How do you use your simrad tillerpilot?

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paun

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I m thinking to buy a tillerpilot. Raymarine st 1000 or Simrad tp10. Raymarine has a display to set cource etc. How do you use(control) your Simrad tillerpilot. All suggestions and reccomendations are welcome. Does anybody know a good place to buy one?
 
I would assume it will be approx the same way for both - steer a course by hand, and press GO on the pilot.... you can then adjust your course by degrees using the buttons provided ...
 
I have a Navico TP300 which is now the Simrad. Works fine but I do wonder sometimes what course its steering as there is no display - point the boat, press the button and then adjust if necessary. However, if I've worked out a course to steer, I can stick it on the electronic compass (Raymarine) and then have to fiddle to get the tillerpilot to steer to the course. No such problems using it linked to the GPS and following a route - however I don't think the TP10 takes a NMEA feed - could be wrong though but I think that is only on the TP20 upwards. Worth checking. In short, its not really a problem but if everything else is even, the display does have value.
 
I have a Navico TP5000. When the boat is settled and the sails are correctly trimmed I press the auto (middle) button and light up my pipe. Although I do glance at the steering compass from time to time I am really more interested in the COG as displayed by the Garmin. Any deviations are quickly corrected by clicking the <span style="color:red">RED</span> or <span style="color:green">GREEN</span> buttons briefly for minor, or longer for major, corrections.

When using it with the wind vane you need to set the 'sea state' function (sorry, I can't recall the proper term at this time) so that the thing will not be continuously trying to steer a rigid course, much like a novice tends to do. The boat will head up and then fall off again depending on the waves and the gusts. Long(ish)-term it all evens out to a correct 'average' course as long as the wind direction remains constant and the strength reasonably so. It depends largely on the particular boat.

Using it without the vane, as while motoring, should give you a wake as straight as an arrow, weather permitting.

Final tip, if you hear the motor of the TP working most of the time rather than intermittently, say every 6 or 7 seconds, you need to check the setting of your sails.

The new toys should not be very diferent in operation.
 
IMHO the autopilot display never quite matches your main steering compass. The main compass is what I use to judge my course.

I used a Navico TP300, identical to the Simrad TP 30, to steer a 33' on an Atlantic circuit. Norris the Navico, performed brilliantly. I would not hesitate to buy another.
 
I bought the Raymarine st 1000 this year to replace an old Autohelm. I've linked it to my Navman chart plotter and calibrated the compass on the Raymarine so that it agrees with the compass. I'm very satisfied with it.
 
I use a TP32, stear the course and the press the auto button, or if I have bothered to link to the laptop ( running seaclear) press the Nav button to take me to the waypoint.
 
I have a Raymarine 2000+. it is linked to the GPS but I rarely use it in that mode. for a short course its not worth it and for a long one you should offset the tide over the whole passage.

unless your steering compass is adjusted to trim out deviation, it won't agree with a tiller pilot display anyway.
 
Hi,

If you require any further information on the Simrad TP Series, please send me a private message with your email or delivery address and I will send you a brochure.

If you require any further technical help on operating the unit, please feel free to call our service department on 01794 510010.
 
My advice from experience would be leave well alone !! IMO their performance is poor and after sales virtually non existance . I bought a new TP10 , it failed within a couple of hours returned to the manufactures ,returned still not working correctly . Its still in its original box in the cupboard unused and thats where it will stay .!!
 
I have the 32 model, and find it works pretty well when not switched on.
After years of fiddling about with tiller lines and rubber tube. I now trim the sails set the pilot going and after a decent period switch it off. If your boat is pretty well balanced it will carry on in the same (rough) direction. No noise and no battery drain. Not just on the wind either, few weeks ago I sailed 20 miles downwind just stepping in a few times to sort things out.
 
you are lucky I wouldn't trust a TP10 to cross a river . A complete crock of shite in my experience . It wouldn't have been as bad if it was returned from the warrenty "repair" in a reliable state . TP10 ??? You can keep 'em (like mine brand new and kept in a cupboard )
 
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