DYI Anchor Remote

[Sid at SailAway]

When we were in the Bahamas recently we had the "up" foot switch go bad in the windlass. For those that are interested in how we solved the problem without a spare switch I have posted the details with pics on our blog. Hope this may help someone in a similar situation. No one wants to pull in all chain rode by hand...

www.elcaminoblog.com

[noelex 77]

Well done. The foot switches fail quite frequently.

It is worth knowing how to bypass both the foot switch and the anchor solenoid. The later is a bit more difficult because of the large currents involved. Sometimes a a heavy duty electrical clamp like on the end of a jumper cables will work. Making up a short length of heavy duty wire with suitable ring terminal for this purpose is a worthwhile project. This will fix both a defective switch and defective solenoid.
If you jump the anchor solenoid the anchor winch can be operated by using the circuit breaker.

The best solution for the unreliable deck switch is to have multiple options.
Up/down switches in a handheld wired remote control are available quite cheaply as industrial switches. These are more reliable (as well much cheaper) than the marine alternative. The photo below was taken to show the HH VHF that I have bolted to the back of one of controls (to communicate with the helm) but you can just see the orange industrial switch housing.

You can also buy $10 wireless remote controls from ebay which are very handy.

All of these switches can occasional fail in the "on position" so know where fuse is located for them (and fuse them separately)

[Sid at SailAway]

I did see the industrial switches and the wireless ones on Ebay. Was going to buy one of the industrial ones and decided just to build one for the fun of it. Good suggestion about the spare solenoid wire...

[AnchorageGuy]

We have two helm stations, but on our Mariner 40 ketch, Sea Trek, we still has a switch at the helm. The switches are connected to the solenoid and we can raise and lower the anchor from either helm station if the foot switches fail. It also allows just one of us to raise anchor and get underway if the other is incapacitated. It's a good idea as a safety feature and a back up. The Trawler Beach House: Installing An Electric Anchor Windlass . Chuck

[colemj]

I am surprised at the microswitch inside the foot switches. Our foot switches consist of large brass contacts separated by a spring. Pressing down puts those contacts together. The contacts are actually large enough to probably carry the entire windlass current, rather than just operate a solenoid.

Mark

[noelex 77]

Some foot switches are rated to take the full windlass current (100A+) others are designed only to work with a solenoid and therefore only have to switch a low current (1-2A).

The best option is a belt and braces approach using a high powered switch with a solenoid.

In practice the general failure mode for the switches is for the rubber to crack and the waterproofing to fail leading to internal corrosion. So perhaps it makes little difference, but the high powered switches have much larger contacts and seem better made so I feel they are preferable even with a solenoid.

I would always recommend a solenoid. This usually provides a shorter electrical path and the solenoids can be stored in dry location. The solenoid can be rated to a larger current giving them a longer life and it is easy to wire multiple switches such as wired, or a wireless remote and/or switches at the helm.

[JusDreaming]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

Well done. The foot switches fail quite frequently.


The best solution for the unreliable deck switch is to have multiple options.
Up/down switches in a handheld wired remote control are available quite cheaply as industrial switches. These are more reliable (as well much cheaper) than the marine alternative. The photo below was taken to show the HH VHF that I have bolted to the back of one of controls (to communicate with the helm) but you can just see the orange industrial switch housing.

You can also buy $10 wireless remote controls from ebay which are very handy.

All of these switches can occasional fail in the "on position" so know where fuse is located for them (and fuse them separately)

By chance do you have a link to the switch you used?

[Cape Charters]

When my foot switches went bad I bought a wireless key fob setup. It made for 4x4 winches and came with two key fob remotes. I keep them in a ziplock bag even during use and they seem to hold up. The reviver that controls the solenoid is well sealed and mounted next to the solenoid in a protected area. It great to be able to run windlass from the helm or the bow without dragging a wired switch.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by JusDreaming

By chance do you have a link to the switch you used?

Sorry I purchased it about 6 years ago, so the details are lost. I anchor about 300 days a year so it has had plenty of use, and is still going strong.
It was recommended to me by a charter operator who was sick of the short life of the marine units.

I did a quick search on eBay and it is similar to this model:
Rainproof Hoist Crane UP Down Pendant Control Station Pushbutton Switch | eBay

Ideally you want to look and asses the quality of construction and waterproof quality which you cannot do on eBay, but it is only $7.

Edit:
This one looks a little better. It is rated to 15A.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Waterproo...72ddd86&_uhb=1

[Sid at SailAway]

Originally Posted by AnchorageGuy

We have two helm stations, but on our Mariner 40 ketch, Sea Trek, we still has a switch at the helm. The switches are connected to the solenoid and we can raise and lower the anchor from either helm station if the foot switches fail. It also allows just one of us to raise anchor and get underway if the other is incapacitated. It's a good idea as a safety feature and a back up. The Trawler Beach House: Installing An Electric Anchor Windlass . Chuck



That is a great idea for backup.



Attachment 74586

Originally Posted by colemj

I am surprised at the microswitch inside the foot switches. Our foot switches consist of large brass contacts separated by a spring. Pressing down puts those contacts together. The contacts are actually large enough to probably carry the entire windlass current, rather than just operate a solenoid.

Mark

Mark, I was really surprised too! I took the switch apart thinking I could just clean the contacts. Not. The contacts were tiny and fell apart at a touch do to corrosion. How the moisture got there I'm not sure. Water never gets into that compartment or on the windlass which is in that compartment.
I will carry a spare footswitch from now on. Like I said before, I really liked the industrial winch switches and almost bought one. Then I spotted that momentary switch at the flea market thought it would be a cool project to try and make a suitable housing for it. To be honest it hasn't got much use so far because we're sittin' on a ball in Marathon. But when we start heading back north it will get a workout, no doubt.

[Sid at SailAway]

Originally Posted by Cape Charters

When my foot switches went bad I bought a wireless key fob setup. It made for 4x4 winches and came with two key fob remotes. I keep them in a ziplock bag even during use and they seem to hold up. The reviver that controls the solenoid is well sealed and mounted next to the solenoid in a protected area. It great to be able to run windlass from the helm or the bow without dragging a wired switch.

The wireless winch controls looked awfully tempting. The thing that held me back was on some of the reviews people stated that the response time was not instant. When you let off the switch the winch responded a second or so later. Not knowing if they all do this or which one to buy that doesn't do that, scared me away. I didn't want chance jamming the anchor in really tight due to this lag time. Does yours do this?