Upgrade autohelm

[Tmacmi]

I have a Beneteau 331 (11,000 empty displacement)

We current have a Raymarine st4000+ autohelm. I am frustrated with it. It "hunts" through 10 degrees or more, both under sail and motor. I've tried adjusting the rudder gain to no meaningful improvement.

I'm considering an overall electronics upgrade and I'm wondering if anyone has upgraded from the st 4000+ to the EV-100 and experienced an improvement in performance.

Thank you

[Marathon1150]

We upgraded from a 1990's era Navico wheel pilot to an EV 100 connected to a Raymarine wind instrument. It works really well both sailing and motoring. The Navico could not be repaired and had the habit of working some of the time but never all of the time with wild deviations in random directions. The boat is a Beneteau 35s5 which is pretty easy to steer and tracks super well under sail.

I wouldn't hesitate to make this change again on that boat.

Our other boat which is heavier and longer (B Idylle 1150) also has a Raymarine autopilot (ST6002 controller and X5 pilot) not connected to a wind instrument. Its ok motoring if the seas are not lumpy and we use a Hydrovane to steer in the wind on a passage. I would not buy this device again - a moot point because it is probably not available anyway). To upgrade to the EV 100 would be best done by also adding a Raymarine wind instrument and it might work but I think that the boat is at the size/weight limit for the EV100 and it might be better to get something more heavy duty.

[RaymondR]

They do this when there is a "flat spot" on the turning circle when the fluxgate tuning in dealer setup was not done properly.

When one does the circling thing the computer assumes the rate of course change is constant and consequently the direction of the earths magnetic should change constantly. If it does not it assumes a compensation is required at that particular heading.

I think that was the problem with mine anyway and it disappeared after I redid the calibration.

[goboatingnow]

I went from sT4000+ to Ev1. The ev1 is one of the best pilots I’ve had. I was in a bad stern quartering sea recently and did a brilliant job

The multi axis EV1 is brilliant as a AP reference sensor.

Definitely worth upgrading. Rsymarine have made good APs but this is stellar , good precision course keeping on all points of sail

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

They do this when there is a "flat spot" on the turning circle when the fluxgate tuning in dealer setup was not done properly.

When one does the circling thing the computer assumes the rate of course change is constant and consequently the direction of the earths magnetic should change constantly. If it does not it assumes a compensation is required at that particular heading.

I think that was the problem with mine anyway and it disappeared after I redid the calibration.

An issue on many boats that do not calibrate their AP's. You also need to check and experiment with Rudder Gain, Auto Trim and Rudder Damping settings. Any of these if incorrectly set will lead to the hunting you have described.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

An issue on many boats that do not calibrate their AP's. You also need to check and experiment with Rudder Gain, Auto Trim and Rudder Damping settings. Any of these if incorrectly set will lead to the hunting you have described.

Most calibration routines these days do a better job of setting those parameters then most users. Talking to a major brands AP programmers they were increasingly of the view user access to these should be eliminated !!

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Most calibration routines these days do a better job of setting those parameters then most users. Talking to a major brands AP programmers they were increasingly of the view user access to these should be eliminated !!

Agreed, but the OP has ST4000 that is an excellent pilot but settings have to be made manually.

[RaymondR]

I've had four autopilots and from viewpoints of simplicity, reliability and durability the Raytheon ST4000 was the best of them. I've had it for 30 odd years and while it needs a new LCD it still works well.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

Agreed, but the OP has ST4000 that is an excellent pilot but settings have to be made manually.

As a previous owner of a ST4000 it’s a pilot “ of its time “ the newer EV1 based units are greatly superior, reliable but a product of the sensors of the day.