Harbor Freight Hack! Cheap Wireless Winching
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Who doesn't love a Harbor Freight Hack!? The new Badland APEX winch remote is designed to use on the new APEX winch series, or as a retrofit to the current and older Badland vehicle winches with 5-pin connector. But what if you have a sturdy old Warn, Ramsey, Superwinch, or other winch that you'd love to control wirelessly? Let us show you how to hack this inexpensive wireless remote to work flawlessly with ANY winch!
This remote has proved to be low-latency (no delay), it has very good range, and connects instantly. The only drawback is that it does not have a simple wired function to use this remote in a wired capacity also. The battery life is great, but I carry two spare CR-2032 Lithium cells with me just in case.
I'll show you how to wire and mount this little receiver, as well as utilize a modern DC Contactor (solid state winch controller, or Albright switch), which you can use to replace the big solenoid pack your winch may have come equipped with originally. Total for this setup cost me a little over $100 with the electrical connectors and heat shrink tube. Links for the items used can be found below!
HF Winch Remote
www.harborfrei...
DC Contactor
amzn.to/31l14EW
Heat Shrink
amzn.to/3fe97vb
22-16 Gauge Terminals
amzn.to/3tMm4Ay
16-14 Gauge Terminals
amzn.to/39fCAku
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This product is meant for entertainment purposes only. Your mileage may vary. Do not try this at home. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. For off-road use only. Slippery when wet. Batteries not included. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle, heavy equipment, cherokee XJ, wrangler TJ, wrangler JK, or any Jeep vehicle, especially the newer Fiat ones. How-to videos may be too intense for some viewers and children under 30 years of age. Please remain seated until the 4x4 ride has come to a complete stop. Studies have shown viewing these videos causes increased cancer risks in laboratory test people. I am not a professional, I have no training, I'm not even particularly good at horse whispering. Don't believe everything that you know. Please keep your hands in the vehicle at all times. Do not tap on glass. Do not eat anything that has been on the floor for more than 3 days. Keep your hands to yourself. Not to be taken internally. Reproduction strictly prohibited. Driver does not carry cash. Objects in Bleepinjeep mirrors may be farther than they appear.
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This is pretty cool and all, but I'm so stoked just to learn that I can replace those solenoids with that little box!
I was just wondering on Saturday if there was any way to do something like this! I appreciate the crap out of the video!!!!!!!!!
Man, I'm really considering the DC contactor now just to save some space when it's time for a winch. Thanks!
I love that vo switch I bought one and wired it in my 2016 f150.
very nicely made and a nice clean way to control a bunch of aux stuff
@@DRTJon oh yes it is I tapped into my badlands winch box and made it so I can use the vo switch to run the winch as a backup. I love how you can change the colors and have different strobe settings.
that’s a great idea! I figured I could always rig up some way to run the winch as a backup even as a trail fix but that’s a great solution
@@DRTJon yeah I like it, I wanted to mount mine right where you have yours but I have a full panoramic sunroof there so that was kind of out of the question, so I ended up putting it at the top left corner of the windshield with the suction cup mount. my other truck in my profile picture I drilled holes everywhere for switches but this new truck I wanted clean simple no drill and the vo switch was the way to go.
Totally replacing the solenoids on my late 80s M12000.
Conformal coating or epoxy dipping the circuit board inside the remote should waterproof it.
good to know!
I like harbor fright badland zxr winches because They are really good for what they do the cost is awesome And I had great experience with harbor fright badland winches
Нормально так! Привет из России, мы тут тоже на ваших джипах гоняем 👍
Awesome glad you shared it with us
Great video. Going to give it a try.
You really need to get a good roll over crimper, they make such a better connection. You can get a Klein 3005CR for under $30 (just one example), you won't be disappointed.
Man this would've helped a whole lot when I was installing my winch. Had never used one of those contactors before and could not find anything about what went to what like the diagram in the video.
They’re super intimidating if you can’t find the wiring diagram
@@DRTJon Yes and I could not. I ended up lighting my battery on fire...
awesome video mate, thanks for putting it together.
I was wondering if I can just put a jumper between the switched and constant pins inside the module so that as soon as you plug in the module to the winch, you're good to go.
Edit: I answered my own question and the answer is NO. I blew a diode on the PCB by doing this. Turns out that the Warn pinout doesn't match HF pinout so I'm not able to simply plug the HF wireless module onto the Warn solenoid pack connector. Back to the drawing board.
Looks like a good solution but I do wonder about the durability of the wireless receiver connectors. You did a good job with what you had but they could have made that a bit more robust and easier to hook up. Also the remote control should be a bit more waterproof and rugged. You know that is going to bounce around inside the Jeep so how durable is it? I guess your can do a followup after using it for a while.
it is made to plug into their APEX and Badland winches, this is a hack so it just kinda is what it is they made it for a specific purpose and it's robust enough for that use. I wish the remote was better sealed up, but I've got a visor pouch I keep it in so it's never rolling around on the floor but it could still get dropped while in use which would not be good
parts jeep in my driveway has one of these wireless deals on it, i might have to look into it
Holy crap, how cold is it there?
You can buy a wireless winch remote on e bay for $13.00, 3 wires inside your existing control box. , Super easy
Just be cautious, a lot of them have a super annoying delay (latency)
Hi I was wondering where u where located. Not to be a creeper but I swear I saw a yellow xj looked just like yours in PA near cabelas on 61. Keep up the great work and videos. Your build is awesome!
That was probably me, I wheel in that general area almost every weekend
awesome content. You live in a place that is way too cold
I ended up just opening mine and using gasket sealer and then gasket sealer around the outside seam and zip tied it to the winch Incase it falls off I won't lose it it already comes water resistant submerged 4 feet up to 30mins don't know why they couldn't come up with some way to lock the wireless adapter to the winch that's why I zip tied it Incase it rattles loose.
Just installed mine on. You think it's fine to just leave on there? I mean the leaving the receiver on there while daily driving ? Then leave remote In truck ?
Sweet nice video thanks
Please do a video about your front bumper
What wheels are those? They’re rad!
Wondering if this would just plug and play with my warn vxr 25 on my quad. It already has the wired remote plug connected on top of the handlebar switch. It has 5 holes but only 3 have the female pin connectors. Thanks.
Just out of curiosity. The remote receiver could it not just plug right into the winch where the controller normally goes? I understand you want it to do a remote system but just asking.
It's a different plug but I did hook mine up by making jumpers and soldering to the back of the plug. I also put a switch on the winch so it couldn't be activated by mistake. This way harder than it needs to be.
You can certainly figure a way to make it work wired, but that was beyond what I wanted to get into as far as the scope of this video. The wire and wireless that come with the kit are both made to easily plug into any HF winch.
What to you do if the wireless controller runs out of batteries or malfunctions? Most which wireless setups have a wired backup .
That is not Matt’s new winch rope!
What are the wheels on that Cherokee off of and what size are they?
Great video,
awesome information.
Could you tell us some specs on those Wheels dude?
Dodge magnum/charger wheels
ive had a harbor freight 1500lb winch with wireless remote for five years lol. the remote is small for your keychain
I have one of those also. Not great range and there’s a nasty delay. Ok for some things but not what I want when winching a vehicle out of a sticky situation
People are always bad mouthing Harbor Freight winches, but what most don't know, is that Badlands Winches are made by Warn,they are just as good, cheaper, and Warn sells them under the Badlands Brand because of Cosmetic Defects!🤣🤣🤣🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Interesting. Do you have a verifiable source for this information?
The Badlands is certainly an M8000 clone and the APEX is obviously a Zeon clone, but I've never heard of them just being rebranded Warn winches, would love to know where you got that information and if it's fact!
@@DRTJon I have a 63 year old lady friend who researched it a while back along with her Brother for their 4x4,she's also an ex-Trucker,but I will ask her tomorrow on our way down to Phoenix and she if she can gives us a Source on that Info!
@@DRTJon also Best Top dies a rebrand of some of there top with minor Cosmetic Defects and I believe that it is under the Boulevard Brand,but I will have to recheck that 1 when I can get to an internet connection
Just did a quick search on Badlands. Badland Winches are manufactured in China, mostly by Ningbo Lianda Winch Co. and Ningbo Antai Winches Technology Co. They are branded as Bandland Winches by retailer Harbor Freight Tools. Harbor Freight Tools sells an in-house brand of winches that are sourced directly from outside manufacturers. Warn are mostly made in the USA except the VR line but completely controlled by Warn as far as specs, inspections and what not. I was recently pulled out of a sticky situation by a Badlands winch so they are capable anyway.
Are those ranger locking hubs on your Jeep ?
It’s an older MileMarker kit for the Dana 30, it uses ranger/explorer hubs. I swapped to Warn hubs after blowing up 3 MM hubs.
@@DRTJon that’s awesome. Gonna look for a kit like that myself. Thanks !
@@bamastead5126 Yukon makes a kit. They even have one to upgrade to 5.5” lug
What is the wireless range of the remote?
It’s going to greatly depend on where it’s mounted and where you’re holding the remote. I’ve not had any issues from the driver seat or within at least a 40’ range line of sight from the front with how mines mounted. I’ve had a few times where I’ve had another object between remote and receiver and had it cut out but that’s totally avoidable. For example I was winching myself onto a trailer once and walked around behind while holding the IN button and it cut out when I got behind the Jeep - obviously there’s a lot of obstruction there! I haven’t done much scientific testing but that’s my first hand real world experience.
@@DRTJon Thank you for your quick response! I assume the manufacturers of all of these wireless winch modules would not want too far of a distance they operate at, for safety reasons.
Damm buddy turn on your heat.
Dude, you need a heater. You look cold.