Make Your Winch Wireless

[TrailChaser]

I found a wireless winch control on ebay for about $40 shipped. It's made for an ATV winch, but I figured it could be modded to work with one of our winches.

 

The wireless remote system is basically just a transmitter(remote), receiver, two 80amp relays, and a manual switch.

 

The system is set up to bypass the original control box on the ATV winch. The 80amp relays are big enough to run a small winch, but not big enough to run a 8000lb+ winch that can draw up to 200amps under load.

 

Since the wireless system is designed to replace the original control box the leads to the motor are positive(+) and negative(-) and when you flip the switch the polarity switches to make the motor run in reverse.

 

This will not work on our winches since we use beefy solenoids and the switch we use simply provides power to the positive side of the solenoid. When you push the button for line-in it sends power to that solenoid, when you push line-out it sends power to a completely different solenoid.

 

The trick to making the ATV remote work for our winches is simple. Change the output of the 80amp relays so both provide pos(+) energy to the solenoids. One relay is already set up to output pos(+) energy. All you have to do is switch the wires on the neg(-) output relay so that it puts out a pos(+) current.

 

Another cool thing about this system is I can still hook up a universal three prong remote to the factory socket if I wanted to and it would still work.

 

I didn't take alot of pics, but I did take a couple of the remote box and relays when I had them out of the case. The rest are just phone pics I took in a hurry to show the system.

 

Here you can see the wire coming out of the wireless control receiver(on the left) and the wires coming out of the two relays.

 

Here's a different view of the wireless receiver box and the tops of the relays.

 

 

This is everything that comes with it.

 

A close up of the remote.(ugly, but it has a cool little antenna and sliding protective cover for the buttons to keep you from accidentally pushing one in your pocket.

 

Here's the "handlebar" switch that will be used as an in cab switch. It's pretty nice, it is weather proofed and has little side guards to help prevent accidental button pushing.

 

And finally, here's the housing for the wireless receiver and relays.

 

 

David

Edited January 25, 2008 by TrailChaser

[msavides]

I have always worried about installing one of these and having someone else with the same frequency. I think I would still want a cut off switch to prevent the winch from operating off somebody else's remote or off some stray interference.

Mark

[TrailChaser]

Good point,

I plan to have a kill switch on it so I can keep it disconnected from any power until I hit the trails. It'll become part of the pre-trail checklist: Lock Hubs, Air Down, make sure all the stuff in the back is secure, and turn on the power for the winch.

The wireless system is also going to be connected to an ignition(key on) power wire so if nothing else you can turn the key off if you get interference.

 

I asked the guy about interference, and he made a good point. "How many times has someone else turned on/off your car alarm with their remote?" For me, never.

[msavides]

Alarm remotes pair each other together for security. If they used that same type of system for the winch remote I would have no worries about it. However not sure if they do that. Glance through your instructions for that remote setup and see what the instructions would be if you lost your remote and had to replace it. then you will know if they use the same security.

 

Mark