It's electric...

knox · Kickflip Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 4693 City: Gainesville

So who has read the most recent wakeboarding mag? In an interview with Pat Panakos(sp), he states that the syestic 2.0 guys have already built an electric winch!

Anybody with more info?

stOAKed · Backside 180 Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 1946

Wow! sounds interesting? Those guys are really taking the sport to new heights Smash

lumpy pants · Posted: Apr 07, 2009 10:10 pm Post subject:

what page is this on?

ollieshuvitz · Posted: Apr 07, 2009 10:31 pm Post subject:

thats rad, i might need one in 2012...

kyle41 · Posted: Apr 08, 2009 12:13 am Post subject:

boogywoogywoogy

triggamike · Backside 180 Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Posts: 1392 City: 225

all my magazines come in like 2 months later than everyone else so i canceled my scripts, it was pissing me off

GnarShredd · Backside 180 Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Posts: 1529 City: Seattle

I wish i had more motivation/ingenuity/money in high school. My buddy's dad owned an electric motor shop and I always wanted to build an electric winch. I figured you'd need a crap ton of batteries though...

SwissArmyKnife · Pop Shuvit Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 152 City: PawPaw

probably build with an electric golf cart motor. you would only need 3-4 12v batteries (depending on if the motor is 36v or 48v)

i know some guys who were experimenting with such an idea. they said with 48volts the handle was getting ripped out of thier hands on the start up. i hear that electric motors have torqe right off the bat rather than 6.5 hp at 3000 rpm like a gas engine.

SleuCrew · Posted: Apr 08, 2009 5:36 pm Post subject:

SwissArmyKnife, You are correct on the torque. Kent, aka Pirate Winch first built an electric winch that was totally functional from what I remember many years ago. I'm pretty sure he built that before he ever built a gas powered winch.

From what I remember him saying it worked like a charm but there were power issues, consumption I believe and the cost of the build.

Electric motors are extremely quiet so it could also open the possibilities of a ton of new spots that were never accessible because of the noise a winch makes.

It's been done, now it just needs to be refined.

Grasso · Posted: Apr 08, 2009 7:01 pm Post subject:

The Kid, the S2 us an electric winch =)

tjmac · Backside 180 Joined: 08 Nov 2007 Posts: 780 City: valley

that would be a really good idea as long as you kept it away from really close to the water. if that got wet that would be bad

fastgreens · Kickflip Joined: 29 Dec 2007 Posts: 3563 City: baytown

tjmac, not the case... you'd be suprised how much weathering an electric motor can take as long as there is not direct contact. golf cart motors will take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.

the only problem is that the battries are heavy as hell. most golf cart motors run off of 6, 6 volt battries......

(i know that battery is misspelled.... battry sounds cooler)

JeffKnox · Posted: Apr 09, 2009 12:06 pm Post subject:

electric winches were never a really good idea IMO... the only real advantage is less noise... its more expensive, heavier, bulkier with batteries, and more dangerous if you dont keep up with it... we all know how much a winch line throws water around not to mention you are soaking wet after just getting your turn and now you have to drive your friend... but sounds like a fantastic idea to grab a couple of 12 v car batteries lol

and imo sound is not that big of a deal... hell once you walk the rope out you are so far away you cant even hear the damn thing running... and if anyone does hear it, they usually are not alarmed... it sounds just like a lawn mower, or pressure washer, or anything else of the sort...

just seems like people could be taking their time to improve other aspects of winching.... like cruise control lol... right now the biggest advance in winching imo is the releasing spool...