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RBEmerson · 27-07-2009, 06:22

I just wrapped up a call to Raymarine. Anything under 15° is acceptable, so your 10° result is fine.

The answer to the unwanted heading jogs and over-aggressive course changes is... software upgrade. The options are a) send the box to Raymarine (about two week turn-around) or b) have a dealer do it by hooking up to an E-series display (no luck with A or C series, unfortunately) and doing the update.

H/V Vega · 27-08-2009, 21:13

Having had a lot to do with RayMarine over the years you are most likely better off sorting out your own mess than theirs. Best of luck and all that. By the way what auto pilot works without a rudder sensor? That's nuts!

barnakiel · 28-08-2009, 13:18

If you bought from Raymarine and via their dealer / technician then it is supposed to work no matter what. If it does not, get Raymarine correct.

We had some issues with the newer ("gyro") brains refusing to swing the compass and do the auto-learning. This is well within any owner's skills. We received perhaps half a dozen of excuses from them. Then their men came, took the pcb out, soldered a new one in and - here we go - no issues !!!

Another thing they can't solve is their compass unit (or its part) going nuts and showing our heading some 60 degrees off. This one I have seen reported from cruisers all around the world.

Blue Stocking · 28-08-2009, 13:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by H/V Vega

Having had a lot to do with RayMarine over the years you are most likely better off sorting out your own mess than theirs. Best of luck and all that. By the way what auto pilot works without a rudder sensor? That's nuts!

Was wondering about that myself. Install lots of ComNavs, never without a rudder feedback indicator.

RBEmerson · 28-08-2009, 21:24

Simple... part of the setup process is for the controller to swing the rudder from center (rudder amidships) to one stop (STBD, IIRC), repeat for the the other direction, and then swing from stop to stop. A stepper motor is used for Type 1 and Type 2 drives, so once the motor is calibrated for the rudder system, all is well. Raymarine does recommend using a rudder position sensor (one is included in the X30 core pack), but the system will work without it.

Blue Stocking · 29-08-2009, 05:55

Not being facetious, but why do you think they recommend a feedback indicator when they get to the more powerful units (x30). Is it because stepper motors in an open-loop system have no way to self-monitor the action they created (course change), and need a feedback to confirm. That has always been my understanding.

RBEmerson · 29-08-2009, 10:52

Actually, IIRC, my X30's installation manual says a feedback sensor isn't required. It is certainly a very good idea for the reason you cite: keeping in sync.

**Pblais** · 30-08-2009, 19:52

Quote:

By the way what auto pilot works without a rudder sensor?

All wheel based autopilots. They rely only on the fluxgate compass. The new units add a rate gyro that integrates to the compass as well as the rudder feedback. That adds a dynamic element to a current heading against a desired course. Rudder feedback allows anticipation of how much rudder will be required to deliver the proper computed correction. Wheel pilots suffer because they can never anticipate anything without a longer time interval of say minutes. It can only be an average of past experience. Even a moving average is not always that great. Dead downwind is a great example.

stravaigin · 01-09-2009, 15:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pblais

Not all authorized installers should be allowed on the boat. Auto pilots ain't easy for even an experienced installer. All the boats are different. A do it yourself install for a below decks system is not for the timid.

Hi, Pblais
Just read the discussion of last sept. about fluxgate installation. Do you have any views or experience on the magnetic influence of solar panels on these compasses? At the moment we're intending to mount ours on a purpose built bracket on an A frame which has four solar panels on top of it. Not getting much joy out of Solara. The yacht is steel, the A frame stainless, which is why we want to hitch it up there.

Thanks!

**Pblais** · 01-09-2009, 16:01

Quote:

Do you have any views or experience on the magnetic influence of solar panels on these compasses?

I seriously doubt they have any effect at all. You ideally want the compass forward, centered, and low. You can test any spot by connecting it all up but don't mount it. When connected, rotate the compass as if the boat were turning. You should be able to have someone watch the display and see nice smooth transitions from 0, 90, 180, 270, and back. Once you can see it basically works then you can mount it and the calibration phase will compute a 360 degree deviation table. All boats have minor deviations but the major ones are trouble. You want a location with as little steel as possible. Also sometimes inside a locker is a good place and you need to keep that in mind when stowing gear in there. You don't store the anvil next to the fluxgate. On my boat magnets are forbidden any place.

RBEmerson · 01-09-2009, 16:58

+1 - solar panels won't bother well mounted fluxgate sensors. The sensor should be somewhere near the center of the boat and well outboard. Unless the solar panel leads are somewhere in the area, they'll have little to no influence on the sensor. If the leads are 3-4' away, twisting the leads around each other will serve to limit magnetic effects from DC leads (good idea for a compass light, for example).

Blue Stocking · 01-09-2009, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by stravaigin

Hi, Pblais
Just read the discussion of last sept. about fluxgate installation. Do you have any views or experience on the magnetic influence of solar panels on these compasses? At the moment we're intending to mount ours on a purpose built bracket on an A frame which has four solar panels on top of it. Not getting much joy out of Solara. The yacht is steel, the A frame stainless, which is why we want to hitch it up there.

Thanks!

Have you investigated using a magnetic compass sensor. This mounts on the underside of the compass and reads the card movement. These are often used on steel vessels and in latitudes above and below 60 degrees because of magnetic dip.