What size trigger wires for winch solenoid - Maxwell HRC 6

[Jarrah Jack]

Where is Googleboot??

Can you give us a googleboot impersonation Finga

[Fed]

I agree Finga, a 3 Amp manual circuit breaker was specified and a particular brand was recommended so sticking to the manufacturer's specs is only common sense.
Generally speaking C/Bs & fuses are only for cable protection but I know you already knew that.
Did come across a little snippet a while back, I had a tiny spark when I disconnected my battery & thought I wonder where that's coming from?
I tracked it down to a very small leakage in my rectifier/regulator and a much bigger leakage in my GME radio even when it was turned off.
I rang GME & the techi guy explained they put a diode directly across the incoming power before the switch designed to blow the little 3 Amp? fuse in case of reverse polarity so in that case the fuse also played a role other than cable protection.

Don't get me started about cable sizes, who in their right mind makes a cable then decides to make up their own sizing system?
SWG, AWG, B&S, they may as well named their sizes after animals or something, "Hey you, pass me a roll of Giraffe Twin & Earth".

[finga]

Can you give us a googleboot impersonation Finga

Wellllllll.......NO!!


Now don't upset me today.
We start a whole lot of debt at about 2.15pm. We take over the farm and I'm in a good mood.....so back off bucko


You bugger Fed. You just wanted me to type all that mumbo jumbo didn't you??
I took me bloody ages too it did

Cheers Alfred

[Fed]

I was hoping by agreeing with you it would take the wind out of your sails Finga.

Another little snippet in the winch manual it also said the 50 Amp mains breaker will offer 'some' protection to the motor so you do have a valid point.

[HH565L]

Haven't been on here for a few days otherwise I would have congratulated you on your purchase and offered some support earlier.

Correct cable sizing takes in to account length of cable run, cable resistance and voltage drop. In addition we consider all aspects of winch operation winch operation (including pro-longed use in fouled anchor situations and anchoring in deeper water), and anticipate installation issues such as the proximity of the cables to each other and that they may pass through a conduit or duct.

Taking all of that in to account, and assuming a boat length of 6-7m, we recommend MAR 3B&S which is equivalent to 25mm^2 in Australian Standard electrical terms for our smaller drum winches ie fitted with a 500/600W motor.

As for the control cables, we also tend to use 1.5-2.5mm^2 depending on the length of run between the solenoid and switch. The control circuit to the solenoid is generally protected by a 4 or 5amp fuse so there is no chance of the cable being compromised if a short circuit occurs.

[Grand_Marlin]

Well if I stuffed it up so could anyone else.....couldn't they??

I was referring to the 10A protection on the control circuit. It may be not good.

Cheers then matey......and get to work

Sorry for the late reply... I was at work!
I knew what you were referring to but I could not help pulling the chain that was left dangling

Always good to clear up any confusion, thanks for pointing it out.

Cheers

Pete

[finga]

Oi Pete....have you ever heard the saying...
Don't let your dingle dongles dangle in the dirt or you might have to pick them up and wipe them on your shirt.

[TheRealAndy]

Generally speaking C/Bs & fuses are only for cable protection but I know you already knew that.

Can I correct you on that?? Fuses are to prevent electrical fires due to overload!

Don't get me started about cable sizes, who in their right mind makes a cable then decides to make up their own sizing system?
SWG, AWG, B&S, they may as well named their sizes after animals or something, "Hey you, pass me a roll of Giraffe Twin & Earth".

Dont forget metric, then the dodgy auto sizes!! And the BWG.

This all came about from different manufacturers from different companies in different countries. It should all be standardised to metric, like everything else in the world outside the USA.

Speaking of B&S, it always annoys me when I look at the bias catalog and see it refered to as Battery and Starter rating Its Brown and Sharp aka AWG.

[Grand_Marlin]

Oi Pete....have you ever heard the saying...
Don't let your dingle dongles dangle in the dirt or you might have to pick them up and wipe them on your shirt.

Can't say I have, but it sounds nasty

Point taken and understood

Cheers

Pete

[ozscott]

Thanks again gentleman. HH565L thanks mate. Before I saw your post I bought the 6B&S. It should be sweet at 145amp and with the motor at 400w so under yours bigger ones. If Pete's Maxwell runs well in his Patriot which is a little longer than mine and presumably same size winch my set up should have very little voltage drop even when working the winch for a long time. Cheers

[finga]

What point??

I thought it was meaningless crap you try to say ten times whilst drunk.

[ozscott]

Just pulled the side of my windlass before installing for a little look. Its a beautifully engineered windlass. It runs clutch plates both sides of the gypsy like an auto gearbox and you fan adjust freefall speed with it. The gearbox is sealed, and full of oil and to be drained, cleaned and re-oiled every three years. The thing is seriously heavy too.

I noticed that the motor is made in Milan, Italy. I also noticed the motor is the 600watt, not the 400 watt. One of the windlass guys I spoke to mentioned there was a recent upgrade to the HRC 6 FF to a 600 watt motor. Interestingly the manual still says it should be a 400 watt with the HRC 8 getting the 600 watt.

Anyway I have mounted it and the drop for the rode looks pretty good - not the deepest part, but just out from it and the rode should fall nicely down the steep hull wall. I ran out of tin coated wire, so I will have to grab some to finish it all...whitworths isnt open on Sunday, so it might be a next week job unfortunately.

Cheers

[Jarrah Jack]

Anyway I have mounted it and the drop for the rode looks pretty good -

Cheers

I presume you're talking about the winch......

Must be a seriously good bit of kit. Will be interesting to read your impressions after a few trips with it compared to the SP. I thought 400w was a bit light for your size boat.

The good thing about gypsy type winches compared to the drum type is that you can anchor if there's a failure somewhere. I can't access my rode if the power out doesn't work.( flat battery etc) With some mucking around I could get the chain off but I need to carry extra rope, which I do.

[ozscott]

Haha - mate I should have a drop for the road too.

The only difference between the HRC 6 and 8 is the motor power - the rest is identical and you can get the HRC 8 in a 6mm gypsy...there is nothing on the box, windlass, nor instructions to say HRC 6, and the motor is 600w according to the motor plate...so its probably a HRC 8 with a 6mm chain gypsy....so...is my 6B&S still an appropriate size...

Cheers

[ozscott]

...actually just thinking about it - 600w rated pull is over 400kg...it will be working so under its capacity (unless snagged) that it will never constantly draw its full 600w capacity...so the wire should be fine (the 6b&s is rated at 140amp, but that would be max short term before melting I guess - but even if it is say 80-90 amps constant capacity, thats still heaps).

Cheers