EV1 vs SPX5

[chubby]

Thinking of an autopilot upgrade and am wondering for a wheel pilot whether the new raymarine EV1 system is a worthwhile upgrade on the SPX5, would I notice a difference?

Had been thinking of a below decks AP but the layout would best suit a rotary drive as the steering sprocket from the original Pinta AP is still there but more engineering involved, over twice the price and might be difficult getting the chain and sprocket combo right on an old boat whereas the wheel pilot has been OK over the years, even if the noise is irritating occasionally.

Anyway takes my mind of Christmas shopping and I can tell SWIMBO, got to go down to the boat again just to double check the shaft rotation ratio!!!!

 

[lpdsn]

Thinking of an autopilot upgrade and am wondering for a wheel pilot whether the new raymarine EV1 system is a worthwhile upgrade on the SPX5, would I notice a difference?

Not sure I'm answering your question, but if it is the EV-1 sensor you're talking about (thing that looks like it's been modelled on the Starship Enterprise) then I've been pretty impressed with it (apart from the price of course). It has a number of motion sensors internally so seems very good at holding a course even if there are a few waves around.

It also seems quite rugged - halfway through fitting it I left mine on a cabinet whilst nipping out for 30 mins and a squall blew through whilst I was away. I found it on the sole of the saloon and thought that was it, but it has worked fine since. Couldn't have done that with a fluxgate compass.

However, I'm using mine with an original Autohelm linear drive. I can't say anything about whether the latest wheel drives are any improvement on the old ones, which is what I suspect you're really interested in.

 

[Tranona]

The weakness of all the recent wheeldrives is the drive itself which has both limited power and poorly designed and made gearbox. Not sure the more advanced electronics are worth it given the limitations of the drive.

 

[dom]

Hi Chubby, I can't help with the whirry, clickey wheel pilot contraption, but I did install an EV AP system this year, with FLIR's new 9-axis rate sensor (3-axis gyroscopes and acellerometers plus a 3-axis magnometer to keep the whole affair calibrated). The devil is in the software with rate-sensor systems and NKE dominate the top end racing gear, which is expensive, a bit fiddly and fab. B&G have traditionally occupied the mid-/upper range but following the Goldman led buyout of Navico there have been all sorts of problems on the development & maintenance sides.

Meanwhile Raymarine's takeover by FLIR (a US tech company) has brought immense R&D to the table and basically a FLIR chap was so over-the-top about the software/hardware EV package that I thought it had to be worth a go at that price point. All I can say is that I am amazed at how good it is, and that is even with a racing cap on! Okay it misses some tweakability on that front, but on a functionality/price basis it is simply amazing.

Anyway you are not far away (boat-boat sense!) so feel free to pop down sometime, have a play with it on the water and see what you think.

 

[chubby]

I was wondering whether the better electronics produced fewer course corrections which allowed the wheel drive to work more within it`s envelope, the wheeldrive kit is half to a third of the price of the below decks drive systems but as important is easy for me to fit and I know it will work to an extent whereas there is more engineering involved in fitting a below deck one: structural work to fit a linear drive and sorting out chains and sprockets for a rotary drive, although the wheel drive shouldn`t be enough it has worked over the years.

The weakness of all the recent wheeldrives is the drive itself which has both limited power and poorly designed and made gearbox. Not sure the more advanced electronics are worth it given the limitations of the drive.

 

[chubby]

Thanks, I have used the wheel drives for about 20 years on the boat, and the original black metal autohelm one was better engineered than the current grey plastic Hungarian assembled raymarine ones which do seem a bit flimsy but are easy to install, the comment I was given by a supplier is that they are made for the leisure market, ie weekend use whereas I was shown some seriously robust kit with a linear drive intended to keep a north sea trawler at sea for months, but with an attendant price tag and major engineering to retro fit. Horses for course!

The weakness of all the recent wheeldrives is the drive itself which has both limited power and poorly designed and made gearbox. Not sure the more advanced electronics are worth it given the limitations of the drive.

 

[skyflyer]

Had an SPX5 on last boat and fitted an EV1 with below deck ram on the new one (same model boat) having vowed never to bother with a wheel pilot again.

The SPX5 does what all Ray wheel pilots do, which is disengage the clutch on its own accord periodically.
The below deck ram i had fitted by the yard but all the other stuff and wiring up was a doddle to DIY.
The below deck ram also gives me redundancy if there is a wheel steering linkage or cable failure.

Whether the wheel pilot would do better with the EV1 sensor - who knows. With a rudder ref unit too, possibly.

 

[Tranona]

Thanks, I have used the wheel drives for about 20 years on the boat, and the original black metal autohelm one was better engineered than the current grey plastic Hungarian assembled raymarine ones which do seem a bit flimsy but are easy to install, the comment I was given by a supplier is that they are made for the leisure market, ie weekend use whereas I was shown some seriously robust kit with a linear drive intended to keep a north sea trawler at sea for months, but with an attendant price tag and major engineering to retro fit. Horses for course!

They are a bit hit and miss. My old Bav 37 originally had a 3000 belt drive which survived 7 years chartering in greece. however conditions there are mostly benign and the AP was mostly used for motoring in flat calm. I changed it for a 4000 wheel drive for my trip back to the UK and the gearbox exploded on the second day while motor sailing. Bought a complete new SPX 5 in Sardinia. This lasted to Majorca when again the gearbox exploded. Could not get it repaired in Spain so got the boat back by truck.

Lots of toing and froing with Raymarine until I found the boss of the service dept and a new drive supplied plus the old one repaired. However it still needed two software updates to make it work properly.

So, not surprising that I have a Garmin with a Lewmar chain drive motor on my new boat.