When it gets below about 20 deg.outside, my antenna rotor will not turn. I was wondering if anyone ever put heat tape on them? I would not leave it on all the time, just turn it on an hour or so before I plan to rotate. Where I live, I have to rotate often, although I have sort of come up with a setting that gets most channels with minimal dropouts. I'd probably have to install the heat tape with duct tape to keep it in place.
LM
I don't know why you couldn't, most come with a thermostat, so you could just leave it on. The real problem is likely either the grease inside it is old and stiff & perhaps too thick to begin with, or it has been contaminated with water.
Just pump it up with 220, kidding.
But along those lines, I'd also double check the connections, wire, measuere the voltage at the motor while it's turning, etc. If you have a marginal connection soemwhere, it may not be getting full power.
Heat tape will work but with the mass it might need to be on all the time. Most of the heat will be lost up and out , maybe wrap some foam carpet padding around the heat tape, soon it will be spring and warmer.
Regardless of the cause, if you are willing to buy and feed a heat tape it should be an acceptable work around. I'd use Electrical ties to attach it, use the black ones, the white ones decay in sunlight.
The problem is your rotor. What model do you have?
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