Topic: How to tell Heathkit ID-4001 boom from ID-5001 or doesn't it matter?

[DaleReid]

Far back in the dusty memory when I built the ID-5001 I seemed to recall that the boards with the infared diodes and phototransistors were slightly different. 

I have a couple of each of the units around and want to finish up my winter projects to see if I have a functioning unit or more that I could install or put up for sale for someone who wants to go retro.

Is there a difference in wiring, or not, that is can the booms be interchanged and the station not know?

If there is a difference, how do I know which one goes where?  I would assume with my little thought experiment that the chopper for the wind speed is the same, not much there, but is the direction encoder different?  Or are the IR diodes all in series for both wind speed and direction for one board (and therefore a higher voltage going up to the boom) than a split of the V+ with a separate wire going to each sensor?  That is the best I can pull out of my recollection of how they were different, and I may be way off.

Thanks for any discussion.
Dale

[WA7FWF]

slight difference in wiring, open the wind speed sensor, if top board F has a  wht/yel wire to bottom board K then it is a 5001 boom, on a 4001 the two wind speed boards have no wires running between them, all 4 wires run off to the wind direction boards.

Kevin

[DaleReid]

Thanks, Kevin.
I'll get the screwdriver out tomorrow, too tired to take it apart tonight.