My new sport winch

[V1VrV2]

I'm new to this forum but I see ALOT of great info here so I thought I'd share a thread on another page you can link to if you would like to see my new winch built from scratch. Please visit here:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Sneak_Peek_at_my_new_F3B_Winch/m_2765140/tm.htm

I am adding a buzzer to the solenoid monitoring system as well.

Pictures allowed here seem to be small in size...

Hope I can share some more of my projects soon.

Thermals,

Tony

[dhauch]

thanks for sharing, great job!
you have a great thread going over there.

dave hauch

[histarter]

I use the BB one way bearings with my sheet feeders (for printing applications). I am curious how well they will be holding up in your rather extreme application of anti backlash.

[V1VrV2]

I use the BB one way bearings with my sheet feeders (for printing applications). I am curious how well they will be holding up in your rather extreme application of anti backlash.


When I first started the thread, it was a sort of "see if I could do it" kinda thing. I was used to using the SVSS (Sacramento, CA) winches made by the popular and legendary Mr. Rham. He was a true pioneer in the field of winches and retreivers back in the late 80's and early 1990's. His illness forced him to cut back production as a result and he will be missed by all of us who have used his equipment which was no less than first rate.

Today, we truely live in a "Global" economy and I have obtained a number of the pieces to assemble the "Discus" winch from abroad. This would never have been possible a decade earlier. Thank you almighty internet.

The bearings used are dual ball bearing/roller bearings built for one way application. They are made abroad and the way I understand it is that the Chinese purchased the machinery from Germany to make the bearings (as it was outdated technology) and are producing these bearings en-mass at qualities to rival that of the original pieces. They have also purchased much of Japan's technology for manufacturing as well.

I have had absolutely no issues with these bearings and they work FLAWLESSLY.

The Ford winch motors are now being produced in India as new starter motors and are currently available as well. They are about 1/3 the price as any Bosch motor and are more powerful. The Bosch "permenent magnet" motors are smaller and lighter but require torque gearing to start big motors on today's vehicles. They convert speed into torque and at the same time shave off ALOT of weight in the process. F3B winches in Europe and elsewhere use Bosch 1.1 Kw or less motors as this gets them closer to rule certification than the USA Ford 3110 motor. Resistor arrays are in use on those winches under the required resistance to comply with contest regs for F3B. (see the thread mentioned earlier in this thread for a link to the rules)

The idea is to "stall" the motor on launch as much as possible as any extra speed on the drum just drags the plane down further hence the use of different sized "clamshells" to adjust the diameter of the drum to match the torque to the plane being flown as well as the wind conditions. This is why many "old timers" will tell you that a backlash brake is not required on a winch. If you fly the plane up the line and stall the winch, you are getting an optimal power to plane ratio and the only reason a one way bearing is installed is to keep the pilot from spooling line back out and "kiting" the sailplane up higher. Very possible with a good wind blowing.

Then again, for those of us who are a bit rusty, the one way bearing or "backlash" brake will keep us from hosting a world class bird nest as the line tension would spool out!


:rolleyes: Turbulence and Barfbags!

Tony

[Jim Frahm]

Tony,

Nice work. How far are you from Tacoma? I'm looking for a good place to fly thermal.

Thanks,
Jim

[V1VrV2]

Jim,

I am up in Skagit County, more specifically, Mount Vernon. I'm not sure where to find a good thermal field down there in Tacoma but you might try The Seattle Area Soaring Society and their webpage. They have links to several flying sites there. Hope that helps.

Tony