St1000 tiller pilot compass problems

[Dougy]

Tiller pilot turns on ok and showing 258 degrees. If I press +10 it shows 268 and the arm extends, all perfectly fine But... If I turn the tiller 90 degrees it does nothing it's as if the compass isn't working. It doesn't adjust. Any ideas or just send it to raymarine for repair?

 

[Mataji]

I had the same problem with a St2000. I lived with it for some time as, although the heading was nothing like the actual heading, the changes to port or starboard I entered worked ok. I eventually found out that the boat had a fluxgate compass fitted which was faulty and the tillerpilot was picking up its heading from there. Disconnected the fluxgate compass and tiller pilot worked perfectly.

 

[Graham376]

Not quite sure what you mean, how are you able to turn the tiller 90 degrees with it attached?

 

[VicS]

Tiller pilot turns on ok and showing 258 degrees. If I press +10 it shows 268 and the arm extends, all perfectly fine But... If I turn the tiller 90 degrees it does nothing it's as if the compass isn't working. It doesn't adjust. Any ideas or just send it to raymarine for repair?

I was wondering the same as Graham., but turning the tiller through 90°can't be what you mean.
Are you playing with something new to you while ashore or moored or are you actually trying to put it through its paces while underway?

 

[Graham376]

I was wondering the same as Graham., but turning the tiller through 90°can't be what you mean.
Are you playing with something new to you while ashore or moored or are you actually trying to put it through its paces while underway?

My memory of tiller pilots is that if it's mounted but not connected to the tiller and switched to "auto", when you swing it, it will extend or return depending on which way it's moved. The compass is built in to the tiller pilot.

 

[Spyro]

My memory of tiller pilots is that if it's mounted but not connected to the tiller and switched to "auto", when you swing it, it will extend or return depending on which way it's moved. The compass is built in to the tiller pilot.

It will. The compass could be jammed by bits that are know to break off inside these units. They tend to find themselves around the gimballed compass. Try turning it upside down and give it a shake the try the test again.

 

[VicS]

My memory of tiller pilots is that if it's mounted but not connected to the tiller and switched to "auto", when you swing it, it will extend or return depending on which way it's moved. The compass is built in to the tiller pilot.

Thats right ... I have one , but not an ST 1000

 

[steveeasy]

I've an st2000. Compass does not work but still serves it purpose.
Steveeasy

 

[webcraft]

I've an st2000. Compass does not work but still serves it purpose.
Steveeasy

Its purpose is to follow a heading, so I am not sure how it can fulfil it without a compass.

#confused

- W

 

[Greenheart]

I wonder what is the satisfaction/irritation ratio amongst owners of small autopilots? Naturally we don't hear much from people who don't have a problem, but the negative reports aren't encouraging. They seem to be amp-hungry, doubtfully reliable and short-lived.

Is there a terrible fatal flaw in the design, or corner-cutting in component selection, or are they easily misused? Does anybody make a tillerpilot that costs more but repays with a viceless owner-experience?

 

[LadyInBed]

Not an uncommon problem, I had it over twenty years ago on two units. In short, they are crap!
Take the unit apart, if there isn't water in the bottom of the compass well then you are lucky, the problem is then probably the compass ribbon cable connection. You can first try wiggling the end of the ribbon cable in the connector, if that doesn't work the unclamp the connector, remove the cable and clean both. When you reclamp the cable give it another wiggle after.
Bottom line, you can buy a replacement compass assy.
I used to take mine apart and winter it in the airing cupboard!! Good luck.

 

[macd]

It will. The compass could be jammed by bits that are know to break off inside these units. They tend to find themselves around the gimballed compass. Try turning it upside down and give it a shake the try the test again.

+ several. + Raymarine are very coy about admitting it's a common fault.

The OP still needs to clarify what he's actually describing, though.

 

[Iliade]

He means he set the heading, then took the Tillerpilot off the tiller and rotated the Tillerpilot through 90 degrees.

+1 for something has got in the way of the compass. Happened to mine, took it apart at sea and removed offending debris. IIRC it was parts of the rubber end stops they used in lieu of a proper microswitch controlled limit system.

 

[Refueler]

I've an st2000. Compass does not work but still serves it purpose.
Steveeasy

What you mean is the DISPLAYED setting is not showing .... its not the compass. The compass does not get altered by you playing with + / - buttons ... what you are doing is telling the AP to change that number of degrees and the compass will swing accordingly as the AP itself orientates.

 

[prv]

Is there a terrible fatal flaw in the design, or corner-cutting in component selection, or are they easily misused?

One and two. Not three particularly, I don't think.

The makers would argue three in that people allow them to get wet, but that's clearly only a problem because one and two.

That said, I had reliable service from an older AH800 and then a new ST2000 (bought for its faster hard-over speed). Neither was as effective as the modern Evo unit with below-deck drive on the current boat, but they did ok.

Does anybody make a tillerpilot that costs more but repays with a viceless owner-experience?

Raymarine make a tiller actuator for their Evo systems that looks convincing, though not many people seem to fit them. There are other high-end pilots that can drive cockpit tiller actuators, used by ocean racers. I'm not aware of an all-in-one plastic tillerpilot that's significantly better than the ubiquitous Raymarine and Simrad ones.

Pete

 

[Iliade]

My old seafarer was decidedly better designed and put together. Shame it died after some ten year's hard labour, plus whatever the previous owner put it through...

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

One and two. Not three particularly, I don't think.

The makers would argue three in that people allow them to get wet, but that's clearly only a problem because one and two.

That said, I had reliable service from an older AH800 and then a new ST2000 (bought for its faster hard-over speed). Neither was as effective as the modern Evo unit with below-deck drive on the current boat, but they did ok.



Raymarine make a tiller actuator for their Evo systems that looks convincing, though not many people seem to fit them. There are other high-end pilots that can drive cockpit tiller actuators, used by ocean racers. I'm not aware of an all-in-one plastic tillerpilot that's significantly better than the ubiquitous Raymarine and Simrad ones.

Pete

Based solely on the lack of queries about broken Simrads I bought one. No problems for me thus far. That's not to say that I wouldn't have gone up a level if I had the budget though.

 

[Refueler]

I have an AH800 and AH1000 ....... sadly the AH1000 has finally died ... so I now I'm back to using the AH800. Both steered my 4 ton Sunrider a treat.

Now anyone who knows those two AP's knows they are real old units .... came out long before the ST units ...

They've got wet ... been kicked / trod on / dropped and only now after all these years has one died. I'm sure if I gave to an electronics guy - they could probably fix it ...