I just bought a raymarine EV-100 wheel autopilot and will be installing it soon.
I noticed some people have the autopilot display mounted to the side in the coaming.
Does this work well for you, as opposed to putting it in a pod on the steering pedestal?
I notice most boats with pods have a taller pedestal and many have the top angled back.
Where are your sensor and controller box located?
Any installation or component location advice would be helpful,
Thanks,
Rick
I have always preferred my AP instrument mounted in a pod in front of me. I've had them mounted off to the side of the cockpit (other owner's installation), as well as at the helm, and always found the helm mount to be more intuitive. Now that we have a tiller boat with a tiller pilot, I sometimes have to actually think for a second or two before hitting a button for a course correction. A decent Navpod at the helm of a wheel boat can contain your WS/WD, D/KM, and WS/WD.
Hi:
I did mine on the side of the cockpit and it works out fine. The fluxgate compass is mounted ahead of the fuel take and on the centerline of the boat. The "brain" is on the wall that use to be where the holding tank was. Went to a larger plastic holding tank that mounts along the starboard inner hull (12 gallons). I also mounted my windless up and down switch just below the autopilot control....that was a mistake. Passengers sit near there and are always bumping the switch. Even if you turn off the circuit breaker below the relay keeps getting activated. I now take the fuse out for that until I intend to use it.
Bruce
Allure
Rick,
I'm going to be installing an EV100 in my Sabre along with a Raymarine A97 MFD. If you have a Raymarine MFD you may not even need the display head as the MFD can control the autopilot. My current plan is to put the MFD on the pedestal guard and then put the autopilot display somewhere else probably near the companionway (maybe just inside hidden behind a hinged panel). That way I can control the autopilot at the helm with the MFD and also control it if I am under the dodger or if I am working the jib sheets singlehanded by using the small autopilot display.
Shawn
I was advised by somebody at the Chicago Boat show to mount the sensor unit on the centerline forward, like under the V-berth behind the water tank. Any idea if it's better if far forward of the rudder, or does it matter as long as it's on the centerline?
Quote from: relamb on May 10, 2015, 11:12:05 PM
I was advised by somebody at the Chicago Boat show to mount the sensor unit on the centerline forward, like under the V-berth behind the water tank. Any idea if it's better if far forward of the rudder, or does it matter as long as it's on the centerline?
Mine is mounted on the after portion of the port settee; near the galley. It seems to do okay but could be more responsive and hold course better. I don't have much experience with AP's to have any baseline as to performance of the individual unit.
I mounted the controler inside the cabinet, underneth the sink on the engine room wall.
(http://i61.tinypic.com/34shybs.jpg)
The display is mounted on the pedistal.
(http://i59.tinypic.com/1679v0o.jpg)
And the sensor is mounted underneth the foward bunk, port sode. All works GREAT!
Update - after owning the autopilot for months, I finally got it installed. I mounted the control head in a 6x6 plastic weatherproof electrical junction box, with a cord grip coming through the side and a 15' long seatalk cable. I had bought a pod to mount on the pedestal but it would not fit without a taller stainless pedestal guard.
The junction box allows me to lay the control head on the seat next to me or move it around wherever I am on the boat. No holes cut in the boat or pedestal, and I can remove the pod for storage inside.
It would be cool to have it wireless, but then I'd eventually drop it overboard and lose it.
If any of you replaced an Autohelm 3000 with your newer unit I am looking to buy one for spare parts since they don't make them anymore.
BobK
Hey BobK:
I have a spare wheel unit (ST4000 MK2 Wheel Drive). The controller unit on the original Autohelm was inoperative, and had to be replaced with the three part unit. It was cheaper to buy the system than the parts hence the extra wheel unit. It works, it has been used when the new unit had to be repaired because of a poor electric connection.
BTW the Autohelm input is installed on the starboard side of the cockpit where the PO had it, the compass is installed in front of the rudder quadrant, and the connection box on the inside of the starboard cockpit footwell, above the fuel thank.
regards charlie
One problem I did not have a chance to diagnose. When I installed the unit it appeared to work fine out of the box, I did the dockside calibration/setup routine. Then I went out of the marina and did a couple of 360 circles to calibrate the compass as recommended. I think (but not positive) that the compass was relatively accurate before the calibration. Now it's off by 40 degrees or so from my magetic compass and my phone and GPS compasses.
The heading sensor is installed in the cabin on the underneath side of the bottom step, which is directly in front of the battery compartment and pretty close to the front of the engine. too close? Any ideas? Maybe I should read the install manual again.
Hey Rick:
The GM angle around here is 10°. Of the three compasses on the boat Magnetic, GPS and Autohelm,the magnetic and GPS are pretty close. I have not swung the magnetic compass, in fact it is getting repaired at this time. I do not recall whether the Autohelm is magnetic or true, or if it is even mentioned.
If I were you I would try the calibration again, talk to the techs, then if necessary move the compass sensor.
I recall the calibration circles are supposed to be pretty slow. Personally I had no lick in calibrating the Autohelm.
regards charlie
I'll try a recalibration next weekend. my Delorme InReach and the Autopilot, and a phone app I use can show magnetic north, and of course so does the compass.
The electronics must have some magic software to translate to the magnetic heading based on location and time of year. I have them set for that vs true heading, so they match the compass. Everything matches within a degree or so except the autopilot heading.
I should probably check to see if the autopilot is using it's own sensor for direction or if it's getting the direction from the Raymarine GPS antenna that I added.
Obviously the SOG speed display is coming from the gps because the heading sensor doesn't know, and I don't have a paddlewheel sensor.
Quote from: relamb on September 09, 2015, 12:51:33 PM
The heading sensor is installed in the cabin on the underneath side of the bottom step, which is directly in front of the battery compartment and pretty close to the front of the engine. too close? Any ideas? Maybe I should read the install manual again.
Sounds like the sensor is too close to both the engine and the charging system.
One of the drawbacks of the newer autopilots is the digital readout of the set course. Previously, you used to just engage the autopilot and the course was maintained regardless of what the fluxgate "thought" the heading was (e.g. if you pointed the boat on a course of 090M on your main compass and engaged the AP, it would maintain the course even if the sensor "read" that as 050M...but you would not know as there was no readout from the sensor that you could see). Now you're presented with the confusion between two or more "numbers". Now you're into the wonderful world of swinging compasses and (potentially) correction tables.
I used to have a steel ketch and the choices for compass were between a (heavily corrected) Sestrel Moore mounted upside down from the (wooden) doghouse overhead and an electronic sensor mounted half way up the mizzen mast. We went with the Sestrel...uncorrected it was off by almost 45-deg; after correction, the compass adjuster managed to flatten the correction chart to +/- 8-deg in a nice sine curve (unfortunately he plotted the curve with the signs reversed which we only discovered by trying to hit the sides of a dutch canal).
You'll probably find the results will be different depending on whether the engine is on or not as well, due to the magnetic fields that are generated in the charging system. In your place, I'd move the sensor away from any iron masses or strong electronics (beware tin cans as well...fortunately beer and soda now come in aluminum cans), at least temporarily and try again to see if there is a different result.
Fortunately the sensor just connects via a SeaTalk cable/plug, with power and communications all going through one cord.
Easy enough to move the sensor someplace else temporarily with a longer patch cord and see what happens. I'll try that, as well as seeing if the engine running or not has an effect. Yet another thing on the list for next weekend!
Quote from: deisher6 on September 09, 2015, 08:46:03 AM
Hey BobK:
I have a spare wheel unit (ST4000 MK2 Wheel).
Do you still have the wheel unit?
Hey Curt:
Sold it.
regards charlie
Installed my ev100 a year ago. Control head was put in coming because that's where original was. Would have preferred it in front of me. Everything else is attached to plywood right of engine. Works great. Only problem is I have never been able to get it to steer a course thru Ray Marine auto helm,
Just in the process of installing my EV-100, Anyone needing spare parts for a 4000, let me know.
I too am starting to install a EV 100 and plan on mounting the display on the starboard coaming and thinking about about putting the compass inside the head on the aft wall to get it away from most everything.
Awfeith, how is your install going and where are you mounting?
thanks, Steve
I mounted the compass on the front of the shelf on the starboard side locker. Behind the head above the holding tank. I have the display on a pod, starboard side of the helm. All the electronics are in the starboard locker. I could not get the patch cord to run the auto helm through my Garmin Gps backbone. I will run the auto helm on its own. I just received the Garmin transducer for speed, temp, and depth and will run that through my Garmin backbone. When I complete all I'll post photos.
André
I finally finished the install the other day and the system starting to work. As yet, it is not hooked up to a rudder sensor, gps or wind and I will continue to play with the settings. I am now going to try 16 as the "hard over" time and hope that will fix the overcorrecting when under sail. It works fine under power and holds a straight course.
I mounted the display on the side of the starboard coaming and the compass inside the starboard settee on the forward side of the head bulkhead. Both compasses agree within 1 degree of each other so all the parts are well separated from everything and not causing interference.
I thought the instructions were very poor, confusing and incomplete and good luck talking to anyone at the help desk.
How is yours working and with what settings?
Steve
Hey Steve:
I absolutely agree with you about the instructions that come with RayMarine equipment.
I have ignored the stuff on compass calibration and lock to lock entry. It did not seem to make any difference. The only setting that I change regularly is the Performance setting.
I was just thinking that my least favorite sound in the beeping of "Otto" the auto helm, when it looses steering command and I am in the middle of a sail change on the foredeck!
Generally if is a great pice of gear.
regards charlie