2
MT-3000A PRE ASSEMBLY NOTES
LENGTH OF CABLE
TERMINAL 1 & 2 MINIMUM AWG
TERMINAL 5 & 6 MINIMUM AWG
125 FEET
#18 AWG
#22-24 AWG
125-200 FEET
#16 AWG
#22-24 AWG
200-300 FEET
#14 AWG
#22-24 AWG
300-450 FEET
#12 AWG
#22-24 AWG
FOR A SUCCESSFUL INSTALLATION THERE ARE SIX POINTS THAT MUST BE
CONSIDERED BEFORE ASSEMBLING THE MT-3000AEL.
1.The MT-3000AEL can accommodate main boom diameters of 3” to 5”. If your crossboom is
smaller or larger, the mounting plates may need hole pattern modification. If you plan to use a
tower section as a crossboom, M2 has tower adapter plates available. Call us at 559 432 8873 to
discuss your special needs.
2. Multi conductor cable is needed to supply motor voltage / current and provide position feed-
back information. M2 can supply the required cable or you can purchase the ideal cable from The
Wireman. The ideal cable contains two #12 AWG wires ti power the 28 volt DC motor and two
#22 AWG shielded wires to return the square wave position information to the controller.
3.
Tower and mast requirements vary with the size of the array and the environment. Generally,
towers like Rohn 25 or larger are adequate using mast sizes of 2 inch minimum.
4. Mast quality is crucial for large arrays. Do not use 1-1/2” water pipe (1-7/8” O.D.) as it is too
soft. For small 4 Yagi arrays 2: x .180 wall steel tubing is recommended. Tube steel should
meet ASTM 512, 513, or 519 specifications or equivalent. Simply stated steell with a psi rating
over 50,000 PSI ( Pounds per square inch) is required. M2 can supply your mast if no local steel
supply exists in your area.
5. Unless you need a tall mast for other antenna in your system, we recommend that the
MT3000AEL is mounted with no more than 1/2” of mast protruding above the mounting plate. This
will allow the system to rotate the full 180 degrees which aids during assembly and maintenance.
We recommend that no more than 2 feet of mast extend beyond the top of the tower. 3 to 5 feet
of mast inside the tower is adequate. We also recommend a top bearing and a secondary bear-
ing inside the tower above the rotator.
6. The azimuth rotator is also very important in a good installation. Our OR2800PXEL azimuth
rotator is totally compatible with the MT-3000AEL elevation rotator control box and the two control
units link together so only one RS232 cable is required if you use computer control for tracking.
Prop Pitch motors are also good for azimuth rotation and can be controlled using an M2 controller
that is similar to the OR2800 controller but with higher current transformer and motor control cir-
cuitry. Again this PP controller is compatible with the MT-3000AEL controller.
Other possible rotators that could be adequate for you array are:
HDR-300
Tailtwister (T2X)
Ham IV
