Over the weekend of May 2nd and 3rd, 2026, Martin (MØKNM), Tom (G4BYE), Dave (M7WVX), and Makita (M9MSB) visited the club at the Stevenage Resource Centre for essential antenna and rotator maintenance.
Upgrading the Winch
Our primary goal was to install a new electronic winch to replace the manual hand crank, making it significantly easier to tilt the mast. After a quick break for lunch, we began work at 11:00 AM by securing the mast and removing the old winch.
In a classic “workshop moment,” we couldn’t find the original mounting bracket in the packaging, so Tom (G4BYE) headed home to fabricate a custom one. Naturally, we discovered the original bracket at the end of the day, hidden under the polystyrene at the bottom of the box!
Rotator Repairs
With the new winch bolted on, we tilted the tower to investigate why the rotator had failed. We quickly discovered that the controller cable had been yanked clean out of the unit—likely snagged the last time the tower was fully extended.
To ensure a long-term fix, we decided to replace the entire run to the bottom of the tower. We collected some spare cable from Rob (G2BKZ), wired it up, and secured it with fresh cable ties.
Testing
The tower was raised back to its upright position without a hitch. As a final check, we extended the mast to its maximum height to confirm there was plenty of slack in the new cabling to prevent future damage.
See the Video below of the tower going back up.
