Raymarine Compass unit

[petie]

I am specifying a Raymarine Autopilot for a steel boat I will be ordering but wonder if I need a seperate Raymarine compass or will the compass facility in the autopilot suffice. Have not had too much joy with advice from several "expert "authorities.

 

[Whitelighter]

The Raymarine pilto should come with a remote compass that should be located as centrally as possible in the boat. If you have Radar and want to use the Autopilot with a plotter and/or the Radra MARPA function than a G system with a Gyro-compass would be a better bet as it has improved accuracy.

You should have at least one other compass on board in addition to the Autopilot compass. You should also have both compasses swung so they are accurate.

 

[Moody]

My boat has a Raymarine autopilot, and the installation book says that the remote fluxgate compass should be installed a minimum of one metre from any large metal object (hmm how does that work on steel boat then?).

Some numpty installed mine in between the two engines, hence I have never been able to calibrate the compass properly.

 

[petie]

My understanding is that I can have the fluxgate installed at the top of the mast out of the magnetic field. I am not too happy with the idea of a magnetic compass for obvious reasons and suspect I will have to go for a seperate electronic compass driven by the same fluxgate as services the autopilot. Or will the auto compass suffice?

 

[Whitelighter]

I would have thought at the top of the mast would give innaccurate readings as they also suggest you get it as close to the water line as possible. Surely up 2m or 3m from the WL it will be subject to roll etc?

 

[lookout]

yep, steel boat, put the fluxgate sensor up high away from the superstructure - just as the manual says to. Once 'swung' - part of the pilot setup process.... it'll be nice and accurate.

The raymarine sensors are gimballed inside anyhow, to minimise issues from heeling/rolling; but sure, a rate-gyro pilot wll give a better performance in theory, tho loads of ppl must have had non-gyro ones and no probs at all, ever.

There is a separate compass display available , but unless you fit two sensors for redundancy - just use the AP display as your heading info, or repeat it on the chartplotter or some other muti-data display.

 

[petie]

Many thanks for comments. Will stick to one fluxgate feeding Autopilot and Plotter. Will also watch out for new ST 70 available mid September.

 

[RCGrootveld]

I have ST6002 icw SG2 unit, ST6002 Graphic and C80 integrated via Seatalk. Only have one compass fluxgate sensor (the one delivered with the AP system), installed in Stainless Steel Mast (rest of the boat is normal steel) and use the AP control panel to display HDG. When nessecay, it can also be displayed on the Graphic and/or the C80.

It took me a while to figure out, but installing this config directy by builder save me approx 2K€ compared to starting with standard instruments (Compass, Tri-data and rudder) and installing AP later, being left with sensors and instruments which are then useless......