Which Raymarine auto pilot

[robertj]

I’m by the look of it I’ll be replacing my ageing auto pilot which has given me a few problems lately.
I’m investigating the connections etc etc but no doubt will have to replace with new.
my existing system is the st 4000.
Any recommendations what to replace it with? I’d prefer to stay with Raymarine as the rest of e with my instruments are Raymarine.
same with my wind instrument too.

 

[Tranona]

Depends on your boat and to an extent budget. The latest Evolution range has a Wheelpilot EV- 100 at about £1500 or with a below decks linear drive (EV - 200) at roughly twice the price. The latter may require mods to the boat to install the drive, hence the roughly. However, it is a much superior set up, although the electronics are essentially the same the drive is more robust and works directly on the steering quadrant.

The wheel drive is rated for up to 7500kgs displacement and the linear drive up to 11000kgs (there are drives for bigger boats as well). Depending on the age of your instruments you may be able to integrate them with the autopilot.

The Wheel Pilot gets mixed reviews, mainly related to lack of power and robustness in tougher conditions and the earlier ones like yours were only rated up to 5500kgs, but I assume they have been beefed up to justify the higher rating. functionally the below decks is much better - no faffing around with engaging the drive, just press thee button. also depending on the installation much quieter in operation.

 

[robertj]

Tranona I have posted yet another related thread to this but if I can retain them I will but they must be 20years old now so possibly a time to upgrade.

 

[mainsail1]

I am afraid I would not touch any Raymarine products now.
I had a bad experience with a wheel Pilot but like a fool I went on to buy their Axiom plotter because most of my other kit was Raymarine. Stupid mistake. The Axiom plotter has been designed by video gamers not sailors.
I will look elsewhere in future..

 

[geem]

I had a go on an Axiom plotter and couldn't see much difference in functionality to my old E series wide plotters. The graphics are better though. Why don't you like the Axiom?

 

[wully1]

The only reason I don’t have an inboard Raymarine Type 1 is the extensive surgery that would be required to fit it.. I’ve fitted an EV1 as next best option on which the jury is still out. My perfect set up would be a Hydrovane and a couple of tiller pilots. (With waterproof covers)

If your boat is wheel steered then get one, don’t waste money on those Mickey Mouse ‘wheel pilots’ they are light wind only clicky-clacky junk.

 

[mainsail1]

I had a go on an Axiom plotter and couldn't see much difference in functionality to my old E series wide plotters. The graphics are better though. Why don't you like the Axiom?

Where do I start? Probably best just to say that It is full of features that a sailor does not need and lacks features that a sailor does need. It is also amazingly difficult to find what you want in the menus and often the item you want is not there anyway. And the touch screen only works with a certain kind of touch. And the integrated radar looses wifi connection with the plotter just when you need it (like today in fog). I could ramble on...............

 

[Bobc]

SPX with a linear drive? You can get them for reasonable money used.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

I am afraid I would not touch any Raymarine products now.
I had a bad experience with a wheel Pilot but like a fool I went on to buy their Axiom plotter because most of my other kit was Raymarine. Stupid mistake. The Axiom plotter has been designed by video gamers not sailors.
I will look elsewhere in future..

I agree
I have the Axiom 12 pro.much to complicated , sometime it reverts to demo mode without letting me know .

 

[HereBeDragons]

Just as an aside - the 4000 series can be massively improved by adding a simple gyro, which hugely improves the response.

The standard setup doesn’t have it, and in my experience the response was useless above about a F4. Adding a gyro (small box mounted down the centre line, 3 wires in to the ‘brain’, takes about ten minutes and costs £50-odd), updates the ‘response’ options from 1-3 to 1-9.

You know when the pilot reacts really slowly to a following sea, which leaves the boat swinging through 60+ degrees and the pilot is on overtime going lock to lock, well, the gyro solves this completely.

No idea why Raymarine didn’t fit the component as standard as it makes such a huge difference to the system.

 

[dehlerdave]

Nobody’s yet mentioned the current version of what was the Raymarine 4000 series which includes the same wheel drive mk 2, an ev100 course computer and the 9 axis sensor that replaces both the gyro and the fluxgate compass. Electronic brain is much improved but the weakness of the clutch on the wheel drive remains. Several vids on u tube suggesting possible cures for that.