Autopilot Computer Simrad vs. Raymarine

[goboatingnow]

The angle for the off course warning is adjustable under the system settings, but it should only activate when you have been off corse for 20sec or more.

Its in the " dealer calibration settings", Which a user can access, its 15 to 40 degress ( which is where I remember the number) and operates when the course change occurs for more then 20 seconds.)

There are other cases where " auto release" occurs too, I remember talking to a tech some time ago, theres a time limit to the boat responding as well.

Dave

[goboatingnow]

a wave did hit me bad and got the boat a bit off corse.

40 degrees for 20 seconds, is a little more then " a bit of course" !!

In my experience it only activate because the autopilot couldnt get the boat back under control, ie the boats did not respond to the rudder. You never see it otherwise.

PS The simrad AP24 has a fized " off course" alarm at 20 degrees , so thats even worse for you.


Dave

[DeepFrz]

Does anyone posting in this thread have any commercial
connection to either RM or Simrad? Supplier, installer, etc.?

For sure I don't.

As for my comments above I don't see anything contradictory about them. I don't know that the problems experienced on Nereida were installation problems. Maybe some were. We are also talking 2 different boats, 2 different RM autopilots.

Seamanship aside, an autopilot that makes a hard right turn for no apparent reason is a hazard. We are discussing autopilots here, not seamanship.

[Pblais]

I guess no one has any thoughts on Raymarine vs. Simrad for Autopilots?

Having had both I found the Simrad / Robertson was more automatic. It learned better than my RayMarine ST7000. Both were below deck hydraulic drives. In all honesty they both worked well. You need the appropriate fluxgate and rudder feedback sensors too. These are the kinds of auto pilots that really can steer when you can't. It's when it really sucks out there that the help matters most. A wheel based pilot would have given up a long time ago.

[Sabbatical II]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Now that my friend, is complete horseradish. Prove it Dave

My comments were only stating what my two little pink ears heard from the Raymarine agent who is very happy to fit other brands and fully understands why I might have some reservations about fitting Raymarine, given that my boat is being built to cross oceans. The Raymarine dealer will only come to the marina and not to a lat & long that exceeds the fuel range of his tinnie.

The process of deciding what components to fit to a new boat is one of listening to a whole range of biased opinions on each component. After throwing out the extreme opinions at either end of the spectrum a middle ground becomes evident which is probably more representative of the facts than any one single experience. After doing this for my electronics and AP package I am comfortable with my decision not to fit Raymarine.

I am also happy that some of your are delighted with your Raymarine gear. After all it would be a boring world if we all had to like the same things. In considering all comments on electronics, I am still happy with my decision.

Greg

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

40 degrees for 20 seconds, is a little more then " a bit of course" !!

In my experience it only activate because the autopilot couldnt get the boat back under control, ie the boats did not respond to the rudder. You never see it otherwise.

PS The simrad AP24 has a fized " off course" alarm at 20 degrees , so thats even worse for you.


Dave

The Simrad autopilot doesn't stop trying after it is 20 degrees off course--it just starts beeping, and the beeping disappears if it is successful in getting control of the boat.

[donradcliffe]

Quote:
I don't have the latest simrad pilot, but I think that a look at the troubleshooting page will give you an idea of why simrad is superior to the raymarine stuff. There is a long list of failure diagnostic displays, including 'mains current too high', 'mains voltage too low', 'rudder feedback failure', 'actuator failure', 'compass failure', 'clutch circuit overload', 'high temp in junction unit', etc. Maybe someone with a raymarine AP can see if their units have the same level of protection and diagnostics.
BTW , Ray has all these and more as well , see the ST70+ autopilot control head manual

Dave
_______

Sorry Dave, I looked at the users and reference guides to the ST70+, and couldn't find anything comparable. What I saw did confirm my opinion that nothing has changed at Raymarine--the newest troubleshooting guides all lead to "Obtain technical assistance".

The only useful diagnostic displays I saw for the Raymarine were the 'off course' and 'supply voltage low' alarms.

Dave, maybe you can tell us exactly where to find all the other equivalent data, and I don't mean things like 'sea temp high'...

PS I have no affiliation with either Raymarine or Simrad products , except being a satisfied user of the latter, and trying to fix the former in out-of-the-way anchorages.

[careka]

Mornings
PS I have no affiliation with either Raymarine or Simrad products . i am only a user.
------
But the new boat we got came with a full Raymarine pack installed,
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and now i compair the new stuff to my old B&G Nettwork stuff, and i find it "so fare" harder to find what i need to know and the pilot does not stear as good as the old one did. and its from 1998.
But i only have 1 week in the new boat, so i will need more time to find out how it is set up. and how to operate it. adjust it +++.
i am reading manuals over and over again. i dont find it easy to read and understand.
I just hope that i will find how to work the Raymarine stuff.
It will cost me a bit to change it out.
--------
Like for a week i did try to find out how to make the chartplotter show my tracks, was not abel to do it easy in a weeks time, when i got home i have been reading the maual, and now found a way to do it. its not like a Mac, easy to use.
well
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and when it comes to an pilot haveing a limit for how long he is trying to get the boat back on course,
the pilot shoud not stop at all trying until he is gives a command to stop. thats what i think is the best.

i will keep on trying to get the Raym to work the way i want it. and i hope it will preform the way i want a good pilot to work.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

The only useful diagnostic displays I saw for the Raymarine were the 'off course' and 'supply voltage low' alarms.

Dave, maybe you can tell us exactly where to find all the other equivalent data, and I don't mean things like 'sea temp high'...

The Raymarine gear has a similar set of diagnostic / warning messages as the Simrad Autopilot.
There are 11 messages in total including things like Current overload, position sensor fault, Rudder jammed, gyro failure etc.
I have the ST8002 controller and the instructions are on p27 of the operating guide.

There is also a lot of information on the Raymarine website with details like the correct resistance readings for the fluxgate compass. I am sure there is similar information for the Simrad. Its worth having this detailed information on hand, although most electronic problems on boats are simple wiring/ corrosion problems

[careka]

My "windmill" up on top of the mast, is giving away a lot of noise down the mast, on our cat.
on my old mono /B&G windmill i never had this. ?
i amtrying to phone Raymarine dealer, but they are stil not open yett, but do any of you have this renosannse noise down the mast from the "windmill"(speedand direction)
It is when you are not sailing , and sitting inside or going to bed, you really hear it, it gets very noisey.

as the wind goes up the noise comes with it.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by careka

My "windmill" up on top of the mast, is giving away a lot of noise down the mast, on our cat.
on my old mono /B&G windmill i never had this. ?
i amtrying to phone Raymarine dealer, but they are stil not open yett, but do any of you have this renosannse noise down the mast from the "windmill"(speedand direction)
It is when you are not sailing , and sitting inside or going to bed, you really hear it, it gets very noisey.

as the wind goes up the noise comes with it.

The problem is probably better moved to a separate thread.
Its more likely to be resonance from the topping lift, halyards, rigging or the mast itself. Try adjusting the tension on these or attaching a small weight to alter the resonance frequency.

[careka]

Just off the phone with Raymarine dealer i Norway, giving me topp service.
And like me they dont understand why this is like it is, so i will have to check more when i get to the boat again. and they will assist me on phone when i get there.
now its BF time.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Quote:
I don't have the latest simrad pilot, but I think that a look at the troubleshooting page will give you an idea of why simrad is superior to the raymarine stuff. There is a long list of failure diagnostic displays, including 'mains current too high', 'mains voltage too low', 'rudder feedback failure', 'actuator failure', 'compass failure', 'clutch circuit overload', 'high temp in junction unit', etc. Maybe someone with a raymarine AP can see if their units have the same level of protection and diagnostics.
BTW , Ray has all these and more as well , see the ST70+ autopilot control head manual

Dave
_______

Sorry Dave, I looked at the users and reference guides to the ST70+, and couldn't find anything comparable. What I saw did confirm my opinion that nothing has changed at Raymarine--the newest troubleshooting guides all lead to "Obtain technical assistance".

The only useful diagnostic displays I saw for the Raymarine were the 'off course' and 'supply voltage low' alarms.

Dave, maybe you can tell us exactly where to find all the other equivalent data, and I don't mean things like 'sea temp high'...

PS I have no affiliation with either Raymarine or Simrad products , except being a satisfied user of the latter, and trying to fix the former in out-of-the-way anchorages.

They are there ,see the corepack manuals, they detect clutch shorts, power reversals, over curent etc. Same basic stuff.

Simrad tend to follow Raymarine, their products are very similar in nature.

Dave

[redcobra]

Ford vs Chevy

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by redcobra

Ford vs Chevy

exactly, thats the point the two are similar. The problem is that just like the detractor of Beneteau, Jeanneau,etc, There are those that seek to run down the Ray products, every chance they get. Despite the many people here who testifies that theirs works well.

My view is that both are similar and good. Though Ray of course, especially in the European market dominates teh marketplace.

Dave