Pinta

[Linus Norway]

Hello
I am new to this site.
My brother have just aquired a 1971 model Storebro Royal Cruiser 34, originally buildt for a customer in England.
Iam searching for manual and wiring diagrams for the Pinta automatic Helmsman that is fitted onboard.
Any info is very much appreciated,

 

[AntarcticPilot]

This may help: Pinta auto helm

I think the consensus was that it would be difficult or maybe impossible to repair because parts might be unobtainable, and that it would have poor performance compared to a modern autopilot.

 

[penfold]

Would make a fun Arduino project, not much use for the non-DIYer though.

 

[TobyJug]

The Pinta is an analogue device built from discrete components and comprised 3 units, the control unit with the power switch , rate adjustment and mcbs etc.,
This fed the helm motor which as I recall is a compound wound motor, this connected to the heading compass with a mechanical bowdon cable (speedeo drive cable ). which would motor the compass card around to the ballance point.
The heading compass disc used a 6v filament bulb shining a light through two V shaped slots onto a Photo cell, this connected to the balance relay in the control box. In operation the if the course drifted the compass card would rotate slightly and expose the photo cell and the corrective signal would pull in the motor relay in low speed at first then the mechanical drive would rotate the card back to the required heading and back to balance and hopefully the helm would be corrected.
There is a bit more to than that but that is the basic operation. The faults were usually the bulb failing, the bowdon cable , or basic electronic components ageing and going out of spec.
If you are up to speed with analogue balance relays , Wheatstone bridges and transistor circuits then have a go. Goodness knows how much the system cost when new, but were extremell well constructed.
The electronic balance circuit is built into an 11pin plug in relay style enclosure on a very small pcb , there is a chance some of the transistor were germanium and at this age may have self destructed,
However the modern autopilot with will beat it hands down, for course holding. as this unit does not self learn.
The wiring diagrams are avaiable but there were many variations 12 and 24 v. good luck
Past owner of several Pintas, hope that helps, I may still have a manual, if you are keen then let me know, Arduino as posibillity but you might need a long winter,

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The Pinta is an analogue device built from discrete components and comprised 3 units, the control unit with the power switch , rate adjustment and mcbs etc.,
This fed the helm motor which as I recall is a compound wound motor, this connected to the heading compass with a mechanical bowdon cable (speedeo drive cable ). which would motor the compass card around to the ballance point.
The heading compass disc used a 6v filament bulb shining a light through two V shaped slots onto a Photo cell, this connected to the balance relay in the control box. In operation the if the course drifted the compass card would rotate slightly and expose the photo cell and the corrective signal would pull in the motor relay in low speed at first then the mechanical drive would rotate the card back to the required heading and back to balance and hopefully the helm would be corrected.
There is a bit more to than that but that is the basic operation. The faults were usually the bulb failing, the bowdon cable , or basic electronic components ageing and going out of spec.
If you are up to speed with analogue balance relays , Wheatstone bridges and transistor circuits then have a go. Goodness knows how much the system cost when new, but were extremell well constructed.
The electronic balance circuit is built into an 11pin plug in relay style enclosure on a very small pcb , there is a chance some of the transistor were germanium and at this age may have self destructed,
However the modern autopilot with will beat it hands down, for course holding. as this unit does not self learn.
The wiring diagrams are avaiable but there were many variations 12 and 24 v. good luck
Past owner of several Pintas, hope that helps, I may still have a manual, if you are keen then let me know, Arduino as posibillity but you might need a long winter,

Given the period when it was designed (1960s), it must be likely that the transistors are germanium. You can get silicon-germanium transistors, but not the old germanium types - they are no longer made, and as TobyJug notes, they have a limited life. I know this because in the 80s, our electronics guru had to replace germanium transistors in a piece of kit on a fairly regular basis - several times a year. It would actually have been a similar circuit to the Pinta - it was an electro-mechanical digitising table, so it would have been a simple feedback control circuit.

There's probably nothing wrong with the mechanical parts, but the electronics could well be beyond repair.