Raymarine Evolution tillerpilot won’t hold course

[Red Panda]

I recently installed a new Raymarine EV100 tiller autopilot.
Raymarine tillerpilot
It refuses to hold a steady course, the tiller ram sawing constantly from one extreme to the other. The behaviour’s the same under motor or sail, even in smooth seas.
I’ve removed any metal items that were near the compass sensor, the wiring to the ACU100 is all properly sized and connected.

Any ideas as to what could cause this? Raymarine help implies it’s a loose physical connection - but it isn’t.
Different config settings don’t improve the behaviour.

I’m starting to think it just doesn’t want to be part of an otherwise B&G N2K network. I’m considering selling everything but the ram and changing to B&G compass, controller and buttons, which will have the added advantage of allowing me to control the thing from any display on the network.

 

[DrSpock]

Have you tried swapping the drive output wires from the ACU-100?

 

[fredrussell]

As above. During the configuration there’s a bit where it asks you to put tiller to port - they don’t make it clear whether it’s tiller to port or steer to port. Worth checking you have it the right way round? Also, mine misbehaved as I entered lowest figure for tiller hard over time. When I put it to a larger time period (10 or 15 seconds) it made a huge difference.

 

[Red Panda]

As above. During the configuration there’s a bit where it asks you to put tiller to port - they don’t make it clear whether it’s tiller to port or steer to port. Worth checking you have it the right way round? Also, mine misbehaved as I entered lowest figure for tiller hard over time. When I put it to a larger time period (10 or 15 seconds) it made a huge difference.

True, the setup is confusing on this point. I’m pretty sure I got it right, and the symptoms are different than simply steering the wrong way, but I’ll be happy to take a “got that wrong” easy fix.
Perhaps naively, I’ve set the hardover time to the actual timed value!

 

[RogerJolly]

Had this the other day. Turned out to be speed input. The log (speed through water) was reading way too low. Switched to GPS speed (over ground) and all OK.

Had me puzzled. Faulty log gave 0 speed reading, so this got ignored by AP and SOG used. Then fiddled with log and it read about 0.25 Knots ish. Now AP started to think this was valid, so used it, even though speed was 5 Knots ish. Guess it waggled the rudder around on basis you need more rudder the slower you're going.

Can't fully remember but think this was with AP steering to a waypoint. Might not have got mad just steering a track.

 

[RogerJolly]

...I think when its asks 'did the rudder move to port' it's asking 'did the boat steer to port' - does that chime with people?

 

[Red Panda]

Ok. Tested.
Wizard asks “did rudder move to port”, which I’d expect means “has the system tried to turn the boat to port” - if so, it does.
What’s the “rudder limit” measurement, is it one way (from straight ahead to hard over) or lock-to-lock?
I thought B&G instructions were hard to understand. Raymarine use lots more words, provide more manuals, but the meaning remains unclear.

 

[PaulRainbow]

The configuration does not ask you to move the tiller, it asks you to move the rudder. That means move it to steer to port or starboard. There is no need to swap wires around to see if it fixes it, just run the dockside wizard again and make sure it steers in the correct direction. Only if it doesn't is there a need to swap wires.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I recently installed a new Raymarine EV100 tiller autopilot.
Raymarine tillerpilot
It refuses to hold a steady course, the tiller ram sawing constantly from one extreme to the other. The behaviour’s the same under motor or sail, even in smooth seas.
I’ve removed any metal items that were near the compass sensor, the wiring to the ACU100 is all properly sized and connected.

Any ideas as to what could cause this? Raymarine help implies it’s a loose physical connection - but it isn’t.
Different config settings don’t improve the behaviour.

I’m starting to think it just doesn’t want to be part of an otherwise B&G N2K network. I’m considering selling everything but the ram and changing to B&G compass, controller and buttons, which will have the added advantage of allowing me to control the thing from any display on the network.

Try disconnecting from the network and using stand alone.

 

[Red Panda]

The configuration does not ask you to move the tiller, it asks you to move the rudder. That means move it to steer to port or starboard. There is no need to swap wires around to see if it fixes it, just run the dockside wizard again and make sure it steers in the correct direction. Only if it doesn't is there a need to swap wires.

That was my understanding, so I ran the wizard again, it did as expected.

 

[Red Panda]

Try disconnecting from the network and using stand alone.

Easier said than done! I presume I’ll need to connect the EV1 and p70s together, via STNG, but separate from the rest of the N2K network?

I’m going to pull out the instrument console anyway in case there’s anything amiss.

If I just bin (well, sell on) the EV1 and ACU, can I use a B&G NAC with the Raymarine tiller drive unit?

 

[fredrussell]

Perhaps naively, I’ve set the hardover time to the actual timed value!

Try it as I suggested / I think mine is set to 15 seconds.

 

[mrming]

Before you sell all the bits, it would be worth paying a marine electronics engineer to spend a day on the boat and see if they can help you configure it all.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Easier said than done! I presume I’ll need to connect the EV1 and p70s together, via STNG, but separate from the rest of the N2K network?

I’m going to pull out the instrument console anyway in case there’s anything amiss.

If I just bin (well, sell on) the EV1 and ACU, can I use a B&G NAC with the Raymarine tiller drive unit?

How do you have it all connected now ?

 

[Red Panda]

How do you have it all connected now?

N2K network: Terminator, Triton display, Vulcan plotter, Ray p70s, N2k power input
-> STNG backbone section, with only EV1 and ACU 100 on it
-> back to N2K, Emtrak AIS, B&G VHF, DST800, masthead wind (termination)

Edited for clarity.

 

[Red Panda]

Before you sell all the bits, it would be worth paying a marine electronics engineer to spend a day on the boat and see if they can help you configure it all.

If I can keep just the Raymarine tiller drive and have the rest B&G, it’ll make for a much better overall solution - I’d be able to have just the little B&G buttons by the tiller, and also control it from the plotter or Triton display. I smell a chance to upgrade

 

[PaulRainbow]

N2K network: Terminator, Triton display, Vulcan plotter, Ray p70s, N2k power input
-> STNG backbone section, with only EV1 and ACU 100 on it
-> back to N2K, Emtrak AIS, B&G VHF, DST800, masthead wind (termination)

Edited for clarity.

I would still make the AP stand alone to rule out any issues from stuff on the network. Just put the P70 on the STNG network, with a power connection, and terminate it.

 

[Daverw]

If I can keep just the Raymarine tiller drive and have the rest B&G, it’ll make for a much better overall solution - I’d be able to have just the little B&G buttons by the tiller, and also control it from the plotter or Triton display. I smell a chance to upgrade

This is what I’ve just done, all works with the raymarine ram fine, I could not get it to play happy with my new B&G plotter for course following even though it worked fine with the previous Lowrence plotter, all over nmea2k. It also always reported no speed data even though it would display it fine. I do like the Triton display better and being able to see the auto pilot control buttons in the dark is better, could never see the p70 ones in night mode

 

[Red Panda]

Thanks Daverw!
Have you got a rudder position sensor? The B&G commissioning manual says that I can’t use Virtual Rudder Feedback with sail mode, and there’s no way to mount a below deck position sensor on this boat

 

[KompetentKrew]

Where is the Evolution EV1 Sensor Core located?