[Rhodes22-list] Autopilot

[Arthur H. Czerwonky]

Bill,

Thanks for such a detailed post, a very positive one about Raymarine.  What dollar worth would you put on the s100 remote after your experience using it?

It sounds like it did well with GPS, what GPS did you interface with it?  Did you use waypoints across the Gulfstream or just steer a course?

I have read similar comments from blue water sailors about the positive value of an autopilit.

Thanks again,

Art

-----Original Message-----
>From: "William E. Wickman" <wewickman at duke-energy.com>
>Sent: Jun 21, 2006 12:13 PM
>To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Autopilot
>
>Art,
>I?m glad to answer any questions.  But be prepared, this is a long post as
>I got carried away.
>
>I installed the Raymarine ST1000 several weeks before the trip so was not
>able to fully test it out before departure.  Not the best idea since one
>should never depart on an expedition with untested equipment, but I figured
>that if there was a malfunction I could just go back to manual steering.
>Fortunately it worked like a charm.  I also got the S100 handheld remote.
>The remote is quite cool with a real ?wow? factor when you play with it and
>show it off to your friends.  You can literally sit on the bow of your
>boat, feet dangling over the edge, and steer.  And, hey, if you fall
>overboard you can turn the boat around to come back to get you (as long as
>you do so before the boat gets too far away). :)   But all that said, I
>think they are over priced right now.  I got mine for a really good price
>on eBay, but still feel like I paid more than the functionality you get on
>a small boat.  It is awfully fun to play with and show off though!
>
>Installation was fairly straightforward.  I did have to buy two extension
>rods and mounting bracket for the tiller which added to the cost.  I
>elected to install so that the autopilot rod connected on the bottom side
>of the tiller with the mounting socket directly into the gunwale.  This
>configuration worked out really well.  The trickiest part was making
>accurate measurements for the location of the tiller bracket and socket.
>One pleasant surprise was that when I drilled my hole in the gunwale, the
>fiberglass was so thick that virtually none of the mounting socket
>protruded through the fiberglass.  I didn?t have to install a backing
>plate.  These boats are built really well.  I mounted the S100 transmitter
>for the handheld remote inside the cabin down low on the bulkhead just to
>the right of the galley cabinet.
>
>For wiring, I decided to install the tillerpilot plug inside the cockpit
>cubby instead of in drilling a big hole in the seatback directly below the
>autopilot.  I really hate to drill holes in fiberglass if I can avoid it.
>So, I removed the piece of plastic that is screwed in front of the top
>shelf part of the cubby hole (you know, the little secret shelf) and made
>it into a wiring panel of sorts.  In addition to the autopilot plug, I
>wanted a 12v socket in the cockpit so it would be more convenient to plug
>in my GPS, spotlight, MP3 player, etc.  So I also installed a quality 12v
>socket along side the autopilot plug.  I also made a cutout for an RS232
>port that I planned to use to connect my older model GPS into the
>Autopilot.  I later abandoned the RS232 port idea and opted to direct wire
>a power/data plug for my Garmin GPS. It made for fewer wire connections and
>much easier hookup to the GPS.  (I kept the RS232 plug that I had made and
>could install it if needed with my old GPS unit in a pinch).  Anyway, the
>whole installation turned out pretty neat with everything tucked well
>inside the cubby and protected from weather and clumsy crew.  In addition
>to running the 12v wiring from my circuit panel in the cabin to the cubby,
>and wiring the Garmin power/data adapter, I had to wire up the remote
>control transmitter to 12v and data to the autopilot (it is actually just
>one data wire).  Raymarine?s instructions were pretty straightforward, but
>I had to diagram it all out for myself since I was adding in some extras.
>I came off the same 12v circuit breaker for the remote transmitter, the
>autopilot and 12v socket for simplicity purposes and so that the whole
>system could be shut down with the flip of one switch. I?m probably making
>it sound more complicated than it was.  I can take a picture and post is
>anyone cares to see.
>
>In the sea trials of the Bahamas, the tillerpilot performed flawlessly.
>Only when the rudder had kicked up slightly and was having trouble turning
>the boat, or when I accidentally knocked the pilot off the tiller, or when
>I activated a waypoint that was waaaay off from the current heading, did
>the pilot over-range (run in or out past its stop point).  But for the
>entire trip through all sorts of sea states, the tillerpilot never had a
>problem keeping us on course.  It operated hour after hour in the hot sun,
>and in the driving rain.  My overall impression is that it is a pretty
>rugged piece of equipment.
>
>The S100 performed extremely well also.  Sometimes it would take a few
>seconds to find and sync with the tiller pilot when everything was turned
>on, but the delay never was remotely an issue (no pun intended).  The only
>problem that I encountered was that following a very heavy downpour when
>everything got soaked, moisture formed on the inside of the LCD display of
>the remote.  It still operated but was very difficult to read.  Two days
>later, the display faded out and I was unable to use the remote on the last
>day of the trip.  I was spoiled and missed it.  And here is my plug for
>customer service at Raymarine.  When I got home I emailed them about the
>problem and they promptly replied to send it into their warranty repair
>service center.  Three days later a brand new unit was waiting on my
>doorstep.  I also found Raymarine very helpful and quick to respond when I
>emailed their tech support with some questions regarding the installation
>and operation of the tiller pilot.
>
>Power consumption was minimal during operation, and the pilot could operate
>all day with minimal drawdown on my batteries.  The pilot and remote system
>drew a constant 0.1 amp when in standby mode due, I guess, to the LCD
>display on the tiller pilot and the transmitter for the remote.  The
>handheld unit runs on two AA batteries that I had to change one time during
>the trip which surprised me, but I used that remote a lot.
>
>In summary, I will repeat what others have said.  An autopilot is wonderful
>to have if you are making long passages or single handing.  Going out just
>a few hours, you might have limited use for one although there is a lot to
>be said for being able to focus on your spouse or date instead of having to
>keep your hand on the tiller?
>
>Bill W.