Windlass Wiring help

[TRH]

Hi I wonder if anyone can help me please I am at a total loss. I have inherited this kit with no paperwork. An Albright SW 80 Contactor Solenoid with two large terminals on top, and four 6mm spade terminals on the front, A two wire Anchor Windlass with reversible motor make unknown,and a three wire UP & Down Switch,can anyone tell me which terminals I should connect the wires on. Many thanks

 

[hightech]

Try this, you probably only need the bit down to the dotted line.

http://www.wbryant.com/StellaBoat/Projects/gtackle/winwire/winwire.gif

 

[halcyon]

. An Albright SW 80 Contactor Solenoid with two large terminals on top, and four 6mm spade terminals on the front,

The SW80 is only a single pole make contactor, the four spades are two pair, two are common, so the coil is the top two and bottom two,

The reversing contactor version of a SW80 is the DC88.

Brian

 

[TRH]

Hi Many thanks for taking the time out to give me some advice. Bear with me as I am a little thick with electric's. ? As I understand although the motor is reversible I need a Contactor also reversible to make things work.Many Thanks Trevor

 

[DaveS]

The magnetic field in the motor in your windlass is produced in one of two ways: permanent magnets or electromagnets connected in series with the rotor. The first type of motor can be reversed by swapping the polarity of the DC electricity supply. This doesn't work for a wound motor, so to make it reversible a second electromagnet, wound the opposite way, is also included. This gives a three wire connection. One common, to which one (either) pole of the supply is connected, the other pole being connected to one of the other connections. The direction of rotation depends on which is chosen. This is the basis of Hightech's sketch.

The fact that your motor has only two wires makes it likely that it is a permanent magnet type but, given the unknown history of the kit, it would be worth making a quick check to eliminate the possibility that it is actually a wound motor wired to only run one way. (This is a possibility: some people only want their windlass to lift, not lower.)

Hold the windlass in a vice or some other secure way. Use a DMM on its lowest resistance range and measure across the wires. You are looking for a low value, less than 1 ohm, but decidedly more than what you see shorting the meter leads. Success with this indicates that there is neither an open nor short circuit in the motor connections. Now touch the wire ends on to the terminals of a 12V battery. Hopefully the windlass will rotate. Note it's direction, and reverse the battery connections. If it now runs the opposite way you have a permanent magnet machine. If not, and you want it to reverse, you'll have to get into the motor terminals (not at all straightforward with some makes) and add a third wire to the unused terminal which you'll hopefully discover. Proceed then as outlined by Hightech.

If it is a permanent magnet machine and you want it to reverse then you need to acquire a device which can apply power to it with either "normal" or "reversed" polarity. From halcyon's post, you don't currently have one. They are available commercially, but I can't give recommendations - I made my own out of a collection of automotive relays, but I wouldn't recommend that unless you know what you're doing. Your "3 wire up and down switch" is probably a single pole, centre off, double throw switch: a check with the DMM on ohms or continuity will confirm how it works and which wire is which: it will probably work with most commercial polarity reversing relays.

Should have said: DMM = digital multi meter. If you don't have one, buy one (or more). A cheap one is fine for most jobs, and every boat (and car, and house...) should have at least one.

 

[TRH]

Hi DaveS Thank you for taking the time and replying with such an easy to understand summary.I did as you said and my motor is a Permanent Magnet type.I have since found out why it has an Albright SW 80 single pole Contactor, it was only ever used to raise the anchor not lower it. As to the three pin switch as you thought it a single pole centre off. All I need to do now is to find a supplier for a reversing contactor. So I thank you and all others for you help.HAPPY CHRISTMAS Trevor