Wireless winch remotes (UPDATE 05-25-04)

[CyberSniper]

Anybody have any experience with them? I'm tired of dealing with my wired remote and was just going to hardwire it into the cab but for about $100 to my door I can buy Mile Marker's wireless kit. It'd be nice to have.

My winch is multimount by the way.

 

[TrcksR4ME]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

I hard wired mine into the dash, it works pretty well IMO. I used two switches to do it, one is a basic on/off which I set-up as a master power switch. The other is an on/off/on switch to control the in and out operations. It has worked pretty well for me although I haven't winched a lot. Also used a relay for hooking up the on/off switch. All I need to do now is label the switch so I don't have to guess which way is in and which is out /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

 

[CyberSniper]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

Yeah, that's what I was thinking about. I'm tired of the remote. It's a PITA. It needs to go away. It's bad enough carrying around the winch but then to have to walk back through the slop to string the remote is just plain irritating. Especially since the remote barely reaches in the cab from the front and won't even reach to the cab if I put the winch on the back.

My plan would be to buy it, take it out of the box, and put it in my own waterproof box and mount it on the winch.

 

[az-k5]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

Therobzilla has the ramsey kit. It is bad azz. It works from about 100ft away, is the same size a key chain car alarm thing, and is water resistant. Only downside is finding a place for the antenna.

 

[m j]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

a battery powered safety device just seems like a very bad idea IMO

 

[CyberSniper]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

Well, I'm not so much worried about that. I'm worried about it not working reliably and have to walk up close to it in order for it to work and not remember to just put the corded remote in.

Where I go wheelin'... both AM and FM get interrupted, CBs are almost useless, GPS doesn't function, and cellular phones can't get a tower. It's a side-effect of having so much iron and copper in the ground and trees.

I'm worried about it working intermittently and causing "jerking" of the cable.

As far as a safety device being powered by wireless control... I'm not worried about that. We do it every single solitary day and it seems to be pretty reliable. Worst case scenario is it doesn't work... just go plug in the corded remote.

So far when I've used my winch I've gotten in the truck and hid under the dash and when I've been getting pulled backwards I hide behind a tire. That cord is just way too short for me to be comfortable. And I'd rather not be in the truck if I don't have to.

 

[m j]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

[ QUOTE ]
So far when I've used my winch I've gotten in the truck and hid under the dash and when I've been getting pulled backwards I hide behind a tire. That cord is just way too short for me to be comfortable. And I'd rather not be in the truck if I don't have to.

[/ QUOTE ]

a bit paranoid are we?

 

[willyswanter]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

I know with mine I just plug the remote in before I hit the trail, run it up over the hood, under the wipers, and through between the a-pillar and door and lay it on the dash. Then when I need it it's right there and I run rope so no hiding behind anything... Right there I have about 2 feet of extra wire but I doubt it would reach to the back of my truck but then again it's a crewcab... A wireless just seems to be more that could go wrong.

 

[dremu]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

So far when I've used my winch I've gotten in the truck and hid under the dash and when I've been getting pulled backwards I hide behind a tire. That cord is just way too short for me to be comfortable. And I'd rather not be in the truck if I don't have to.




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a bit paranoid are we?

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Maybe he was abused by a winch cable as a child /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif

-- A

 

[CyberSniper]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So far when I've used my winch I've gotten in the truck and hid under the dash and when I've been getting pulled backwards I hide behind a tire. That cord is just way too short for me to be comfortable. And I'd rather not be in the truck if I don't have to.

[/ QUOTE ]

a bit paranoid are we?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeap... and when I have to operate the truck while winching I scoot over on the seat and hide behind the A-pillar. Usually the only time I actually "hide" under the dash level is when I'm by myself... I figure if I'm with other people they can haul me to the hospital. /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif

Years ago... I saw a 5/16" cable break that was being used on a winch to load stuff on a trailer. When it broke, it recoiled, then changed direction... shot past the winch and stuck pointed-end into tongue-and-groove knotty pine. Not all that many ears ago I saw a trailer hitch ball lodged in the dash of a Ford... after it passed through the box... the back wall of the cab... the rear seat... and the front seat. Things like that give you a new respect for the potential of disaster. I've since seen several more cables break and they just fell on the ground but still...

 

[CyberSniper]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

[ QUOTE ]
I know with mine I just plug the remote in before I hit the trail, run it up over the hood, under the wipers, and through between the a-pillar and door and lay it on the dash. Then when I need it it's right there and I run rope so no hiding behind anything... Right there I have about 2 feet of extra wire but I doubt it would reach to the back of my truck but then again it's a crewcab... A wireless just seems to be more that could go wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, my winch only exits the bed of my truck when I'm stuck. Otherwise I have another 10" hanging off the front of my truck for me to get hung up on.

I usually run mine across the hood, wrap it once around the mirror, and then lay it on the dash. A month or so ago when it was cold out and I was at Keystone I ran it through the wing so I didn't have to have my window rolled down. I've got about 2' of wire in the truck. The remote won't even reach the cab if I put the winch on the back.

Well... a wireless remote doesn't disable a wired remote... so I don't know what the big beef with them is as far as "more that could go wrong". If it doesn't work... plug in the wired remote. It's not like it's a timed event or something.

Something has to be done. Either I'm going to hardwire in a switch in the truck so I can plug the winch and the remote in at the same place or I'm going to go wireless. Wireless = $100. Hardwired = $25 if I can find enough of the plugs I want to use.

 

[az-k5]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

You might have a little more piece of mind if you put the $100 toward a synthetic rope and just hard wire it for the time being. Only thing I don't like about hard wiring is that I like to have the control in my hand at all times, with myself in a good driving position. I hear ya on the cable fear thing. After you see any cable break you remember it. We had a 1/4" steel cable snap during a storm (it was supporting large a tree). Nearly cut a whole 3" branch in half.

 

[Muddytazz]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

Even though you have it hard wired in, you still have the option of using the standard remote /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

 

[CyberSniper]

Re: Wireless winch remotes

It's really hard to justify $200 for synthetic rope from Rockstomper when my cable still looks like brand new. It'll definitely be what replaces my cable in the future but that future is probably several years away unless I do something to ruin my cable.

 

[CyberSniper]

UPDATE

I was set on going wireless so I started to come up with some ideas on things to use instead of the $100 remote.

The first thing I thought of would work slicker than snot on a doorknob... but after tearing it apart I couldn't convert it from a "latch" to momentary switch because it has an IC in it. So that was a waste of money but I might use it someday. Yes, I'm a packrat. You should see me at clearance shelves... /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

Then I started searching the web for inexpensive wireless remotes but nobody had a momentary one that I could find besides X10 and that was $100.

So I started shooting the [darn] with a Ford friend and I gave up and started trying to come up with ideas for a source of a SPDT switch with center off. Such niceties such as a fine switch like that are rare here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where we don't even have a RadioShack (used to, and we called it RadioJack because it'd jack your wallet). We came up with some really good ideas.

Then he came up with an incredibly great idea. I was still thinking about SPDT momentary switches with center off... which his idea incorporated... but it also was wireless(!).

I was so anxious to give it a whirl that I woke up at 6:10am this morning after going to bed at 2am and headed to go buy it at Wal-mart. Yes, I'm retarded. /forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif

Let's just say if it works it's going to be cheaper to go wireless than hardwired. I already hooked it up for a test and it works... but I don't know about longevity and I need to waterproof it. Let's just say I'm tickled pink with myself. /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif

 

[bigjbear]

Re: UPDATE

Give us the details. If you have time to go to Wally-World at 2AM you have time to type /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[darkshadow]

Re: UPDATE

ON the cable snaping thing: YOU REALLy REALLY respect them when you see and INCH AND A HALF cable snap and Crush 3/4 " plate like tin foil. I worked for a summer as a welder at a heavy pre-cast (concrete) place, that cable was super heavy, I also have seen a busted link of chain that was 10"long 6" wide and 1"3/4 thick /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif so you never know what somethings give point is. Wear does efect your parts.


AS for controling you winch i was thinking of useing a little joystick made for controling hoists, and rigging it to the cab. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[therobzilla]

Re: Wireless winch remotes (UPDATE below)

LIke Matt said, I own the Ramsey Wireless Winch Remote. I have had it now for about 4 years, and have yet to change the battery. I carry a spare just in case, but yet to need it.

I must say, and as Matt AZ-K5 can confirm, I use the winch when needed. The wireless is the ticket. It's very safe, it's very reliable, and it willkeep you out of harms way for sure. I also have a sync cable. Actually, it has never given me any problems at all. I have even lost the antenna on the receive, and it still works like a champ.

Oh and did I say it's safe as hell...... No one who winches should be concerned with using one of these setups.

I would not try to fab up anything else other than this setup. But there should be no conderns with signal interference, as the remotes are set up on a totally diffrent freq from the FCC.

This setup is a no brainer, but it's got somewhat of a bling factor to it. I got it free from Ramsey when my last winch broke and I sent it back to Ramsey for under warranty repair. They felt bad about my down time with the winch, and my letter complaining was a little harsh, so a an added option, they send along the wireless kit.

Good luck

Thanks,

Rob

 

[CyberSniper]

Re: UPDATE

I spent about six hours today wiring it up, playing with it, and trying to resolve some issues. I think I can solve the one issue by procuring some relays. The other problem is that the solenoids generate so much RF noise that it interferes. I think I'm going to have to build a Faraday box around the receiver and then carefully choose where I route the antenna.

I think I can get it to work.

In the meantime, I ordered a MileMarker one from 4WPW tonight while the free shipping and 10% off sale was going on. I also ordered a couple lockable Hi-Lift mounts and a Hi-Lift pin kit.

 

[bigjbear]

Re: UPDATE

It will be cool if you get it to work right. Good luck!