Testing a windlass wired remote

[stranded]

Daft question gazillion and three…

If I use a continuity tester to test a windlass remote that works on down but not on up, and get a buzz when I connect to down pin and push the down button and to the up pin when I push up, that means the remote is working right? Or is it not as simple as that - is anything, ever?

Yard has over the winter cleaned up and replaced wiring between remote socket and control box (Lofrans Kobra) and declared it fixed. It isn’t.

 

[paulajayne]

Sound like buttons OK - Next check for click at windlass for click of the solenoids on button press.

Paula

 

[stranded]

Sound like buttons OK - Next check for click at windlass for click of the solenoids on button press.

Paula

Thanks Paula - you have reminded me that I should have included the pretty critical information that we also have a cockpit binnacle remote which works fine - presume that goes to same solenoids? Which points to the wiring between the handheld remote and the solenoid? Or maybe an intermittent fault with the remote?

 

[Graham376]

Thanks Paula - you have reminded me that I should have included the pretty critical information that we also have a cockpit binnacle remote which works fine - presume that goes to same solenoids? Which points to the wiring between the handheld remote and the solenoid? Or maybe an intermittent fault with the remote?

Why pay yard for expensive repairs when you can replace with a cheap wireless remote such as this? Boat Anchor Remote Windlass Wireless Switch Remote Control 120MM Kit Fit 12V | eBay

 

[paulajayne]

Wired remote sounds like a fault then - high resistance fault.
Either in the cable or the remote itself.

Cable is normally 3 wires one live and the other two are to up and down solenoid.

Bridge across the live to up and then down and see if that works - if it does remote at fault - if not then cable fault.

 

[Stemar]

Sound like buttons OK - Next check for click at windlass for click of the solenoids on button press.

Paula

Also check if you get volts at the windlass when the relay clicks.

 

[Graham376]

Also check if you get volts at the windlass when the relay clicks.

#3 says it works OK from binnacle so not a windlass or controller problem.

 

[stranded]

Why pay yard for expensive repairs when you can replace with a cheap wireless remote such as this? Boat Anchor Remote Windlass Wireless Switch Remote Control 120MM Kit Fit 12V | eBay

You’re right - but we pay the yard because we don’t know how to do stuff and it seems if you read the threads here and elsewhere that every single job has so many different considerations, options and potential for calamity that it scares me off. Fine with house etc. but I can ‘get off’ them if I screw up.

Anyway, I am getting better, but I’ll be dead before I know enough?

 

[Supertramp]

I had the same symptoms with a Lofrans remote. No binnacle control, solenoids operating correctly, swapping solenoids made no difference. All connections were checked, cleaned and remade. An electrical friend examined it and diagnosed the remote controller. On stripping the unit he filed and resanded the contacts (which I had already cleaned, lightly sanded and checked with a multimeter). The unit performed faultlessly after his cleaning.

Conclusion- I didn't clean and file the remote switch contact surfaces thoroughly enough.

As #5, use a multimeter to check polarity and bridge the cables to check it is the remote, then strip and examine the switch contacts very carefully for arcing marks and pitting.