Neco heading sensor / autopilot

[laika]

Some friends have a new-ish-to-them old motorboat with a Neco autopilot and Neco NM3 heading sensor. They also have a raymarine plotter (E-series classic) that in an ideal world they'd like to integrate with it but as far as I've been able to determine the Neco stuff is all analogue. Before I tell them that this is a fine bit of engineering but "go to waypoint" isn't a plotter feature they're likely to be using any time soon....did anyone ever manufacture a course computer to replace the analogue unit which would accept seatalk/NMEA-0183/N2K and control the drive motor(which connects to the steering gear by chain and sprocket rather than a ram on the quadrant)? I saw an article by a guy knocking together a home brew controller but it didn't seem to get finished.

the secondary question was going to have been about converting analogue output of the heading sensor to NMEA-* but unless the course controller can be replaced with something accepting a digital input I doubt there's much point

I'm relatively sure the answer is that if the existing kit still does the business (which it seems to) then why meddle, but thought I'd check the options...

 

[TQA]

Does it have a box on top of the drive motor which contains relays?

If yes then take the output from any modern set up which feeds a reversing electric motor and use that to operate the relays.

Many moons ago I did exactly this when stuck in the middle of nowhere. The brains of a little tillerpilot activating the brawn of the Neco.

These are the goto guys on old Necos. But any half way competent electronics guy could work out what the Neco needs and wire it up accordingly.

https://www.facebook.com/DfMarineElectronics/info?tab=page_info

Derek Coventry
25 Clovelly Road,
Southbourne, near Emsworth,
Hampshire PO10 8PD
Tel. +44(0)1243377 868
Derek.g.coventry@talk21.com

 

[Shuggy]

I agree with TQA. I have a Raymarine Autohelm 100 course computer attached to an ST7000 display/control head on the chart table with a repeater in the cockpit. The course computer is attached to a modified Neco drive unit (the original 1971 model fitted to my 1971 boat). The course computer is Seatalked to an E series Raymarine plotter, and also linked to a Raymarine fluxgate compass. I can hit 'go to waypoint' and it steers there. In practice I've never used it to do that other than to see if in theory it could! I tend only to use the autopilot to keep the nose into wind when I'm shorthanded and getting sails up/down, or eating a meal at the helm. I also rarely use the chartplotter as I find an iPad to be a better tool all round, but at least it's in the knowledge that the previous owner spent the money on lots of electronic goodies rather than me...

 

[danielefua]

I am the author of the named facebook site and of a freely distributed note where I explain how to modify the old and most common Neco drive motor 35DR8 (17DR8) so that it can be operated by a modern autopilot.
Regarding the possibility to have a Neco "brain" talk through NMEA, it depends on the model of the autopilot. In their last production years Neco together with Raytheon made models branded as "Neco" which had a more advanced electronic design with respect to the first models and were indeed able to be interfaced to other instruments.

Apart from that, I acknowledge that Derek Coventry is the only true Neco expert to ask.

Daniel

 

[laika]

Thanks everyone: this is all excellent info: very much appreciated.

I am the author of the named facebook site and of a freely distributed note where I explain how to modify the old and most common Neco drive motor 35DR8 (17DR8) so that it can be operated by a modern autopilot.

Do you have a link to that? Sorry if it's on the Facebook site:: I tried clicking through the images but couldn't find it.

 

[danielefua]

As mentioned before you can get there through the following link

https://www.facebook.com/DfMarineElectronics/info?tab=page_info

but then you need to log in as a fb customer to see it all. I am afraid it is not such a nice good looking site, I do not spend much time on fb myself.

Daniel

 

[laika]

As mentioned before you can get there through the following link

Sorry I think I'm just being stupid I have logged in and I see plenty of pictures of the unit, the original manual and what I suspect to be your modified control board, but I don't see the note you mentioned explaining the modification.

 

[danielefua]

No you are not stupid, I am the one because I misunderstood... The note cannot be read on fb, I don't even know if I can make a pdf document readable at all on that page. I will be glad to send a copy of my note (there are two versions depending on the motor) to whoever asks for it and sends her/his e-mail address but that will be all: as far as I am concerned there will be no whatsoever ensuing spam from me!
Same procedure regarding all the manuals I have.

Daniel

 

[laika]

Many thanks: I'll double check the motor and drop you a line