Hi there. I have been trying to figure this idea out for two months. Would really appreciate any help---
I am artist looking to use a hoist or winch of some kind to lower a 35lb object. The object starts at one height (connected to the hoist) then lowers to the second height, stays there for about 30 seconds then needs to raise up the object back to it's original height. I need this to happen continuously all day.
I am using a grow light mover to bring this object from one room to another room before the lowering process takes place each time. Here is the grow light mover:
There is a nifty sensor/timer built into the grow light mover. I was thinking to buy another one and repurpose it to attach to the hoist but I'm sure it would be compatible and would still be missing the function ability to be able to set the different heights.
I found a bluetooth hoist called "My Lifter" which seems promising but the app doesn't have all functions needed as well:
I need the winch to weight no more than about 10 lbs. Most are way too heavy. Here are the other winch/hoists I have been researching which don't seem able to have the strength but not sure:
Most winches or hoists are designed to lift loads much higher, an average person can easily lift 35 lbs. This probably means you are unlikely to find an off the shelf solution.
For one project I built an electric winch, partly from bicycle parts. I got the bike parts from a cycle shop for not very much. Even with a small motor it was quite powerful. The tricky part was adapting the motor spindle to a bike sprocket, so it was handy to have a friend with a machine shop in his basement
The basic lifter weights 6 pounds. I can get one used for cheaper. The questions is can the built in Bluetooth be reconfigured or a new app made or even have it bypassed?
So that ends up about 35lb/(2.2lb/kg)*2m*9.8N/kg/5s=62J/s=62W of power. I think I'd look into 120W+ gearmotors and make my own winch by winding some cord around a rod or dowel or pipe as a drum to be driven by the gearmotor.
That might be best as the OP makes no mention of holding the object in position as being necessary. The gears might be enough resistance to stop the movement.
Dave your idea of making my own winch has led me to realize that the answer to what I need may have been right in front of my face the whole time.
What if I use the grow light mover's motor as a winch? Since I now own two of them I can turn one entire grow light mover device into a winch complete with a timer and magnetic sensor/stopper built in. At that stage I would have the ability to start the winch when it touches it's own magnetic stopper. The timer would keep it in place for as long as i want it to and when the timer runs out the winch should automatically go in reverse back up.
The other grow light mover will continue to perform it's function of riding along the rail to bring the object from room to room.
Now what I have is two of the same devices screwed together powered separately and performing different functions.
**** My only problem will be how to tell the winch how much to lower and raise the cable? The object will be transported at one height and then when it gets to the spot and begins to lower it will need to go about twice as low.***
Any ideas on how to do that anyone? Is there a way to modify the circuit board? Here is what's inside of the red casing....
This is the side view of how it would look running along the rail. The bottom unit would be turned into the winch (inside the red casing is the timer/magnetic sensor detector.
Yes, that certainly is a problem. The device appears to use Hall sensors to detect the endstops. You might be able to arrange one sensor to be under the winch which would detect a (metallic) object moving up. I don't know how you would manage the lower sensor though.
You could add a magnet and hall sensor for the winch drum and then count out n=13 turns or whatever worth of lowering, wait the time, and then raise to home position.
