A how to - add wireless remote to Simrad tillerpilot

[AngusMcDoon]

I'm not sure that the TP10 does, but the 22 and 32 do. A future fun project is to learn that stuff and make a remote that works via the plug, but it's fairly low priority since it will have nothing to 'drive' it on the current (no electronics) boat - I'll just want a wandering wireless controller.

I'd love to see details of yours!

This is the remote handset, in its enclosure and just the board. The processor is a PIC 18F and the wireless link is a 2.4 GHz module. The enclosure and buttons are IP67 so hopefully waterproof.

The base station is part of a larger project doing a whole lot more than just the autopilot stuff, but it also has a 2.4 GHz wireless module on it , the small black daughter board at the bottom left. This board has a ST ARM Cortex M3 on it and is running FreeRTOS. This is way overkill for what's need for just a wireless base station - a PIC 18F would do the job, but there's lots else going on in this project.

 

[Andrew_Trayfoot]

The TP22 and 32 were both sold with it as an option. The only reason that I upgraded from a TP10 was so that I could install it under cover and operate it remotely. Foolishly I didn't check that just because their website said that there was an optional wireless remote it didn't mean that they still made or sold one. After a bit of a 'conversation' they changed the website. but proper apology came there none.

I'd be happy to do it for carefully selected decent people who were prepared to accept some sensible caveats. But if Simrad found that they made no money - even offering them to the hoi polloii - I wouldn't expect many takers.

I have one of the remotes if you can find one they work very well.

 

[Yellow Ballad]

I'm in the process of putting together a wireless remote for my ST2000+ which sends appropriate commands via Seatalk for +-1 & +-10, so no butchery of the tiller pilot is needed. Do the Simrad pilots have a data interface that can be used in a similar way?

I would be interested in hearing more about your project. I quite fancy a remote for my EV100 but the raymarine remote is still seatalk1 and requires another £100 converter on top.

 

[Spyro]

I'm in the process of putting together a wireless remote for my ST2000+ which sends appropriate commands via Seatalk for +-1 & +-10, so no butchery of the tiller pilot is needed. Do the Simrad pilots have a data interface that can be used in a similar way?

I found I had to cut some sections of the ribs inside the top cover to ensure it fitted over the pcb receiver and relay board

 

[Spyro]

Wonderful how this thread has come to live again now with images. I have a question for both of you anoccasionalyachtsman and Spyro since You by now must have gained some experience using the remote control at sea. Has it performed well? Never made course changes on its own due to electrical interference from other sources?
I will attach a picture of my own. As You can see I got away with it in a bit simpler manner. When a pushbutton is pressed, it closes a path to ground (0V,
negative). So only one wire is needed.

.View attachment 83209

It performed well as I set it up. One button to switch to auto one to switch to standby and the other 2 to give +10 and - 10 degrees so it could be used for manual steering as well. No interference from or caused to anything else.

 

[Ollieb84]

Wonderful how this thread has come to live again now with images. I have a question for both of you anoccasionalyachtsman and Spyro since You by now must have gained some experience using the remote control at sea. Has it performed well? Never made course changes on its own due to electrical interference from other sources?
I will attach a picture of my own. As You can see I got away with it in a bit simpler manner. When a pushbutton is pressed, it closes a path to ground (0V,
negative). So only one wire is needed.

.View attachment 83209

Wonderful how this thread has come to live again now with images. I have a question for both of you anoccasionalyachtsman and Spyro since You by now must have gained some experience using the remote control at sea. Has it performed well? Never made course changes on its own due to electrical interference from other sources?
I will attach a picture of my own. As You can see I got away with it in a bit simpler manner. When a pushbutton is pressed, it closes a path to ground (0V,
negative). So only one wire is needed.

.View attachment 83209

Hi, did you hook the live to each relay them run the normally open to the button? My question is which terminal did you run it to? The negative?

 

[Tri_again]

Can you please send a copy of the Simrad workshop manual to g_richardson25@hotmail.com
Great job on the remote
Thanks

 

[alahol2]

I don't know if it's what you need but there are a couple of workshop manuals on this page...

 

[Tri_again]

Thanks for the link. That is fantastic. I suspect that the fault is with the compass and the manual will hopefully allow me to dissect without stuffing something

 

[wolle]

Wonderful how this thread has come to live again now with images. I have a question for both of you anoccasionalyachtsman and Spyro since You by now must have gained some experience using the remote control at sea. Has it performed well? Never made course changes on its own due to electrical interference from other sources?
I will attach a picture of my own. As You can see I got away with it in a bit simpler manner. When a pushbutton is pressed, it closes a path to ground (0V,
negative). So only one wire is needed.

.View attachment 83209

I was searching remote controller for my Simrad TP22 tiller pilot and found (fortunately) this thread.

Thank you all for the input and idea of the diy remote controller. It inspired me to build one.

Instead of relays I decided to use CMOS logic. I have to say I'm no way professional in electronics, just happened to be interested in building circuits as a school boy decades ago.

There is the schematic diagram and a photo of the installation attached. You can see the RX480E receiver and Schmidt inverter hiding under the wires. Had I had wires in different colours, I would have used them. I added some heat glue to the wires to keep them steady.

I'm not very proud of my solderings; the components must have been shrinking since my school years

RX480E pulls channel up (+5V in this case) when activated and TP22 needs to be switched to ground. That is why I used inverter.

Controller seems to be working properly.

Cheers!

 

[greeny]

Did mine last year following the above instructions. Works really well especially useful when single handed. Well documented "simple" project by the OP. What PBO should be all about. Thanks to all who contributed.

 

[Refueler]

"Inspired by Spyro's thread on doing the same to a Raymarine pilot,"

Does anyone have a link or a copy of the details ... I have AH800 and AH1000 ... predecessors of the Raymarine ST series ... and a wired remote ... would be nice if I could cobble up a wireless jobbie ...

 

[GHA]

Ah, knew that spare anchor windlass remote would find something useful to do, should work as a wireless 2 channel control anything connected to a Raspberry Pi

With long press that's a free 4 channels of control.

These days asking an AI with a well written query comes up with a better answer to nearly any reply on here but AI doesn't get a "Oh, now there's a handy idea"

 

[rogerthebodger]

https://flic.kr/p/WonBVw

Here is a remote-control using garage / gate remotes as shown and I fitted then into a IP65 box with IP67 buttons