Looking for ideas & components to make my windlass wireless. It makes
it much easier for 1 person to manage the chain coming in - chain wash
wash hose, kelp removal, etc. My windlass is up powered only - so
simple is OK.

I want to install a wireless switch in parallel with the rubber
covered deck button. For years have used a manual wired button but
that's a nuisance.

Looking at somethiing like the stuff from Linear
http://www.linearcorp.com/w_receivers.asp
the DX12 Rec and D22A handheld Xmit about $120 for both

I want the remote to start/stop the windlass only when the button's
pushed or released - not latch and unlatch.

Any suggestions?

My Radio Shack just had a "tent sale" to dump unwanted stock their
overpricing prevented sales on. One huge box was full of:

SkyLink Model WS-100 Wireless Remote Control bubble packs they sold
for the princely sum of $1 each with no limit. I bought 10 on each of
the 3 channels.

This is an AC power switch device with an RF transmitter similar to
the remote lock keyless entry of your Escalade. IT even fits on a
keyring (lanyard?!!). Being RF, it works through non-conductive
bulkheads (sorry, no steel hulls). I find its range about 600 yards
foolin' around up the street.

Now, if you had an inverter providing AC power to the boat.....and
bought a simple 110VAC relay from Radio Shack that would plug into
this little AC box and key the DC control circuit for your windlass
(in parallel with the push button on it now, probably providing 12VDC
to the power relay the big motor runs from, you'd have a wireless
remote control for the purpose you need for about $10? The control
receiver plugs into any 3-prong AC outlet.....

All you'd do is click the button to turn the windlass on and click it
again to turn the windlass off....it toggles the AC outlet on the box
very rapidly if you push the button rapidly.

I'm using 4 of them all on A channel to energize the house lights and
outdoor lights, keying 4 of them from a single controller transmitter
in my car at once. Works great! The other 3 spare transmitters are
located around the house so I can shut the house down from the
bedside, for instance. Click any of the little transmitters and all 4
receiver toggle nicely.

Might be worth a look......(c;



On Sun, 09 Nov 2003 17:55:56 -0800, Panama wrote:

Looking for ideas & components to make my windlass wireless. It makes
it much easier for 1 person to manage the chain coming in - chain wash
wash hose, kelp removal, etc. My windlass is up powered only - so
simple is OK.

I want to install a wireless switch in parallel with the rubber
covered deck button. For years have used a manual wired button but
that's a nuisance.

Looking at somethiing like the stuff from Linear
http://www.linearcorp.com/w_receivers.asp
the DX12 Rec and D22A handheld Xmit about $120 for both

I want the remote to start/stop the windlass only when the button's
pushed or released - not latch and unlatch.

Any suggestions?



Larry W4CSC

"Very funny, Scotty! Now, BEAM ME MY CLOTHES! KIRK OUT!"

I have a Lewmar 1000 that is reversible.

I agree with the need for a method to operate it while moving about the
boat.. Especially when I want to be in the cockpit to operate the engine
controls while setting or breaking out a fouled anchor..

I considered the wireless remote but that was beyond my elex. skill level.

I wired in a pair of jacks into windlass controller circuit, parallel to the
deck 'toe' buttons. One jack is just inside the foredeck hatch and the other
is in the cockpit. I then made up a windlass control pennant on a 12 ft
cable. The switch is just a ordinary toggle (on-off-on) in a small narrow
box (comfortable for a single hand and thrumb to operate).

I can plug it in, in the cockpit or while I'm on the bow..

It really comes in handy when I have to go out on the bowsprit to turn the
anchor before it comes over the roller.. Also if I have a lot of chain out,
I like to go down to the chain locker and make sure the first 100 ft of
chain falls in the aft end (deepest) of the locker.

The windlass controller is electro/magnetic and will not allow both forward
and reverse signals so I don't have to worry about accidently stepping on
the 'toe' buttons while operating the remote.

Now I want to develop a mechanical method of counting the gypsy rev.s in and
out to compute the amount of chain I have out. (markings and tags have never
worked for me).

--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Steve-
For your chain counter, take a look at the CruzPro CH30 Chain Counter and
Intelligent Windlass Controller at: http://www.cruzpro.com/ch30.html

I am associated with CruzPro.


--
Charlie Johnson
JTB Marine Service
St. Petersburg, FL

When is Cruzpro going to make a rope/chain combination like the Auto
Anchor 500RC? Maxwell sells the 500RC for about the same price as the
CH30 but the CH30 has the soft stop feature of the much more expensive
500RCX. Unfortunately the CH30 can't handle mixed rode.

I assume the CH30 uses a microprocessor of some kind. It should be a
relatively simple matter to program it to recognize the first X feet at
one wheel diameter for chain and the rest at a smaller diameter for rope.

I am holding off purchase right now but I can't hold off forever.

Charlie J wrote:
Steve-
For your chain counter, take a look at the CruzPro CH30 Chain Counter and
Intelligent Windlass Controller at: http://www.cruzpro.com/ch30.html

I am associated with CruzPro.


--
Charlie Johnson
JTB Marine Service
St. Petersburg, FL




--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

I looked into the CruzPro a couple years ago.. In looking at the wiring
diagram, I don't see how it can keep track of the chain 'up/down' if the
gypsy is released for free fall.. It appears that the counter can only
detect the direction of the gypsy from the power up/down buttons.

With all the 'bells and whistles' they have this thing doing, perhaps the
have something in the gypsy pickup/sensor that can deduce the direction of
rotation.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

"Steve" wrote in message
...
I looked into the CruzPro a couple years ago.. In looking at the wiring
diagram, I don't see how it can keep track of the chain 'up/down' if the
gypsy is released for free fall.. It appears that the counter can only
detect the direction of the gypsy from the power up/down buttons.

With all the 'bells and whistles' they have this thing doing, perhaps the
have something in the gypsy pickup/sensor that can deduce the direction of
rotation.

I believe they detect which button is pressed. Now, logic would dictate that
when the sensor picks up pulses without any button signal, the chain is most
likely going down.....:-)

Meindert

The sensor is a pair of motion detectors, call them U & D. When the
magnet on the chain wheel passes U before it passes D the direction is
up and when it passes D first it is down.

Steve wrote:
I looked into the CruzPro a couple years ago.. In looking at the wiring
diagram, I don't see how it can keep track of the chain 'up/down' if the
gypsy is released for free fall.. It appears that the counter can only
detect the direction of the gypsy from the power up/down buttons.

With all the 'bells and whistles' they have this thing doing, perhaps the
have something in the gypsy pickup/sensor that can deduce the direction of
rotation.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions



--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Makes sense.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Check out www.surpluscenter.com found from an earlier thread. Looks like
they have just what you are looking for.
Good luck,
Walt
"Panama" wrote in message
...
Looking for ideas & components to make my windlass wireless. It makes
it much easier for 1 person to manage the chain coming in - chain wash
wash hose, kelp removal, etc. My windlass is up powered only - so
simple is OK.

I want to install a wireless switch in parallel with the rubber
covered deck button. For years have used a manual wired button but
that's a nuisance.

Looking at somethiing like the stuff from Linear
http://www.linearcorp.com/w_receivers.asp
the DX12 Rec and D22A handheld Xmit about $120 for both

I want the remote to start/stop the windlass only when the button's
pushed or released - not latch and unlatch.

Any suggestions?






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