VHF Radio Trips Autopilot

[FraidNot]

Have notices the 6001 autopilot drops back to standby (from auto or track) once in a while.
Last weekend - I noticed it happened after a prolonged period of static over the radio.
The type of static you get when someone has broken squelch but all you can hear is the background hash.
Any idea how this migh trip the autopilot?
Perhaps I could put some inine filters on the VHF power supply line?

[r.furborough]

It may be that you have a bad connection on the power line to the AP or the AP drive that is arcing and creating broadband RF interference which is affecting the radio. I would trace your AP wiring and renew connections.

[bill good]

Firstly you will have to find the source of the interference (RFI). I would try turning off the solar panels if going to a MTTP controller as first point then refrigeration next. You might use a handheld VHF radio to locate where the interference is generated from.Don't forget any laptop or power supply for laptop & inverter.
If you are hearing it thru the VHF & not while transmitting then it is not from the VHF & filters will not fix the problem. After you located the source then a filter can be selected.

[cal40john]

Raymarine would not believe me when I said my st4000 control head was bad until I told them I had run a new direct separate power line from my batteries to the AP, had my control head fail while motoring (so voltage was at 14.2) and had no failures when I swapped out to my friend's control head.

Their response to this kind of failure is that it is always low voltage drops causing the electronics to reboot back into start up mode. I believe that they're probably right on this call most of the time.

John

[FraidNot]

thanks guys