ticki2 wrote:
Jfet wrote:
They are wired in series and run on a 12V battery (so technically each winch gets about 6V and runs slower, which it does).
Could you explain this to a dummy . I always thought running a motor at low volts was not good for the motor .
For a DC permanent magnet motor, running at lower voltage just means the motor goes slower and draws fewer amps. Obviously it has lower power too (1/4 the power since power is voltage squared divided by resistance, which doesn't change). Since one 2500 pound winch was more than enough to raise a 300 pound door, two 3500 pound winches at 1/4 power each are also enough to raise the door. They actually barely change noise when they come under the load of the door. I think they could lift a 1500 pound door.
I did measure the current draw and it was 25 amps from the 12V battery to the two series motors. The winch manual says a 500 pound load would draw about 46 amps at 12V for a single winch (but unsure what layer of spool they refer since the winch has less pull on the outer winding layers where I am running it).
After playing a bit more with lowering the door under winch outfeed tonight I do not think it will really be an issue. Even with no load the winches seem to keep enough in sync that the door lowers smoothly with little flexing.
