Ray marine autopilot compass heading

[Mataji]

My ST2000 tiller pilot steers the Boat well most of the time but the compass reading it shows is nothing like my true heading. It is usually about 120 degrees out. I have tried recalibrating and changing the deviation but nothing makes any difference. The pilot also goes haywire occasionally, throwing the boat wildly off course. This might not happen for a few days and then suddenly go wrong again. Not sure if this is connected to the false heading reading. Anyone any idea how I can resolve?

 

[charles_reed]

Make sure that you don't have anything magnetic within 300mm of the fluxgate compass - even a knife will do it.
If it works accurately I'd not touch it - the magnetic reading is a matter of opinion.

 

[solar]

I have an almost new RayMarine fluxgate compass for sale at a VERY low price if interested.

 

[johnalison]

My boat came with 30+ degrees of deviation on the fluxgate compass. I don't suppose that your builders were daft enough to put a screw through the cabling, as mine had, but it might be worth checking the wiring.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Not sure if this helps, but the ST2000 usually comes programmed for Starboard fixing, your unit may just be programmed for Port fixing, it would account for such a wide discrepancy on the compass and it’s ocaisional refusal to do what it’s told to. The user manual will tell you how to re-programme.

 

[macd]

My ST2000 tiller pilot steers the Boat well most of the time but the compass reading it shows is nothing like my true heading. It is usually about 120 degrees out. I have tried recalibrating and changing the deviation but nothing makes any difference. The pilot also goes haywire occasionally, throwing the boat wildly off course. This might not happen for a few days and then suddenly go wrong again. Not sure if this is connected to the false heading reading. Anyone any idea how I can resolve?

My experience of wild fluctuations with two ST 2000+ tillerpilots was due to a stray bit of broken O-ring lodged against the fluxgate compass gimbal (in the bulge on the bottom of the unit). At least two other forumites have posted about similar effects and cause. It's easy enough to split the unit and take a llok.