Just a heads up. While I was originally scheduled for the rotor repair this morning, they were behind schedule with a couple service calls ahead of me and I had to get to work. I have all day Monday free and they said I’d be first job that day, so we’ll find out what happens then.
Does anyone know when the Channel Master rotators are coming back (at least approximately)?
- Thread starter edisonprime
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Great news! Apparently the cable for the TV antenna or rotor (can’t remember which) was tangled up with the cable for the AM/FM antenna that was directly above it. The tech fixed that and extended the cables and now it’s rotating better than ever! I don’t have to replace it now!
If/when you acquire a rotator, I might suggest doing what I did when I installed my Antennacraft rotator:
Create a makeshift "rotator umbrella" to go above the top of the rotator to keep rain out of the bearings. (Apparently, a major weak link in many rotators shows up when the rain seal on the rotator eventually leaks, letting water in.)
To do this, get a large plastic funnel from an auto parts store -- black plastic is likely to hold up better under Sun exposure -- carefully cut the neck-end off the funnel to the same inside diameter as the short mast section between the rotator and the antenna. Slide the funnel -- upside down -- over the mask section so that the large end of the funnel is positioned just above the upper rotator mask clamps. Seal up the neck end of the funnel to the short mast section with multiple winds of black vinyl electrical tape. (On mine, I also ensured that the funnel's large end wouldn't tilt off kilter by first sliding and clamping around the mask section a shortened straight plastic sink drainpipe extension -- nut side up -- then slid the funnel down until the inside of the funnel pressed against the nut on the drainpipe extension, and applied the tape to the mast-funnel-neck junction after that.) Scroll down towards the bottom of the web page below to get a rough visualization of the concept:
I set mine up a little differently from what Denny says, but the concept is the same. Doing this provides some extra insurance that the rotator's innards will be protected from rain infiltration. Since rotators seem to be increasingly hard to come by nowadays, adding this extra protection seems like a good idea. Simple, cheap, and doesn't interfere with the function of either the antenna or the rotator.
Richard
Create a makeshift "rotator umbrella" to go above the top of the rotator to keep rain out of the bearings. (Apparently, a major weak link in many rotators shows up when the rain seal on the rotator eventually leaks, letting water in.)
To do this, get a large plastic funnel from an auto parts store -- black plastic is likely to hold up better under Sun exposure -- carefully cut the neck-end off the funnel to the same inside diameter as the short mast section between the rotator and the antenna. Slide the funnel -- upside down -- over the mask section so that the large end of the funnel is positioned just above the upper rotator mask clamps. Seal up the neck end of the funnel to the short mast section with multiple winds of black vinyl electrical tape. (On mine, I also ensured that the funnel's large end wouldn't tilt off kilter by first sliding and clamping around the mask section a shortened straight plastic sink drainpipe extension -- nut side up -- then slid the funnel down until the inside of the funnel pressed against the nut on the drainpipe extension, and applied the tape to the mast-funnel-neck junction after that.) Scroll down towards the bottom of the web page below to get a rough visualization of the concept:
I set mine up a little differently from what Denny says, but the concept is the same. Doing this provides some extra insurance that the rotator's innards will be protected from rain infiltration. Since rotators seem to be increasingly hard to come by nowadays, adding this extra protection seems like a good idea. Simple, cheap, and doesn't interfere with the function of either the antenna or the rotator.
Richard
