John949

I've been given another batch of Whirlwinds to look over (6!). One of them has a label on it saying it is a Tensor. I've got the winch working (motor had come unglued) but the travel adjust pot doesn't do anything. This is the only Tensor I've come across so if any one else has one could they confirm that the travel adjust works on theirs please? The reason for asking is that, although mechanically similar to others, the Tensor appears to be a much later design of electronics using surface mount components, a multilayer PCB and a PIC microprocessor. The pot wiper voltage changes as you rotate it but without knowing what the software does it's hard to know what is supposed to happen. It would be nice to confirm it should work before I spend too much time on it.

RMGs are way noisier than other makes because the gear shafts are made of brass and don't fit that well, however if it really is screeching then Bill is probably right and the motor bearing is close to seizing - probably due to corrosion. Don't use WD40 - terrible stuff that leaves a residue which will seize the motor. You could try some light oil and run the motor for a bit but better to sort it properly. Replacing the motor is easy. The size is a 280 but they come in a variety of windings and voltages. You want a 9V one and can sort of guess the right winding by looking at the current draw of the motor v the spec of the winch. Or you could just send it to Bill.

In theory a 1mm diameter wire can carry 7 amps so routing the power through the Rx block should not be a problem (the pins on the Rx are 1mm). Unless you sail with the winch permanently under a high load, the 'average' current is nowhere near this much. Back in the day many winches had a BEC to supply the Rx (and therefore also the rudder servo). I believe this had more to do with protecting the Rx rather than the current draw of the winch. Today's Rxs can tolerate very high input voltages, so powering them with 2 cell Lipo/Lion is not an issue. I have only had a brief look at someone else's Red Ant but it seemed very good (if expensive). Most winches are actually very poorly designed for what we use them for - they back off under load and the position resolution is poor. I only had a quick pull at the Red Ant (didn't want to break someone else's boat) but it did seem that it tried to hold position regardless of the load. The specs for winches usually tell you the stall torque and the no load max speed of rotation. What you really car about is how fast it responds to relatively small movements, how accurately it returns to a given position and how much it moves when a load is applied.

My view is: if you gybe before green gains an overlap then green must keep clear under rule 12. If green then overlaps you to leeward then you must keep clear under rule 11, however green must give you room to keep clear under rule 15 e.g. if you were to hit green because your stern swung into them as you turned away, then green hasn't given you enough space. If green overlaps you to windward then green becomes keep clear boat and you can luff them if you wish. If you gybe after green has gained an overlap then; if green is to leeward of you then you are keep clear boat throughout and must avoid green, however green cannot sail above their proper course once they become overlapped rule 17. If green is to windward of you then green becomes keep clear boat but you must give green room to keep clear under rule 15 (you have gained right of way by gybing). Although you must give green room to respond, you can still luff them if you choose to as they are the overtaking boat (assuming nobody is within the zone). I think that's right but maybe John B could confirm. Avoiding collisions is tricky. You cannot make no attempt to avoid a right of way boat and them claim they should have avoided you under rule 14. Basically once you are convinced that the give way boat is not going to avoid you then you should do everything you can to avoid / minimise the collision. This is usually one for jury. If a serious collision occurs the give way boat is likely to be disqualified and the right of way boat might be.

There is an argument that Radio Sailing needs to investigate more specific rules as certain things (like judging overlaps when sailing directly away from the control area) are almost impossible at any distance. The chances of a top down approach working are pretty slim given the bureaucracy and inertia involved. Perhaps clubs could experiment with local rules and hopefully drive any good ideas from the bottom up.

The moral of this tale is that if you are on port and someone is catching you from behind on starboard, then gybing onto starboard would be a smart move. On the same tack green would have to keep clear under rule 12. If green gains an overlap to leeward, then she would have to give red room to keep clear under rule 15.

This may sound daft, but can you wind the winch line in the other direction i.e. arrange things so that the sheeted in position is at the other end of the winch travel? Obviously you need to reverse the servo output on the transmitter as well. There are two reasons why this might work: The first is that the feedback potentiometer might be getting worn as the servo keeps trying to stop in the sane place. The second reason why this might make a difference is rather complex but it's likely that the source of the issues is variations in the voltage output from the feedback potentiometer in the servo, which is in turn cause by variations in the supply voltage to the pot, which is in turn caused by the operation of the servo motor. Depending upon the exact design of the servo, it is possible that these fluctuations will be less when the feedback pot voltage is low i.e. they will be lower at one end of the travel.

I use a different model memory for each rig so all the travels can be different for each rig. On Spektrums (and some other radios) you have to disable 'model matching' so that you can bind the same receiver to multiple models. My RadioMaster has a series of 'flight mode' buttons so I can set different trims (e.g. high mode, normal, low mode) on these buttons. Not many radios have these buttons but there are lots of other ways to get the same effect; such as mixing in a three position switch controlled channel or using the 'idle up' function. I use a sophisticated radio as I have two winches on my 10R. The radio allows me to control both winches with one stick for normal use but allows independent control of each sail when I want to. For example, I can release the main but keep the jib sheeted in if hit by a big gust. Conversely I can sheet the jib to the centre line while releasing the main to get out of irons or help tacking.

Check this is still current but a couple of years ago you couldn't buy an advanced ticked for just the forum / capitol hill. You had to buy a combined ticket with the colosseum. The latter has had to reduce capacity and is only accessible with a timed ticket (which sell out), but you may visit the ruins at any time. The site is so big that crowds aren't an issue. A good tip is to enter at the North end of the site i.e. away from the colosseum. There was no queue at all at this end.

LWL is in metres, Sail area is in square metres so for a typical 10R 1.25 x 1.0 x 8 = 10

The 10R rule is LWL x Sail Area x 8 = 10, so the longer the LWL the less the maximum sail area allowed. Most modern designs have an LWL of between 1200 & 1250. A Bentley has an LWL of around 1340 and is still a great boat in a blow but struggles in the light stuff. I suspect you will want to keep everything as light as possible in order to maximise the sail area. Leads are usually around 3.1 to 3.6 Kg. You measure the LWL in sailing condition so you will need to estimate the weight of the rig (about 400g). Any boat can be a 10R if it rates less than 10 and several Marbleheads were dual registered. A standard M rates about 7.5 so a bigger rig is used and this makes a very competitive light airs 10R. Proper 10Rs have overhangs as this increases the LWL when heeled, which is an advantage. A conventional mast is normally positioned 10 to 20mm forward of the leading edge of the fin. A swing rig mast will need to be positioned about 50-60 mm further forward, as the swing rig main has to be bigger. Conventional rigs are around 60:40, swing rigs 70:30. Graham Bantock and Frank Russell have actual dimensions for their designs on the web.

This is my view, not a definitive statement: Section C.6.3 serves two purposes. 1) It defines the maximum luff length of a mainsail and 2) it defines the foretriangle height as a proportion of the mast height The gooseneck height is not limited so the higher the gooseneck, the higher the foretriangle can be. If you take the simple case of a flat deck and a triangular sail with the tack just above the gooseneck,(which was possibly the only thing the original rules considered) then the deck limit is the point where the mast intersects the deck, the lower limit is just above the gooseneck and the upper limit is the top of the mast. The height of the foretriangle is then calculated from these dimensions. All very straightforward, If we now consider raised foredecks and mast wells, things get a bit more complicated. The following picture is actually a 10R but illustrates the issues Where does the deck limit mark go? On the lowest point of exposed mast, at the intersection of the flat portion of the deck and the mast, or at the highest point at which the mast is supported? The rules only say that the position must be marked on the deck so, in my view, either the foredeck or the mast well could be used. If you assume that a higher foretriangle is an advantage (probably true) then using the deck well is the obvious choice. If it is an advantage then making the deck well even lower (at least round the mast) becomes an option. In my view the rule should be clarified and the deck limit should be defined as the lowest point on the mast which is not supported by the hull structure. This would prevent extreme designs from gaining an advantage and is probably closer to the original intent of the rule. Currently there is no maximum gooseneck height - does anyone fancy a 3 metre high mast with the gooseneck 1 metre above the deck for those windless days inland? You could also have the clews significantly lower than the tacks as this gives you some free extra area thanks to way M sails are measured.

I'd appreciate it if you could time yours for me, it's the Olympic I'm particularly interested in. I used superglue to reattach the pot to the plate and glue the bottom of the pot back on. Obviously you need to be very sparing with it - a drop on the end of a pin works for me.

Does anybody have a working one and could measure the speed of rotation for me please (or even know the specs)? I have been given a box of old winches to sort through and so far I have got a standard whirlwind and the Olympic working, however the Olympic seems very slow as it takes about 6 seconds for 6 revolutions whereas the big one takes about 4 seconds for 6 revolutions. The Olympic motor looks clean and shiny and spins pretty fast when removed so I don't know if the motor is faulty or they were just slow. I have now looked at 6 Whirlwinds and they seem to have a common weak point in that the potentiometer is a standard part that has been 'modified' to fit the casing and attach to the output shaft. These mods required the pot to be both held together and fixed to the gear plate by glue! (On the Olympic the motor is glued in as well). Unsurprisingly the glue tends to fail after several years. Typical symptoms are that the winch rotates continuously, but will reverse. PM me if you want further details or would like me to try to fix yours.

I'm happy to look at whirlwinds as I have fixed them in the past and have a few spare parts. I wouldn't charge but I don't provide guarantees either. Some of the parts are well nigh unobtainable but if you have several them we should be able to cannibalise. Message me if you want me to have a look at them.

First thing to check is the driver. If you go to Device Manager, under USB Controllers you should see USBXpress Device (with the card connected). Open this and select the driver tab. The one that works for me is signed by Silicon Labs Software, dated 14/07/2010 and version 3.3.0.0. If this is working the LED should go green when you plug in the card. Start Dsconfig V2.1, press reflash USB, then read config. LED should stay green throughout.

There are several methods of achieving a 'mode' function switch. The most generally applicable is to use a spare channel with a three position switch and then mix about 5% of this channel into the throttle (winch) channel. This will give 95/100/105% winch travel. Some Txs (like my Radiomaster) have dedicated buttons for modes - basically you set different trims for each mode button. For tacking it's probably better to use the stick directly as it's quicker and saves fumbling for switches.

Not my understanding. Hopefully we all know that the TX field has a null in the direction of the aerial - so you should have the TX aerial perpendicular to the boat. The RX aerial should point at the Tx for maximum gain so the recommendation is that both aerials should be horizontal but at 90 deg to each other. I've done some experiments and in truth it doesn't make that much difference. I've also tested the attenuation of a carbon hull and it produced a range reduction of about 25%. Personally I tape the aerials under a deck patch. The idea is that (except at extreme heel angles) the signal passes through the deck patch rather than the hull. Possible. You can be almost certain that the Tx will contain a voltage regulator. If this is a 5V regulator then 4 NiMhs could cause problems when they get about 50% discharged. These days a lot of electronics run at 3.3V so 4 NiMhs would be fine. 300 feet is less than I would expect. I have found that the receiver makes a big difference - I tested an 'eBay' spectrum compatible and it had about half the range of an Orange receiver - about 150 v 300 yds. The genuine Spectrum receiver was still working when my assistant reached the edge of the field - about 500 yards. Can't remember the exact details but there is some EU? legislation about transmit power but many radios can be set to a 'Non EU' setting which gives more range.

I don't think the above is correct. In a nutshell, only the current rules are valid and all boats must comply with them to be legal. I think this is true for all International classes not just 10Rs. The current rules may contain dispensations for boats registered before a certain date (as the 10R Rules sort of do) but you can't use an old set of rules. In the case of the 10R there have been (too?) many changes that made some old boats illegal - despite the fact that they had valid measurement certificates. Having said that, unless you start winning ranking events (or turn up with a wing mast that is not included in the measured sail area) then I doubt anyone will complain. The 10R Class (in the UK at least) needs all the support it can get at the moment.

The Whirlwind uses a 10 turn pot (like the older RMGs) - so it's a large cylindrical device located in the space under the output shaft. It's actually bigger than the motor and the body has three flats machined onto it to make it fit into the casing (and stop it turning). Unfortunately it is fairly well sealed so contact cleaner isn't going to be easy. The pot itself is glued together and I wouldn't advise trying to dismantle it unless you know what you're doing. In the one I looked at, the glue had failed so the pot fell apart. Getting the delicate internals back together is tricky. I'd be happy to take a look at it if you want. Pretty confident I could at least identify what the issue is and I may be able to fix it.

There is some info on Whirlwind winches in this thread: https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-sailboats-89/4348956-whirlwind-olympic-winch.html No mention of a fail safe or other low voltage protection system but it does sound the most likely answer to your observed behaviour. I've tried to repair a couple of whirlwinds for friends with a 50% success rate. The failure was due a track fault in the potentiometer and a can't find a replacement - even if I could the pot body has flats machined on it! Anyway it means I have some spare parts for a red whirlwind should you need them. If it is a low voltage issue then you should be able to replicate it by deliberately stalling the winch. A standard AA cell is going to struggle to produce enough current for a big winch, NiMh is better. LiPo or LiFe would be better still, but the higher voltage might fry it if it stalls. P.S. A 20 year old winch isn't going to be digital, indeed I have yet to see a true digital sail winch. The control loop in some of the latest ones might use a processor, rather than analogue electronics, but the feed back is still an analogue voltage and the inputs are PPM.

That's quite a statement Bill. Is this because you can't get the parts, they are permanently sealed or some other reason? It's hard to believe that some faults couldn't be fixed.

What are the symptoms? I've repaired quite a few winches in the past. I don't charge, but then I don't guarantee either. Success rate is about 50%. Mechanical parts are usually custom made for the manufacturer and so these days are some of the chips but if you know what's wrong sometimes they will sell you the parts (e.g. RMG will - at a price!). Often repair is not economic (especially if it has to be posted to Oz and back) and you always have that concern that a repaired winch will let you down at the crucial moment. Let me know if you want me to take a look at it.

The correct answer is that you should both be disqualified as you cannot change the hull during a series. What you do via a gentleman's agreement at a local level is up to you. In the case of 10Rs that have multiple certificates for the same hull (yes this is a ludicrous rule), you can only sail under one certificate in a series.

Sounds like a seized motor (quite common if neglected). If you can't turn the winch drum with the power off this pretty much confirms it. The motor is pretty easy to replace and only a few pounds (from China). Problem is that they have been superseded by brushless ones and are getting harder to find. A D model will work with a 2.4 GHz radio, you just can't easily get it into programming mode with one. It's just possible that the switch you mention was fitted for just that purpose i.e. someone put a switch in the winch signal line (usually yellow wire); in which case the two ends should be connected together!