I researched that idea but concluded it was not a good idea. If you try pushing the short tiller arm on your rudder stock, the force needed to drive your teleflex system, so rotating the wheel is considerable. Try measuring it, then try finding an autopilot linea drive that can overcome that force plus the force needed to operate the rudder at sea. I concluded it was unrealistic.
Yes, if the reverse force would damage the helm then the helm would not be up to the job! With your boat on the hard, have you ever tried to move the rudder? On my teleflex system it certainly makes my muscles strain, but that is from the end of the rudder. The tiller arm is probably a quarter of that length so the load would be four times greater. By the time you have added the force to operate the rudder at sea ............ then when you are on manual steering, how much effort does it take to reverse-drive the linear actuator? There is a company called Octopusdrives who sell a replacement teleflex helm that incorporated an electric drive behind the dash but after a number of email exchanges I did not trust them at all as they missled me on the price and what they would supply. My conclusion was, either change to hydraulic steering and a Raymarine autopilot or fit the type of autopilot that has a, rather ugly, drive mechanism that fits to your wheel. Have you discovered another option?
An intetesting suggestion from Mr Googler but if you dont already have the "compatible Lowrance HDS multi-function display" you are probably talking £3000.
Nope.....its all nmea 2000 so if a current plotter supports autopilot.....bingo.
Oh I see, thanks, however I don't have such a plotter and assume it can't be used without one.
That is true. You can pickup n2k ap control heads on eBay for a few £100 here and there. Mind you, even the cheaper end plotters now support autopilot control. Simrad GO5 for example