Can Raymarine autopilot be self contained?

[stranded]

By which I mean I am expecting delivery of an Evolution Pilot package (sans drive) after our has finally given up the ghost. The trouble is we are likely to be booted out of the marina we are in before we can get someone to fit it. I presume the components in the Pilot package should play with each other nicely, but I am nervous about the interface with the aging E120 plotter. As a stopgap, could I just install the Pilot components and get basic rudder funtionality and get the interface to everything else sorted when we find a tech to do it? Or is it all or nothing?

 

[PaulRainbow]

The autopilot can be used stand alone, forever if you choose, there is no requirement for it to be interfaced with anything else.

The E120 will interface with the Evolution OK, exactly how depends on the model/age.

 

[stranded]

Thanks Paul - I’ll give it a go then!

 

[KompetentKrew]

By which I mean I am expecting delivery of an Evolution Pilot package (sans drive)

Sorry to bother you, but is there any chance of the Raymarine part number &/or a link to where you bought it, please?

Although I haven't looked into it further recently I understood that the Evo core packs were available only with a drive.

 

[stranded]

Love to be able to help, but there is a backstory to mine so it is not a current order from a supplier but something our electronics guy had in stock - he is though I think a fitter, not a retailer.

 

[laika]

Sorry to bother you, but is there any chance of the Raymarine part number &/or a link to where you bought it, please?

Although I haven't looked into it further recently I understood that the Evo core packs were available only with a drive.

EV-200 Sail Pilot | Boat Autopilots | Raymarine

Look at the bottom where it says the pack is also available without the drive. This is just what I bought, connecting to my existing type 1 linear drive. You may not need the included rudder reference if you have an existing one which works OK: as far as I can tell the design hans't significantly changed in 30-odd years

 

[RunAgroundHard]

As stated by others, yes. I bought the ACU 400, P70S, EV1 and rudder angle sensor, from Hudson Marine. Fitted it to an old Neco Rotary motor, which Hudson modified for me. Installation was very easy and has worked well for about 2 years. Initially had an issue with the brushes on the motor as the commutator ring was dirty. Once cleaned, became very reliable.

A word of caution. COG is not obvious if not interfaced with a plotter. I got swept significantly sideways to water track, and got a fright when I realised I was not in safe water. My fault, perception was poor.

Now connected to Axiom+ just recently, plug and play, Axiom just identified the ACU 400 / Controller through the network, with all my set up details.

Worth spending time planning installation and getting network cable length sorted.

Good luck.

 

[stranded]

As stated by others, yes. I bought the ACU 400, P70S, EV1 and rudder angle sensor, from Hudson Marine. Fitted it to an old Neco Rotary motor, which Hudson modified for me. Installation was very easy and has worked well for about 2 years. Initially had an issue with the brushes on the motor as the commutator ring was dirty. Once cleaned, became very reliable.

A word of caution. COG is not obvious if not interfaced with a plotter. I got swept significantly sideways to water track, and got a fright when I realised I was not in safe water. My fault, perception was poor.

Now connected to Axiom+ just recently, plug and play, Axiom just identified the ACU 400 / Controller through the network, with all my set up details.

Worth spending time planning installation and getting network cable length sorted.

Good luck.

That’s useful additional info. Presumably cog will still be accurately represented by the green line on the plotter screen? That tends to be what I navigate by anyway unless eg x-channel I don’t want to be chasing the tide?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Although our Raymarine autopilot talks to our MFD and instruments, I’ve disabled any functionality.

I can’t get my head around allowing the plotter to take over my decision of where the boat is going.

The Autopilot would work perfectly well if it wasn’t connected to anything else. It would lose the ability to steer to the wind though that’s a function I personally very rarely use. (We have a wind vane that does that.)

 

[RunAgroundHard]

That’s useful additional info. Presumably cog will still be accurately represented by the green line on the plotter screen? That tends to be what I navigate by anyway unless eg x-channel I don’t want to be chasing the tide?

My point is about situational awareness if using stand alone auto helm and not having plotter indication of COG, which was my case. While I had Navionics on an iPad, it was not open at the time of my fright.

But yes, you are correct, a standalone plotter would still show COG and give you data to show where the boat was moving towards.

 

[stranded]

Yes, sorry - wasn’t meaning to challenge your experience - just trying to get my head round what a free standing solution will mean.

 

[James_Calvert]

If you have a DSC VHF, won't that give you the COG too?

 

[stranded]

Well what a palaver. Installing the new Evolution system as standalone was reasonably straightforward. But removing the old S2 also messed up the original seatalk network (duh!) so I had no wind/speed/depth. With nothing except big box things available off the shelf here and due to leave tomorrow I have had to budge it by using the old ACU as a giant junction box to reform the seatalk network - key instruments now working OK, though no radar(?). But of course the rudder reference has been transferred to the new plotter, so the chart plotter has no way of knowing which way we are pointing. More of a nuisance than anything as we have switched off the heading vector and rely on the magic green line.

But could I compete the utter botch job and take jumper wires from the new ACU to the old one so it has a rudder reference - or would it read wrong anyway because the rudder sensor is now initialised with the Evolution?

No idea why the radar has disappeared but just praying for no fog for now.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I think you’ll find that the rudder reference doesn’t tell the MFD which way you are pointing.

 

[stranded]

I think you’ll find that the rudder reference doesn’t tell the MFD which way you are pointing.

Ah - what does then - when we are stationary - was it the fluxgate compass ?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Ah - what does then - when we are stationary - was it the fluxgate compass ?

Yes it’s the fluxgate compass tells the system which way the boat is facing. Whether you’re stationary or not.

IIRC our system shows which we’re pointing (and wind and COG on the screen if we want it to.)

 

[stranded]

OK, thanks John. So nothing I can do until I get the new autopilt seatalkng network integrated with the old plotter hybrid network. Probably turn the plotter off then as it is confusing and just use the iPad. Bloody boats.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Sorry to bother you, but is there any chance of the Raymarine part number &/or a link to where you bought it, please?

Although I haven't looked into it further recently I understood that the Evo core packs were available only with a drive.

That's not correct.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Well what a palaver. Installing the new Evolution system as standalone was reasonably straightforward. But removing the old S2 also messed up the original seatalk network (duh!) so I had no wind/speed/depth. With nothing except big box things available off the shelf here and due to leave tomorrow I have had to budge it by using the old ACU as a giant junction box to reform the seatalk network - key instruments now working OK, though no radar(?). But of course the rudder reference has been transferred to the new plotter, so the chart plotter has no way of knowing which way we are pointing. More of a nuisance than anything as we have switched off the heading vector and rely on the magic green line.

The S2 will power the bus Seatalk. If you remove the S2 the bus will need it's own power supply. Typical arrangement with an S2 would be to have the controller connected to one Seatalk port and the rest of the bus connected to the other. If that's the case, you simply remove the Seatalk bus cable and connect the red and shield wires to power, you could use the current S2 power cable, fit a suitable fuse though. If anything other than, or in addition to, the controller is connected to the other Seatalk port you need to connect that to the first Seatalk port (obviously no need to keep the controller.

If you have anything connected to the S2 NMEA port, that will obviously cease to function.

But could I compete the utter botch job and take jumper wires from the new ACU to the old one so it has a rudder reference - or would it read wrong anyway because the rudder sensor is now initialised with the Evolution?

No idea why the radar has disappeared but just praying for no fog for now.

You could use the rudder reference unit on both devices. The autopilot calibrates to the RRU, so you could calibrate to one, the to the other. In fact, it'll likely still work OK on the old S2.

Depending on the exact setup you have, the only thing i can think of that may influence the radar is the heading sensor.