RayMarine ev100 Wheel Pilot

[Moss]

Does anyone know/ or have you heard/ or read what/ when the ev100 wheel pilot will/ or already has been renewed/ upgraded model-wise? I'm curious to know if a new model is in the works as the existing one is a little on the expensive side for me. If a new one is due/ or already out, then obviously that would hopefully start to affect prices a little.

Moss

 

[jwilson]

If they were to upgrade the wheel drive itself it might interest me: they have altered electronics bits several times over about the last 20 years but still the same horrible ST4000 Mk II drive unit: whirry, clacky, one known regular fault - (declutching itself), and not that fast or powerful.

 

[Bru]

If they were to upgrade the wheel drive itself it might interest me: they have altered electronics bits several times over about the last 20 years but still the same horrible ST4000 Mk II drive unit: whirry, clacky, one known regular fault - (declutching itself), and not that fast or powerful.

Can't argue with that! I only fitted the wheel drive 'cos I couldn't afford the motor drive, it will get upgraded to the motor drive when I have the pennies

The de-clutching issue I have solved by having a loop of string made fast at the base of the clutch which I can drop over the clutch lever to stop it doing it. Not a lot I can do about the lack of power other than either hand steer or reef down further than would be necessary if the unit had more grunt (although keeping the steering cables regularly lubed also helps a lot)

The rest of the EV100 setup is pretty damn good and I can't see it seeing any major upgrades in the near future (nor would an upgrade be likely to reduce the price unless it was actually a downgrade in disguise!)

 

[Slowtack]

I installed a new EV100 system last year. Found it a great improvement on my old autohelm system. The motion sensors make for much better course adjustment than was the case with the older compass-only control. There is a lot less wheel movement and it is also quieter as a result. The declutching mentioned may be due to inadequate belt tension.

 

[jwilson]

Declutching is because of friction between the plastic rollers over the 'over-centre cam' wheels inside. New and clean it works OK - for a while, following the instructions to hose the insides down regularly. When that fails dismantling, cleaning and adjustment of tension fixes it again.

However the older it is and hence more wear on these rollers the worse it gets, to the point where no belt change or tension adjustment can reliably fix it. What does seem to help (completely contrary to RMs advice) is to carefully lubricate the plastic-on-plastic-roller bits with McLube dry lubricant.

If these outer wheels had proper bearings instead of being bits of plastic tube cut up rolling on plastic cylinders the whole assembly would be infinitely better. I really dislike the near-universal bit of string or shockcord so many owners use to stop declutching.

 

[LadyInBed]

IMO you can't expect anything but a lack of power (and response) when the drive has to pass through all the friction and slack in the steering controls to the rudder.

 

[jwilson]

IMO you can't expect anything but a lack of power (and response) when the drive has to pass through all the friction and slack in the steering controls to the rudder.

Not convinced that is the problem: with a quadrant-attached ram autopilot the ram is still push-pulling cables and/or chains and sprockets and/or geared linkages and rotating the wheel. It's just that many ram or linear drives are far more powerful than the little motor in the wheelpilot.

 

[LadyInBed]

Not convinced that is the problem: with a quadrant-attached ram autopilot the ram is still push-pulling cables and/or chains and sprockets and/or geared linkages and rotating the wheel. It's just that many ram or linear drives are far more powerful than the little motor in the wheelpilot.

But no slack to cope with, just extra load, hence the extra power.

 

[jwilson]

But no slack to cope with, just extra load, hence the extra power.

What I'm saying is that both ram and wheelpilots have to cope with the same frictional losses in the steering gear, in both cases the whole "system" moves.

 

[Moss]

Folks, many thanks for the replies and ensuing discussion. I wasn't aware of a lot of these points- so good food for thought there. Thanks again.

Moss

 

[Bru]

really dislike the near-universal bit of string or shockcord so many owners use to stop declutching.

Dislike it all you like, it's an effective cure!

Ours has had the problem from new and it isn't unique (two other new units I installed also exhibited the problem). Part of the problem in our case is almost certainly that the wheel itself isn't totally true. Not a lot I can do about that cheaply, it'll need sorting at some stage though

 

[Daydream believer]

I have the EV 100 with a tiller & one thing that the OP should be aware of - assuming it happens with the wheel model- is that if in a quartering sea the boat broaches 70 degrees off course ( which my 31 ft Hanse does very easily) the autopilot just turns off. It does not bother to bring the boat back on course like the ST 2000 eventually did. Instead one has a rudder locked over.
being a single hander, if I am below, then I have to rush on deck & try to disconnect the ram, & get the boat back on course .
I have had situations where it has caused serious gybes, when I have been below & not able to get on deck in time.
So be warned- It is a dangerous piece of kit

 

[LadyInBed]

What I'm saying is that both ram and wheelpilots have to cope with the same frictional losses in the steering gear, in both cases the whole "system" moves.

Yes, I accept that, but the difference as I see it is in the reaction time to the rudder, a wheel pilot first has to move to take up the linkage slack then go to work on the rudder. A ram acting directly on the quadrant has no delay so it can react much faster to changes in the boats direction. A real bonus when going down wind.