I've been looking for a similiar plug. I would like to find something like the acc plug on thats on the side. flush mounted with a rubber cover over it. I did find a trailer spring flip up plug, four prong. Will keep looking but may resort to that. It fits flush and has the little spring loaded flip up cover. This is what I have found so far:


http://shop.easternmarine.com/index....categoryID=209

 

Again, if your using plugs, make sure that they are rated for the correct number of amps.

Link to the american wire guage

By this chart it shows that a 10 awg wire is rated for 30 amps and 6awg for 80amps, so your plug needs to be rated for the same or better.

Again I'll use warn for a reference because I'm familiar with their products, but they make and sell connectors for winch power wires that will work well with any winch, they are nice and heavy duty.

 

Sorry, just checking back in today. Action450s covered just about all of it. As he states and I indicated on my web site the contactor is the key to a nice remote. It reverses the poles for in and out and takes all the load. The remote is a nice and small 14-16 gauge wire. With a contactor installed you can even set up a wireless later if you want. I did not like the short bulky wires that came with the HF winch and hand controller. The contactor is about $65, the Ramsey kit is $90. It has more gooddies but the cheesey handlebar rocker is useless.

I have changed out the hand remote wire since I took the picture for the web site. I now use a 4-wire sheilded wire rated for outside use. And it's black to boot. Still these wire are only handleing the light load from the silonoids...NOT the full amperage of the winch.

Rob

 

I have been trying for two days to get on ramsey's web site to look at the contactor and it won't load the pages. Is the site down? I have no issues with any other site.

 

JFI, it's on sale right now for $49.99[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Ramsey site is ok although it is a bit quirky to navigate.

Try these.... http://www.ramsey.com/atv/contactor.html

Or the other kit...with the rocker and plenty of cable/

http://www.ramsey.com/atv/handlebarrockerswitch.html

Rob

 

Here's the complete kit: solenoid, handlebar mounted rocker switch, and heavy-duty 10AWG power cables, from RockyMountain ATV It's cheaper then buying them separate from Ramsey. rocker switch assembly

 

Thanks. Last night I rechecked the wire and it is 8 guage not 10 guage. Picked up a round 4 wire plug trailer connector and wired the handheld control that came with the Chicago Electric winch from HF. I checked with Chicago Electric and the handheld control with two buttons is rated for the 150 amps that the winch draws at full load. I do not see any reason to buy a solenoid or contactor if I plan on running an 80 amp fuse from the battery (along with a negative lead - wire will be 8 guage) to the male 4 prong connector. I will also be running two 8 guage wires to the 4 prong male connector as well. The hand held control (four wires) will go to the female side of the trailer plug.



If you go to MyGallery you will see a schematic of what I plan on doing for the winch. I do not see how a solenoid will make any difference considering that the handheld control is rated to handle the load (it basically is a two way contactor).


Winch Schematic

 

The solenold allows you to use low amp (14ga) wiring to the handheld. In my case I have about 18' of wire between my 4-wheeler and me holding the controller. So that means I can be near the water attaching my boat while winching it on the trailer. Or at the top of a hill or well out of a bog while I winch my 4-wheeler. I doubt if you're going to run 16' of 8ga wire to do this. Plus resistance increases with distance (and temp).

So if you don't mine sitting on your 4-wheeler while you winch thin all this is moot. If you want to disconnect your hand controler while not is use then a 4 prong trailer plug is to small(IMO). It'll work but heat up and you'll lose power if your in a serious recovery. You should at least use some high amp connectors like I used to connect the winch to the contactor. Grainger has them. At least look for some type of 4 prong 110 or 220 plug.

Grainger connector
Page link

Or the big ones I use on my truck winch...I can also move it from front to rear.

The 175 amps.

 

Exactly, if you have to run 8awg wire to the swtich, you cant use a trailer connector, its only 16 or 14 awg at best, in a hard pull (like most times when your really stuck!) that connector will heat up and do 2 things:

1. Limit the power to the winch by limiting the current in the circuit

2. Heat up very hot and possibly catch fire during extended hard winching.


Solution, if you dont want to use a solenoid, by a connector that is rated for 8awg wiring, they are available, but they are not trailer connectors.