24v/12v Converter for Windlass

These come in 12 and 24 volt

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Anch...oatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear#ht_885wt_935

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Anch...68932711QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW#ht_1181wt_935

 

Also see

http://www.ariel-cd36.org/fuelschematic.htm

http://www.wbryant.com/StellaBoat/Projects/fuel/panel/index.htm

http://www.sentoa.org/maintenance_tips/fuel_polishing.html

 

Sabahcat - those are some pretty good prices for the Anchorlift winches. A quick bit of research seems to indicicate they are "real" products. I wasn't aware of them. I'll have to look into this.

Regards,

SeaJay

 

Why not just take the motor to a starter generator rebuild shop and have them converted to 24 V.

 

I priced this recently for 24 to 12
Cost about $300aud

 

I would, just like some folks have said before, have a second 12 Volt on top of your exsisting 12 Volt system. Make sure you keep the earth line the same. You take a different color cable for the 24 Volt. Mount a second cheap car alternator/generator INSULATED with nylon washers and place the minus of this second alternator to the plus of the 12 Volt and the + is then your 24 Volt. Make a big note "Danger 24 Volt , do not short to engine" Problem solved. Inexpensive and as long you use different colour cabling and tagged for 24 Volt, a second alternating is cheap to get hold off. If you do not run the engine, you put a separate 12 Volt battery, charged by this second floating alternator. As long the overall amperage usage is not exeeding the bottom battery specification, you will be fine.
Bert
You have now the advantage , you have 12 and 24 Volt on board.

 

Sea Jay. I would even do it simpler by having only a second 12 Volt battery on top of the exsisting 12 Volt, but does the charging via 2 relays or 4 N Mosfet transistors, i.e. you charge the 2 batteries one after the other one by the exsisting alternator on your diesel, or parallel with some schottkey diodes. The cost in that case is abolute minimum. As long you run a different colour cable to the 24 Volt windlass.
Bert

 

SeaJay, Better late then never. Unfortunately, I am unable, due to some hiccup, to load the picture on a thread. Thus I have placed the circuit diagram on my members board. Click on search, Click on BertKu and go to my photo’s. The title is 12 and 24 Volt on the boat.
I made the circuit diagram for you whereby your generator/alternator charges both 12 Volt batteries via 2 x 9 or 10 parallel connected Schottkey diodes, to avoid losses. Then, I have 4 parallel automotive relays 12 Volt , each 40 or 50 Ampere contacts. Siemens probably have them in your country, but any decent 40 to 50 Amp contact , with 2 contacts switched parallel, will give you ample safety margin. AS LONG YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR WINDLASS RUNNING when switching over to charging, with flipping the switch which pulls the relays in.
Sure, if you find relays with double contact of 40 – 50 Ampere per relay, you only need 2 relays. Also if you find schottkey diodes which has 50 Ampere (expensive) you can do with 2 parallel.
TOTAL COST? apart of the few wires and the second battery, I will pay about 12 USA dollar for everything and you probably US$ 20 + you gasoline to find the components.
My problem is with this forum, everybody is highly educated, and often speak in a language which is way above people who does not have the same terminology and expertise. Often the visitor or members are too afraid to ask questions not to be laughed at.
Please do not hesitate to ask any , even the most simple question you may have. I gladly explain and help you.
Bert

 

Bert -

Thanks for the input. I'll take a look at the drawings and see if I can follow them. I'm not much of an electronics guy so I'm generally willing to pay a little extra to find something "ready-made". Nonetheless, I know this will be of value to the forum. Thanks again.

Best Regards,

SeaJay

 

Here is anothr option that you can use SeaJay. Does as you first thought, run the 24V lines up to the front, sorry bow, connect your small current handling converter, but the big change is between the convertor and the battery, have a isloation relay that is connect in the normal close position (NC of the relay) and is triggered by the winch switch itself.

Im figuring that the winch is controlled by a single poll three position switch. So 12v comes into the swtich, and depending on the switch position diverts the 12v down to either wind in or wind out solinoid of the winch, the switch itself does not carry current itself, just activates the solinoids inside the winch. So what you do is wire the battery isolation relay in series with the winch switch, when its in the middle position no current flows the relay is in normally closed position and allows the convertor to charge the battery, but as soon as you move the winch switch in either direction, there is current flow, activates the isolation relay and breaks the connection between the battery and the convertor. The biggest probelm is getting a relay that does not have too higher of impedance on the solinoid side so it does not restrict too much current flow to the winch solinoids.

 

i have a question on winchs, are they all reversible, i have a capstan but it is operated by a push button like a starter button, can i fit a three way switch so it can go up and down.

 

Hmmmm didn't figure that not all winches may be reversible, never mind though, my option would still work, with the button unpressed, the battery gets charged, push the button down to winch up the anchor and it isolates the battery from the convertor via the relay.

 

@Whitepointer23: I'm not sure about your winch, but if its like a normal run of the mill DC motor, ie. has brushess and permanet magets, reversing the polarity will give you reverse.

 

Some winches are "free fall" Ive converted a few to starter motors and very successfully too.

Trouble with starter motor off a car is the body is ground. If its a steel boat its ok just use the hull as return. Your engines are earthed to the battery neg post anyway.

I dont understand all this switch gear your talking about. If you have 2 batteries you have 12 and 24 volts. your not switching between the 2 but using 2 different voltage circuits,--what the switch for?

You can charge with 12 or 24

 

thanks for the replys frosty & dave, sorry to pinch the thread seajay. mine is a proper anchor winch frosty, how do i convert it to freefall, i would have thought reversing polarity might be fairly easy.