Gregg Ludwig <<GreggLudwig>>
writes:

2011 Winch Controller

It is hard to beat aerotowing but in our area there is still quite a lot of
payout winch towing going on. A good winch requires a good controller to
maintain desired line tension. Pictured is a controller used for disk brake
equipped winches. I have been using a similar one for several years and have had
requests to make these for winch operators that want to upgrade from old style
automotive type controllers that always seem to leak or present other problems
with control.

Many of the old winches I have seen would use hydraulic hose that is too large
for the job. I use brake hose rated at 3000psi but the biggest difference with
brake hose over hydraulic hose is the very small inside diameter of the hose
that provides much better control of the pressure to the system. The master
cylinder is from a motorcycle application and uses a sealed reservoir. The
pressure gage screws into what would normally be the motorcycle stop light
switch port.

The controller should be fix mounted for easy one hand operation. This
controller is going onto an old ATOL winch that is being brought back to life.