the tower is tilted down, the antenna is
pointed straight up, with the reflector parallel to the ground. I tilt the
tower until the rotator is resting on the part of an 8 foot step ladder that
the paint can is supposed to go on. This gives access to the reflector and
driven element. At that point I would take the antenna off the boom if I had
to do anything other than work on the feedline, but have had no reason to do
that.

Here is something else you could try: drill a hole through the boom, mast,
and mounting plate, and insert a 1/4 inch bolt through the whole thing. Now,
remove the U bolts that fasten the plate to the mast. You can now swing the
boom parallel to the mast. I don't need to do this for the HyGain, but it
should work with the CushCraft.

Tam/WB2TT

Install an elevation rotor.

On Fri, 01 Jul 2005 19:26:56 GMT, John Ferrell
wrote:

I have a Cushcraft A3 beam on a crank up/tilt over tower. When I tilt
it over, it still requires a ladder to work on it due to the length of
the elements.

What I would like to do is to be able to rotate it as though I were
trying for vertical polarization before or during the tilt over
process. That would bring the antenna to a "flat" attitude for
maintenance and storm protection.

Any thoughts? The usual old fashioned Ham parameters apply: Little
cost as possible, build as much as I can my self, etc......

BTW, I have several good TV rotators I might use, but none with a hole
all the way through!

de W8CCW

--
73 for now
Buck
N4PGW

I had not thought about pointing it up/down, I was fixated on rolling
the boom. I will think on that.

Thanks!
John, de W8CCW

On Sat, 2 Jul 2005 10:28:02 -0400, "Tam/WB2TT"
wrote:


"John Ferrell" wrote in message
.. .
I have a Cushcraft A3 beam on a crank up/tilt over tower. When I tilt
it over, it still requires a ladder to work on it due to the length of
the elements.

What I would like to do is to be able to rotate it as though I were
trying for vertical polarization before or during the tilt over
process. That would bring the antenna to a "flat" attitude for
maintenance and storm protection.

Any thoughts? The usual old fashioned Ham parameters apply: Little
cost as possible, build as much as I can my self, etc......

BTW, I have several good TV rotators I might use, but none with a hole
all the way through!

de W8CCW

I have a Hygain TH3Mk4, which is on a 14 foot boom. What I do is to first
rotate the antenna so that when the tower is tilted down, the antenna is
pointed straight up, with the reflector parallel to the ground. I tilt the
tower until the rotator is resting on the part of an 8 foot step ladder that
the paint can is supposed to go on. This gives access to the reflector and
driven element. At that point I would take the antenna off the boom if I had
to do anything other than work on the feedline, but have had no reason to do
that.

Here is something else you could try: drill a hole through the boom, mast,
and mounting plate, and insert a 1/4 inch bolt through the whole thing. Now,
remove the U bolts that fasten the plate to the mast. You can now swing the
boom parallel to the mast. I don't need to do this for the HyGain, but it
should work with the CushCraft.

Tam/WB2TT

I would rather not put a used rotor up there because of the
maintenence problems. However, I will dig out the specs on the boom
size and give it further thought.
Thanks,
John, de W8CCW

On 1 Jul 2005 22:37:40 -0700, "dutchman2u" wrote:

What size is your boom . you could use a U-100 aliance rotor they have
a 1"5/8 hole throgh. You can find them on ebay for say 40-50 -or
less. Make a T on the mask pipe and mount the rotor on it side use
the clamps to the T and walla. roll it over vertial or horizonal a
very easy fix only need 3or 4 wire to make it work . also u can
insert a 15/8" in the middle of the boom .. pin it well if the boom is
2" or more .. 73 Ralph

I need to switch it bac & forth while on the tower.

On Sat, 02 Jul 2005 03:32:23 GMT, "Jer"
wrote:

Why don't you just change it, its easy enough?

Jer

"Blue Dawg" wrote in message
roups.com...
Joh, email me at . I hate that name but it was
what a gal did to me when she set my computer up for me on the internet
and a site deal and some other crud and I'm sorta tied into that.
Cliff G.

That would work. The problem that it is pricy (Yaesu-$320), heavy (8
pounds), may not be enough to handle an HF tribander.

On Sat, 02 Jul 2005 14:49:56 -0400, Buck wrote:

Install an elevation rotor.

On Fri, 01 Jul 2005 19:26:56 GMT, John Ferrell
wrote:

I have a Cushcraft A3 beam on a crank up/tilt over tower. When I tilt
it over, it still requires a ladder to work on it due to the length of
the elements.

What I would like to do is to be able to rotate it as though I were
trying for vertical polarization before or during the tilt over
process. That would bring the antenna to a "flat" attitude for
maintenance and storm protection.

Any thoughts? The usual old fashioned Ham parameters apply: Little
cost as possible, build as much as I can my self, etc......

BTW, I have several good TV rotators I might use, but none with a hole
all the way through!

de W8CCW

On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 13:25:40 GMT, John Ferrell
wrote:

That would work. The problem that it is pricy (Yaesu-$320), heavy (8
pounds), may not be enough to handle an HF tribander.

On Sat, 02 Jul 2005 14:49:56 -0400, Buck wrote:

Install an elevation rotor.



I had an Alliance Tenna Rotor for years. It worked well and only cost
$50 used.

The only other alternative might be to create yourself a bracket that
you can loosen. Lower the antenna part way, Loosen the bracket and
turn the antenna by hand. Then finish lowering the tower.

The only other alternative I see that you haven't rejected is to mount
the beam vertical and leave it that way when you raise the tower.

Good luck
N4PGW

--
73 for now
Buck
N4PGW

Thanks for the ideas. It takes a taller ladder than I like to loosen
the boom mount bolts. I may eventually work it out. Or, may be I will
live with what I have.

John, de W8CCW

On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 09:43:53 -0400, Buck wrote:

On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 13:25:40 GMT, John Ferrell
wrote:

That would work. The problem that it is pricy (Yaesu-$320), heavy (8
pounds), may not be enough to handle an HF tribander.

On Sat, 02 Jul 2005 14:49:56 -0400, Buck wrote:

Install an elevation rotor.



I had an Alliance Tenna Rotor for years. It worked well and only cost
$50 used.

The only other alternative might be to create yourself a bracket that
you can loosen. Lower the antenna part way, Loosen the bracket and
turn the antenna by hand. Then finish lowering the tower.

The only other alternative I see that you haven't rejected is to mount
the beam vertical and leave it that way when you raise the tower.

Good luck
N4PGW