Phillips AP navigator and Autohelm 2000...

[Oletimer]

Had an afternoon tatting with some gear I acquired, hoping to use it this summer.

I have: An AP navigator and it came with an Autohelm 2000, will the autohelm work independently or does it need the AP to drive/assist it? Both units have GPS inputs or is that a GPS input to the AP and a sender signal wire from the AP to the Autohelm?

The reason I ask is: I have a Garmin GPS 128 that works as it should and thought that maybe it would 'talk' to the Autohelm, thereby saving the task of adding another piece of kit to my inventory.

(If it does need another GPS aerial, my little boats' going to look like a pirate radio station soon... it already has VHF antenna, GPS antenna, FM antenna and a shortwave loop)
Anticipated tanks,
George

 

[awol]

The GPS 128 will mate happily with your ST2000 and allow you to sail to waypoints if you enter them into the GPS128. The ST2000 is stand alone for a compass course with its integral flux-gate compass

 

[eddystone]

Auto helm 2000 is the pre Seatalk model not the same as ST2000; it has a port for windvane input but think that’s it

 

[James_Calvert]

I have an Autohelm 2000, the mk2 with the tiller arm separate the black box with red buttons.

Great, if simple bit of kit. Set your boat on a course, press the auto button and it continues on course. Other buttons adjust it a bit or a lot, or put it on standby. And that's it. Except it does remember where it was heading before standby with a double press of auto.

 

[eddystone]

It also has an autotack function which goes through about 100 degrees

 

[awol]

Sorry for the bum steer.

 

[Oletimer]

I have an Autohelm 2000, the mk2 with the tiller arm separate the black box with red buttons.

Great, if simple bit of kit. Set your boat on a course, press the auto button and it continues on course. Other buttons adjust it a bit or a lot, or put it on standby. And that's it. Except it does remember where it was heading before standby with a double press of auto.

So I don't really need that Phillips AP Navigator then?
It looks like it was connected, tho maybe I'm wrong.

 

[James_Calvert]

I think it depends on which Autohelm you have. Is it in two pieces like the one I described? If it's in one piece, it's a much later model.

Your original post suggested it had a GPS input, there's no facility for that in the old model like mine.

Regarding the Navigator, does it have an aerial?

 

[Oletimer]

I think it depends on which Autohelm you have. Is it in two pieces like the one I described? If it's in one piece, it's a much later model.

Your original post suggested it had a GPS input, there's no facility for that in the old model like mine.

Regarding the Navigator, does it have an aerial?

I'll try to get a picture so you can see exactly what I have, here's a fairly accurate description of the whole set-up:
This is the Autohelm S2000 . . .
The unit is in 2 separate pieces, it has a control box - on the front of which has 6 control buttons and a rudder knob, the buttons are: (top row) = (-1) (+1), 2nd row: (-10) (+10), Bottom row: Stand by and Auto.

The bottom side of the box has several covered sockets into which goes inputs from windvane, power and a remote. It has one output (HELM) which is a power cable to a round cylindrical piston (which whirrs quite loudly when it moves the centre drive bar in and out) that is obviously the driver for the helm.

Upon removing the rear cover there is a place for a GPS cable connection, the rear cover is secured by screws which have seals.
I also have the Phillips AP navigator and was led to believe the AP (which has a screen) is the 'brain' for the S2000 - OR, is the S2000 a blind navigator that will stay on a course by it's own GPS?
Thank you for your interest and input.
George

 

[Oletimer]

Apologies, I have posted this twice.

I'll try to get a picture so you can see exactly what I have, here's a fairly accurate description of the whole set-up:
The unit is in 2 separate pieces, it has a control box - on the front of which has 6 control buttons and a rudder knob, the buttons are: (top row) = (-1) (+1), 2nd row: (-10) (+10), Bottom row: Stand by and Auto.
The bottom side of the box has several covered sockets into which goes inputs from windvane, power and a remote. It has one output (HELM) which is a power cable to a round cylindrical piston (which whirrs quite loudly when it moves the centre drive bar in and out) that is obviously the driver for the helm.
Upon removing the rear cover there is a place for a GPS cable connection, the rear cover is secured by screws which have seals. I also have the Phillips AP navigator and was led to believe the AP (which has a screen) is the 'brain' for the S2000 - OR, is the S2000 a blind navigator that will stay on a course by it's own GPS?
Thank you for your interest and input.
George

 

[James_Calvert]

Your description of your Autohelm exactly matched mine except for the GPS data input at the back. Could this be a subsequent
nonstandard modification?

When you take the back off the control box, there should be a gimballed flux gate compass in a top corner that connects to the main circuit board with a ribbon connector. Is this still present? This is what normally tells the autopilot whether it's off course and what tiller movement is required.

 

[Oletimer]

Your description of your Autohelm exactly matched mine except for the GPS data input at the back. Could this be a subsequent
nonstandard modification?

When you take the back off the control box, there should be a gimballed flux gate compass in a top corner that connects to the main circuit board with a ribbon connector. Is this still present? This is what normally tells the autopilot whether it's off course and what tiller movement is required.

Yes you are right, there is a gimballed compass in the corner (that ribbon is a sod to replace too, it's so flimsy to work with) and, of course, the internal cables could do with being longer to make life easier when it's being opened. I'll do my utmost to get some pic's uploaded - there must be a way of reducing the Mb size of my pic's. It's frustrating trying to load pic's only to be informed they won't load because they exceed the thumbnail size. Or some such message.

 

[Oletimer]

And you are right regarding no input for GPS, (it's on the back of the AP)
George

 

[James_Calvert]

Your Autohelm is a stand alone item then. Just needs 12v power.

Given you have a Garmin, not sure what the Phillips item will do for you. The original ones worked off the old Decca chain, long since demised. I think it was possible to get ones that worked off GPS. I wouldn't know how to tell the difference, but a bit of googling suggests the Decca one has a simple spindly aerial, whilst the GPS one had a fat stubby one.

 

[Lucky Duck]

My first boat (built for the 1994 Southampton BS) had AP navigator for a GPS, the display was a decent size but waypoints were assigned a number rather than a name so we had a list which told us which number was assigned for each waypoint.

 

[Oletimer]

My first boat (built for the 1994 Southampton BS) had AP navigator for a GPS, the display was a decent size but waypoints were assigned a number rather than a name so we had a list which told us which number was assigned for each waypoint.

i think you're right there, I have a Garmin 128 which I think will perform the same tricks, though I need to delve a little deeper to be certain.
I'll throw the Autohelm back together and (with luck) she's getting relaunched next week so can't wait to see how the Autohelm behaves.
I do need a few bits to anchor it to helm and boat, but have, so far, not had success in locating anything, any suggestions much appreciated.

 

[mjcoon]

Y... I'll do my utmost to get some pic's uploaded - there must be a way of reducing the Mb size of my pic's. It's frustrating trying to load pic's only to be informed they won't load because they exceed the thumbnail size. Or some such message.

Couple of questions: (1) What is the extension of the photos (e.g. JPG or BMP); (2) Do you have a nice simple photo program like Paint?

Paint will write a BMP file to a much smaller JPG file...

Mike.

 

[James_Calvert]

You need a Raymarine autohelm tillerpin and socket, part nos D001 and D002.
I got a D002 from Marine Superstore at Port Solent last year. Don't know if they have both of them.

If you Google you'll probably find them on ebay.

I'm assuming the tiller arm you've got has the bits at each end to pop onto and into them...

Plastic mounting brackets for the control box used to be available, but be warned, there's an earlier look alike bracket that's too small. It fits the previous model. There is a part no D098 which looks right, but it seems rather expensive. You'd need to check the dimensions anyway

Finally, on the outside of the box back plate there should be a small orange plastic thing with a slot for a screwdriver. The other end should engage in the circuit board. And you set it one way for mounting the tiller unit on the port side of your cockpit and the other for the starboard. You can do the setting inside the box of course.

Best have a play to see which way it's already set for first. Hold the box, set it to auto, twist the box to simulate the boat going off course and see which way the tiller arm moves to correct the heading. You may need to draw a diagram, easy to get it wrong.

 

[Seajet]

I had two Phillips Navigators, the MK's 3 &4.

The 3 was very good but Decca; so was the more user-friendly Mk 4 but a Leica modification to GPS was offered, I had this, it was carried out at a place on the Isle of Wight.

A very good bit of kit as a standby but not as user friendly as a modern plotter.

Incidentally at the time I had the boat with a Mk3 I had the early type Autohelm 2000, I think the only port on the latter was for a windvane.

Then a later non ST Autohelm 2000, that had ports for a windvane and remote steering.

 

[Oletimer]

Couple of questions: (1) What is the extension of the photos (e.g. JPG or BMP); (2) Do you have a nice simple photo program like Paint?

Paint will write a BMP file to a much smaller JPG file...

Mike.

After doing some Googling, I found a 'Paint' app and installed it. Just need to have a play to see how it works. Thank you for your reply, George