Winch X 2 = JimmyRigged 2.0 ??

Had an idea jump in my head while at work earlier today.

Could a BI-directional winch ride be made with 2 winches hooked together?




The lines could be hooked together end to end to a ring. another rope (10 ft maybe) with a handle connected at mid way.

three people minimum of course would be needed to ride:
2 for running the winches
1 rider

the spool on the winches would have to be releasable i imagine and the one not pulling would have to be released. so the ride would not be continuous.
1000 ft line would be a good length, since only half could be used at a time (- a couple ft.) giving about 500 ft riding distance.

a ride would be limited to ride on toeside or heelside only unless the rider jumps over the winch rope(s) or if the winches are on a hill up high ;)
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or am i just crazy with cold weather?

it could work but your going to have problems with the ropes spooling unspooling.

i feel like you couldn get the rope tight enough even at speed to stop the slack from going under the water in the middle of a 1,000 feet causing problems.

I dont know might work. I would jimmy rig something closer to the system 2.0 first

you would need two people then to run the winches in sync, and gas for them.... more work/ppl than a jetski would use

I'm not an expert on mechanics, winches or cables... but couldn't you jimmyrig one winch and have it loop around at both ends? That would be just like a 2.0, you would have 2 instead of 3 people needed, and possibly more cost efficient. I don't know maybe thats crazy talk.

Has Anyone tried to fabricate a System 2.0?

Winch with the line running around a pulley at the opposite end? Get a reversible transmission on the Winch, and I think you'd be good to go right?

Jim,

That was my thoughts exactly when I saw this, why not just try to make a 2.0?

my guess is the most expensive part of the motor and I bet a 5hp motor would cut it... and a 5 hp reversible electric motor is ~$900

two support poles ~$100 scrap yard
cable/pulleys - $150
control unit (don't know how much that would be)


I bet you could do the whole thing fairly well for ~2k

Does anyone have links to this 3 phase power (transformer??) and motor used in the system 2.0.

I heard that the 3 phase power was the most expensive part in the 2.0. I heard about 3000 $.

I would be willing to bet you could run a motor that small off of 220v but it would be just be a little less reliable.

ebay has 3 phase 7.5 hp motors for around $300.

Im not sure about the speed controlling aspect but it seems simple enough.

system 2's controls are basically a dial to adjust speed.... and a little lever that dictates direction (from what I remember)

Making a control box for that would be simple, and could be done pretty cheap. A way to control voltage for speed and a way to swap one of the three phases (quickly like with a lever said above) to change direction the motor rotates.

The motor could be controlled via a Rheostat or a Variac that changes the amount of AC going to the motor correct?

Does this system 2.0 have limit switches to stop the motor and reverse it? or is there an operator watching and slowing the cable and reversing at the ends?

Operator that watches....least on the ones I've been on.

I don't see why one couldn't be retrofitted with some sort of trigger that would kill the motor for a sec, then start it up in the opposite direction....

they usually have an operator to help with n00bs and whatnot.... the corners can be brutal

how much is one of the 2.0's for the average joe that wanted to put one in his backyard??

$30,000 i believe

30k covers it all, i assume some warranty with it, your insurance will allow it because it isn't homemade, and the install ( i believe)

as for set-up goes, i have never seen a system 2.0 being set up or installed, but i thought i remember it being described as "portable." if one so desired they could fit the whole thing in the back of a truck



a bi directional device would be great for snow too. could turn it into your own personal mini ski lift of sorts.


(Message edited by wakerider111 on December 14, 2009)

the 2.0 is made by cable people. so to them, $40,000 and the phase 3 power requirement isn't a big deal at all. when in reality, it kind of is if it's for personal use.

what we have here is the consumer, who knows more about how a winch works than how a cable works coming up with a solution, and i don't see any reason it's not possible.

some questions to be asked...

Is a 2.0 overpowered for it's intended purpose? (for hitting rails i would say yes, for air tricks, i don't know)

If you did want to stick with an electric powered system, is 3 phase necessary?

Is it possible to use a $1000 briggs motor to accomplish the same thing (rider is able to go down and back)?

Jeremy, you're onto something. This could be a neat thread to look back on in a few years

j_hill - I was wondering the same.

- Could a drive system be gas? making this unit really portable

- Is there a cheaper more feasible option for personal use other than Phase 3 (volume of run time would be much less) wear would be less than commercial use can a Phase 2 or 1 work viably and feasibly over time?

Yeah, I like were this is going.

I think you guys (all of us are on to something)
I feel like all i did was plant a seed (or rather un-cover one that was already seeded) for others to nourish


but heck yea! love to see where things go in the future. The biggest drawback to a winch is its limited "uni-directionalism"

it also wouldn't hurt to use the same motor to re-direct power to some wheels to drag/pull the entire system through rough, tree-crowded terrain that a truck could not pass. but with added power to the wheels AND LARGER wheels than what we typically see on a winch (with a chain kit for snow), you could go anywhere, easier and faster, yah?

...or maybe an atv to drag the device instead, if the powered wheels idea is weird

(Message edited by wakerider111 on December 15, 2009)

(Message edited by wakerider111 on December 15, 2009)