Sail Winch Woes

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

I have a Graupner Regatta II sail winch installed in my IOM. It has been on the shelf for a couple of years while I did a bit of a refit on the boat and rig.

Before installing it I put it on a servo tester and all fine.

When in the boat I put it back on the tester to get the sheeting set up and found that the servo movement lagged behind the tester input. I thought maybe that was just due to the tester so I rigged up the receiver and transmitter to get the end points of travel set up and the same thing. The winch movement lagged behind the stick movement.

It then went a bit twitchy, moved a few minutes after the last stick input, twitched again and is now totally dead. I have checked it on two receivers, two batteries, and on the servo tester. Nothing at all while the rudder servo continues to operate fine.

These servos are expensive so I don't want to give up on it too easily.

Any suggestions welcomed.

Thanks

Tim R

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

It seems my Graupner Regatta II has failed

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Tim

I know the square root of naff-all about winches but it rather sounds like an accumulation of gunge in the gearbox and/or a mucky feedback pot. If you're not happy about investigating it yourself then I'd suggest approachng Mike at this location Model Radio Workshop

I've used his services myself and can recommend him. It's a better bet than replacing it at £86 a pop!

Dave M

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Hi Dave

Thank you for the quick response and for the link. I suspect it could be the feedback pot. I just checked all the batteries and they are fully charged. I did that yesterday. The boat uses 6v NiMH buggy batteries and to give it another go I tried re-connecting to the servo tester. Nothing. I then tried the battery I normally use on the tester which is 4.8v and fully charged a fraction over 5v. The winch servo moved a bit and when I put it into cycle mode it oscillated at full travel for about a minute and then gradually slowed to a stop. I double checked the battery and it was still 100% fine.

I would like to save it if I can but it is beyond my own capability.

Tim R

[Malcolm FraryParticipant @malcolmfrary95515]

It is likely to have started with either muck in the pot upsetting its snse of where it is, or gunge in the gear train, or both. No experience with this particular winch, but a stalled one can easily take out the output transistors, which usually live inside a chip. OTOH the slowing down bit suggests that the motor might have got tired.

A lot of patient stripping of the parts for cleaning and checking is likely needed (except the pot – sealed for life). Or call for assistance from someone who knows as suggested.

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Hello Malcolm

Thanks for this. It reminds me that the last time out the mainsheet caught on a deck patch. Fortunately the deck patch won or the boat would have sunk. The winch did stall so it could well be the transistor as you say. The motor has done very little work as the winch is quite new.

Mike at Model Radio Workshop didn't hold out much hope for a repair so I am going to buy a new replacement. It is in my IOM which I race competitively so I have to trust it 100%. If it ever did get repaired it would go in something less critical.

Tim R

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