Quote:
Originally Posted by biggles72
I would have thought if the brushes were the problem it would have developed over time and not suddenly, but I suspect the cheap controller to windlass connection is the culprit. I will remove and try motor function via "hot wire" and see if that makes a difference.
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The
brushes, controller, or a defective solenoid (these often fail) are all possibilities.
The voltage under load is a very powerful test. If the
anchor winch is receiving a low voltage under load it cannot function normally. This immediately removes the
winch and brushes as the cause of the problem.
On the other hand if the voltage is OK the fault must lie with the winch (and the brushes would be at the top of the list). A simple test that immediately separates if the problem is in the winch, or not, is a great diagnostic tool. (There can be some rare cases where a mechanical problem with the winch (such as broken gearing) can draw a lot of
current and drop the voltage. These problems are rare, but monitoring the
current with a clamp on ammeter is also helpful)
It is worth knowing how to bypass the solenoids as these commonly fail.
There are a lot of
cheap ebay wireless
remote contols. For the low cost (about $15 with two handsets) they are a bargain. They are very useful in a situation like a
med moor with a small crew.
They are poorly made, so don't expect too much, but providing you have other means of operating the winch (a wired
remote and/or a foot switch) and turn the winch off when not used they are a great addition.
The only drawback is with even a brief button press a foot, or more of chain is recovered, which makes "parking" the
anchor difficult.