[Jerry Bransford]

I just got an email from Roadless Gear with an intro $39.95 price for a wireless winch controller. I ordered one a minute later since the others are well over $100. I'm probably their first order.

Here's the link, what do you guys think... http://www.roadlessgear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?&store_code=RGJ&screen=PROD&product_co de=RG630



I have their dash mounted remote winch control and like it, this looks like a nice add-on.

[RikRotorhead]

Thanks Jerry. Just ordered one for myself. Pretty cool.

[or8008]

reminds me of this...http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f27/bulldog-wireless-winch-controller-670022/

[karlo]

Wow that's pretty cool stuff! I will definitely get one.

[AlterEgo]

Maybe because I've been troubleshooting electrical and electronics circuits for 40 years or maybe I'm just old, but this one scares me. I tend to evaluate new products by thinking "How can they fail?" The most obvious failure modes I see here are inadvertant activation and failure to release.

People always put their hands in harms way some time during the winching setup, recovery, and respooling phases. I can't afford to have a cheap controller turn on when it's not supposed to or fail to stop the winch when I need it to stop. You just can't build in the quality, redundancy, and safety necessary at this price point.

If I have a remote start or a remote control light failure, I may damage equipment and spend some money to fix it. If a winch control fails, someone could lose body parts or even their life.

Never having seen this product in person, I can't say for certain how well it's made. It probably works like they advertise it to do. But, I'm not willing to bet my life on it. No thanks. For this operation, I like wires.

[IGotADisneyJeep]

This product has been out for awhile in China, USA & the UK. I don't know the true maker of this product but it's being sold with a few of those unknown named winches in other countries. If you do some research "Bull Dog" is the top brand name for this controller and being sold though out the internet by companies/stores that sell winches. It's a cool idea but I would not truely rely on something like this esp. adding it to your existing solenoid that can fail "as is" without adding that extra wireless system on there. In my opinion this can, may or will add confusion to your existing winch and solenoid on how they work and can, may or will fail when using your winch in a crucial moment. The extra box with electrical components can, may or will short circuit if water and other grime gets inside the box leading to complete failure. The controller uses an on/off on the side and can get stuck and jammed when moving it to the on/off position with some water, grime or being bumped on accident. The controller also uses batteries and everyone knows batteries need replacement. If your batteries die and you are relying on your winch and your remote controller to work, you maybe out of luck if you don't carry a back up battery. These are just some things to really think about if you are planning on purchasing something like this for an addition gadget to make your winching easier to use and hopefully for safety reasons. But, the things that I have mentioned make you think other wise for "True Safety" esp if this Fails and you are depending on doing a crucial recovery or an extraction. I really think this is cool but sometimes some things are ment to be used on how the original way it was designed to be used without adding extra components to it. I'll stick with the way my winch, solenoid and wire works and I feel safe on how it works and how I use it when needed. It's not worth it to deal with the things I have mentioned above.

Good Luck in your decision

[Jerry Bransford]

As an "electronics guy" myself, I'm not worried about its failure mode during its very ocassional use nearly as much as a few of you are.

The reason I ordered one, even though I will still mostly use my dash mounted winch control, is because of how I was winching a vehicle up a hill on a previous run. It would have been a lot better and safer to have had my winch be controllable at the vehicle I was winching up that hill. Hand signals between myself running my winch from my Jeep and a guy at the other vehicle were causing problems which was not a good situation, safety-wise. If I could have used a wireless controller and been at the vehicle I was winching, it would have been a much safer recovery.

[IGotADisneyJeep]

I am sure this controller works awesome for many applications and people get them for safety reasons.

I still want one because, I like the convenience and I almost got one before
but, I thought other wise.

[lupinsea]

I'd be interested in your review of this once you get it installed, Jerry.

Last I talked to Warn a couple years ago there was a concern with the wireless controllers that were starting to hit the market. Namely there was a 1-2 second delay between when you hit a button on the controller and when the winch responded (either start or stopped winching). I don't know how big of a deal it is but I can see where I'd want to stop a winch NOW! and not have a delay.

The in-cab winch control by the same company looks interesting, too. But if this wireless unit responds quickly I might just go that route. It would also help with re-spooling the winch after use and not being limited to a 12 foot long tether (the wired controller). And I could also be used inside the Jeep, too.

[Jerry Bransford]

If I find that there's any operational delay on this new wireless controller I ordered which would make it unsafe to use at times, it's going back for a refund.

[IslandTJ]

Originally Posted by lupinsea

...It would also help with re-spooling the winch after use and not being limited to a 12 foot long tether (the wired controller)

This was the 1st thing that popped in my mind, I do admit, I like the 80' range capability.

[commodog]

I have the in-cab controls from roadless gear and they work great. I also ordered a wireless one when i got the email.
My only concern is the type of wireless used and the frequency/channel its on and the "safety" controls built in.
What I mean is even though the ignition must be on for the winch to operate, i would hate to drive by somewhere or be sitting at a light and have my winch start to unspool or tighten up.

Hopefully its a specific freq/channel to arm the winch and a drastically different one to engage it.
I imagine a little reverse engineering, opening up of of the controls will have a FCC freq ID on it somewhere.
As igotadisneyjeep said above, they appear to be same as bulldog brand. Here is a blown up pic:

[commodog]

got my controller today, anyone else get theirs and hook it up?

gonna go hook it up right now

[Jerry Bransford]

Originally Posted by commodog

I have the in-cab controls from roadless gear and they work great. I also ordered a wireless one when i got the email.
My only concern is the type of wireless used and the frequency/channel its on and the "safety" controls built in.
What I mean is even though the ignition must be on for the winch to operate, i would hate to drive by somewhere or be sitting at a light and have my winch start to unspool or tighten up.]

Each of the wireless winch controllers they ship have a unique digital code built into them which is sent and verified several times before it will engage the winch. Think of it as a security type remote garage door opener. According to Roadless Gear, each controller they send out has its own unique security code.

In other words, no worries on the winch actuating on its own from stray radio signals.

[mrsig]

I like the way this unit sounds is it very hard to install?