Helm Indicator?

[BarryD]

My new toy has no helm indicator - shame on the previous owner he fitted most other things. So I have resorted to the time honoured tradition of some electrical tape around the top of the wheel. Being sort of three turns lock to lock - I now know if the outdrives are pointing backwards, to the left or to the right. Two people at the marina have enthused over being recent converts to helm indicators - so what does the panel think?

Do I need one?
Are they easy to retro fit?
Do they pick up from the wheel itself or from the steering box?

BTW - Had a great time on the boat last week. Loads of sunshine and engine hours logged. Dinged one pontoon but some polish soon hid the evidence. Gotta love that bow-thruster.

The correct phraseology is "Are we insured..." NOT "Were we insured"
(IMHO, BTW, FWIW and NWGOI)

 

[andyball]

I've got 4 turns & initially thought of getting one, but have gotten well used to it now.

I've seen two types....one a stick-on disc on the wheel (£20 from compass & many local chandlers) but works surprisingly well,although looks expensive for what it is., the other electrical dials/sensors.....but couldn't find any sensors other than ones that had to be fiddled into the steering gear at the rear (price about £50 ? ,asap supplies do 'em). Since I've an outboard,and the sensor associated wires/mountings would be visible/exposed to salt water.....I didn't like that idea.

Another thought was using a wheel type autopilot....but they're 4 or £500,so didn't pursue it,although it could probably be persuaded to give a steering indication, and even "remote control" steering, as well as serve its original purpose.


Just noticed that Vetus do rather nicer looking ones with more substantial looking sensors, £180-£250 depending on dial type.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by andyball on Mon May 13 09:30:58 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[jfm]

Do not buy one

IMHO they're quite useful, not massively so, but a bit. AFAIK they generally work via a potentiometer in the engine bay, attached to the tiller arm, then the gauge on the dash is a calibrated voltmeter.


BUT DONT BUY ONE. You will (te he) almost certainly want to fit an autopilot soon, for those long trips to Cherbourg, and all modern autopilots have a graphical rudder position display included in the LCD dashboard control panel. Reason is, autopilots have helm angle as one of the inputs into the 'puter, so no extra effort really to include a dashboard display. So, if you fit a rudder position sensor now, and autopilot later, rudder position thing would be waste of time and £££ imho

 

[hlb]

Re: Ah But!!

My auto Helm dont have an indicator up the fly bridge. And the time I need the indicator is when coming into marina ect, when speed is to slow to know where rudders are. But needing to move them to dead ahead before switching to engine only stearing. Cos if you dont, the stearing is unpradictable. Dont think I'd bother if I hadn't got one though.

No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer!!!

Haydn

 

[ArthurWood]

Hmm, now I can reply after sending you a PM. Funny that, p/word wouldn't work for Boat Chat but worked for the rest. Now it's OK. Anyway, for years, until I installed an autopilot I used the rudder indicator described at
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay?prmenbr=201&prrfnbr=4679&outlet=
It's simple, inexpensive and works very well. Made in Switzerland, I think.

 

[jfm]

So.......

OK, Barry, dont get the same autopilot as Haydn!

 

[andyball]

that's the one I mentioned too

 

[BarryH]

Many many moons ago, we had a boat with a helm indicator.To be honest it never really got used. It was fitted when the boat was purchased, worked for a few years then went wrong. IMHO I would'nt bother with one, the leccy tape is probably good enuff, and after a while you'll instinctevly know what its doing anyway.

Smile. its only money!

 

[tcm]

the correct method is the insulation tape. Also, it's a bit unnec. to polish the pontoon after whacking it, but good to stay in with the harbourmaster I suppose.

 

[Guest]

I use it all the time in the marina. Saves a lot of pointless wheel twiddling to find dead ahead, just at the time you need maximum concentration