Electronic compass/Autopilot Location..

[pandos]

I have an autopilot (Raymarine ST6002?) comes with rudder sensor, course computer heading compass and control unit with a wheel drive ..

I installed it many years ago, before the boat spent a few years in the yard,but never calibrated it, it worked at that time in the sense that it kept a reasonable course under sail and was excellent when motoring... this year I decided I should calibrate it and make it the super thing that the book promised (learning etc)

After following instructions turning in circles etc it became worse than useless it was erratic and frequently lost its course, it showed a heading that varied from few degrees off the main compass to close to 20 degrees difference...

I accept now that some of the problems were caused by my placement of the compass, ( I kept it away from the engine but was close to the cooker the Keel, and was also close to the spare anchor and recently Irealised it was close to a 110k transformer, and to piles of tools incl a battery drill which varied in quantity and makeup.

Last weekend I moved it further from the cooker/ engine etc/ cleared out the tool locker and hey presto it is back reasonably good at holding a course which is not too far from the compass course..

I do not want to have to give up these handy locations for tools etc and neither do I want to need to be constantly vigilant about where stuff is placed..

My question is where do people generally fit these devices.. the book calls for fitting it near the centerline low down but that is near the keel, too far back it will be near the the engine cooker in the stern it will be near the batteries and associated wiring etc... I was thinking of putting it the heads under the sink it would be on the centerline but away from mast wiring, and the feed to the windlass.. but in a giddy part of the boat...

recently I bought a back up pilot and ideally I would fit the compass for this very near the first one so that I could have the control head as a standalone easy to read display down below and have the ability to swap over the systems if there was an issue... Would fitting both close together cause an issue...

Boat is a HR352

 

[prv]

I think it’s most important to keep it clear of places where movable metal might be placed. Fixed chunks of metal should be compensated to some extent by the deviation calibration.

I installed mine in a void inside the structure of the saloon table - fairly central in the boat, and some distance from big pieces of metal and any lockers except for the one in the table itself which only holds glass bottles.

Pete

 

[pvb]

Boat is a HR352

I had an HR352, and I installed the fluxgate compass in the starboard back corner of the chart table. Close to the centreline of the boat, but away from heavy chunks of metal.

 

[duncan99210]

Mines in the starboard aft cabin clothes locker. I call it a clothes locker but it’s actually where all the board games live. All was fine until the Admiral stowed the backgammon set next to the compass. It’s a travel set and the markers are little magnets..... The locker now has a prominent notice inside the door stating “no metal object to be stowed in here”. Actually works quite well and we know now to warn guests to be careful what they stow round the locker.

 

[differentroads]

Same gear as the OP. Mine is just under the deckhead about a metre from anything magnetically significant. The main risk is people plonking their phones near it. Or me putting my little Bose bluetooth speaker right on top of it (not that I need to break the spell of sailing by playing music. Except on the second and third hours of a nightwatch when I've been known to wake my better half by unconciously dancing or singing along to something loud and fast to help me stay awake!)

 

[pandos]

I think I'll go with the position in the heads maybe low down I'll still be on the centreline and just forward of the mast and keel... Should be far enough from windlass cables..

I agree that signs can stop people doing silly things and am the worst offender myself but I think the heads is a safe bet even for me not to throw the speaker or headphones, mobile phone,

I suppose once put in place, I will be able to see if another one fitted close by will affect it...

Thanks for the replies.

Tony