Furuno PG-500 Fluxgate compass

[meridian@]

Has anyone here had any experience with the above? My standard compass seems to be way off, maybe as a result of extensive welding on the steel hull.

Anyway, a new one will be around AUD400, so I thought maybe a fluxgate might be an option, albeit more expensive at around USD825 or more than AUD 1200.

I'd be interested in hearing of experiences with this unit.

Thanks
meridian@

[forsailbyowner]

Ive been using one on my navpilot. Works well , except the auto compass compensation feature is a dud. This came straight from a furuno technician. Its a feature he said never should have been added to unit as it never functions corrrectly. Not a problem though if you leave it turned off. To set compensation manually you just put in in the correct mode and do a full 360 circle

[David M]

What will be the purpose of the fluxgate? Will it be your boats standard compass or the steering compass or used for something like the autopilot or radar compass? If your boat is a larger steel hull vessel you may need quadrantal spheres to compensate for quadrantal deviation.

If your compasss is to be used for determining heading, I would get compass that does not rely on electricity.

[phiggins]

I have a Furuno PG-500 and use as the input to my Furuno 1722C radar/chart-plotter. It allows me to overlay the radar and chart on one screen. It has worked great except when it became water logged due to waves flooding the cabin floor where it is installed. I sent it back to Furuno and they replaced it for free even though the warranty had expired.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by meridian@

Has anyone here had any experience with the above? My standard compass seems to be way off, maybe as a result of extensive welding on the steel hull.

Anyway, a new one will be around AUD400, so I thought maybe a fluxgate might be an option, albeit more expensive at around USD825 or more than AUD 1200.

I'd be interested in hearing of experiences with this unit.

Thanks
meridian@

I may be missing something here but as I understand your question, your standard compass is inaccurate perhaps due to an permanently induced magnetic field of the hull and therefore you are thinking of fitting a fluxgate compass to replace your standard compass.

I suggest the following:

• A magentic field from the hull will also affect a fluxgate compass to a similar degree as it affects the standard compass
• The standard compass should be "swung" and the major errors be adjusted out by way of compenstating magnets.
• The fluxgate compass may be able to be swung electronically thus making it easy to be compensated for.
• If you replace the standard compass, the new one will still be affected by the magnetic field of the hull and will therefore need to swung etc.

I second David M's advice.