Apparatus and associated methods relate to a motor-less cartridge ring gear engagement module (CRGEM) for a turret-rotating system that includes a main drive gear configured to rotate in a rotation plane, a manual input shaft that extends substantially orthogonal relative to the rotation plane, and a drive shaft that extends substantially orthogonal relative to the rotation plane, where the drive shaft and the manual input shaft extend substantially parallel to one another. In an illustrative example, both the main drive gear and a hand crank may be located on a top surface of the CRGEM. In some embodiments, a manual drive cap may be hingedly coupled to the gearbox and configured to rotate in a vertical plane that is substantially orthogonal to the rotation plane. At least some examples may provide for a hand-operated, manual traverse unit that advantageously does not require electrical power to operate.
