Want To Buy: Wheel drive autopilot

[CSY Man]

I had a few wheel pilots. The CPT is strong as a bull, but dumb as a rock.
One could not leave the helm to make a sandwich if there was boats within a 5 mile radius,
The CPT would get a brain fart then turn 90 degrees to with Port or Starboard.
I tried everything to make it behave, sent back for repairs 3 times, once they found a burned out mother board, another time they sent me a brand new replacement, which worker better, but only marginally so.
Ended up putting it on eBay and sold it to a guy in Hawaii who collected autopilots.
(Not making this up)
Got a Simrad WP 32 instead. A much better pilot with a built in Fluxgate compass.
Really enjoyed the WP 32 and got the remote control and hooked it up to a chart plotter.
Sadly they quit making them and only used ones can be found at eBay.
The CPT pilots have new owners and may be redesigned with modern electronics and may work better than before. (I had my struggles with the CPT from 2001 to 2007, cursed it thousands of times and had the phone number for the CPT President on my speed dial.

To the OP: you did not break any unwritten rules, but you need thick skin around here, really.

[a64pilot]

I don't have any experience with the old CPT's but understand that at one time they were owned by a larger company and quality and Customer support etc. suffered.
They are now again owned by a small concern, one that quality and customer support is important.
I have a newer one and so far it holds headings very well, the newer one heading can be adjust by one degree.
I'm torn between buying a "real" auto pilot and keeping the CPT as a back-up , or just buying another CPT as a back-up. All I want an auto pilot to do is hold a heading, and it does that very well, or has so far.
I've not gotten in a a big quartering following sea yet though

[Z28YJ]

I appreciate the comments in regards to the CPT unit; they have basically reinforced the research I've done. And I also appreciate the reassurances, both here and in private messages, that I haven't violated an unspoken rule.

Now, getting down to brass tacks...who has an autopilot to sell me?

[CaptTL]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

I had a few wheel pilots. The CPT is strong as a bull, but dumb as a rock.
One could not leave the helm to make a sandwich if there was boats within a 5 mile radius,
The CPT would get a brain fart then turn 90 degrees to with Port or Starboard.
I tried everything to make it behave, sent back for repairs 3 times, once they found a burned out mother board, another time they sent me a brand new replacement, which worker better, but only marginally so.
Ended up putting it on eBay and sold it to a guy in Hawaii who collected autopilots.
(Not making this up)
Got a Simrad WP 32 instead. A much better pilot with a built in Fluxgate compass.
Really enjoyed the WP 32 and got the remote control and hooked it up to a chart plotter.
Sadly they quit making them and only used ones can be found at eBay.
The CPT pilots have new owners and may be redesigned with modern electronics and may work better than before. (I had my struggles with the CPT from 2001 to 2007, cursed it thousands of times and had the phone number for the CPT President on my speed dial.

To the OP: you did not break any unwritten rules, but you need thick skin around here, really.

I was on a 1984 38' Morgan for a month in May and June. The owner had a new CPT installed. After talking to CPT support to get the Autopilot correctly calibrated, it worked like a champ. We rarely touched the wheel going from Clearwater, FL as far as Staniel Cay in the Exumas. The only real problem we had was in rough seas where the belt would slip as the wheel fought to keep us on course. Tightening the mechanism solved that problem; although it had to be done several times. Still, the autopilot did a great job for what it cost.