CAME ATI electric gate motor sticking

[@savmf]

Thanks for the video Samuel. I have a similar swing gate from CAME and I too have a similar problem with one arm. Since getting back from a few weeks holiday this winter, the arm has stopped working completely. No amount of banging resolves it and the lead screw won’t turn 😀. I can hear a click when I engage the gates and then again when it is meant to stop. I swapped the capacitor from the other arm and it still didn’t work. I guess the only option is to dissect it and investigate further.

[@samuelfielder]

Better check first that when you hear the click there actually is voltage across the motor. Can do that by just taking the top cover off.

[@drawingboard82]

I have recently learned a very similar lesson except it was the motor of my food mixer. Similar autotransformer for two speeds, but failed capacitor. 21 years is not too bad though, I wonder how many times it's been opened?

[@samuelfielder]

At least 15,000, given that I leaqve for lunch every day!

[@Exciting__Electronics]

What job did you have before retiring Samuel as you have a lovely home.

[@samuelfielder]

It's not that wonderful - just a bungalow in 0.6 acres in a rural area. I do pay my two lady gardeners who come in one morning a week to keep things in good order. I spent some years in a university electrical engineering department, and then was into software - writing operating systems in assembler and C when Bill Gates was in short trousers - and later a technical company director.

[@Dick.BaileyReading]

Interesting. I actually understood most of your explanation and immediately recognised the bridge rectifier on your circuit diagram, so I have learned something. You lost me when it came to testing the capacitor. 🥴. I’m not clear if you did actually fit and test a new capacitor to the old mechanism even though you didn’t use it?

[@samuelfielder]

I tested the capacitor using an LCR meter, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCR_meter . I haven't fitted a new capacitor to the old motor yet. Will order one when I have more things to get from RS, due to minimum order charge. Just cleaning motor etc. up at present.