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#1
posted to rec.boats.electronics
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Windlass Wiring Question
Don Mahony wrote:
The batteries are on the port side down in the engine compartment. To come from there to where the breaker and control relay is located is 15 feet. From the breaker I have to go back down to the bottom of the boat and gradually up to the bow where the windlass is located. :-( Have you thought about running just a relay control cable between the control panel and the windlass power cable near the battery? So you'd have the controls up and the actual relay would be down there in the path of the windlass power cable. The relay control cables would carry a current of under one amp, so they can be something like 18 AWG. But in this case you should have a circuit breaker "down there" for the windlass as it bypasses the circuit breaker you mentioned. Maybe this arrangement is not worth the trouble. Btw, there's a nice voltage drop calculator for figuring out what cable size to use at http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm , below the cable size table. Tapio |
#2
posted to rec.boats.electronics
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Windlass Wiring Question
Tapio Sokura wrote in news:nTqmg.7846$9l4.4042
@reader1.news.jippii.net: Have you thought about running just a relay control cable between the control panel and the windlass power cable near the battery? So you'd have the controls up and the actual relay would be down there in the path of the windlass power cable. The relay control cables would carry a current of under one amp, so they can be something like 18 AWG. But in this case you should have a circuit breaker "down there" for the windlass as it bypasses the circuit breaker you mentioned. Maybe this arrangement is not worth the trouble. I wholeheartedly agree with Tapio. You can buy 12V contactors, starter solenoids from any auto parts store. They are completely sealed and explosion proof as they are used in engine compartments of Ford Exploders. S/V Lionheart uses one, rated at 200A I think, for the master electronics power bus contactor. A continuous-duty contactor switches off a separate power bus that all our electronics is connected to, except the emergency secondary Icom M59 VHF, because my captain can't remember to shut everything down. Now he doesn't have to, just push in the push- pull switch next to the big red light staring him in the face. That works great! "Lionheart" had electric roller furling for its headsail when it was new, but the sea, of course, soon consumed the furler in the spray. Up in the portside cabinet in the V-berth were 3 contactors like this hooked to a 12V bus back to the main breaker panel. Her anchor winch only went one way. You released the clutch to pay out the all-chain rode. During taking it apart for maintenance, I noticed the local footswitch, SPST, had extra wires to the drive motor that went nowhere. Experimenting with them, I found the motor had forward and reverse windings! So, I wired the motor to the furler's existing contactors, and left the original one- way up switch on the winch's case hooked up, too. Now, you can pay out more rode or wind it in by moving the old furler's control switch on-off- on back in the center cockpit (half naked in the middle of the night when a storm unexpectedly rears its ugly head, for instance...(c No more clamoring around in the dark in your underwear cursing the clutch release toggle that's stuck because of the rode's pressure jerking on it in the waves. Just press the button...(c; Don't route the windlass' heavy cable to your control point. Those starter contactors are all sealed and will last your lifetime doing it remotely with a tiny switch switching the coils. |
#3
posted to rec.boats.electronics
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Windlass Wiring Question
On Thu, 22 Jun 2006 09:40:55 -0400, Larry wrote:
Now, you can pay out more rode or wind it in by moving the old furler's control switch on-off- on back in the center cockpit (half naked in the middle of the night when a storm unexpectedly rears its ugly head, for instance. That's convenient for sure, but you should *really* use a hook line on the anchor chain to off load the strain on the windlass when anchored. The windlass bearings and seals are not designed to withstand cyclic and/or shock loads, and will fail prematurely if exposed to that kind of wear and tear. Don't ask me how I know. :-) |
#4
posted to rec.boats.electronics
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Windlass Wiring Question
Wayne.B wrote in
: That's convenient for sure, but you should *really* use a hook line on the anchor chain to off load the strain on the windlass when anchored. The windlass bearings and seals are not designed to withstand cyclic and/or shock loads, and will fail prematurely if exposed to that kind of wear and tear. You're absolutely right, of course. It depends on the anchorage. If it's just tide flow up a creek, naw. This anchor windlass is a monster on the Amel. I think it could tow the boat out of the mud if there were something to hook the chain to.. Don't ask me how I know. :-) Everyone here has experiences you'll never hear a word about....(c; |
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