Interference with remotely controlled equipment.

[Driver]

As a result of generous previous owners, my 2013 Pearl 50 has every possible extra, except the proverbial kitchen sink. OK it has a kitchen sink also. Of all of this stuff there is a hydraulic swim platform, passerelle and windlass with wireless controls. Very ocassionally the platform and the windlass have made uncommanded operations when the yacht is unattended or at night and most things, including the radio, are switched off. My neighbour also sometimes gets intereference on his passerelle which may be connected and I suspect he thinks the problem lies with my boat. He sleeps forward and was woken one night to hear my anchor on the way down and shortly after, up.

Has any had this problem or any ideas please?

 

[Minerva]

Have you considered that your boat might just be haunted?

 

[jfm]

No idea of the cause but you could just flip the windlass and hi-lo breakers off when not in use.
The passerelle needs fixing because you can't leave its breaker off, obviously, if you use it Med style. If you only use it occasionally you could just buy a radio on/off breaker and install that in the power line to the hydraulic pack, then carry two remotes - one to switch the remote breaker and one to operate the passerelle

 

[ss2016]

I have a spotlight with a hand control. It used to turn itself on/off and move occasionally and the manufacturer said it was because of the frequency they had allocated. They gave me and others a replacement PCB if I remember correctly.

 

[starfire]

As a result of generous previous owners, my 2013 Pearl 50 has every possible extra, except the proverbial kitchen sink. OK it has a kitchen sink also. Of all of this stuff there is a hydraulic swim platform, passerelle and windlass with wireless controls. Very ocassionally the platform and the windlass have made uncommanded operations when the yacht is unattended or at night and most things, including the radio, are switched off. My neighbour also sometimes gets intereference on his passerelle which may be connected and I suspect he thinks the problem lies with my boat. He sleeps forward and was woken one night to hear my anchor on the way down and shortly after, up.

Has any had this problem or any ideas please?

I wonder if someone has fitted one of those cheap multi channel remotes off ebay?

Maybe you can investigate & tell us the make model of the remote.

I would suggest, although expensive, one of the multi channel ones from Quick.

 

[kashurst]

I used to have a passarelle that seemed to have a mind of it's own. It would very occasionally go up and/or down.
The cause was water in the control switches.

 

[Boathook]

I fitted a remote to my windlass after recommendations here. If anyone else has the same model we can operate each others windlass / bowthruster, etc.
They all use the same frequency and code

So far I've been lucky, but one day someone may raise my anchor And I might lower theirs.

 

[colhel]

In the OP you say the radio is turned off. Are you referring to the transmitter? A long shot and likely irrelevant, but on the older rc planes using 27 or 35 mhz, if the tx was turned off and the receiver on, the servos could twitch about often quite a lot. Having the tx switched on (if rx on) held everything in place as it's signal was more powerful than the interference.

Edit: @Boathook I might be getting carried away here I would have thought modern systems are using 2.4ghz where there's a binding process to lock individual rx's to their transmitters. Hence my bit above.

 

[jrudge]

If it is a decent / modern unit then the remote will be paired to the receiver.

I doubt this is NATO quality encryption, but it does stop other non paired transmitters nearby triggering your devices.

The anchor down then up is really very specific and would unlikely to be a random thing by someone - unless of course it is not a paired system and someone else has the same unit.

I would start by locating the boxes and understanding what they are, find the manual and see if it has pairing instructions for a new remote.

If not then your options are either replace it all or as JFM says just turn it off when you leave the boat.

If it possible it is another fault but anchor down and then up us really very specific which makes me think this is not the case.

 

[Boathook]

In the OP you say the radio is turned off. Are you referring to the transmitter? A long shot and likely irrelevant, but on the older rc planes using 27 or 35 mhz, if the tx was turned off and the receiver on, the servos could twitch about often quite a lot. Having the tx switched on (if rx on) held everything in place as it's signal was more powerful than the interference.

Edit: @Boathook I might be getting carried away here I would have thought modern systems are using 2.4ghz where there's a binding process to lock individual rx's to their transmitters. Hence my bit above.

I emailed thee seller, either eBay or amazon as I was going to fit another one. It might just be the make but they were cheap anough.

I believe @Stemar purchased one, so when I'm next in Portsmouth on my boat I might find out !

 

[Driver]

I have just realised there are also remote controls on four televisions, a lifting table, an opening window and radio/tape player. Oh dear, one just takes all these things for granted! However, nothing was in use during the uncommanded anchor operations when the boat was not even occupied.

 

[dunedin]

Surely it is just basic good seamanship to have high power things like anchor windlass switched off at the breakers when not in use.
Boats have been wrecked due to leaving unattended when the anchor windlass self triggered.

Beyond that details of the remote control models would be useful.

 

[jfm]

I have just realised there are also remote controls on four televisions, a lifting table, an opening window and radio/tape player. Oh dear, one just takes all these things for granted! However, nothing was in use during the uncommanded anchor operations when the boat was not even occupied.

Crikey. Must say I agree 100% with Dunedin. If you have a radio remote device on your anchor windlass and you leave the boat unattended (or even if you're on board ) you really should switch off at the breaker.

 

[alt]

Crikey. Must say I agree 100% with Dunedin. If you have a radio remote device on your anchor windlass and you leave the boat unattended (or even if you're on board ) you really should switch off at the breaker.

+1 I have remote for the Windlass - when not in use, breaker is OFF. It takes me about 5 seconds to run down and turn it on in the event of an emergency.

 

[Driver]

Yes. I can see the only safe way is to turn off the windlass remote control (and the swim platform) when not in use. That will be the system from now on. Thank you everybody for your input.

 

[dunedin]

Yes. I can see the only safe way is to turn off the windlass remote control (and the swim platform) when not in use. That will be the system from now on. Thank you everybody for your input.

It is important to switch off the windlass main feed, not just the remote control.
There have been many cases of wired control switches, especially foot controls, going faulty also due to water ingress and triggering the windlass motor.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

I have just realised there are also remote controls on four televisions, a lifting table, an opening window and radio/tape player. Oh dear, one just takes all these things for granted! However, nothing was in use during the uncommanded anchor operations when the boat was not even occupied.

Most remotes for TVs. etc are IR not RF so can be discounted. Note I did say Most!