Raymarine SPX 30 smart pilot problems

[Moody Mike]

Anyone had a drive stop fail problem with their SPX 30 smart pilot. Mine is not supplying the correct voltage to the drive motor. Only sending 7 volts on all drive types & bang bang. It was checked by Raymarine & they said it was ok but under load its just not putting out enough juice. I see on the Raymarine forum there a quite a few with a similar problem. Wondering how Raymarine will solve it. They are only a few years old should last a lot longer than this.

[daletournier]

The guy I sold my boat to has this problem now, its also only a couple of years old....Im interested in the answer to this problem.

Sent from my vivo Y35 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Moody Mike]

Hi Dale funny thing I got an email from someone called Tang Lee last night. I thought he was a Raymarine tech. He told me it was my drive unit, i explained the drive unit is perfect all checked out ok . Emails back & forth he wasnt interested in any fault in the Raymarine product. Then I looked at his email address nothing to indicate he was from Raymarine . Very strange & he wrote with an accent if you know what I mean.
Mike

[JPA Cate]

If it's a common problem, seems like Raymmarine has a vested interest in keeping the customers unaware as possible of the flaw. The guy wrote with an accent, like a repair manual? or a robot?

Is there a way you can prove that the power output declines, like a video of your test processes? that it's their unit, not something in the installation? Anything at all so that they begin to see that your calls to the Tech Manager have merit?

If you're really unhappy, and still in Oz, there is an ombudsman who might be able to help. Raymarine has a very poor service reputation here, but I'd try a letter to its president first. If you want to take it to the ombudsman, the paper trail you generate will stand you in good stead. It's such a pita to have to fight these sorts of issues, and all you really have going for you is your honesty and thoroughness and peseverance.

Good luck with it. You may be about to do a good deed for every Australian with a Raymarine autopilot!

Please report back.

Ann

[Emerald Sea]

Im listening....for the solution?
Steve
Emerald Sea

[Moody Mike]

I fixed it now working better than ever. I pulled the drive motor out & hooked it up to a 12 volt battery . It worked but didnt have as much power as it should have. I reveresed the poles & it hardly worked at all. I pulled the motor down & found a brush was jammed & not springing onto the armeture as it should. These new brushes were recently fitted by a proffesional. The brush spring was not sitting correctly & the brush wire slot was about 1mm too short. A quick file & clean up and its working better than ever the motor has some real torque again. The voltage from course computer is now correct as well so not sure if the motor fault was feeding back to the CC. Anyway happydays its all good now & didnt cost a cent to fix.

[Moody Mike]

The jammed brush

[captmikem]

normally the problem.

But, should the problem actually be the SPX30 (or 10 or 20) an easy fix is just put a SSR (solid state relay) on each output. then the pilot is seeing less than an amp and the motor gets the voltage and current it needs.

M

[Moody Mike]

Originally Posted by captmikem

normally the problem.

But, should the problem actually be the SPX30 (or 10 or 20) an easy fix is just put a SSR (solid state relay) on each output. then the pilot is seeing less than an amp and the motor gets the voltage and current it needs.

M

Hi Mike you didnt read all posts above I fixed it. I found the drive motor had a jammed brush. This somehow fed back to the CC i fixed the brush photo in a post above & then the correct voltage came through. The pilot is now running better than ever.

[captmikem]

no, I did see that, and mentioned that the motor is is normally the problem, my post was for folks that still had the problem if the motor was running well.

Glad you found the problem!

M

[DeepFrz]

I notice that the insulating brush mount has a bad crack in it that could lead to problems down the road, so to speak.

[Moody Mike]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

I notice that the insulating brush mount has a bad crack in it that could lead to problems down the road, so to speak.

Very observant of you Deepfrz yes its bakelite I glued it up. Not sure how well areldite sticks to bakelit plus it was a bit oily. It was like that when I first pulled it apart. I think the brush jamming caused this originaly with the old brushes. The modification I have made to the holder should stop it happening again. If it does I will put a plate across it & rivet each side.

[DeepFrz]

Thanks for posting the resolution to your problem.