Raymarine rudder reference unit problems

[CSFenwick]

My Raymarine rudder indicator was playing up on Saturday - the first time I’ve seen it happen. It would read correctly but then suddenly show the rudder as hard over, then just a quarter of the way over, then after 10 mins it went back to being correct. After resetting the system it didn't happen again until we finished for the day about 3 hours later. Maybe the reset sorted it out - or maybe the rudder reference sensor is on its way out. Don't want to get caught out without an auto-pilot on a long passage in the summer! Anyone had anything similar - is it the start of a downward spiral? (Or should that be inward spiral...)

 

[davidwf]

They are a simple potentiometer, it may be that the track has got a bit dirty, if you can get it apart a squirt with contact cleaner into the POT may well clean it up.

 

[ksutton]

Had exactly the same problem, but it was intermittent. Raymarine engineer replaced the rudder reference unit, but no improvement. It turned out to be the rudder ref unit wiring onto the course computer, (loose wire connection).

 

[arawa]

Good luck with sorting this out; it took my local dealer acting with lots of Raymarine advice 3 months to rectify a similar fault on my brand new system.

After changing the course control computer and the autohead, and trying a new rudder sender unit to no effect, I think the conclusion was that it was an intermittent connection fault from the rudder unit to the CCC that was partly masked by a poor connection from the fluxgate compass.

 

[CSFenwick]

Thanks guys, sounds like I need to check the connections at the course computer. The fact that it seemd to go away when I turned everything off and on again made me think it was course computer related. I'll hold off buying a spare reference unit just yet...

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

We had the same problem, which was quite interesting as it happened in the middle of the night, in the middle of Biscay. The lights from the commercial ships to starboard suddenly shot across the front of the wheelhouse windows and appeared to port!

Anyway, our problem was just bad connection at the rudder reference unit. I would suggest making sure these are OK before doing anything with the course computer. There may be a problem with both, but the rudder bit is the easiest to isolate from a diagnosis standpoint.

 

[sunseeker]

great information.

My father has a Raymarine autopilot reporting the same, something like "no rudder reference". The failure comes and goes and a power-on-reset sometimes solves it, sometimes not. The likelihood of a successful reset seems to be more likely when boat is moving at slow speeds (less vibration).
The hints here reminds me to check the connections before even thinking of buying a new reference sensor.