Retractable cable reel ideas?

[HenryD]

I have two corded remotes at the helm. One is a ZFMarine remote to control the thrusters and throttles on a 25' cord. I comes in handy to walk out the pilothouse doors when docking. The second is a autopilot remote on a 25' cord. Usually both remotes are velcroed to the helm and the cords are coiled and velcroed or laying on the floor.

I am trying to find a better way to store the cables and keep thinking something like the cord retractor on my wife's vacuum cleaner. Mount it in the helm cabinet.

I have looked at several repair manuals for vacuums and every reel I find is passing the power through rotating disks and there are only 3 contacts.

Other ideas?

 

[FF]

Your local box store like Home Cheapo will have reels for home workshop power tools.

All are 3 wire , sorry.

 

[RickB]

slip ring in Business & Industrial | eBay

 

[Scary]

You could try a sail boat trick

Canvas bags large enough to stuff each cord into fastened to the dash might work. You just stuff the cord in the bag when your done with the remote. Not very elegant but effective.

 

[psneeld]

also not elegant if you have the vertical drop is a tube with weights in the center of the cord (or bottom when in cradle)

 

[FF]

I would not think the remote has very many amps to direct , so perhaps a coiled old style telephone hand set cord would do?