Replacement Lewmar solenoid / windlass control

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wicksta_105

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Hi

My Lewmar 12v solenoid / windlass control unit is broken beyond repair and needs replacing.

The current unit looks quite old and I haven't been able to find a UK replacement - there are a few available from the US at significant expense. See this or this

I was just going to use this Lofrans unit instead as I assume it does broadly the same job and looks to have a similar wiring arrangement, etc - unless anyone thinks I am oversimplifying this or have missed something? Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks.
 
My Lewmar windlass relay is relabelled Durite item. A terminal corroded on mine which made me have a close look at it and spot the Durite markings but my temporary repair seems to have proven quite long lasting, so I never looked further. You can bet your bottom dollar that a Durite branded replacement will be substantially cheaper than the same thing with a Lewmar sticker on it. Worth a good look at it to see if the same applies to yours and see if you can pick up the generic item as manufactured for a vehicle recovery winch or some such.
 
It is very likely that the internals of your unit are / were made by this company; http://www.albrightinternational.com/products/
and even if not I would contact them for advise / info as what you need is their bread and butter.
Incidently the majority of their contactors can be repaired / overhauled with service kits! If the contacts in yours are splashed or burnt away don't be tempted to 'clean' them up as they will inevitably fail again.
No contact with this company just had to work with many of their products !
 
I suspect that most windlass control solenoids do the same thing so should be pretty interchangeable. I recently fitted a South Pacific Windlass and was impressed at the reasonable prices for their ancillary bits and pieces. UK supplier is Boat Gear Direct and the solenoid can be found at http://boatgeardirect.co.uk/windlass/product/550-remote-control-box for £40. The page includes a connection diagram so you should be able to work out whether it will work for you. However, I would check the current rating as the South Pacific windlasses draw a lower current than most other ones since they have more efficient spur gearing rather than the usual worm-drive.
 
Thanks so much - this forum really is amazing. I would never have found the Albright connection without it. I gave them a call, they put in touch with their distributor (although were at pains to assure me that if I couldn't find the part held in stock they could make it to order albeit with a 28 day lead time).

In case this proves helpful for anyone chancing on this thread in the future, Steve at Traction Power on 0161 865 1319 / https://www.forktruckspares.com is your man, he couldn't have been more helpful - spoke to him at 4pm and by 4.30 the parts were in a jiffy bag enroute to me. Saving £££s plus the hassle of switching units and the worry factor that the replacement unit might not be compatible.

Thanks again,

James
 
Plevier said:
Can you explain that please? Circuit looks the same to me, and one of these does the job on my Lewmar windlass. How else would you reverse the motor?
Click to expand...

The OPs contactor has three terminals, positive in and two positives out. One positive out operates the motor in one direction, the other terminal runs the motor in the opposite direction. The -12v goes straight to the motor.

The four terminal contactor has +12v and -12v connections from the battery and a pair of connections to the motor, the contactor is a changover switch, reversing the polarity of the output cables.
 
PaulRainbow said:
The OPs contactor has three terminals, positive in and two positives out. One positive out operates the motor in one direction, the other terminal runs the motor in the opposite direction. The -12v goes straight to the motor.

The four terminal contactor has +12v and -12v connections from the battery and a pair of connections to the motor, the contactor is a changover switch, reversing the polarity of the output cables.
Click to expand...

My mistake I was looking at the link in post 5, also wrong. Windlass must have 3 connections then.
 
You could use the 4 terminal type anyway by simply not connecting anything to the -ve supply post, then it will behave the same as the 3 terminal one.
The solenoid coil is wired separately, no problem with that.
Why do it? May be more commonly available and cheaper but I haven't checked.
 
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