Installing Simrad TP22 tillerpilot

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Lahara

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I'm wondering if owners of autopilots for tiller steered boats can help me out.

Installation instructions for the TP22 say that the connection pin on the tiller (where the end of the tillerpilot arm connects) must be 460mm from the rudder, though 'some' tolerance is allowed and that the differences this causes to the steering function can be adjusted through the gain setting. I can meet all other dimensions in the installation drawings but 460mm is far too short for my 30 foot long keel sloop. Ideally, I'd like to extend the dimension another 200mm, making 660mm in total. I have a vague unease based on a distant memory of school maths that this will have a serious effect on angular velocities and so on and am wondering whether I'm asking too much of the device.

Does anyone know if adding an extra 200mm along the tiller would work effectively. Just how big can the allowed 'some tolerance' be and would there be enough adjustment in the gain control to accommodate a 660mm distance?
 
Hi CPD, thanks for comments.

I suspect I may have been unclear in my post about the dimension I wish to extend. I understand about additional inserts that extend the length of the push rod - Simrad has these too. I don't wish to do this (or tho', perhaps, I may eventually need to do so as part of what I would like to do).

Rather, I am looking at extending the other significant dimension, that is the distance from the centre of the rudder post to the point along the tiller arm where the tillerpilot push rod connects.

I feel I can't be the only person ever faced with this problem and would be very interested to hear from others who have been obligated to alter the standard installation setup for the TP22 or other tiller-based autopilot to suit their particular boat.

Regards
 
I think you cannot fiddle with this measurement. I broke my tiller two years ago, fortunately towards the end of the season and I was able to jury rig it as a shorter tiller - about 3 inches I think. That was fine as a tiller but the TP300 would not work sensibly. It would steer a straight course provided there was little deviation but any veering brought about serious confusion and it could not regain course - obviously as the angles were wrong. It was rather sad, rather like watching an animal that couldn't make sense of what was going on around it..... When a new end was spliced on the tiller, I had to move the pin to regain the exact measurement again and everything returned to normal.
 
That much will be too much to add I am sure. They dont say 460 if 660 will do.

Whether or not the gain control adjustment will accommodate such a big variation from that recommended I don't know but I doubt it.
What will result is a much reduced maximum movement of the tiller. To 0.69 of what it otherwise would be. In a boat that is very sensitive to the tiller that may not matter but if yours needs generous movement of the tiller you could well find the performance of the tiller pilot considerably impeded. Also, as you say, it will adversely affect the time it taked to apply a given amount of rudder.

You could of course contact Simrad for advice or just do the best you can and accept the shortcomings.
 
Hi TG and VS,

I almost don't want to read your replies because they are telling me things I think I already knew but was hoping not to be confirmed. I bought the TP22 over the internet brand new for $200 less than the retail chandlers so am keen to use it. (Everyone is totally suprised at this price difference, of course). I could, actually, follow the standard installation instructions and conform to the 460mm distance but this will put the base for the pushing/pulling end of the autopilot directly on top of a hatch cover (same for both port and starboard, so there is no way out by swapping sides). I guess if one wants reliable operation of the tp, which is what I do, that's where I'll have to screw it down but it is a position I think rather messy, and not the least irritating, if not awkward. I was hoping to hear from someone who had to push the limits in a similar situation. Thank you for giving me the value of your experience. I appreciate your time you've put in to answering my rather naive question.

To VicS: I've not been corresponding with YBW for some years due to a death in the family but have in earlier years ago benefited from your experienced comments. Thanks, again, Vic.

To TG: Where have you been? I can see from your posting where you say you are but where in the world is West Mersea? My private life has not been the same since I lost contact with your blog. Good luck and fair winds to you.
 
That 200mm would create a loss of tiller angle siginificant to affect course keeping. The Tillerpilot would be making it's normal adjustments and then increasing to compensate for lack of tiller angle. This would a) increase your power consumption considerably, b) reduce the maximum tiller over angle possible from the Tillerpilot such that you may find it fails to be able to keep course especially in downwind sailing.
Tacking would be seriously affected, possibly so slow due to lack of tiller over angle that you end up disengaging tillerpilot for each tack.
IMHO the 460mm is a max distance from the rudder pivot point. Exceed it as you are suggesting by near 50% is a bad idea.
Another suggests bar extenions, they will not make any difference at all and would only move the mount of the tillerpilot further to side from the tiller. The tillerpilot bar will still only extend and retract by exactly same amount as without.

Sorry but you will have to find a way to fit at recc'd distance to keep the rudder hard over angle sufficient to tack and control boat.
 
Thanks Moody1, you've summed it up pretty well. I guess I had got my hopes up by the mention of 'some tolerance' in the installation instructions but this probably means just a centimetre or so either way, not the 43 percent variation I was looking at. Oh well, back to pondering a solution.
 
I must read posts thoroughly

My tillerpilot has the pin sunk into the tiller at 450mm from the fulcrum of the rudder, which is about 1200mm from the end of the tiller.

I used a mounting bar, obtained from Raymarine, which allowed mounting the fixed end proud of the cockpit side by some 600mm. It's worked great for about 18 years.
 
Re: I must read posts thoroughly

[ QUOTE ]
My tillerpilot has the pin sunk into the tiller at 450mm from the fulcrum of the rudder, which is about 1200mm from the end of the tiller.

I used a mounting bar, obtained from Raymarine, which allowed mounting the fixed end proud of the cockpit side by some 600mm. It's worked great for about 18 years.

[/ QUOTE ]

Because we have a wide cockpit with no deck at side, we have a pedestal mount about 4" long that screws into a threaded ring mounted on cockpit bench. That mount has a hole in top the TP pin drops into. Otherwise it would have meant having an extension of about 10" to the rod.
The only alternative I can see, as the TP is effectively sitting over a cockpit lid is to add a really long extension to mount up on cockpit coaming. But then how would it match the tiller bar height ?
How often do you really need to get into locker ? Maybe you'll have to decide that locker is reduced to occasional opening and swap contents to another ? PITA but putting tillerpilot to standby, extracting locker item you want and then resuming will at least keep sea-settings and keep you going.
 
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