Deprecated: Function set_magic_quotes_runtime() is deprecated in /var/www/vhosts/tartan37.com/httpdocs/t37forum/common.php on line 88 Tartan37.com • View topic - Autopilot choice?

Tartan37.com

Tartan 37 Owner's Forum - Ride the wind, but look good doing it!
The time is 28 Mar 2024 10:19

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 31 Posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next

Which autopilot do you have?
Raymarine Wheel Pilot? 55%  55%  [ 16 ]
Simrad Wheel Pilot? 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
Raymarine Linear Drive, type 1? 17%  17%  [ 5 ]
Raymarine Linear Drive, type 2? 3%  3%  [ 1 ]
B & G below deck? 10%  10%  [ 3 ]
Simrad below deck? 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
other? 13%  13%  [ 4 ]
Total votes : 29
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: Autopilot choice?
PostPosted: 24 Oct 2014 13:13 
Offline
Skipper

Joined: 27 Oct 2006 10:32
Posts: 827
Although I like the simplicity of the Alpha, I am turned off by the thought of having to manually disengage it. It looks like Raymarine has radically improved their computer interface with their below deck "Evolution" units. Does anyone have any direct experience with these new units?


 
 Profile Email  
 
 Post subject: Re: Autopilot choice?
PostPosted: 02 Nov 2014 09:42 
Offline
Skipper

Joined: 20 Oct 2006 16:10
Posts: 687
Location: Out of Waukegan, IL
Tortuga's Lie wrote:
curious: How many people with wheel pilots have no issues while sailing in moderate to heavy conditions?

Same ST4000+ did pretty well in it's day, but now blinks out under stress and restarts in standby. Before that lovely feature though, it would only start hunting wildly in the 25+ knot/6+ft seas type of day. Really I think it was more subject to craziness when the boat was overpowered in big waves. Often times a reef would improve its performance.

But yes, at some point in the waves it would be always on, always over correcting, and we'd have to relieve him (Named Otto of course) of his duties to save the battery and our sanity. (gets noisy when it's leeeft -riiiiight- leeeeft)

We'll be looking to go linear in the next couple seasons as well but I'm waiting for the right electronics package to marry with the new B&G NMEA2k everything else. Presently, the ST4000 can only read stats and waypoints that my PC converts and sends on the dedicated 0183 line going just to the autohelm.

_________________
SMMO/First Mate aboard High Flight #299
1981 - Full Keel - Furling Main (A boat for the lazy crew...)


 
 Profile Email  
 
 Post subject: Re: Autopilot choice?
PostPosted: 09 Dec 2015 08:17 
Offline
Skipper

Joined: 09 Jul 2008 12:51
Posts: 251
Just purchased the Raymarine AV-200 Sail Linear Evolution w/Type 1 linear drive, T70158. Winter project....

I'll keep my Raymarine wheel pilot.

Anyone installed this autopilot model yet ?


 
 Profile Email  
 
 Post subject: Re: Autopilot choice?
PostPosted: 09 Dec 2015 10:10 
Offline
Skipper

Joined: 21 Jan 2010 12:57
Posts: 168
Yes, I installed the Raymarine evolution; so far so good. Most challenging conditions so far was in 25-30 knots of breeze with a pretty good sea state broad reaching and running. The wheel pilot would not have been able to handle it. I mounted the drive under the "well" in the aft part of the cockpit where the scuppers are. It fits between the wire ropes on their way from the turning blocks under the helm to the quadrant, offset so the ram is perpendicular to the line from the periphery of the quadrant (where the end of the ram attaches) through the center of the rudder post. Fingers crossed


 
 Profile Email  
 
 Post subject: Re: Autopilot choice?
PostPosted: 10 Dec 2015 08:55 
Offline
Midshipman

Joined: 01 Nov 2014 12:50
Posts: 68
Location: Toledo
Our boat was stripped of electronics before we purchased (or rather they were all old and failed).
We picked up a used Autohelm ST4000+ for around $400. Turned out a tiny wire in the flux gate compass was broken and it would always read 225 degrees... it was a simple fix with a soldering gun and now it works quite nicely. The control unit is mounted in the Starboard side instrument cubby, and is fairly easy to access under way. (yes a pod-mounted control would be better, but I would prefer to put a chartplotter/radar there someday.)
It works quite well, though as predicted quartering seas(and surging to 8-10 knots) are pretty challenging for it. I did not change gain settings on it to see if it would improve, but generally only ask it to take over for a few minutes now and then to give me a break on the helm in those conditions.
For future... if we do longer cruises, we will consider IN ADDITION, putting a heavy duty linear drive unit on. Having two completely independent Autopilots seems like a great idea -espescially since we have so little invested in our first one.


 
 Profile Email  
 
 Post subject: Re: Autopilot choice?
PostPosted: 10 Dec 2015 09:54 
Offline
Skipper

Joined: 29 Dec 2006 09:38
Posts: 656
I agree with the idea of two autopilots. I shorted a wire on the computer of my Raymarine 6000+ (they have since vastly improved the fusing on these units) and blew out ALL my interfaced instruments. I caution folks about the risk of interfacing all your instrumentation with wires (maybe soon you can do it all wirelessly and that would be OK) as this was a practical and financial disaster. I was in Mazatlan, Mexico and under pressure to get to Panama on a schedule. So the old belt wheel pilot drove the boat for the next 1000 miles without any particular issues--but I had good weather and relatively calm seas. I have since become a critic of untested, interfaced systems with displays you cannot really read in the sun and placed at or behind the helm where, if you are really cruising some distance, you spend minimal time. These days, I find an IPAD the most used navigational display on coastal and offshore passages, but the under deck autopilot is a very essential piece of equipment if you are going any distance. I can tell you as a pilot, the IPad has revolutionized small aircraft flying in the last few years with cheaper, better quality and more accessible display of navigational data than any ridiculous expensive installed aircraft system. If you are looking to future systems like autopilots and nav gear, I strongly suggest wireless capability to IPAD should become a criterion for purchase.


 
 Profile Email  
 
 Post subject: Re: Autopilot choice?
PostPosted: 10 Dec 2015 11:16 
Offline
Grinder

Joined: 22 Jun 2008 10:54
Posts: 85
Had the same problem and found out it was a bad connection on the ground wire that had enough resistance to cause a low voltage when the drive motor worked hard. The ST4000 is set up to shut down when the voltage goes below a certain point (11.5V I believe).

Down2TheC wrote:
Tortuga's Lie wrote:
curious: How many people with wheel pilots have no issues while sailing in moderate to heavy conditions?

Same ST4000+ did pretty well in it's day, but now blinks out under stress and restarts in standby.

_________________
Neal Musto
T37 #31
Abraxas


 
 Profile Email  
 
 Post subject: Re: Autopilot choice?
PostPosted: 11 Dec 2015 22:08 
Offline
Skipper

Joined: 14 Jul 2012 20:36
Posts: 495
Location: Norfolk, Va
Had a wheel pilot ST-4000, the head got wet and fired. RayMarine was good about letting me upgrade to a linear drive and S1 computer w/gyro. I do like it better than the wheel. I did almost crashed the boat hitting the "AUTO" by mistake at a very bad time (going thru a draw bridge). The old wheel pilot did well enough on the bay, for many years.

_________________
Hull #208, Puff Card
Southern Chesapeake Bay


 
 Profile Email  
 
 Post subject: Re: Autopilot choice?
PostPosted: 09 Feb 2017 14:16 
Offline
Midshipman

Joined: 15 Jan 2010 16:13
Posts: 54
Wondering if there are any updates folks might offer on below deck autopilots since the last posts. Have a Raymarine wheel pilot and it's been fine in light to moderate conditions. Am leaning toward the Alpha 3000 over the Raymarine EV200. Though Raymarine is offering a hefty rebate now.


 
 Profile Email  
 
 Post subject: Re: Autopilot choice?
PostPosted: 13 Feb 2017 20:07 
Offline
Skipper

Joined: 10 Nov 2006 22:56
Posts: 171
Location: Portland, Oregon
Still loving my Alpha 3000, but had an interesting phone convo with them a few months ago. My remote does not have the switch to set the pilot to the current course when switching from manual steering with the remote to autopilot. Naturally, I want that. I called Alpha to see if there was an upgrade to the electronics so that I could use the new remote. Answer: "Yes, there is an upgrade... you just buy the latest version of the Alpha 3000 for $2295.00, and the remote for $249.00.

_________________
Jay and Muki Kerr
Tartan 37 Betty Lou (formerly Rainbow)
Hull # 118, fin keel
St. Helens, OR
Betty Lou's Blog


 
 Profile Email  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 31 Posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Powered by phpBB © 2002, 2006 phpBB Group