Radio remote control

The most frequently asked questions about radio hand controls are:

1. Is a radio hand control allowed for a tail lift?

Any product sold in the European Union must comply with European laws and regulations. This means that whoever manufactures the product or markets it for the first time in Europe is responsible for ensuring that the product complies. To comply with this, it will be necessary to examine what standards apply to the product and then test whether the product meets the standards.

Only if the product complies with the standards may a CE declaration be issued by the supplier stating that the product complies and which standards it meets. The radio hand controls of HACO Tail Lift Parts have been tested to the following standards:

• Directive 2006/42 Machinery/EC
• Directive 2014/53 RED/EU
• Directive 2014/35 Low Voltage/EU
• Directive 2014/30 EMC/EU
• Directive 2011/RoHS/EU

Once the product has obtained the CE mark, this product may be freely traded throughout the European Economic Area without European countries being allowed to apply additional rules in this regard. So to answer the above question, yes, the radio hand control of HACO Tail Lift Parts is allowed in any country in Europe.

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2. What is the range of a radio hand control?

This varies a lot per brand and type of control. This is because it has to do with the transmitting strength of the hand transmitter and the receiving range of the receiver. Some manufacturers who do not specifically make the product for a tail lift may have a range of up to 300 meters. HACO Tail Lift Parts has designed its radio hand control specifically for tail lifts and here the choice was made for a maximum range of 10-15 meters between transmitter and receiver.

For safe operation of the tail lift, this range should be sufficient. Unfortunately, it is not possible to have no signal beyond this range. In a large radius beyond 15 meters it is therefore still possible that there is contact between transmitter and receiver, however, the further you get, the weaker the signal will become.

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3. Is a radio remote control safe?

Nowadays you see more and more remotely controlled devices and in the future this will become more and more. Of course, HACO Tail Lift Parts has built in various safety features to ensure the safest possible use of the tail lift. This way we prevent unintentional actuation by other transmitters on the same frequency because they do not know the code of the set.

The radio hand control of HACO Tail Lift Parts can therefore be used safely, provided the user handles it correctly. This principle, of course, applies to any product. Think of a kitchen knife that you can cut yourself on or an accident caused by reckless driving. In most cases it is not the product, but the use of the product that is to blame. For your safety, then, there are user safety features built in.

• 2-minute shutdown; the control will automatically turn off after 2 minutes when not in use. To turn it back on, the ON button on the front of the transmitter will have to be pressed again.
• Chip with learning code; high security level, more than 1 million different unique addresses minimize the chance of duplicate address and thus interfering with the signal.
• Range of 10-15 meters; the range of approximately 10-15 meters between transmitter and receiver ensure that the tail lift operator keeps sight of the tail lift.  
• ON-OFF buttons on the front of the handheld transmitter; these buttons switch the receiver on and off. In case of an emergency, the OFF button will serve as an emergency stop.
• Additional ON-OFF switch; on the back of the transmitter is an additional ON-OFF switch to allow the transmitter to be manually turned off to disconnect signal or to conserve batteries if the transmitter is not used for an extended period of time.
• Open/close function with 2 buttons; the open and close function can be performed only when the operator presses 2 buttons at the same time.
• Opposing commands; when opposing commands are given such as lifting and lowering at the same time, the system will block until the opposing command is cleared.
• Blocking on intervention; if an interfering signal on the same frequency intrudes, the system will block. An interfering signal can never establish an unwanted switching since this interfering signal does not know the unique code of the system.

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4. On which frequency does the radio remote control from Haco Tail Lift Parts operate?

HACO Tail Lift Parts has chosen to operate the set at 433/434 MHz. This frequency is authorized for use throughout Europe, providing a strong signal for stable connectivity. However, one disadvantage is that this frequency is commonly used, which may lead to potential interventions. Our radio remote control may experience interference and temporarily block. Once the interference ceases, the blockage will also cease.

In the future, HACO Tail Lift Parts may introduce a set operating at 868 MHz. This frequency is intended for customers who frequently load and unload in busy areas where interference on 433/434 MHz is prevalent.

5. How do you connect a radio remote control to a tail lift?

This varies depending on the brand and type of tail lift. For most German tail lift brands like MBB-Palfinger, Bär Cargolift, Dautel, Sörensen, and the Swedish brand Zepro, it is possible to directly connect the receiver to the circuit board using AMP connections on newer models. This circuit board often has an option for connecting a hand control (wired or wireless).

If your tail lift does not have a circuit board with an option to connect a hand control, there are several other locations for connecting the receiver. The easiest is to connect it in the standard control box. Sometimes there is also a connection block with AMP sliders in the power pack.

Additionally, if your tail lift already has a socket for a hand control with a spiral cable, it is simple to use the existing socket to connect the receiver of the radio remote control.

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6. Can I easily replace my standard hand control with a spiral cable with a radio remote control?

Yes, this is possible. However, consider the following points. You will need to create a ground (-) connection in the socket because it is not present for a hand control with a spiral cable. Also, if you want to connect a 3-button radio remote control to the socket of a 2-button hand control with a spiral cable, additional connections will need to be made between the socket and the tail lift. Also, depending on the brand, bridges and connections will need to be made in the receiver.

At HACO Tail Lift Parts, you can easily order a piece of connecting cable with a 7-pin plug with your set. An additional booklet with various connection diagrams per brand of tail lift will be included. These are the connection diagrams as the tail lifts are delivered “from the factory”. Adjustments made afterwards are of course not known to us.

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7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a radio remote control compared to a hand control with a spiral cable?

The purchase price and installation costs may be slightly higher for a radio remote control. However, it eliminates mechanical wear of the spiral cable. Hand controls with spiral cables are often replaced after a year or two due to wear. This is a thing of the past with a radio remote control, which therefore has a longer lifespan.

One of the advantages is that a radio remote control provides the user with more freedom of movement when loading and unloading goods. With a hand control with a spiral cable, the driver often has to balance on the edge of the tail lift platform while there are goods on the platform. This can be dangerous for the driver. The radio remote control provides more freedom of movement in these cases. However, the driver must be vigilant and monitor for any dangerous situations at the tail lift. He must maintain a good overview of the situation.

A minor disadvantage of a radio remote control is that there is always a slight time delay, known as “time-delay”. HACO Tail Lift Parts has managed to reduce this to a minimum of 0.2 seconds.

An advantage of the radio remote control is that multiple hand transmitters can be paired with one receiver. This allows each driver on a truck with multiple drivers to have their own hand transmitter.

If you have any further questions regarding the use or connection of a radio remote control from HACO Tail Lift Parts, please feel free to email us at [email protected] or reach us by phone on our toll-free technical support desk during office hours at +31-(0)55-533 05 10.

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