Association Forum - better tiller pilot?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

better tiller pilot?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

sierrasailor
Deckhand

Member Avatar

USA
9 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/29/2004 : 01:36:24

Hi everyone, I've been reading the forum for awhile now just about every night. Great wealth of knowlegeable info from all! I'm getting ready to order a tiller pilot also, since my CFS (chief financial Santa),aka the Admiral says go for it. I would like any opinions, warnings, or pros & cons on the Simrad TP10 & Raymarine ST1000 units. Thanks much!

Doug Selman
'83 C25 #4045 SR/SK/TRAD
Lake Don Pedro, CA

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2004 : 06:52:10

Doug,

I've used my TP10 for a season and haven't experienced any problems. I also have a Catalina-owner friend who also has a Simrad and loves it. Based on my experience and what folks have been saying here, the lower price of the Simrad should be your guiding factor.

Al
GALLIVANT #5801

Edited by - on

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2004 : 08:20:53

I bought a Simrad TP20 last year. It holds a very precise compass course, but I have not been able to get it to work with my Garmin 168 GPS to follow a preset route or track. The tillerpilot will lock onto a GPS course for a minute or two, but as soon as the boat reaches a turning point (waypoint) in the GPS route, the pilot goes to "hard starboard" or "hard port" and just spins the boat in a circle until I disengage and reset it. I have not been able to figure out what's wrong, whether the fault is in the tillerpilot, the GPS, or the wiring circuit between them. The other problem with this unit is that it seems to use a LOT of battery power; a full 8-hour day of cruising around in the San Joaquin River last year completely depleted the boat's size 27 battery. I guess I will only be able to use it when motoring, so that the 5 amps from the outboard is partially compensating for the power demand from the tillerpilot. When boating season gets started next summer, I am going to see if I can borrow a different GPS from someone and see if the tillerpilot will work properly with it; if so, I will see if Garmin can repair or replace my 168.

Edited by - on

John V.
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
559 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2004 : 19:41:15

I've been using the Ratheon St1000 for four years. (mine is too old to be raymarine) It has worked great and has given no problems.

I just use mine for simple autopilot duty, you know hands free to make a sandwich or tend a jib. The AP needs to be mounted 18 inches from the center of the pintle. with the unit level that puts the push/pull rod four inches below the tiller. I made a steel extension that bolts to the tiller and is a bit stouter than the ones offered as an accessory.

Edited by - on

Bay Tripper
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
56 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2004 : 09:44:13

John can you post a picture of the steel extension that you made. I plan on adding an autopilot this winter to my boat and was contemplating some kind of extension. Have you had to add an additonal battery to handle the electric load?

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2004 : 10:31:18

Simrad sells the four inch, and other size brackets, as a accessory for it's line tiller pilots. They are heavy duty and cost around $30.
Check the data base on tiller pilots here. We had a lively discussion regarding them this past spring/summer.

Al
GALLIVANT #5801

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2004 : 14:51:01

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by sierrasailor
 ...I would like any opinions, warnings, or pros & cons on the Simrad TP10 & Raymarine ST1000 units. Thanks much!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Doug,

Although I did have to send my ST1000 back for repairs because of an overdriving problem, it has performed well on my C25. The autotack feature is basically useless (as stated by a factory technician), but I've learned to work around that. I really like the course display feature on the ST1000 (Simrad doesn't have one), but it isn't necessary for autopilot use.

My autopilot came with a remote, but in the years that I've owned it, I've yet to find a practical use for it and have only "played" with it once or twice. My autopilot also came with a GPS interface, but again, I've only played with this feature and not actually used it. If I were shopping for another autopilot, both of these features would now be way, way down the list.

Whichever model you choose, I'm sure you'll get plenty of utility from it. I'm basically a singlehanded sailor and I use my autopilot pretty much everytime I go out.

Some helpful hints...

Mount your autopilot on the opposite side as the outboard. This will allow you to control the outboard while the autopilot is engaged without having to perform any gymnastics.

If you can, try to mount the tiller pin on the top of the tiller. A tiller with a low hanging fixed bracket could turn into a knee knocker or thigh scraper.

Edited by - on

ilnadi
Captain

Members Avatar

452 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2004 : 16:22:09

Quick question: is there such a thing as 'too much autopilot". I.e. will an AP built for a 10,000lb boat have problems controlling a 4,500lb C25? Or do they all have sensitiviy adjustments etc so that they can deal with a boat that responds faster?

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2004 : 17:04:25

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ilnadi
 Quick question: is there such a thing as 'too much autopilot". I.e. will an AP built for a 10,000lb boat have problems controlling a 4,500lb C25?...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Most autopilots usually list the max specification (displacement, length,..etc) that the autopilot can handle and if you put a 10,000lb rated autopilot on a 5,000lb boat, I would think that the autopilot would have an easier time.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2004 : 18:09:38

ilnadi,<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ilnadi

Quick question: is there such a thing as 'too much autopilot". I.e. will an AP built for a 10,000lb boat have problems controlling a 4,500lb C25?...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I have had an Autohelm 2000Plus on my 1979 C-25 for the past several years. This has included use in the ocean as well as in protected waters. I'm very pleased with its perfomance.

I agree that the "auto-tack" feature is about useless. The course readout is nice to have, but I haven't yet bothered to calibrate the internal compass. I haven't bothered to hookup the remote control or GPS interface yet. There is available for the ST-2000 a windvane adapter which communicates through the same wiring as the remote control. That capability might be handy on long tacks surounded by plenty of sea room.

After a very informative chat with a factory technician, I now believe that the mounting distance from the pintles in the instructions is more of a suggestion than a hard and fast rule. With a powerful autopilot, mounting closer would yield quicker hard-over times, more lock-to-lock steering angle, and would reduce the need for limit switches.

The Autohelm 1000 & 2000 series autopilots don't seem to have limit switches. This means that when they hit full travel, the motor just stalls, drawing much more current than normal. This can lead to a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker at an inopportune moment.

(In other words, it's the sort of design feature that deserves a dope slap.

) I strongly suggest that all electrical autopilots be on a dedicated circuit protected by a circuit breaker.

I installed my pivot bushing in the top of the coaming on the opposite side from the outboard motor. This requires less hardware, and is less in my way than a mounting on the seat back or hatch cover would be.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.