GLX

Hi, I'm looking for a smaller dumwhell for the Hitec HS-785HB the standard wheel is too big, I'm looking to pull half the distance - it's for a seawind.

Can't find anywhere a smaller wheel that would fit this winch - it seems there is only one size and there is no throw adjustment to adjust the no of turns.

anyone ?

mfr02

I was looking for one as well, but never found one.  A previously good mate said "I just turned one up out of wood on the lathe".  Grrr...Basically, it was a wooden pulley bolted to the original Hitec drum.  There might be something in the LHS that could be used like that.

GLX

Thanks for your response - I'm not sure about the space available inside as I don't have the boat - it's for my brother who bought a Seawind. I think it is supposed to have a standard size servo with a arm to control the sails. It's a pity Hitec don't offer different size drums cos it wouldn't cost that much extra to offer few sizes - I reckon 3 drum size should cover most applications - and it would make that sailwinch more userfriendly and probably used by more people size it's not possible to adjust the throw electronically varying winch size would be the cheap alternative.

I know howes but I wanted to avoid buying another one.

mfr02

I got one of their high torque servos for my Victoria,  it probably cost not much more than a winch drum, and if the boat was designed for a servo, fitting it will be by far the easiest option.

stevezero

My Feedback: (11)

The seawind is designed for an arm servo, specifically the futaba 3801. It is just slightly larger than a standard sized case. A hitec 765 is a direct bolt in instead of the 3801, and has 140 degrees of travel.

GLX

sorry if it is a stupid question but I've never used armwinch - can you adjust the throw ? is it through the trim tab beside the stick on the transmitteur ?

mfr02

With an arm, you normally get the movement that it came with.  You adjust the throw by deciding where the hole for the bit of string goes - the further out, the greater the throw but the less the torque, the further in, the less the throw, but torque increases.  And, you can double the line back to a fixed point to double the throw, same rules for torque.

larrykin

Hi all

I have one of these Hitec winches in an IOM. It does have too much travel but I don't find it a big deal. Sails pulled in tight is OK. And when I release the sails to be 90 degrees out from the boat I just remember to only lift the toggle on the radio to 3/4 of the way up. Any more the jib goes way too far out. The main stops when it hits the shrouds. I've read elsewhere that some people just put some tape across the toggle to physically stop it from moving further.

With a drum winch I find the most important thing is to have a length of elastic in the line. This keeps the line tensioned and prevents "despooling".

Larry L.

s vernon

Perhaps you could bolt a sliding screen door wheel to the large drum. You can get them in a package at a store like Home Depot or maybe a hardware store. It is about 3/4 inch diameter I believe.

http://www.theamya.org/boats/us1m/pdf/us1mconst.pdf

Page 53 of that guide shows using that roller on a homemade winch.

Scott

cbinfl

If you really have twice the amount of travel ( line pulled in ) that you need, why not attach the bitter end of the line to the deck and run the line up to a block on the boom and the to the normal route to the winch?   Twice the line and pull strength for the travel you need.

GLX

I think the option of limiting the stick is what he went for at the end cos I got him the Hitec 785 which is a drum wheel system. Pity Hitec don't provide other size drums cos that would allow for different throw !!!

I'm gona get him the HItec 765 to try out then cos they're quite cheap...

Thanks for your response.

for my IOM and other bigger RC boats I only use RMG winch which are simply the best but way too big for the seawind...

Cheers fellow sailors