Pinta Autopilot Help Needed

[kilmaine]

My 1965 Van Lent is still fitted with its original Pinta autohelm but it has become very erratic recently so is unusable. I have a manual but the compass unit that controls the heading doesn’t fit the description in the book. Does anyone else still use a similar device or better still know how to troubleshoot one? Just to complicate matters I am based in Surrey UK whilst the boat is near Rome!
I attach a couple of photos of the compass unit and one of the TSMY
Any help appreciated! Kilmaine

[JPA Cate]

Hello, kilmaine, just to let you know, no pictures came with your post.

Ann

[Jim Cate]

Kilmaine, I added a bit to your thread's title in order to attract attention to your problem. Hope that this is OK with you.

Jim

[RaymondR]

Don't know about yours as I am not familiar with that brand however some of the early small boat autopilots did not have fluxgate compasses as do the modern ones, they had a magnetic compass which turned a drum through which a light shone to a light sensor. The drum was marked with a gradually darkening surface. As the heading changed the amount of light passing from bulb to sensor through the drum varied and this was used to control the drive for the rudder. If you carerfully remove the cover on the control head you may be able to see whether this is so or not. Not sure where yo go from there though.

[Maver]

Hello Kilmaine,

reading your question, I am interested about your Van Lent my, do you know what the original name is or was and possibly buildingnumber, sizes and type of engine? I am trying to complete the buildinglist of the Van Lent Yachts since the start of the yard!

Thanks in advance,

Martin V (maver@hetnet.nl)

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

Don't know about yours as I am not familiar with that brand however some of the early small boat autopilots did not have fluxgate compasses as do the modern ones, they had a magnetic compass which turned a drum through which a light shone to a light sensor. The drum was marked with a gradually darkening surface. As the heading changed the amount of light passing from bulb to sensor through the drum varied and this was used to control the drive for the rudder. If you carerfully remove the cover on the control head you may be able to see whether this is so or not. Not sure where yo go from there though.

Yes, we had one like that. Access was via removing the stick-on emblem on the knob you turned to set the heading, it covered a screw, that you could remove and get the knob off. Then under that, there were 3 spring loaded ball bearings. Getting into it was not something we did under way!

Ann