What Auto Pilot for a 930

[RedLine 0]

Hi need to buy a tiller pilot for my 930. Was thinking of Raymarine 2000 tiller pliot. But 930's require a very fast tiller response when sailing. So wondered if anyone had any comment on what they have, and how good or otherwsie it might have been. Am intending on doing 2011 RNI, and will likely want to use the auto-pilot in the small hours if conditions are light enough, so you get a break from the helm once in a while.

 

There is an SPX 5 unit that looks a better bet, but is over $2.5k.

 

What have others used on 930's and have they been any good under sail?, as any auto pilot will work when under motor or very light airs.

 

Stu

[Guest]

Don't expect too much out of any tiller pilot. Be ready to drop the traveller lower than normal to completely unload the helm as these things will only be any good if the boat is better than perfectly balanced. Forget about racing. They will hold a course for a while and tack for you if you're short handed but too far off the wind in any sea and the results are hopeless. As far as getting a tiller pilot to respond quickly, they just don't. They're a great tool if you're underpowered or motoring and in most cases their favourite point of sail is close hauled.

[tuffyluffy 76]

My understanding of these things is, that if you need a fast acting autopilot, you need one with a gyro, or two. I dont think the little tiller pilots have these. I think Raymarine do a above deck tiller pilot with a below deck course computer and gyro, but it wont be cheap

[Guest]

I have a Ray 1000 and it was fine most of the time. No TWA setting so only straight lines and it did struggle downwind especially if there was a following sea as well. It did do it but the course was wobbly and if I got hit by a decent wave, especially on the 1/4, it was prone to making the boat a bit of an adventure ride. Short term short handed it was OK but much more than a minute or 2 and you've soon sailing a very random course. Upwind sweet as no problem at all.

 

Note my boat is very well balanced.

 

I have recently got a 2000 mainly as they are a bit quicker and I can interface with my non-existent wind instruments. We found the last windgear had a suicide function and it leaped to it's death during a rugged Winter Series race. The new set is still sitting in my orifice as it has been for nearly a year.

 

With the change to the 2000 I have found bugger all difference to be honest. It has more grunt so I think, and it's only a think, it has stopped the odd spin out or used it's grunt to stop the boat tripping over that edge into a full blown spin. Downhill is pretty much the same as the 1000, maybe a little less wondering but it still struggles waves on the 1/4.

 

The 2000 has lots of grunt, around 85kg I think it was. While that doesn't sound a lot it was enough to make my tiller bend in the pre-spin where the 1000 didn't. So if you have a limp tiller it may pay to beef it up a bit.

 

Either would be fine but neither one will be much use downwind in big weather or 1/2 decent waves, just too slow. Go the 1000 and save the bucks unless you want that interface action in which case go the 2000. Note here, the Ray 2000 doesn't match all wind gear in NMEA strings. Knot too sure how important that bit is though.

[Guest]

Oracle has the raymarine tiller pilot.....think it was the 4000 series....the one with the gyro and computer down below.....it links into the wind and other instruments.....so an intergrated system....

works fast and accurately....most of the time on all points it is as fast as human helming...... and in the light, faster...

we used it itn he last RNI too ....

great kit.

[RedLine 0]

Thanks for the replies. Have decided against the A Helm1000/2000, and am going for an SPX-5, which I can get a hold of for

Next problem is, can only charge batteries via the out board, so will now likely need 1-2 solar panels to keep track of the auto-pilot power!

Stu

[Guest]

Hell that's sizeable unit for a 930. I considered it myself but couldn't be arsed with the extra fiddling it entails. Make sure your tiller is up to the loads.

 

I don't think the AP's use that much juice these days. I run my entire boat of the OB quite easily and at times use the AP extensively. I do chuck on a 40W panel for the 5 day or longer cruises but that's more to keep up with the stereo. If I didn't use that I'd have no need for the panel. Note that it's always spinning the CD which I'm told sucks by far most of the power so maybe one of the MP3 ones would save a huge pile.

[Changed 10]

If you're fitting a pilot of any kind I'd get a remote as well. Great to have and saves going back to the unit to make adjustments. I found that the remote from my old Autohelm unit is compatible with the new Raymaring unit which I was told it wouldn't be. But there you go.

[tuffyluffy 76]

If you're fitting a pilot of any kind I'd get a remote as well. Great to have and saves going back to the unit to make adjustments. I found that the remote from my old Autohelm unit is compatible with the new Raymaring unit which I was told it wouldn't be. But there you go.

 

Did you get that 'advice' from the Raymarine agent in Albany?

 

I was told a gyro wouldnt work with my unit, and it did.

[Changed 10]

Snap

[Guest]

If you're fitting a pilot of any kind I'd get a remote as well. Great to have and saves going back to the unit to make adjustments.

You lazy sod

 

Damn, now I want a remote. It's fun to have the AP on and do close fly-bys of parked fishos while you hide downstairs, it freaks the crap out of them. Have remote steering would be so much more fun as I could aim straight at them and do a last second course change

[wheels 543]

Hey Redline, just spied this on TM, if it's of any help.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 441614.htm

[Guest]

Great advertising from the TM listing.

"It's great, crapped out after 4 hours use, but repaired now and otherwise fine".

[wheels 543]

Yeah that was about the norm for Autohelm when I used to service it. I had left that industry when it went Raymarine, but I had heard nothing much had changed on the reliability front apart from the name.

[Clipper 344]

Yeah that was about the norm for Autohelm when I used to service it. I had left that industry when it went Raymarine, but I had heard nothing much had changed on the reliability front apart from the name.

 

4 hours of continuous use, or 4 hours in total?

[wheels 543]

I should had a Wink smiley face in that comment. Bit harsh. They got at least 5hrs total. Actually there was nothing else around like the AH tiller pilots back then. Plastimo had one that was just shocking. I think the problem was that the PCB technology back then was not as advanced as it is today. An they are certainly in one on the harshest environments, being out in the weather working away.

[Guest]

Our Simrad TP 32 is working fine on the 1104. Rated for a 40 footer.

They aren't offering remotes at present.

[RedLine 0]

update is that Ive gone full circle. eg Simply bought a cheap & cheerful ST1000 tiller pilot. As doing down the route of AP's with built in Gyro's and gruntty drive units is all well & good, but then you need a bank of batteries to power it with, then a bank of solar panels to keep them going etc, and it all adds up to too much expense,weight & windage on a small boat. So have opted to keep it simple eg a pilot that can be used for sail changes, and very light air sailing when short handed. Ive also gone for a small 40W solar panel on a wandering lead, that can be clipped on in a number of places, that will hopefully keep track with 12V usage on board.

 

Still got to fit it all yet though!

[Guest]

As a FYI Redline -

 

I have a 120amp deep cycle battery, all LED lighting bar the 25W masthead tricolour, pretty std Stereo running 4 good speakers, a ST1000 which is now a 2000 and one multi instrument. Generally that battery fully charged will last a few days comfortably with gentle stereo use, crank it and she sucks like a K Rd street walker. We can very easily do races like the Simrad 100 using the stereo and masthead light and come home with still lost in the battery and have no need to input anything.

 

We charge off the outboard, approx 6-8amps by the looks. On a cruise of more than 4-5 days I take a 40W panel and assuming average sun we can get a pile more into the battery than what we take out. Usually cruising we also run the fridge but the panel keeps up with that easily as well, it suck about 20 amps a day when down to temp and the kids hands are taped behind their backs. About 30 if the kids are unleashed due to their constant need to eat everything every 2 mins.

 

When back in the marina I drop out a 5W panel which trickles a little back in and if we've just been out for a day or 2, that panel does appear to top the battery up pretty well in a week of full sun. If we've hammered the battery we plug into the mains for a day, which doesn't happen often.

 

The Raymarine AP's use bugger all as long as they aren't working hard. We are very well balanced and most of the time the AP just holds the tiller in place rather than having to move it much. I've come to knot worry about battery suckage with the AP, it just appears to be that low it's knot really a concern.

 

The only thing I watch with regards to battery sucking is the stereo and that'll shortly change when I swap from a CD one to a MP3 one. Apparently spinning the CD's is what sucks the juice.

 

Swapping from those old school fluro lights to the LED's saved us huge in battery consumption. All the LED lights turned on at once uses about 2/3rd of the power just one of the fluros did. Well worth the effort ....................... once you have caught up with all your other tasks :)

 

Oh, the anchor light is a home made LED and can run 2 full nights on one AA battery. Yes, it's plenty bright, directional LEDs