Rotator Round Connectors

The original CDE rotators had an 8-screw plate mounted on the bottom of the bell and a matching 8-screw plate on the back of the control unit. This provided all the connection facilities for the motor power, power for the brake (if that particular rotator had a brake), and wiring for the direction indication circuitry. All of this made the cable hook-ups rather easy and quickly made, however, it was also very difficult to weatherize the outdoor piece. Many hams devised their own weatherization schemes including Jones plugs and sockets, trailer light connectors, colored Anderson power connectors, and various other systems ranging from pretty good to really bad.

Several years ago, HyGain changed the T2X (TailTwister) and Ham IV connection to a commercially-available plug and socket system. It allowed the user to have a universally obtained connector set which, when assembled correctly, was completely weather tight. These connectors were more expensive and raised the prices of the rotator. For the scores of DXers and Contesters who used these older rotators with the screw terminals, they will tell you that the cable connections only failed, due to weatherization problems, when they were in the best run of an important contest or when the extra rare DXpedition was on their last day and when the propagation finally (for the first time in two weeks) was making any contacts possible. Having a good weatherproofed connection at the top of that 100 foot tower made an expensive weatherproofed cable connection worth it at ANY price.

A number of hams have bought these newer connector sets to add to their older, screw terminal units plus some experimenters have build up test jigs for working on and powering their rotators at ground level. MFJ does sell replacement extra plugs and sockets but hams being what we are, we often seek out a better (read that "cheaper") way. Thanks to Ray - N6VR, he has produced a nice document complete with the correct part numbers for the components and information on where they can be purchased for we experimenters. I haven't added it to my T2X yet but it's sitting in my hamshack floor getting ready to be done.

I offered the disk space and bandwidth to Ray to make this information available to others. I thought this might be a good space since I already had some often-visited articles on rotators. Any questions should probably be directed to N6VR. Thanks Ray for your help.

Making your own cable connectors for the HyGain Rotators (revised, April 2017)

Rotator Cable End - Below are the Mouser part numbers needed to build a mating rotator cable quick connect end to the newer HyGain type rotators connectors – Ham4 & Tail Twister (T2X). These are the same connectors used by CATS and Norm’s Rotator.

571-2067081 Female body (1)

571-206966-7 Body cover/clamp (1)

571-661014 Female connector (pin), small, 16-18 AWG (6) Connector pins 3 – 8.

571-666012 Female connector (pin), large, 14-18 AWG (2) Connector pins 1 & 2.

Control Box Cable End or cable extender– Prepare a pigtail with bare wires on one end and a female connector on the other (above). The bare wires will connect to lugs 1 – 8 on the rotator. Below are the Mouser part numbers to build male cable end to connect to the female Rotator Control Box cable.

571-2067052 Male body (1)

571-206966-7 Body cover & clamp (1)

571-66099-4 Male connector (pin), small, 16-18AWG (6) Connector pins 3 – 8.

571-666022 Male connector (pin), large, 14-18AWG (2) Connector pins 1 & 2.

You can build your own quick connect rotator connector device (at the rotator) by using Mouser PN connector 571-2067051, male chassis mount connector. You need to make your own adapter plate – 1 1/4” X 2 ½”, with connector mounting hole & rotator notch. Norm’s sold me several of his adapter plates some years ago. Before you build your own male Amp connector system, make sure there is clearance to connect the female connector to it. This type connector will generally not work with a rotator that has a mast bracket adapter mounted on it. The mast is in the way, and hole for the connector is not big enough and not cut in the right spot.

Misc notes:

These connectors are listed as “AMP CPC Connectors, Series 1”, nine holes. In my 3 year old Mouser catalog, they are on page 957.

The 9^th hole in these connectors is not used. Leave it open, or fill it with silicone, if you like.

Male and female pins are gold plated so you do not have to worry about corrosion forming.

16-18AWG pins are easier to push into the connector body. 14-18AWG connectors are bigger and more difficult to seat into the connector body. In general, I cut off the very end part of the pin used to crimp onto the wire. If left in place, it makes extremely difficult to seat the pins properly.

Mouser does have a pin extractor tool for these connectors (pins), PN 571-305183.

PN 571-211870-1 is a protective cap/cover for the male end connectors. I could not find on for the female connectors.

Mouser has no minimum purchase amount. Their phone: 800 346-6873. Great people to work with!

Ray, N6VR

rayn6vr at gmail.com