Channel 16 affecting my Autohelm 2000 tillerpilot

[Aeolus]

I did a quick radio check on channel 16 on my maiden voyage of the season. As I pressed transmit, my Autohelm 2000 tiillerpilot extended fully and the boat veered sharply to starboard. I tested it again and the same thing happened. It's a new VHF cable and antenna but the same ancient Sailtron radio. With the previous cable & antenna, nothing like this happened. It doesn't happen on other channels (I tried 65, 67 and 80). The boat is a 30' sailing boat and the antenna is 12 metres higher than the autopilot. Any thoughts, ideas?

 

[KevinV]

Low battery? Or noise on the negative bus affecting the nmea network?

 

[Aeolus]

Low battery? Or noise on the negative bus affecting the nmea network?

Neither. Battery 100% full, no nmea network (my autohelm 2000 is at least 30 years old - they weren't networked in those days.

 

[VicS]

Neither. Battery 100% full, no nmea network (my autohelm 2000 is at least 30 years old - they weren't networked in those days.

Were you transmitting at full power on all channels? 16 probably goes to full power automatically but the others wont. ... I'm wondering about a bad connection somewhere that does not cause enough voltage drop to affect the Autohelm when transmitting at low power but does when the radio draws more current at full power.

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[Alex_Blackwood]

I did a quick radio check on channel 16 on my maiden voyage of the season. As I pressed transmit, my Autohelm 2000 tiillerpilot extended fully and the boat veered sharply to starboard. I tested it again and the same thing happened. It's a new VHF cable and antenna but the same ancient Sailtron radio. With the previous cable & antenna, nothing like this happened. It doesn't happen on other channels (I tried 65, 67 and 80). The boat is a 30' sailing boat and the antenna is 12 metres higher than the autopilot. Any thoughts, ideas?

You say new VHF cable. How is it run, Does it follow the same run as the original, is it alongside any of the cables associated with the AP, did you move or disturb any cables when running the new co-ax ?

 

[Refueler]

You say new VHF cable. How is it run, Does it follow the same run as the original, is it alongside any of the cables associated with the AP, did you move or disturb any cables when running the new co-ax ?

That was my first thought as well ....

But in reality - the AH2000 - I have one .. only has +/- twin lead cable with no NMEA or data ...

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

That was my first thought as well ....

But in reality - the AH2000 - I have one .. only has +/- twin lead cable with no NMEA or data ...

Is there a compass wired in somewhere and or a control panel? Don't know, just asking
Control Unit; Battery Connection; Accessory Connection - Raymarine Autohelm 2000 User Manual [Page 9]

 

[TSB240]

All the problems I ever had with a tiller pilot were usually linked to the plug or socket connection. Invariably this corroded or made a poor contact and the TP would act up under low voltage or high current demand.

I was recently surprised to see how much my radio draws on full power.


Do you have a mate with a radio you could borrow to see if the same thing occurs.

My money is on a bad cable or connection in the tp power supply.

 

[Refueler]

Is there a compass wired in somewhere and or a control panel? Don't know, just asking
Control Unit; Battery Connection; Accessory Connection - Raymarine Autohelm 2000 User Manual [Page 9]

If its the old 2000 .... it has a separate compass control unit ...

If there was an item near that lower compass unit ... such as mic or hand-held radio - which have magnets in for speaker ... ??

 

[Aeolus]

If its the old 2000 .... it has a separate compass control unit ...

If there was an item near that lower compass unit ... such as mic or hand-held radio - which have magnets in for speaker ... ??

Mine must be a slightly newer version - it has a control unit separate from the actuator but it doesn't look like the one in your picture - it's a black rectangular box.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

Mine must be a slightly newer version - it has a control unit separate from the actuator but it doesn't look like the one in your picture - it's a black rectangular box.

I refer the gentleman to my previous answers #5 & 8

 

[Refueler]

Mine must be a slightly newer version - it has a control unit separate from the actuator but it doesn't look like the one in your picture - it's a black rectangular box.

Ok ... but probably same applies ...

can you upload a pccy of the unit so we can have a better idea of what 2000 unit it is ??

 

[Aeolus]

It's like this one

 

[Refueler]

What about the actual autohelm ? Picture of that ?

Why I ask - I am looking to see where the Compass part is .... as I don't know this particular unit.

 

[oilybilge]

This reminds me of the chap who noticed that when the sun came out his boat would turn to starboard and when it went behind the clouds she'd turn to port. Turns out he'd run the solar panel cables a bit too close to the autohelm compass...

 

[VicS]

All the problems I ever had with a tiller pilot were usually linked to the plug or socket connection. Invariably this corroded or made a poor contact and the TP would act up under low voltage or high current demand.
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My money is on a bad cable or connection in the tp power supply.

For the current the radio draws to affect the Autohelm a bad connection must be in a part of the wiring which is common to both. It could be in the positive or the negative wiring.
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