Testing Autohelm Type 1 Drive

[lpdsn]

I've a Autohelm Type 1 drive that has been kept warm and comfortable in the spare bedroom for the last five years. It certainly worked fine before being removed from the boat. Anyway, I now plan to add a new Raymarine pack to get it all working again.

The difference between buying a new drive as part of a pack and subsequently going back and buying a new drive is about £600stg, so I'd like to test the drive before ordering the rest of the bits. It is now fitted in situ, so it is a matter of powering it up in the right way to test it'll turn the rudder.

So the question is, what do the wires do. The two power cables are easily identifiable and are clearly labelled and I could easily wire these up. There is a third twin core wire, with much thinner red and blue wires. I guess they're the control wires. Is it as simple as putting 12V across these control wires to get it to go one way and reversing that to get it to come back? Any gotchas?

 

[haydude]

The pair you are referring to must be the clutch. If you apply 12v you should hear a click or "clonk" at which point the clutch is locked and it should be hard or impossible to move the drive by hand. In general since it is a magnet polarity does not matter. However I would double check the manual first.

 

[lpdsn]

The pair you are referring to must be the clutch. If you apply 12v you should hear a click or "clonk" at which point the clutch is locked and it should be hard or impossible to move the drive by hand. In general since it is a magnet polarity does not matter. However I would double check the manual first.

Thanks. I guess that means the power wires must be reversed to change direction. They did look as though the were +ve and -ve.

Having a manual to check would be a luxury.

 

[Cardo]

Thanks. I guess that means the power wires must be reversed to change direction. They did look as though the were +ve and -ve.

Having a manual to check would be a luxury.

If it's like this one -
http://www.raydirect.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=102_100_107_108&products_id=216
The description mentions:
"Drive method DC Reversing hydraulic pump"

I would take this as being reversing the polarity. It's how a DC motor would work, so it makes sense.

 

[lpdsn]

If it's like this one -
http://www.raydirect.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=102_100_107_108&products_id=216
The description mentions:
"Drive method DC Reversing hydraulic pump"

I would take this as being reversing the polarity. It's how a DC motor would work, so it makes sense.

It's like this one. Type 1 linear drive.

http://www.raydirect.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=102_100_107_110&products_id=225

 

[prv]

I'm in the process of fitting one of those. Being second-hand, I tested it in the workshop as soon as I got it so I know how it works.

Smaller wires are the magnetic clutch. Put 12v across them and you will hear it engage and be unable to move the drive. Keeping the clutch powered, put 12v across the larger wires and it will move one way. Swap the motor wires round and it will move the other way. Don't let it motor right to the end as the manual warns that this can damage it - when installed, your steering quadrant must hit a mechanical stop just before the drive reaches full travel.

Pete

 

[lpdsn]

I'm in the process of fitting one of those. Being second-hand, I tested it in the workshop as soon as I got it so I know how it works.

Smaller wires are the magnetic clutch. Put 12v across them and you will hear it engage and be unable to move the drive. Keeping the clutch powered, put 12v across the larger wires and it will move one way. Swap the motor wires round and it will move the other way. Don't let it motor right to the end as the manual warns that this can damage it - when installed, your steering quadrant must hit a mechanical stop just before the drive reaches full travel.

Pete

Brilliant, just the info I need. Thanks for your replies everyone.