Jamming Ray? Tillerpilot response

[alahol2]

Pootling across Hayling Bay (sails up, engine on tickover to give us steerage way) today. Very hot, flat sea, near zero breeze. tillerpilot steering. Suddenly the tillerpilot went to full extension and wouldn't respond to any button pushes. Unplugged it and tried agian, same thing, various lights but no response to any buttons.
While trying to sort out what was happening we came abeam of an experimental unmanned surface vessel about 100/200m away. There appeared to be a man standing in a chase boat waving his arms as if to ask us to move on quickly. We continued on our course. Shortly afterwards the tillerpilot resumed normal operations as though nothing had happened.
So, two and two makes four, what kind of emissions was that USV putting out that could do that to a tillerpilot at a couple of hundred metres? (It's a Simrad TP32)

See here... USV trials

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Don't be so quick to blame the other guy.
My TP32 packed up earlier this year with similar symptoms. On taking it apart it was very wet and rusty!!!

 

[ash2020]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the USV could jam your tillerpilot. Any strong emissions would have to be licensed in the extreme and would certainly not be allowed in a public waterway. Any more than that is the stuff of conspiracy theories.

 

[KevinV]

It wouldn't take much of a magnet to throw the compass off - did you by any chance take a peek at the real compass?

 

[ash2020]

Can you imagine the size of magnet that would affect it from 200 metres? God help anyone with nipple piercings!

 

[alahol2]

Don't be so quick to blame the other guy.
My TP32 packed up earlier this year with similar symptoms. On taking it apart it was very wet and rusty!!!

I open up my TP32 every winter to check all is well. I have never found signs of water ingress nor any other problem. The fact that the TP32, just as suddenly as it failed, started working again was just too much of a coincidence when passing this USV.

 

[alahol2]

It wouldn't take much of a magnet to throw the compass off - did you by any chance take a peek at the real compass?

No dammit. That would have been interesting. I do know that if I motor close to a steel pile (maybe a metre) it will throw the autopilot off course briefly. Also, the fuelling jetty in Portsmouth harbour can have a similar effect at 4 or 5 metres. I now hand steer past the fuelling jetty having had a couple of scares many years ago.

 

[Channel Sailor]

My same tiller pilot failed to operate while passing in the Solent an anchored American aircraft carrier. But I suspected massive radar radio waves,

I have owned many ST2000 + tiller pilots. They have been notorious for playing up on this boat for possibly a variety of reasons. I have suspected: mobile phones in a pocket near the tiller pilot, missing ferrite beads on the cables, failed internal compass (they are I think delicate), a glitch on the ng network from Garmin plotter, poorly screen Seatalkng cable to the tiller pilot, Brief voltage dips on the 12v supply when the engine is started, overheating on sunny days (definitely a problem on hot summer days when motoring for a few hours (max supply voltage) so I shade it or put a wet tea towel over it Anyway, on sending back to Raymarine can result variously in NFF, a report of damp in it, failed motherboard etc. it seems to work fine for 18 months after repair. Other common faults on tiller pilots I have seen is broken plastic brackets inside (on a Simrad and a Raymarine as I recall).

I ask crew not to sit with mobile phones next the tiller pilot or near the cable run to it. I have just has an AgoFET installed to that get rid of the low voltage glitch problem. On hot sunny days when motoring I suggest shade or/and cool the tiller pilot and be cognisant that after two or three hours of engine use the batteries will be at max voltage which could worsen the overheating. I have even wondered about building a voltage regulator just for the tiller pilot to keep the supply voltage at 13V max. The wet tea towel idea for cooling I invented when cruising in very hot climate days.

I have had reliability issues with both the main manufacturers of these tiller pilots. The Raymarine I think has better features and easier to use and the steer to wind to my ST60 appears to be very good. But the Simrad I think could be marginally tougher (but I suspect overheats just the same).

BTW, I recall there is a shore based VTS radar site by Langstone.

 

[Boathook]

No dammit. That would have been interesting. I do know that if I motor close to a steel pile (maybe a metre) it will throw the autopilot off course briefly. Also, the fuelling jetty in Portsmouth harbour can have a similar effect at 4 or 5 metres. I now hand steer past the fuelling jetty having had a couple of scares many years ago.

Don't use your autopilot if you go up the canal to Carentan (France). As you pass over the main road compasses go loopy presumably due to all the metal used in the underpass construction !

 

[oldbloke]

Maybe he was agitated because his GPS was acting up also

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

Pootling across Hayling Bay (sails up, engine on tickover to give us steerage way) today. Very hot, flat sea, near zero breeze. tillerpilot steering. Suddenly the tillerpilot went to full extension and wouldn't respond to any button pushes. Unplugged it and tried agian, same thing, various lights but no response to any buttons.
While trying to sort out what was happening we came abeam of an experimental unmanned surface vessel about 100/200m away. There appeared to be a man standing in a chase boat waving his arms as if to ask us to move on quickly. We continued on our course. Shortly afterwards the tillerpilot resumed normal operations as though nothing had happened.
So, two and two makes four, what kind of emissions was that USV putting out that could do that to a tillerpilot at a couple of hundred metres? (It's a Simrad TP32)

See here... USV trials

Interesting to note that the LNTM states a 200Mtr separation. Could be, probably is, for physical and safety reasons. As an experimental craft it is possible that both the USV and the chase craft were transmitting, who knows what. If there are military or even experimental connections they may not be licensed. Also they were operating in a designated trials area. Whilst not subscribing to conspiracy theories, I wouldn't discount anything, probably quite innocent! RF interference can be a funny thing, it doesn't even have to be "Secret" or unlicensed. It would be interesting to see if it happened on other occasions in that area during the trials.