Thinking ahead to Xmas - what tiller-pilot should Santa get me?

[KM... 830]

Had both Simrad 32 and Raymarine 1000 and 2000.

Found no discernible difference between brands.

Tend to use the 2000 the most as it is the fastest.

The Ray 1000 has been swimming at least twice but it still works fine....much to everyones surprise.

The 32 died when a drunk fell on it bending it in half.

If you buy one new I'd consider some extra waterproofing, maybe by spraying a few coats of Soft Seal, or something like that but better, all over it. Water ingress does seem to be the most common killer of tiller pilots.

[Island Time 778]

If you seal it completely, that will kill it prematurely. The issue is both heat and cooling changing internal pressure, but also the volume change when the rod moves in and out. There is an internal rubber bellows/seal that moves to allow for this. If you seal it, it won’t move.

[ex TL systems 57]

I protected my 2000 with a simple cover roughly made from clear plastic like dodger clears. Keeps rain and spray off and you can still see and operate the buttons etc. 

[Above-the-Fold 9]

ATF had Autohelm instruments aboard, so when the fluxgate compass/control head failed, we went with Raymarine. New EV-1 sensor unit and P70s control head. The original drive unit was just fine and is going strong. Can't recall its model but it does not have controls on it; it was driven by the control head.