Tiller pilots

[lockie]

My Simrad TP10 seems pretty hopeless. It's almost impossible to do a
compass auto-calibrate (ie motor slowly in a circle till it beeps to
tell me it's calibrated). When in auto, it makes random little in-out
strokes while the boat gaily heads 90 degrees or more off course. I've
tried high and low-gain, high, low and auto "sea-state" (deadband).
All to no avail. It makes a great way to "lash" the tiller though! I
guess it's had the gong.
Do the ones with NMEA input from the GPS do a better job?

Cheers, Graeme

[Kyeemah]

Hi Graeme
Not sure if adding nmea GPS does a better job or not. I have an
Autohelm SPX-5. Has NMEA in and out but I do not use it. Reliable
heading is by the course computer and gyro compass. Probably need to
add the rudder sensor to get even better reliability. It is remarkably
accurate, though busy. When rolling about in a following sea it
anticipates and counteracts course change caused by rolling. Annoying
though! the constant zzzzzz, zzzzzz, zzzzzzz.

I think all up with added rudder sensor it is around 2.5K
Ian

[Colin Green]

I think the problem is "Simrad". I have a Navico which later became Simrad and I would not much rely on it. It DOES work - but not very reliably and not in much of a sea or a following sea.

As you say Ian, it's good for holding a course when turned off. But I have a bit of string that is almost as good.

All of my reading seems to indicate that Autohelm is good stuff although I have never used one. It will be my likely choice if I replace.

Colin

[mark...@markevans.org]

Hi

I'm an autopilot addict and I've done over 2000 miles in my Compass Westerly with the little Simrad tiller pilot and it's worked well although it's not waterproof. It's rather destressing watching it pump water in and out of the buttons as it's whirring back and forward. Amazingly it still works but I think some kind of plastic cover would be a very good idea. Apart from that it seems good. I've never got around to doing any sort of calibration at all.

The new boat has a below-deck hydraulic system which is all very nice!

Cheers

Mark

---

From: "Colin Green" <ad...@bestofshow.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 10:18 AM
To: compass-y...@googlegroups.com
Subject: re[2]: Tiller pilots

[Tardis29]

Graeme, GPS inputs won't make the autopilot steer any more precisely, but
will allow the autopilot to steer you to a waypoint, then change course to
steer you to the next waypoint.

I've had an Autohelm (Raymarine) ST2000+ for about 10 years. It is reliable
and does a pretty good job. It has a built-in readout to show compass
heading, so at least you know that the fluxgate compass is working when the
readings are as expected.

I have found that the main things to remember to get the best results out of
the tiller-pilot are;
adjust your sails to minimise weather-helm; avoid sailing directly downwind.

Regards,
Paul

[Maeling]

I am on my second pilot and I ffind they don't like water. Lynne made
up a clear plastic raincoat, like a box with no bottom. It has a hole
at one end for the shaft and a tiecord around the middle.

Geoff Raebel

On Oct 21, 11:51 am, "m...@markevans.org" <markev...@markevans.org>
wrote:

> Hi
> I'm an autopilot addict and I've done over 2000 miles in my Compass
> Westerly with the little Simrad tiller pilot and it's worked well although
> it's not waterproof. It's rather destressing watching it pump water in and
> out of the buttons as it's whirring back and forward. Amazingly it still
> works but I think some kind of plastic cover would be a very good idea.
> Apart from that it seems good. I've never got around to doing any sort of
> calibration at all.
> The new boat has a below-deck hydraulic system which is all very nice!
> CheersMark
>

> ----------------------------------------

[Colin Green]

Hey Geoff! That sounds GREAT!

Do you think she could make one for Misty?

C

[Davo_Skylark]

Graeme, I had a ST200 on Skylark for about 3 years. Then one day on
the way up the coast to Lake Macquarie, it took water and short-
circiuted the PCB, absolutely stuffing the unit - even some of the
plastic molding internal construction of the unit was melted and
stuffed, so I couldn't even purchase a new PCB and fit it - throw-away
case. I happened upon winning the door raffle for a Simrad TP10 at
the Compass regatta a couple of years ago and never had a problem with
it. However I would have to say it doesn't quite have the performance
of the ST2000... its response time is a little slower and I wouldn't
like to rely on it in a heavy follwoing sea; but then I would not want
to rely on a ST2000 under those circumstances either. But I certainly
never had a problem with the TP10 holding a course on C28 Skylark.
Maybe yours has a problem? Is it new and still under warranty?

[Maeling]

Yeah, just need to know the shaft hole size and whether port or
starboard

Geoff Raebel

[michael]

Hi Paul
I have the ST2000+ (and a older ST1000 backup) on my Northerner. Had
great success with them. I have mine connected to my Garmin 176C
chartplotter. I was curious when you mentioned "allow the autopilot to

steer you to a waypoint, then change course to steer you to the next

waypoint". I have not been able to get mine to change course after
arrival at a waypoint. I can set a route, but it will only go to the
first waypoint, but will not then change course to the next waypoint.
It will set off the arrival alarm only, and then await my "OK" to
alter course.
What GPS are you usung as I would like this feature.

Cheers

Michael
Yacht Amelia, N28

[lockie]

Well, time to bite the bullet and chuck the TP10: the Simrad tech's
suggested it was most likely the flux-gate compass. Replacement is
about $200, but no guarantee that will fix it, so there's not much
point going down that route, when new ones are only a couple of
hundred more.

So now I have to decide on a new Simrad or a Raymarine. Any ideas
which are better for both longevity and function?

Cheers, Graeme

> > Paul- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Kyeemah]

Raymarine.
Will cost more but you get what you pay for.
The ST2000 is probably a bit small? Whitworths rate it up to 3t.
Raymarine rate it to 4.5t. not sure what's going on there. There is a
GP version on some models. GP stands for giant price.
The SPX-5 is a good choice. around $1900.
I have an spx-5 wheel pilot (rated at 6t or 7.5t). It is excellent
though a bit more complicated to install. Few people here have them so
lots of assistance available if you install a Raymarine.
Ian

[lockie]

Next exciting episode ...... I pulled it apart and there's obviously
been a small amount of seawater ingress onto the PCB. I've flushed it
with clean water and tooth-brushed almost all of the visible corrosion
off and it looks OK. Can any clever electronics person tell me if
contact cleaner or PCB cleaner spray will help now? I'll reassemble it
and see what happens - nothing to lose but a slight cloud over it, if
it does work. And make up a nice big transparent condom for it. Or
chuck it and fork out for a new one.

Cheers, Graeme

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[saltair]

Graeme
My old autohelm 800 also stopped working with moisture on the PCB.
Wiped it with metho.
Seemed to work,till one day she finally gave up the ghost and I bought
a new Raymarine,which was exactly the same plastic body but with a
compass reading built in.
Staying with the same design meant not drilling new mounting holes
everywhere.
Doug

[Maeling]

My earlier Navico suffered from dry solder joints in the first year
and the tech went over it and it worked fine for 10 years. Sometimes
it went screwie and I sprayed circuit board cleaner and it came good.
The screwieness usually happened after I forgot to put its raincoat
on. I don't think resoldering is a big deal, local TV mechanic re
soldered my 68cm TV boards for dry joints and cost $99 -fixed problem.

Geoff Raebel

On Nov 9, 7:54 pm, lockie <graemel...@gmail.com> wrote:

[spikec28]

Graeme,

sounds just like the problem a mate had when he tried to install his
Simrad TP10 on his Castle 650 trailer sailer. I saw it in action
several times and it behaved almost exactly as you describe. He tried
everything and eventually I think he did get it to work. He had to
swap it from port to starboard mounting. He wondered whether it was
the presence of the outboard nearby (0.75m) affecting the internal
fluxgate compass. I was never totally convinced on that point -
neither was he.

Cheers,
Dave.

[lockie]

Ah well, the PCB cleaner didn't fix the TP10, so now the birthday
fairy is delegated to bring a replacement.
One thing I've gleaned from this and other discussions is that it is
essential to cover your auto-helm: many people report damage caused by
water ingress to both Simrads and Raymarines.

Now I'm wondering if a TP22 is worth the extra $150 or so to allow me
to interface it to the GPS via the NMEA port. I guess it might help
compensate for leeway, and provide wind-vane operation if/when I get
such a wind instrument. Has anyone used one of these hooked up to GPS
and/or wind? Is it really worth the bother?

Cheers, Graeme

[feebz]

Hi Micheal
i was just reading through these threads and read
yours, you mentioned you cant get your pilot to auto change cause when
you reach the way point, i do and i have and am sailing a vessel right
now all over the globe, on auto pilot with the latest and greatest
gadgets, and even when we are in the middle of no were and reach a way
point, we alter corse manually, and to be honest i dont no if they
will alter corse altomatically, personally i think that would be very
dangerous if they did, but i will find out if this pilot can
cheers happy sailing
shane

On Nov 1, 4:54 pm, michael <mcb...@fastrac.net.au> wrote:

[feebz]

Hi
I just read through the manal for our pilot and it will not change
corse automatically, it is wired into two radars multipal GPS's, two
ECDS's and one DPS system plus more, like your's, when we reach a way
point, the alarm sounds and it ask's do you wish to alter corse now,
we press acknowledge and off it go's, there is a system apparently
that will do the hole lot, but i have not seen or had anything to do
with that one,

shane

[lockie]

Well I reckon even if the tiller pilot was capable of changing course
for the next waypoint, it would be a bit silly unless it also sensed
the wind speed, and direction and then adjusted the sheets to suit. So
even if it could do it, it would be at best useless at worst
dangerous. So not relevant to yachts.

I'm trying to order a Simrad over the internet but they seem to be out
of stock everywhere.

[feebz]

I'm with you Graeme

We cant let the auto pilot have all the
fun,but i cant wait till i got one