Help With Power Antena Problem
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 50
From: Knoxville TN.
Help With Power Antena Problem
I have a 78 Pace Car with a power CB antena. When I bought the car the motor would run but there was no thread to make it go up and down. I put the new thread in it worked good untill the armature in the motor burnt up! I rewound the armature and replaced the antena relay with a new one . The thing tests good up & down on a test battery but when installed it goes up and down properly but when the key is on or on acc. the motor gets hot even though the radio is off. If I don't find the problem I am sure it will burn up again. There is a 20 amp fuse in that circuit that controlls the clock and the interior lights. I removed the antena and checked out the cam / contact position up & down and it is working properly, that is one contact open in the up or down position. The motor is getting hot but is not operating when the ignition is on. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,740
Likes: 3
From: Aurora Ontario
Buy on of those new style inline fuses.Put a fuse in line on the hot to the antenna. Maybe it doesn't need 20 amp. It may only need 10 amps...maybe less. Start with less...see if it works and gradually move up in size.
Jim
Jim
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,378
Likes: 225
From: Beecher Illinois
Sounds to me like the contact points are not opening when the antenna is all the way up. You did notice that there are two sets of contacts riding on a double cam. When the antenna raises all the way the UP contacts open and the DOWN contacts close waiting for the relay to send it back down. Course, it won't go down unless the down contacts are closed, so.....
But why did the motor burn up in the first place?
When bench testing it did it shut off when up? No noise at all? Did it shut off when down.
Figure you got a wiring diagram to help with the bench testing hookups.
Totally different hookups for up and down.
Could you have a pinched wire somewhere between the relay and the antenna under the carpet? Wouldn't necessarily blow a fuse as it's not grounding, just still trying to run when it shouldn't.
Did you have to clip the wires when you removed it or was there a plug?
I've got a nice spare motor if you end up needing one. Used but clean and it runs good. May need to swap the pinchwheel out, tho. Free.
Mike
Sure the relay is hooked up correct? Can't remember which wires without looking it up but there's one combination of wires that will smoke the motor.
But why did the motor burn up in the first place?
When bench testing it did it shut off when up? No noise at all? Did it shut off when down.
Figure you got a wiring diagram to help with the bench testing hookups.
Totally different hookups for up and down.
Could you have a pinched wire somewhere between the relay and the antenna under the carpet? Wouldn't necessarily blow a fuse as it's not grounding, just still trying to run when it shouldn't.
Did you have to clip the wires when you removed it or was there a plug?
I've got a nice spare motor if you end up needing one. Used but clean and it runs good. May need to swap the pinchwheel out, tho. Free.
Mike
Sure the relay is hooked up correct? Can't remember which wires without looking it up but there's one combination of wires that will smoke the motor.
Last edited by KapsSA; May 1, 2006 at 07:16 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 50
From: Knoxville TN.
Thanks for the post, you really bailed me out last time. The thing works fine on the bench test, no noise and it stops in both directions. I have removed the cover and observed the contacts, one is open in the up/down position like it should be. I took the damn thing back off last night and taped the leads inside the motor , they had been very hot, I thought they might be shorting. I reinstalled the thing and let it run in the driveway with the radio on and everything worked fine, no motor heat with radio off. When I melted the armature out the last time I had the the key on ACC., that may be the problem. I am going to do some more testing on it tonight,I'll let you know how things turn out. I would be interested in the spare unit you have but would be willing to pay you something for it! You could send it to Bob Receveur c/o REMCO 1066 N. Hall Rd. Alcoa,TN. 37701 865-983-5550 our UPS account # which I will PM to you. Thanks for all the help!
