in cab winch control

upnover

Grumpy, decrepit Old Man
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Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Morganton NC
A friend of mine is putting his rig together. As of now he don't have a winch, but he knows he wants a hard mounted in cab winch control. I have one, would be easy to build I think. One on off type switch, indicator light(not needed but cool, and a ( I think) double pole, double throw, spring loaded switch.
Anyone know who sells the set up or where the best place to get one. Better yet, anyone have one.
I got mine from Andy a couple years ago.
 
http://www.12voltguy.com/

If you don't mind spending a little, his prices are very fair for what you get. If you want to make it, you need a length of trailer wire, a toggle switch, and two pushbuttons. Switch enables, sending 12v to one side of each button. One button in, one out. I'd use the emergency disarm style like he uses. They're easy to find at the parts store. The double-throw on-off-on momentary style toggle you're talking about is a lot harder to find. I'm going to have to dig through some electronics distributor catalogs to find the one I want.
 
Another option might be to do like the ATVs are starting to do with the piggy-back wireless remotes. A buddy of mine used the relays in the ATV controller to switch the solenoids on his truck's winch. Pretty cool idea and I think it was only $40 or something cheap like that.
 
instead of using the push buttons, ya might think about a spring loaded 3 way toggle switch (returns to center once released). For me, I would think those would be much easier to operate instead of having to keep the damn button pushed in...

Either way, check out 12voltguy first and adapt/modify to your liking
 
instead of using the push buttons, ya might think about a spring loaded 3 way toggle switch (returns to center once released). For me, I would think those would be much easier to operate instead of having to keep the damn button pushed in...
Either way, check out 12voltguy first and adapt/modify to your liking

That's called an "on-off-on momentary" switch. As I stated, they're kinda hard to find. None of the parts stores or my local Radio Snatch had them. I'm afraid I'm going to have to go to an electronics distributor like Digi-Key or Newark to find one, and not have to pay $10 for it.
 
That's called an "on-off-on momentary" switch. As I stated, they're kinda hard to find. None of the parts stores or my local Radio Snatch had them. I'm afraid I'm going to have to go to an electronics distributor like Digi-Key or Newark to find one, and not have to pay $10 for it.

as said, those would be optimal, but hard to find... i remember searching for month trying to find these things for a robot controller i built...

although if you could get the harness with in and figure out how its wired, it might be possibly to use a window switch to power in and out... possibly like one for a rear window on k5/waggy/bronco
 
Lowes hw has the on-off-on momentary i have one in my dash just not wired in (yet). Will also run it through an on/off switch to enable/kill it..

switch was ~$5 in the electrical section..
 
Do a search for cordora rocker switches. I remember getting my from a company that does switch panels and stuff for race cars light 12volt guy. The cordora rockers have a huge amount of options so I picked up a not lit momentary on-off-momentary on switch for operation and a lit on-off switch to turn the power off to the operational switch. Worked out great and it'll go in the buggy now.
 
Go to the local junk yard and find a conversion van. They have TONS of switches and if it has a fold down bed in the back it will have at least one momentary on-off-on. I probably have over 200 switches in a box in my shop and most of them are in panels and are lit with inline fuses. All came from conversion vans and I think I probably only spent around $10 on everything.
 
i had the roadless gear one for awhile it was pos & broke twice ,sometimes would work. i replaced it w/ one from 12volt guy its better quality & always works
 
In a friends buggy we cut apart the factory warn winch controler and mounted the switch in the dash.
 
power window switch out of any vehicle can work. volvos have big bulky ones that are easy to push and they have plugs on the back of them so you can unplug them and pull your panel out if you have to
 
Go to the local junk yard and find a conversion van. They have TONS of switches and if it has a fold down bed in the back it will have at least one momentary on-off-on. I probably have over 200 switches in a box in my shop and most of them are in panels and are lit with inline fuses. All came from conversion vans and I think I probably only spent around $10 on everything.

x10

the switches you can usually just throw in ur toolbox/pocket....most of the junkyards dont care about the switches anyways
 
x10
the switches you can usually just throw in ur toolbox/pocket....most of the junkyards dont care about the switches anyways

And this is exactly one of the reasons so many yards are no longer self-service. Don't do this shit. Pay the two bucks they want for the damn switch. If they don't care about the switch, let the guy at the counter tell you that.
 
And this is exactly one of the reasons so many yards are no longer self-service. Don't do this shit. Pay the two bucks they want for the damn switch. If they don't care about the switch, let the guy at the counter tell you that.

Thanks for saying that! My Brother in law has been in the business over 30 years, and I have heard him complaine about that sooo many times. Anyway you look at it, if they don't tel you that you can have it, it's stealing
 
I built mine about 3 years ago using the exact setup you described Chip. I got my switches from 4x4mods and use an on/off switch to arm the winch and then a momentary on-off-on switch to spool in and out. It has worked great for me.
 
I built mine about 3 years ago using the exact setup you described Chip. I got my switches from 4x4mods and use an on/off switch to arm the winch and then a momentary on-off-on switch to spool in and out. It has worked great for me.

I'm sorry, I 'm not seeing advantage of the two-switch solution. Why do you need a 2nd switch to "arm" it? Why not just have a single momentary non/off/on switch like CatFish is talking about?
To me, fewer switches to worry about and less holes drilledi n the dash is better.
I'm looking to do this myself now as well.
 
I have the two switches and like it. It kills power to the winch switch so it can't accidentally be hit and run cable in or out causing problems
 
This is mine.

ai118.photobucket.com_albums_o101_getstucksome_leesaxleteardow41f225c41a12040f9ec0ac75c3548860.jpg


Its a spring loaded switch (right-in, left-out, springs back to center when you let go), wired also through a power switch on the panel thats on the other side of the steering wheel.

Everything came from Mcmaster-Carr.
 
I'm sorry, I 'm not seeing advantage of the two-switch solution. Why do you need a 2nd switch to "arm" it? Why not just have a single momentary non/off/on switch like CatFish is talking about?
To me, fewer switches to worry about and less holes drilledi n the dash is better.
I'm looking to do this myself now as well.

Because I didn't want me or anyone else bumping/touching the switch and getting hurt by accident.
 
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