caleroific
New Member
I am posting the following to highlight a problem I had setting up the autopilot TRACK function when I installed a new Raymarine autopilot connected to a NMEA 0183 Garmin chartplotter. The problem has now been resolved, I think, but not without some issues on the way. All comments welcome.
Over the last two seasons my old Raymarine SP5000+ autopilot has given up the ghost so I decided to bite the bullet and replace it with a new Evolution autpilot comprising a P70S control head, EV-1 Sensor and ACU-200 control unit. In doing so I was able to retain my existing Linear drive.
My configuration pre conversion had a Garmin 3005C chartplotter connected directly via a NMEA 0183 connection to the ST5000+ control head. The system worked very well and the ST5000+ in TRACK mode would follow routes set up in the Garmin chartplotter. The only constraint was that the ST5000+ would only support 4 alphanumeric waypoint names e.g. A357. This was OK and over the last 10 years I have some 50 preprogrammed routes with some 450 waypoints set up in the Garmin chartplotter.
Installation of the new autopilot went well. The installation instructions were well documented and I was able to install the equipment over a few days. The biggest issue was determining where to locate the ACU-200 and wiring it into the existing configuration. The P70S replaced the ST5000+ head at the binnacle and the EV-1 was installed in the location freed up by the old fluxgate compass. I used my old Raymarine NMEA to Seatalk Converter (E85001) and installed a new Seatalk to SeatalkNG Converter (E22158) to connected my old and new environments.
Commissioning the equipment was extraordinarily easy! Following some simple dockside procedures a short trip to my local fuel stop and back, which involved a slow 360 degree rotation resulted in an automatic setup of Deviation. A minor correction to align the EV-1 heading completed the process. Seatalk WIND and SPEED data appeared on the P70S. The following weekend I completed a round trip up the Solent in moderate to rough sea state and the autopilot performed exceptionally well much better that the old ST5000+. The AUTO and WIND VANE functions both worked well.
However I could not get the TRACK function to work. When I activated a route in the Garmin plotter the Bearing to Waypoint (BTW) and Distance to Waypoint (DTW) were both displayed on the P70S control head but when I selected TRACK mode the unit responded with "No Navigation Data"
Following a number of discussions with Raymarine UK, my local Raymarine Dealer, on line dialogue with Raymarine Support and doing my own research I fixed the problem but not without some considerable time and cost to myself. The problem was solved as a result of one or more of the following:
Following the recommission I took the boat for a trip round the harbour to "swing the compass" and test the autopilot. All worked fine including TRACK mode although the autopilot took some time to settle down. Initially it would vear dramatically to port as it approached a waypoint. It would appear that the autopilot learns the characteristics of your boat (possibly because the EV-1 is mounted to port of the center line on my boat) and eventually configures itself to make more gentle, appropriate manoeuvres.
This has left me with one final issue and that is that the new autopilot will only except 4 digit Waypoint identities and not my alphanumeric names mentioned above. Further research suggests that this is because of a conversion issue between NMEA0183/Seatalk and SeatalkNG which is based on NMEA2000. The conversion to NMEA2000 uses the numeric waypoint number to identify a waypoint. It would be nice to have this confirmed. It is not a major problem for me but is does mean changing all my 450 Waypiont names to comply.
For information my Raymarine software status is as follows:
P70S 3.07
EV1 2.18 (was 2.17)
ST1 STNG Converter 2.03
ACU200 2.23
Over the last two seasons my old Raymarine SP5000+ autopilot has given up the ghost so I decided to bite the bullet and replace it with a new Evolution autpilot comprising a P70S control head, EV-1 Sensor and ACU-200 control unit. In doing so I was able to retain my existing Linear drive.
My configuration pre conversion had a Garmin 3005C chartplotter connected directly via a NMEA 0183 connection to the ST5000+ control head. The system worked very well and the ST5000+ in TRACK mode would follow routes set up in the Garmin chartplotter. The only constraint was that the ST5000+ would only support 4 alphanumeric waypoint names e.g. A357. This was OK and over the last 10 years I have some 50 preprogrammed routes with some 450 waypoints set up in the Garmin chartplotter.
Installation of the new autopilot went well. The installation instructions were well documented and I was able to install the equipment over a few days. The biggest issue was determining where to locate the ACU-200 and wiring it into the existing configuration. The P70S replaced the ST5000+ head at the binnacle and the EV-1 was installed in the location freed up by the old fluxgate compass. I used my old Raymarine NMEA to Seatalk Converter (E85001) and installed a new Seatalk to SeatalkNG Converter (E22158) to connected my old and new environments.
Commissioning the equipment was extraordinarily easy! Following some simple dockside procedures a short trip to my local fuel stop and back, which involved a slow 360 degree rotation resulted in an automatic setup of Deviation. A minor correction to align the EV-1 heading completed the process. Seatalk WIND and SPEED data appeared on the P70S. The following weekend I completed a round trip up the Solent in moderate to rough sea state and the autopilot performed exceptionally well much better that the old ST5000+. The AUTO and WIND VANE functions both worked well.
However I could not get the TRACK function to work. When I activated a route in the Garmin plotter the Bearing to Waypoint (BTW) and Distance to Waypoint (DTW) were both displayed on the P70S control head but when I selected TRACK mode the unit responded with "No Navigation Data"
Following a number of discussions with Raymarine UK, my local Raymarine Dealer, on line dialogue with Raymarine Support and doing my own research I fixed the problem but not without some considerable time and cost to myself. The problem was solved as a result of one or more of the following:
- Software Update. I checked the software versions of my equipment and found that the EV-1 required an update. The release note for this update says "Corrects a "... No Navigation" fault error that can occur if entering Track mode from data via multiple 3rd party Navigators and improves the management of Waypoint numbers from non Raymarine Navigators. ..."
The software update should be an easy process but took two weeks because I do not have a Raymarine MFD and my local Raymarine Repair Center was unable to apply the update. As a result I had to send the EV-1 to Raymarine UK to update. The upgrade was applied for free but it cost me £30 in postage and a 100 mile car journey to get it done. - Removal of redundant equipment. The new autopilot is very sensitive to (a) multiple sources of data, e.g. two GPS data sources and (b) data loops, e.g. repeat and/or delay of the same data from source. When I reinstalled the updated EV-1 I disconnected an old RN300 plotter, which I use to monitor Seatalk data, from the Seatalk network and an Actisense NGW-1 gateway, which I hope to use to get fast heading data from the SeatalkNG network. Thus when I reset my P70S and recommissioned the autopilot I could be sure that the correct data sources were selected. There was a possibility that the P70S had not been selecting the STNG/Seatalk Converter for GPS and navigation data and had been incorrectly selecting the NGW-1.
- Magnetic Variation Settings. Raymarine Support said that neither of the above would solve the problem. They suggested that I do a factory reset and recommission the autopilot. During the process check the Magnetic Variation set up in the Garmin plotter and set up the Magnetic Variation in the P70S to be the same (in my case 3 degrees West). This may well have fixed the problem but if it did I have no idea why!
Following the recommission I took the boat for a trip round the harbour to "swing the compass" and test the autopilot. All worked fine including TRACK mode although the autopilot took some time to settle down. Initially it would vear dramatically to port as it approached a waypoint. It would appear that the autopilot learns the characteristics of your boat (possibly because the EV-1 is mounted to port of the center line on my boat) and eventually configures itself to make more gentle, appropriate manoeuvres.
This has left me with one final issue and that is that the new autopilot will only except 4 digit Waypoint identities and not my alphanumeric names mentioned above. Further research suggests that this is because of a conversion issue between NMEA0183/Seatalk and SeatalkNG which is based on NMEA2000. The conversion to NMEA2000 uses the numeric waypoint number to identify a waypoint. It would be nice to have this confirmed. It is not a major problem for me but is does mean changing all my 450 Waypiont names to comply.
For information my Raymarine software status is as follows:
P70S 3.07
EV1 2.18 (was 2.17)
ST1 STNG Converter 2.03
ACU200 2.23
Last edited:
