X-BULL Winch Solenoid Relay 12V 500A Winch Controller Twin Wireless Remote4WD4x4

Winch solenoid packs die from vibration, water and heat, and they almost always choose the worst moment to do it — halfway up a wet climb with the winch clicking and the drum going nowhere. This 500 A contactor replaces a tired pack, and the two wireless handsets mean the operator can stand somewhere sensible while the line comes in.

Five hundred amps, sealed against the weather

The contactor switches up to 500 A at up to 80 V DC, in a sealed, corrosion-resistant body with a coil drawing 15 W. The supplier quotes 100,000 mechanical operations against 50,000 electrical ones, and the gap between those two numbers is the useful part: the mechanism outlasts the contacts, because it is arcing under load that erodes the switching faces. Operating range is quoted from -40 to 85 degrees, and the unit can be mounted in any orientation, which matters when the only dry spot left in an engine bay is on its side.

Two handsets, one receiver

Both handsets talk to a single receiver, with a range the supplier quotes at 150 ft, roughly 46 m. An indicator light shows when a handset is transmitting, so a dead battery announces itself rather than being mistaken for a dead winch. Handsets measure 45 x 105 mm and the receiver 45 x 60 mm, running on 12 V. Having two is genuinely useful: one stays in the glovebox as a spare, or a second person can take over the winch while the driver watches the line.

Key features

• 500 A switching: sized for the current a stalled winch motor actually draws, not just its running load.
• Sealed body: corrosion resistant, for a component that lives where water and mud reach.
• Any-orientation mounting: no fixed up-side, so it fits the space that is available.
• Twin wireless handsets: two remotes and one receiver, with a transmit indicator light.
• Broad winch compatibility: the supplier lists it as suiting 9,500 lb to 17,000 lb winches with series wound or permanent magnet motors.

Specifications

• Contact rating: 500 A, 80 V DC maximum (250 V AC maximum)
• Coil voltage: quoted as 6-110 V DC
• Operating power: 15 W
• Mechanical life: 100,000 operations
• Electrical life: 50,000 operations
• Operating temperature: -40 to 85 degrees Celsius
• Frequency: 10-200 Hz
• Switching speed: 60-100 per minute
• Duty: continuous
• Mounting direction: any
• Remote range: about 46 m (quoted as 150 ft)
• Handset size: 45 x 105 mm
• Receiver size: 45 x 60 mm
• Remote system voltage: 12 V
• Winch compatibility: 9,500 lb to 17,000 lb, series wound and permanent magnet motors

What's in the box

• 2 x wireless handsets
• 1 x receiver
• 1 x battery, fitted
• 1 x user manual

The supplier's packing list covers the remote system only and does not separately itemise the contactor.

Before it gets wired in

• Disconnect the battery earth before touching any winch wiring. A spanner bridging a live 500 A terminal will weld itself in place.
• Clean and tighten every high-current terminal properly. A loose joint at this current gets hot enough to melt insulation and start a fire.
• The coil voltage is quoted as a 6-110 V DC range while the unit is sold for 12 V systems. Confirm the coil suits the winch it is going onto before fitting.
• Mount it where water drains away rather than pooling, and where the leads are not chafing on anything.
• Wireless control means the winch can run while nobody is standing at the vehicle. Check the line, clear bystanders and know where the handsets are before switching on.
• This is an aftermarket replacement part, not a genuine component from any winch manufacturer. Wiring at these currents is work for someone who knows what they are doing.

A straightforward fix for a winch that has started clicking instead of spinning, and an upgrade to wireless control at the same time.