Realtime Help: Middle of Pacific: Raymarine Autopilot

[ohthetrees]

Hello all. My friend is passaging from Mexico to French Polynesia. They are half way through their passage, and I received the following message via satellite. I don't have Raymarine stuff, so I don't have much to offer him, so thought I'd turn to the wisdom of the forum. Anything sensible you have to offer, I'll pass on to him. Thanks!

We had a bit of a scare a few hours ago, our autopilot lost its heading and decided to turn violently. We were near and got everything under control (still gybed out of control) but now I'm having doubts about a thing. So here's the info I think you need to do a quick Google Search.

We have a Raymarine Evolution 400 autopilot (the whole package, with the control head, the course computer and the EVO sensor).

-What happened: without warning, the heading become erronousm. Our compass at the helm was reading 224* but the autopilot was seeing 355*M. Then it started shifting wildly, going up past 40*. On the chartplotter, the boat was quite literally spinning on the chart.

- a system reset didn't fix it. I turned off everything on the network (autopilot, chartplotter and instruments).

- from the chartplotter, I ran a diagnostic of the network and I could see the EVO sensor (I think that's the name but could be wrong) on the network. The EVO sensor is the black box that provide the heading on the network (and pitch and roll and so forth). Its part of the autopilot package but it's really it's own thing. If you want to have your heading in your chartplotter, you need a compass of some sort. That's what that thing is. So I thought we had lost it. But it was still on the network.

- I try plugging / unplugging from the network and no fix.

- from the autopilot, I tried to do a "compass reset" but got a failure there. Not sure if it's because of a problem with the unit or the fact we are in too big seas and the boat is getting thrown around right now so we're not able to be steady enough for it to do a reset

- out of despair, I ran a reset and did a complete new commissioning. That worked.

So, right now it works. But. There's a progress bar at the bottom of the display :

"Detecting magnetics..."

It's blue and turn from time to time to red. It's been running for 1 hour now and was stuck at roughly 70% for most of the hour. I just looked and it started over.

So, I'm not sure what the color code means. (Going from blue to red).

1. Is there something on raymarine forum about that (a search like "raymarine ev400 detecting magnetics problems")

2. In the menu, there's an option to "lock compass". It's off by default. I have no idea what it does, can you check it? My wild guess: the autopilot keeps finding back the north (detecting magnetics?) To adapt to the change of latitudes and magnetic variation. I guess if I lock it, it will stop doing that and take whatever value it has right now and keep it like that. Which right now, seems like A F***NG GOOD IDEA! But not sure if I can put that on without him having finish the detecting magnetics.

Sorry; I would just usually test all of that without thinking. But I'm extra cautious right now. If we.loose the autopilot, the remaining of the trip is gonna be very long. So would rather play it extra safe.

When you have a chance .don't spend hours on it, just 2-3 quick queries and let me know what you find. Thanks a bunch

Sam

Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

[Adelie]

No clue about the autopilot.
Can the fall back on a windvane?
How about a sheet to tiller arrangement?

[PippaB]

This is from the Ray FAQ about some of the observed behavior. Note the “detecting magnetics” is the result of the reset and requires the vessel to be steered through a series of turns to check deviation aboard the vessel. The red/green bar tells you if you are turning OK or too fast/slow. Also see that Ray recommends Compass Lock on once the setup is complete.

Doesn’t get to root cause, but may help with getting it running for the rest of the passage.

while the Evolution autopilot system does not have a specific Seatrial Calibration program as did prior generations of Raymarine autopilots, the Dockside Wizard must be executed. When updated with the latest software for Evolution Autopilots, the autopilot control head will display the message "Detecting Magnetics" as a visual indicator that the autopilot system has not yet been able to determine the deviation field sensed by the EV-1/2 Sensor Core. Following execution of the Dockside Wizard, the vessel must be taken out for an approximately 15-20 minute cruise. During the cruise, the vessel speed should be maintained between 3 to 15 kts. During the cruise, the vessel should be steered through a couple of large figure 8 patterns at a relatively slow rate of turn to permit the autopilot to determine the maximum detected deviation throughout all points of the compass. Until completion of deviation sensing, the autopilot control head will display a progress bar with red or green indicator to aid the operator in identifying whether the vessel's speed and rate of turn (slower is better) is appropriate for detecting sensed deviation.

Upon completion of the cruise, display the maximum detected deviation (MENU->SET-UP->DIAGNOSTICS->ABOUT PILOT) ... scroll to the very bottom of the displayed autopilot information to find the maximum detected DEVIATION. Should the maximum detected deviation be less than 15 degrees (ideally, a single digit value), then heading alignment may be performed. Should the maximum deviation be greater than 15 degrees, then the EV-1 Sensor Core should be installed in another location where it may sense less magnetic deviation. Magnetic deviation fields are produced by ferrous materials (fasteners, engine block, tools, etc.), devices featuring magnets (speakers, pumps, electric motors, mascerators, etc.), and high current carrying conductors. Please click here to view a FAQ addressing this subject. vertical height has a much better effect on reducing deviation than horizontal distance, so if you are struggling to find a good inert location for the compass sensor, a general guide would be to move the compass AFT, then OUTBOARD and then UP - in that order, to escape the adverse effects.

Should the autopilot be newly installed, then no heading alignment changes should be made prior to having taken the vessel out for the cruise specified above and ensuring that the maximum detected deviation is less than 15 degrees. If so, then heading may be aligned to match the GPS COG. It is strongly recommended that the effects of leeway affecting the vessel be fully understood and minimize prior to commanding Heading to match GPS COG (MENU->SET-UP->AUTOPILOT CALIBRATION->COMMISSIONING->ALIGN COMPASS GPS).

Alternatively the autopilot's heading may be offset to match the vessel's properly calibrated fluid filled compass. Should you be uncertain about whether your vessel's fluid filled compass was calibrated by the boat manufacturer, then it is recommended that the boat's manufacturer be contacted to seek this information. Professional services may typically be obtained to calibrate the vessel's fluid filled compass. Alternatively, procedures for calibrating the vessel's fluid filled compass may often be obtained from the manufacturer of the compass. It should further be noted that marine electronics and any other equipment installed within 3' of the vessel's fluid filled compass following its calibration may affect the calibration of the fluid filled compass, necessitating that it be re-calibrated.

To align the Evolution autopilot's heading to that of the vessel's fluid filled, the device displaying the Heading data item (ex. autopilot control head, MFD, etc.) must first be configured to display Magnetic (not True) bearings. After doing so, should the heading specified by the device be within 9.9 degrees of the vessel's properly calibrated fluid filled compass (senses magnetic north), then the Evolution autopilot control head may be used to align the heading (MENU->SET-UP->AUTOPILOT CALIBRATION->VESSEL SETTINGS->COMPASS OFFSET) to match the heading indicated by the vessel's fluid filled compass. However, should the heading specified by the device not be within 9.9 degrees of the vessel's properly calibrated fluid filled compass, then the Evolution Sensor Core will need to be rotated within its mount in a direction which will decease the error to within 9.9 degrees (recommend trying to get within a few degrees). As the Evolution Sensor Core and MFD may be located well away from one another, it may be helpful to configure Wi-Fi equipped Raymarine MFD to display the Heading data item (not to be confused with COG) and then use one of the Raymarine Mobile Apps to repeat screen image of the MFD onto a Smartphone or tablet. While monitoring the app, changes to the Evolution Sensor Core's orientation will then be repeated on your smartphone or tablet. After properly orienting the Evolution Sensor Core, any further heading error may be removed via the Evolution autopilot control head's Compass Offset feature.

Following alignment of the compass and verification that the autopilot is functioning properly (i.e. take it on a test run), it is recommended that the Compass Lock be configured to ON. This feature will lock the heading sensor to the current deviation table stored within the Evolution Sensor Core. If not locked, the Evolution autopilot will continuously update itself with respect to sensed deviation and learning the response characteristics of the vessel for better course correction. Once Lock Compass is engaged, this learning process will cease and the autopilot will hold the settings that it has for the vessel.

[JPA Cate]

Sorry no help specifically for Raymarine, but some ideas about other sequelae from autopilot failure.

Set new watch schedules so that everybody aboard has 2 hr. turns at the wheel. If there is sea room, steer the course with the least motion, and whoever is off watch get a nap. If there are only two of you, we favor 6 on 6 off, which will eventually give you adequate sleep with a nap on your daytime off watch. Make being rested your highest priority.

Use the chartplotter to find where you are relative to your landfall, and whether there are any hazards along the way. It's a fairly long, and fairly hazard free passage, so you're probably good for days to stay on the heading for Hiva Oa. If the motion is uncomfortable, slow down (shorten sail) till you find the motion more to your liking. It is not the end of the world if you have to hand steer to Papeete, which will be your first possible parts drop, which you can arrange for in advance by satphone. If you are halfway there already, it'll be on the order of a week to 10 days, depending on boat speed and presence or absence of counter currents.

Then, waiting while moving will be the order of the day, because sooner or later someone with Raymarine knowledge will turn up here and might be able to help you. In the meantime, let everything non-essential go. Make resting well your highest priority, because that is what will eventually see you safe in port. The last two days before landfall is when you'll encounter shipping, if any, and other yachts, so it is important to be well rested and alert. You may have time to really read and consider the manual, and you may have some idea other than "compass lock", but you can try it and see if it helps. It sort of sounds to me as if one of those little tiny wires has come undone, so the magnetic heading is reading incorrectly, hence being displayed eccentrically. Anyhow, someone may be able to help you solve this, from afar, but you are able to get yourselves to safety, and that is a huge blessing.

That this has happened to you is because electronic things fail. Ours failed, too, and we didn't carry a spare, and so, we hand steered for 3-4 days. (36 ft. boat with a 29 ft. waterline, so a lot slower in tradewind conditions than your boat). Once this is solved, you'll be looking back on it, and will feel proud of the time you hand steered, and made good progress. We had friends meeting us in Papeete, and they brought us a new autopilot when they arrived. Surely FedEx delivers there. We did not have satphone in those days, we used ham radio SSB for our comms...lots slower.

Ann

[stormalong]

Have them check for loose or corroded wires from the compass sensor. And the other wire while they are at it. That is about all you can do without an electronics background and spare parts.

[MikeHoncho]

my non-raymarine autopilot will do this when I place a larger metal or electronic device next to the compass sensor or if I move the sensor by accident.

[ullar]

It certainly sounds like a compass problem, so +1 to suggestions by MikeHoncho and stormalong.


If you end up with unrelayable compass data you can steer a track instead of course. And, of course, you can still steer to the wind.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by MikeHoncho

my non-raymarine autopilot will do this when I place a larger metal or electronic device next to the compass sensor or if I move the sensor by accident.

My raymarine one has done exactly that when an object ( spare alternator) was inadvertantly stowed in a locker on the opposite side of a bulkhead to the compass..

[ohthetrees]

Thank you for the suggestions, I’ll pass them on to him, and hope it helps.

[alctel]

Originally Posted by MikeHoncho

my non-raymarine autopilot will do this when I place a larger metal or electronic device next to the compass sensor or if I move the sensor by accident.

I had this and then realised a can of food had somehow got wedged nearby.

[SailRN]

If this was recent, we've had some intense solar emissions messing with GPS, Earth's magnetic field, radios, and other satellites...


Example:
Navigation - Intermittent satellite navigation (GPS) problems, including loss-of-lock and increased range error may occur.Radio - HF (high frequency) radio may be intermittent.
For example:
Space Weather Message Code: SUMX01Serial Number: 124Issue Time: 2022 May 03 1353 UTC SUMMARY: X-ray Event exceeded X1Begin Time: 2022 May 03 1309 UTCMaximum Time: 2022 May 03 1325 UTCEnd Time: 2022 May 03 1331 UTCX-ray Class: X1.1Optical Class: sfNOAA Scale: R3 - Strong NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found atwww.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation Potential Impacts: Area of impact consists of large portions of the sunlit side of Earth, strongest at the sub-solar point.Radio - Wide area blackout of HF (high frequency) radio communication for about an hour.

[Bill O]

For a starting point on a completely reset AP system, I'm going w/Pippa B's response (#3) as being the most logical next step to complete the total reset. Also this response was from the RM FAQs so would give it a priority as the first thing to do. If it doesn't fix it then look for a moved metal object as suggested.

Don't have a Raymarine AP, but similarly w/the pypilot when you do a complete system reset you need to do a full swing of the compass for the internal calibration.

Similarly "locking" the compass setting after it was calibrated was recommended if staying in a location for a while. Crossing the Pacific maybe a different situation where the magnetic variations may be changing. If the system was "locked" and not allowed to self adjust to magnetic changes, this could have been the cause of the malfunction.

[Time2Go]

Can they set the AP to Wind Vane mode?
Might be a solution even if the have to crack off
being downwind.
Was on a boat once where we had to hand steer
for 800nm, we found it much easier to
Steer by wind angle than by compass,
If they can’t get the AP working
Cheers
Neil

[Wolfe10]

No question, start by looking for any ferrous object near the autopilot compass sensor.

[Saippuakupla]

Hope everything is fine. Just a correction: You can gets parts delivered to Marquesas and Gambiers by ferry or air freight (2022). For that you don't need to go to Papeete. All the local vendors deliver stuff to other islands regularly.
(Source: We've been In French Polynesia since 2020)