Raymarine 1000 v autohelm st2000

[dylanwinter]

just a few observations from the past few days

we started the trip with my trusty raymarine 1000

the raymarine is underspecced for the centaur but coped really well

on Tuesday we had a strong quartering sea from the stern and on a dead run with my lovely red genoa poled out

the Raymarine was doing a pretty bad job

it had enough power but was not predicting the waves - it spent time right against the stops and I was worried ab out a gybe

then I switched to the autohelm

what a transformation

when the boat started to heel to a wave rather than the wind the autohelm started to compensate and predicted the tiller change required

I did notice when I got it that it rattled a bit and so I opened it up looking for a loose component but it inside has a little gimballed sensor that the Raymarine appears to lack

anyway.... when the Centaur goes I am hanging onto the autohelm and wlll let the Raymarine go with the boat - it is fine for most conditions

of course raymarine makes a bigger version and maybe that is better than the tillerpilot 1000

the cases look almost identical

any enlightenment gratefully recieved

D

 

[Dipper]

My old Autohelm 1000 has a rough sea and smooth sea setting. With the rough sea selected, it won't make as many adjustments as the smooth sea setting (I think that's the right way round).

 

[dylanwinter]

My old Autohelm 1000 has a rough sea and smooth sea setting. With the rough sea selected, it won't make as many adjustments as the smooth sea setting (I think that's the right way round).

I understand they now have an auto default setting where they learn the waves and over the minutes after being turned on they get better

this journey would be tough had it not been for the tiller pilots

D

 

[AngusMcDoon]

any enlightenment gratefully recieved

The enlightenment you need is that Autohelm became Raytheon and then became Raymarine. They are all the same manufacturer who produced the ST1000 and ST2000 and then the current ST1000+ and ST2000+ tiller pilots. There were also models before these. These devices are all very similar. The enclosure and buttons changed as the product evolved. The 2000 models have better mechanicals with a faster stronger drive than the 1000 models. The + models have a Seatalk interface, curvier grey cases and are less prone to water ingress at the buttons, a common problem with the older models.

The control algorithm for all these models is simple for autopilots being entry models. The algorithm is adaptive and learns becoming better for the conditions but is too simple to be doing wave train analysis required to predict an oncoming wave and react as it arrives. For this you need to go to top end models like the B&G stuff with a WTP3 processor with a rate gyro module. An installation like this will cost many multiples of what your boat cost.

 

[VicS]

The enlightenment you need is that Autohelm became Raytheon and then became Raymarine.

The earliest that I am aware of were the Autohelm 1000 and the budget Autohelm 800 which was the same but could not accept input from a windvane Very unsophisticated compared with later models. Made originally by Nautech.

 

[bluerm166]

The manual also gives a 3T limit for the 1000 model when the 2000 becomes appropriate and also suggests that you don't use it with the wind closer to 30 degrees astern.
i.e. it can be the most demanding situation for an undersized unit,just as it may be for the helmsman.

 

[dylanwinter]

difference

The manual also gives a 3T limit for the 1000 model when the 2000 becomes appropriate and also suggests that you don't use it with the wind closer to 30 degrees astern.
i.e. it can be the most demanding situation for an undersized unit,just as it may be for the helmsman.

thanks for that

the 100 seemed to have plenty of power but it would often end up on the stops

I am curious about the littlegimballed gadget that is the st 2000 and not in the raymarine 1000

anyone know why one has it and the other does not?

D

 

[SteveSarabande]

In my old autohelm 1000 I had a gambled bit, I assumed it was the compass

 

[AngusMcDoon]

thanks for that

the 100 seemed to have plenty of power but it would often end up on the stops

I am curious about the littlegimballed gadget that is the st 2000 and not in the raymarine 1000

anyone know why one has it and the other does not?

The reason for ending up on the stops is because the stop to stop time of the 1000 model is significantly greater than the 2000. If the pilot takes longer to move the rudder to make a correction then the required rudder movement is bigger.

The gimballed gadget is the fluxgate compass. Your 1000 will have a compass of some kind somewhere.

 

[VicS]

In my old autohelm 1000 I had a gambled bit, I assumed it was the compass

gambled bit............ something of a lottery was it ... or just predictive text

 

[SteveSarabande]

gambled bit............ something of a lottery was it ... or just predictive text

I phones dodgy spell checker