TB-105 Rotor Support Bearing

gimp · 05-16-2008, 04:59 PM

I'm getting a TB-105 Rotor Support Bearing from Warren Electronics and need info on max mast od. What is the maximum O.D. of the mast to which the TB-105 mounts? What is the maximum O.D. of the rotating antenna mast for which the TB-105 will accomodate?

Also, what is the minimum spacing recommended between the rotor and the support bearing?

Junglerock · 05-16-2008, 10:10 PM

I hate to tell you this but the TB-105 support bearing is proudly stamped, "made in China".

I had a heck of a time getting it to work. 1 1/4" mast will swim in the bearing. You need 1 1/2" and it still won't fit right. You will have to file down the flash on the inside of the bearing to make the pipe fit. I'm using the CM 9521 rotor and I had to space it out about 1/4" and it still doesn't rotate properly.

When you get your bearing, if you figure out an easier way let me know.

gimp · 05-20-2008, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junglerock

I hate to tell you this but the TB-105 support bearing is proudly stamped, "made in China".

I had a heck of a time getting it to work. 1 1/4" mast will swim in the bearing. You need 1 1/2" and it still won't fit right. You will have to file down the flash on the inside of the bearing to make the pipe fit. I'm using the CM 9521 rotor and I had to space it out about 1/4" and it still doesn't rotate properly.

When you get your bearing, if you figure out an easier way let me know.

Thanks for the info. Hopefully I'll have better luck with mine.

Rickfla · 05-20-2008, 02:52 PM

I haven't heard much good about the TB105; is it the only support bearing offered? Did a quick search and it's the only one that comes up. Looks like something could be used besides it to do the job. Not being too handy with stuff like this, I never have looked too far into a replacement type of device; but I'll need something like this to finish my antenna installation when I get a rotor and VHF antenna. if anyone knows of a way to do this please feel free to help; any suggestions would be appreciated. In my case there is a 91-XG already on a telescoping mast; my next purchase is the rotor and a VHF antenna, model yet to be chosen.

KevinT · 12-12-2009, 02:57 PM

I also had problems with the TB-105 thrust bearing. Unfortunately, as others have stated, the inside diameter of the bearing is 1.5 inches and the Winegard TB-0005 Swedged Antenna Mass is 1 3/8 inches and the pipe from a DS-3000 J-Mount is 1 5/8. (One pipe is too small and one pipe is too big).

So, I went to Home Depot and purchased a pipe that is used for a chain link fence but unfortunately, it was also too big at 1 5/8. Therefore, I placed a round file on my drill and ground out the inside of the bearing but I could not get it large enough after 90 minutes of grinding (image 8). So I went back to Home Depot and got a few pieces of PVC to make my own antenna support.

I used the housing from the TB-105 but I could have welded brackets from a piece of steel.

1) Image 1 shows the pieces that I used.
2) Image 2 shows that I cut the top off of part number 2. This allows part number 1 to slide further into the sleeve. Part number 3 is a small piece cut from a part identical to #2. This was glued to the top of #1 so it would not fall into #2.
3) I also beveled the edge of #3 and the groove at the top of #2 which will allow the parts to spin without a sharp edge.
4) I placed #2 inside of the TB-105 bearing housing.
5) I removed the plastic plug from the housing and filled it with silicon (hoping it will keep the OUTER PVC sleeve from spinning on the aluminum housing).
6) Glued part #3 on the top of #1. (image #4)
7) Placed #1 inside of #2.
8) Image 5 shows the pieces together.
9) Image #3 shows the pieces.
10) Silicon the seal on top of the PVC sleeve that rotates.
11) Place it on the pipe as in image number 6.
12) I also bought a piece of flashing as show in image 7 which can be placed over the entire assembly BUT it will need cut and there will be a problem if it spins with the mast because it will hit the main mast.

- I could have used the bearings with inner PVC sleeve but I read where the bearings rusted and seized on another user. So, I decided to only use PVC.

The friction will be on the two pieces of PVC sliding against each other. I am not sure how long it will last but the rotor only turns at 1 RPM and I wont have metal to rust.

I would have been cheaper and less time consuming to have bought 2 or 3 antennas and aimed them in different directions.

I'm pretty upset because I spent most of the day working on this bearing. I wont buy another but maybe it would be ok if I found a pipe to fit snug and the bearings would not get wet.

I recommend making one from brackets and PVC instead of buying the TB-105 support bearing.

I need to give credit to my good friend Roy Jenkins who told me to attempt a using PVC and a fence post.

KevinT · 12-12-2009, 03:08 PM

It's just an assumption but if you use a mast that is smaller than the hole in the support bearing, the mast will wobble and I think that will bind the rotor or at least wear on internal-rotor parts. Maybe I need to design something, label it "Made in the USA", and sell it?

KevinT · 12-12-2009, 03:22 PM

I just discovered that solidsignal.com sells a mast with a 1.5" outside diameter. I wish I had known the bearing size when I ordered the parts.

Model numbers "RONDDM-5" and "RONDDM-3".

JB Antennaman · 12-13-2009, 12:31 PM

Please bare with me while I go back in time to a couple of months ago when I explained about pipe and tubing.

Pipe is sold where a certain size pipe - has a ID - of X size below something like 3/4" and a OD on anything larger then that.

Please excuse me if I am wrong on the 3/4" size, due to the fact that I worked in a machine shop 13 years ago and my memory is not good right now.

Race Tubing is sold with a specific size OD or ID and can be specified with a certain wall thickness and tolerance. Such as DOM - Drawn over Mandrel, EW - Electric Weld, Seamless, Stainless, Chrome Moly..

I deal with a company called Gortech Global Fabrication and they are a dealer for Samuel Metals. I can walk in the door and ask for a specific size tubing and they will ask me how much I want.

When you walk in the door and ask for pipe - they will sell you pipe!

Pipe is not tubing and tubing is not pipe.

I was fired from one machine shop for flapper wheeling a bearing, the company representative told me that you cannot keep the OD and ID concentric with each other with a flapper wheel.

The last machine shop I worked at, they paid me extra to do the same job - due to the fact that the part grew in heat treat and did not fit inside the bearing, got stuck on the shaft and could not be removed without damaging a $10,000 bearing and would have cost them a penalty of $5,000 for every day the part was late...

Using a old fence post and grinding it to fit - would not be suggested unless you exhausted all other possibilities.

You can go to the Tower Talk forums and ask others more versed than me for advice or you can take my advice. Look up Samuel Metals and find the closest distributor and order what you need.

http://www.samuel.com/

KevinT · 12-13-2009, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB Antennaman

Using a old fence post and grinding it to fit - would not be suggested unless you exhausted all other possibilities.

I used a new fence post which is much thicker than the antenna mast that I received from Solid signal. I also ground a portion of the bearing (It's not like the average bearing - please see image above) at an attempt to make the post fit. I was not able to grind the bearing down enough, so I took the bearing apart and made the support.

stanny1 · 11-15-2010, 09:22 AM

Kevin - In my case, the 1.5" OD pipe will not help. I have an Alliance U-100 rotor and the max it will take is a 1 3/8" OD. I'll have to sleeve the pipe.

JB Antennaman · 11-15-2010, 04:53 PM

I have a 8 foot section of galvanized fence pipe holding up my Winegard 8200U - and I could tell you just as easily as my neighbors would tell you that it is not strong enough to hold a big antenna in any kind of wind.

I think the wall is only about .035

My opinion is that you need about a .095 wall pipe to take the force of the wind against the antenna and still have it standing straight up after a couple of storms.

http://www.arcelormittal.com/tubular...l_DOMSpecs.pdf

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=250&step=2

JB Antennaman · 11-15-2010, 04:55 PM

Here is a quote -

What's the difference between pipe and tube?
The way it’s measured and the applications it’s being used for.
Pipes are passageways. Tubes are structural.
A pipe is generally measured by inside diameter or ID.(IE: You could roll a 2" golf ball through a 2" NOM pipe.) Tube, on the other hand, is measured by Outside Diameter. (So your golf ball would have the same O.D. as the 2" tube.)

project · 11-15-2010, 05:23 PM

I use 2.5" DOM tubing with .250 wall for my mast pole. Having gone through a few bearings on the top of my 140' tower due to crappy import stuff I just went out and bought a 2.5" stainless flange bearing from MSC and havent had any problems since.

m42duster · 03-05-2011, 06:42 PM

You guys are over engineering this install. If you use a 1-1/4" pipe it will bite up against the inside edge of the bearing wall and also on the bite edge of the rotor mount. Instead of the antenna mast turning perfectly around, it will have an outward rotation just like the earth orbits around the moon. Just make sure that the antenna mast is perendicular to the support mast. There will be no bind. It will just have the illusion of a wobble when turning.

make sense?

projectsho89 · 03-06-2011, 06:49 AM

Quote:

just like the earth orbits around the moon.

????

12-13-2009, 12:31 PM	#8
JB Antennaman High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,268	Please bare with me while I go back in time to a couple of months ago when I explained about pipe and tubing. Pipe is sold where a certain size pipe - has a ID - of X size below something like 3/4" and a OD on anything larger then that. Please excuse me if I am wrong on the 3/4" size, due to the fact that I worked in a machine shop 13 years ago and my memory is not good right now. Race Tubing is sold with a specific size OD or ID and can be specified with a certain wall thickness and tolerance. Such as DOM - Drawn over Mandrel, EW - Electric Weld, Seamless, Stainless, Chrome Moly.. I deal with a company called Gortech Global Fabrication and they are a dealer for Samuel Metals. I can walk in the door and ask for a specific size tubing and they will ask me how much I want. When you walk in the door and ask for pipe - they will sell you pipe! Pipe is not tubing and tubing is not pipe. I was fired from one machine shop for flapper wheeling a bearing, the company representative told me that you cannot keep the OD and ID concentric with each other with a flapper wheel. The last machine shop I worked at, they paid me extra to do the same job - due to the fact that the part grew in heat treat and did not fit inside the bearing, got stuck on the shaft and could not be removed without damaging a $10,000 bearing and would have cost them a penalty of $5,000 for every day the part was late... Using a old fence post and grinding it to fit - would not be suggested unless you exhausted all other possibilities. You can go to the Tower Talk forums and ask others more versed than me for advice or you can take my advice. Look up Samuel Metals and find the closest distributor and order what you need. http://www.samuel.com/ __________________ Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction.

11-15-2010, 09:22 AM	#10
stanny1 Stanny1 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: La Mesa, Ca Posts: 1	Tb-105 Kevin - In my case, the 1.5" OD pipe will not help. I have an Alliance U-100 rotor and the max it will take is a 1 3/8" OD. I'll have to sleeve the pipe.

11-15-2010, 04:53 PM	#11
JB Antennaman High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,268	I have a 8 foot section of galvanized fence pipe holding up my Winegard 8200U - and I could tell you just as easily as my neighbors would tell you that it is not strong enough to hold a big antenna in any kind of wind. I think the wall is only about .035 My opinion is that you need about a .095 wall pipe to take the force of the wind against the antenna and still have it standing straight up after a couple of storms. http://www.arcelormittal.com/tubular...l_DOMSpecs.pdf http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=250&step=2 __________________ Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction.

11-15-2010, 04:55 PM	#12
JB Antennaman High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,268	Here is a quote - What's the difference between pipe and tube? The way it’s measured and the applications it’s being used for. Pipes are passageways. Tubes are structural. A pipe is generally measured by inside diameter or ID.(IE: You could roll a 2" golf ball through a 2" NOM pipe.) Tube, on the other hand, is measured by Outside Diameter. (So your golf ball would have the same O.D. as the 2" tube.) __________________ Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction.

11-15-2010, 05:23 PM	#13
project High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Troup Texas. Land of the free Posts: 50	I use 2.5" DOM tubing with .250 wall for my mast pole. Having gone through a few bearings on the top of my 140' tower due to crappy import stuff I just went out and bought a 2.5" stainless flange bearing from MSC and havent had any problems since. __________________ 140ft tower Maco M107 beams and Imax 2000 stacked DIY DB8 Big Boy PST2051 rotor LDF6-50 coax powered by 3cx6000a7 tube ... putting fire to the wire...

05-16-2008, 04:59 PM	#1
gimp ! Join Date: May 2008 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 3	TB-105 Rotor Support Bearing I'm getting a TB-105 Rotor Support Bearing from Warren Electronics and need info on max mast od. What is the maximum O.D. of the mast to which the TB-105 mounts? What is the maximum O.D. of the rotating antenna mast for which the TB-105 will accomodate? Also, what is the minimum spacing recommended between the rotor and the support bearing?

05-16-2008, 10:10 PM	#2
Junglerock My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 6	I hate to tell you this but the TB-105 support bearing is proudly stamped, "made in China". I had a heck of a time getting it to work. 1 1/4" mast will swim in the bearing. You need 1 1/2" and it still won't fit right. You will have to file down the flash on the inside of the bearing to make the pipe fit. I'm using the CM 9521 rotor and I had to space it out about 1/4" and it still doesn't rotate properly. When you get your bearing, if you figure out an easier way let me know. Last edited by Junglerock; 05-16-2008 at 10:12 PM. Reason: spelling

05-20-2008, 02:52 PM	#4
Rickfla Newbie Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wesley Chapel, FL Posts: 96	Rotor Support bearing I haven't heard much good about the TB105; is it the only support bearing offered? Did a quick search and it's the only one that comes up. Looks like something could be used besides it to do the job. Not being too handy with stuff like this, I never have looked too far into a replacement type of device; but I'll need something like this to finish my antenna installation when I get a rotor and VHF antenna. if anyone knows of a way to do this please feel free to help; any suggestions would be appreciated. In my case there is a 91-XG already on a telescoping mast; my next purchase is the rotor and a VHF antenna, model yet to be chosen.

12-12-2009, 03:08 PM	#6
KevinT High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 150	It's just an assumption but if you use a mast that is smaller than the hole in the support bearing, the mast will wobble and I think that will bind the rotor or at least wear on internal-rotor parts. Maybe I need to design something, label it "Made in the USA", and sell it?

12-12-2009, 03:22 PM	#7
KevinT High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 150	I just discovered that solidsignal.com sells a mast with a 1.5" outside diameter. I wish I had known the bearing size when I ordered the parts. Model numbers "RONDDM-5" and "RONDDM-3".

03-05-2011, 06:42 PM	#14
m42duster What is HD? Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 2	over engineering You guys are over engineering this install. If you use a 1-1/4" pipe it will bite up against the inside edge of the bearing wall and also on the bite edge of the rotor mount. Instead of the antenna mast turning perfectly around, it will have an outward rotation just like the earth orbits around the moon. Just make sure that the antenna mast is perendicular to the support mast. There will be no bind. It will just have the illusion of a wobble when turning. make sense?

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