Note: images fixed.
It was annoying every single time I had to dig out the winch remote for my jeep. With Warn hidden winch mount, I've decided to add a wireless remote.
Problem - the Superwinch remote is a bit overpriced at $300. Sorry, it just is. Beyond that, the ergonomics are awful. I always wear gloves when I winch, the buttons need to be bigger. Functionally, we can still use the wired remote.
Note the installation terminals - these are just ring terminals that go onto the solenoid posts. The Tigershark version of this remote just plugs into the remote socket. To switch between you'd need to unplug and replug.
The Warn remote is made specifically for Warn winches. It connects to the 6 pin socket and off you go. To use it, we'd have to make an adapter cable. I could do that, since my warn bumper came with a 1.5ft 6 pin extension.
But there's another option...
The $130 Warn ATV remote. This thing looks exactly like the regular version but instead of having a winch remote connector, we get breakout cabling. It uses the same glove friendly remote - which comes with a nice rattle free mounting clip by the way. Replacement remotes are easy to purchase. The range should be the same as the regular unit since the transmitters match. An extra feature I like with the warn - when the remote is in use, it cuts off the ground line to the remote feed. That means that you won't have conflicting inputs. SW may have a sensor feature to prevent this but it doesn't have the complete cutout.
Here's where warn falls flat. The wiring diagram they provide assumes that you're using a warn winch. Understandable, but if you ever bought a used winch you know that the wiring is usually cut/lost or mangled.
Note the keyed bullet connectors. Warn provides two pairs of green/black wires with bullet connectors installed. Polarity is only indicated by the male/female bullets. (thanks Warn)
Winches all use the same basic wiring. They have a solenoid pack, which is actuated by energizing an input terminal. The solenoid packs vary a bit in design, but they all function the same. This is why we can easily use a cheapo harbor freight remote. I considered these but the ones I looked at were even worse for glove wearing people than the superwinch. Also I have some HF stuff, I consider it ok for occasional use, not for life/property saving use.
This is the tigershark 9500 solenoid. Thee pins. All in one unit (old Warns used four solenoids with bus bars)
This is the tigershark remote socket. Note the ring terminal that goes to the hot lead, and the two outputs that run to the solenoid connectors. According to the tigershark wiring diagram, white is out and black is in.
The top of my Tigershark 9500, popped the solenoid cover open by removing four screws.
We resort a WARN ATV wiring diagram with actual colors indicated to figure things out. Here we find the following:
Green female bullet goes to the winch, as does the black male connector.
Green Male and Black Female take the input feeds from the remote socket.
Consensus from various diagrams is that Green in In and Black is Out.
Here's the final diagram of what I came up with. Tested the winch control using the bullet to spade adapters. I added color labels for people who use black and white printers.
Since the spade adapters are decent and machine terminated, I'm going to cut/solder/heatshrink the wires together to get rid of the bullet connectors. The remote head will be zip tied up near the top where I can easily access the programming button if I have to replace a remote control.
It was annoying every single time I had to dig out the winch remote for my jeep. With Warn hidden winch mount, I've decided to add a wireless remote.
Problem - the Superwinch remote is a bit overpriced at $300. Sorry, it just is. Beyond that, the ergonomics are awful. I always wear gloves when I winch, the buttons need to be bigger. Functionally, we can still use the wired remote.
Note the installation terminals - these are just ring terminals that go onto the solenoid posts. The Tigershark version of this remote just plugs into the remote socket. To switch between you'd need to unplug and replug.
The Warn remote is made specifically for Warn winches. It connects to the 6 pin socket and off you go. To use it, we'd have to make an adapter cable. I could do that, since my warn bumper came with a 1.5ft 6 pin extension.
But there's another option...
The $130 Warn ATV remote. This thing looks exactly like the regular version but instead of having a winch remote connector, we get breakout cabling. It uses the same glove friendly remote - which comes with a nice rattle free mounting clip by the way. Replacement remotes are easy to purchase. The range should be the same as the regular unit since the transmitters match. An extra feature I like with the warn - when the remote is in use, it cuts off the ground line to the remote feed. That means that you won't have conflicting inputs. SW may have a sensor feature to prevent this but it doesn't have the complete cutout.
Here's where warn falls flat. The wiring diagram they provide assumes that you're using a warn winch. Understandable, but if you ever bought a used winch you know that the wiring is usually cut/lost or mangled.
Note the keyed bullet connectors. Warn provides two pairs of green/black wires with bullet connectors installed. Polarity is only indicated by the male/female bullets. (thanks Warn)
Winches all use the same basic wiring. They have a solenoid pack, which is actuated by energizing an input terminal. The solenoid packs vary a bit in design, but they all function the same. This is why we can easily use a cheapo harbor freight remote. I considered these but the ones I looked at were even worse for glove wearing people than the superwinch. Also I have some HF stuff, I consider it ok for occasional use, not for life/property saving use.
This is the tigershark 9500 solenoid. Thee pins. All in one unit (old Warns used four solenoids with bus bars)
This is the tigershark remote socket. Note the ring terminal that goes to the hot lead, and the two outputs that run to the solenoid connectors. According to the tigershark wiring diagram, white is out and black is in.
The top of my Tigershark 9500, popped the solenoid cover open by removing four screws.
We resort a WARN ATV wiring diagram with actual colors indicated to figure things out. Here we find the following:
Green female bullet goes to the winch, as does the black male connector.
Green Male and Black Female take the input feeds from the remote socket.
Consensus from various diagrams is that Green in In and Black is Out.
Here's the final diagram of what I came up with. Tested the winch control using the bullet to spade adapters. I added color labels for people who use black and white printers.
Since the spade adapters are decent and machine terminated, I'm going to cut/solder/heatshrink the wires together to get rid of the bullet connectors. The remote head will be zip tied up near the top where I can easily access the programming button if I have to replace a remote control.
Last edited:
