Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 17-10-2016, 09:46   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Nosy Be, Madagascar
Boat: Wharram Cat 12m Pahi schooner
Posts: 5
Raymarine Smartpilot

I have a Raymarine Smartpilot X5 which cost a quite a bit. I installed it in Cape Town and sailed to Madagascar over a two month period. It worked great, even through 4 storms. two and a half years later and out of guarantee it stoped working - no compass data. I took it to SA when on a visit and the agent and I did a few tests. We found that the choke on the Fluxgate compass was faulty. He got x2 SMD chokes from the UK, free of charge and gave it to me to replace. I tried but working with SMD devices without the right equipment is near impossible. I Madagascar no such services.
Q - where can I get a complete board without paying a arm and a leg - a new board costs more than what I originaly paid. Crazy but true.
No on board is SPX5 15AMP PCB 4670-032
Lovako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17-10-2016, 17:53   #2
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Panama City FL
Boat: Island Packet 32 Keel/CB
Posts: 995
Re: Raymarine Smartpilot

You can try ebay. There is typically a couple of x-5 smartpilot electronic control units for sale. The S1 and S1G will also work in a pinch just don't use the clutch output.
Frankly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 02:06   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: France/UK
Boat: Gib'Sea 402
Posts: 546
Re: Raymarine Smartpilot

I don't about the X5 but I believe the X10/X30 can use an NMEA0183 input as a heading reference. Might be a cheaper/easier option than a board transplant.
hoolie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 03:42   #4
Registered User
 
transmitterdan's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2011
Boat: Valiant 42
Posts: 6,008
Raymarine Smartpilot

Is the compass bad or the pilot? Your description confused me about that.

Where are you in Madagascar?
transmitterdan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 04:17   #5
Registered User
 
ErikFinn's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Malaysia, Thailand
Boat: Beneteau Oceanis 430
Posts: 860
Re: Raymarine Smartpilot

We have a member here on the forum who repairs autopilots and he runs his own ebay shop selling preowned units. You might want to try to PM CptnDan. I can't recall the exact spelling of his user name but along those lines. Maybe he can help. Good luck.
ErikFinn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2016, 00:45   #6
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Nosy Be, Madagascar
Boat: Wharram Cat 12m Pahi schooner
Posts: 5
Re: Raymarine Smartpilot

Hi Transmitterdan,
I had the board at the Raymarine agen in South Africa and we did some tests which showed that the surface mount device nl. a chock on the fluxgate compass line was faulty - they have a certain procedure to messure the oms on the different lines to know if it is faulty or not.
The agent was reluctant to do the solder job for me and gave me x2 chokes for me to find someone to do the job for me. Well the next day I flew out back to Madagascar, Nosy Be on the north-western side of Madland.
I doont have the right equipment to do smd devices.
Hope that cleared your Q
Lovako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2016, 00:47   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Nosy Be, Madagascar
Boat: Wharram Cat 12m Pahi schooner
Posts: 5
Re: Raymarine Smartpilot

Appologies - it comes up with "no compass data" which stops it from going into opperating mode.
Lovako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2016, 02:58   #8
Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Squamish, BC
Boat: beneteau 11.5
Posts: 33
Re: Raymarine Smartpilot

I have the same problem-reads no compass- is it the problem with thefluxgate module or control module?
parado is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2016, 13:00   #9
Registered User
 
transmitterdan's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2011
Boat: Valiant 42
Posts: 6,008
Re: Raymarine Smartpilot

Most common problem is a broken or corroded wire. The compass connects to the control unit via some small wires. If the wires at the control unit connection are tight, look ok and no breaks in the cable then something else is wrong. Could be either unit is bad. There is a test using a meter for determining what is wrong. Visit https://Raymarine.ning.com and the helpful techs from Raymarine can most likely tell you how to test each unit.
transmitterdan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2016, 13:47   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Florida
Posts: 947
Re: Raymarine Smartpilot

Surface mounted components are nearly impossible
to repair by hand. This task is usually done by
high precision robots and component specific
tooling. In over 30 years in the television industry
I have only seen it done successfully twice and that was with relatively large SM resistors.
The guy who did it was old school Russian
trained engineer. If you try, have some freezing agent
at hand and never add any solder. Heat lands and pull component straight off then replace with new part. Whatever you do don't add solder
Good luck, low percentage for thrill of victory
Good luck
Cheers
Neil
Time2Go is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2016, 20:54   #11
Registered User
 
ErikFinn's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Malaysia, Thailand
Boat: Beneteau Oceanis 430
Posts: 860
Re: Raymarine Smartpilot

Quote:
Originally Posted by ErikFinn View Post
We have a member here on the forum who repairs autopilots and he runs his own ebay shop selling preowned units. You might want to try to PM CptnDan. I can't recall the exact spelling of his user name but along those lines. Maybe he can help. Good luck.
I tried to search for him and found a few, here is the correct one:

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - View Profile: Capn Dan
ErikFinn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-10-2016, 21:56   #12
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Nosy Be, Madagascar
Boat: Wharram Cat 12m Pahi schooner
Posts: 5
Re: Raymarine Smartpilot

Hi Parado,
the agent and I got info from Raymarine UK to measure ohs across the wires of the fluxgate and on the control board - we found the smd "choke" to be faulty.

I got this info off another Ausie site
Raymarine x5 autopilot - wheelpilot
I don't know about the X5 but I believe the X10/X30 can use an NMEA0183 input as a heading reference. Might be a cheaper/easier option than a board transplant.
………………………………
Connecting an auxiliary compass sensor to my autopilot...

The fluxgate compass of my Raypilot 650 system connects to the Course computer with five wires: can you tell me the function (by color)of these wires? I would like to connect, through a switch, an alternate compass which has only two wires (NMEA + and -). How can I do this?


At 09/18/2001 03:36 PM we wrote - You can not connect the NMEA Compass' NMEA output to the compass terminals of your course computer. The autopilot fluxgate talks to the course computer using a proprietary machine code, not NMEA.

You can connect the NMEA Compass output to the NMEA IN terminals on the course computer. Match the polarity and you should be all set. As far as switching the compasses goes, you would want to disconnect all 5 wires from the Raymarine compass if you wanted to read form the alternate compass sensor. You should only perform the switchover with the autopilot powered OFF, to minimize the possibility of a power spike when switching.
Lovako is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
marine, raymarine

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Raymarine Smartpilot x5 wheel Regbook Product or Service Reviews & Evaluations 9 20-02-2013 16:44
Raymarine Smartpilot Connected to Alpha Actuator bazzer Marine Electronics 11 14-04-2011 13:06
Raymarine SmartPilot X-5 Wheel Pilot Pedestal Pin Mod blackcloud Marine Electronics 5 26-12-2010 10:19
Raymarine Autopilot (SmartPilot) (Wheel) help Therapy Marine Electronics 13 23-03-2010 19:00
Raymarine Smartpilot mandlmaunder General Sailing Forum 1 20-06-2009 13:48

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:44.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.