Upgrading Raymarine Autopilot?

syfuga

syfuga

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www.syfuga.co.uk
Hi

Seriously fed up with our old system going off-line at arbitrary moments - no one has been able to cure it. It is based on a 1997 vintage 300 autopilot computer, Type 2 Linear drive (still current), an ST6001+ control unit, a fluxgate compass of similar vintage, and a rudder sensor.

What is the difference between ST6001+ and ST6002 autopilot controller? Will the former work with a SPX30 course computer?

The option now is to buy a Sail Pack comprising ACU400 course computer, control unit, sensor package and rudder sensor - £2300 more than I want to spend at this stage in my boating life.

So I am looking at a second hand SPX30 (now superceded by ACU400) - has anyone got one -and do I need to upgrade the control unit?

Any help or advice would be gratefully received..

John
 
I'm not up to speed with the latest offerings, but I believe all the control heads that connect via Seatalk 1 use the same messages and are thus interchangeable. The pilot itself is the "brain" box, the control heads (and you can fit as many as you like) just tell it what to do.

Pete
 
The ST6002+ is just a very slightly visually modernised version of the ST6001+, and both are compatible with the SPX30.

I have an SPX30, controlled by an ST6002+, but my actuator is one of those ghastly squeaky wheel pilots.

You are correct - if you can get hold of a second-hand SPX30, this will replace your older unit and you can keep all the other wiring and hardware, so installation will be straightforward.
 
Type 300 course computer is solid state and should last pretty much forever! They are loved by everyone who has one, but I suppose damp and salt air might get to the innards. An SPX30 is a goid piece of kit and will work very happily with any Raymarine head unit that has ST in the title. I've had a 300 which I bought used and sold for the same amount and bought an SPX30 used and I'm very happy with it. There are a surprising number of SPX units on the market because people want the fancy touch screen head and plotter units and those need a more modern course computer. The latest kit is self set up which must be nice because I've never really got my SPX30 set up correctly, it's far too 'busy'. My fault, I need to give it a couple of hours proper sea trial time adjusting the parameters.
 
Thanks for the input. Helpful to know that 6002 is much the same as 6001.

I acquired a second hand 300 course computer last year and fitted it, but it made no difference to the problem in hand. (Going into standby). Could a faulty control unit cause it to drop into standby, I wonder. ?

Conventional wisdom for this is power supply problems, but have done my best to remove those.

Not I think anything to do with the Linear drive. Gears replaced not so long ago with heavy duty type.
 
Have you checked for rudder stiffness?
The wheel may feel relatively easy to turn but try turning the rudder with the emergency tiller. This will give you a better idea as to how stiff it is.
The autopilot going offline could be due to current draw due to a stiff rudder.
 
Another problem I had was the cables between the wheel and the rudder quadrant got stiff in the conduit. Tested by disconnecting the cable from the quadrant, and the autopilot turned it easily... reconnect the cables, and it found it difficult.

In the end I found a way of pouring Hurth 2000 oil down the conduit, (used a chopped off car aerial to get the oil to the bottom of the pedestal where the cable entered the conduit), so it flowed out of the quadrant end. Once the carrier had evaporated, the fluid oil became a stiffer grease, and freed up the cable for the next few years.
 
Has the OP tried calling Raymarine Tech support? A bit of persistence and intimating that a new purchase Is near may be be necessary to get them to comment on legacy gear, but I have found them to be brilliant and happy to chat through difficult issues like this.
 
No, not recently, but I did so 10 years ago. I've had another look at their 'forum' for clues.

We are going back 18 years and generations of gear: personally I'd prefer to find someone who really knows his stuff.

I had the Azores Raymarine expert look at it, and he was baffled too. At the time I was considering putting in an auxilliary battery to see if that made any difference.
 
To Talulah and Richard below..

The wheel is extremely easy to turn, finger tip easy, and the rudder can be pushed against the gearing from the ground also quite easily. We went down the rudder bearing route a few years back, thanks. All gears and linkages but no cables.

No, the system will go into standby at arbitrary intervals, even when the boat is in its berth and going nowhere.
 
syfuga said:
Thanks for the input. Helpful to know that 6002 is much the same as 6001.

I acquired a second hand 300 course computer last year and fitted it, but it made no difference to the problem in hand. (Going into standby). Could a faulty control unit cause it to drop into standby, I wonder. ?

Conventional wisdom for this is power supply problems, but have done my best to remove those.

Not I think anything to do with the Linear drive. Gears replaced not so long ago with heavy duty type.
Click to expand...
I has a 300 course computer on my last boat. For the whole time I had it we were plagued by the system going into standby. we changed the power supply to larger cables, swapped out EVERY component for a spare but still had the same problem. I came to the conclusion it was a glitch in the software as it didn't matter what I did we never cured it.
 
I have had a recent problem with auto going into standby, but more worrying going into active mode. I was sitting at anchor and the wheel suddenly span hard to port and the autopilot was locked. Pressing standby did not put it into standby. So cut the power and turned on again. The thought of that happening at some crucial moment such as backing into a berth in strong wind has convinced me to upgrade to a new system - computer and head. However, having upgraded the plotter to one running the latest Lighthouse software, it should integrate nicely. No a cheap option tho'

TS
 
Hi
Still beating myself up about this.
Logically, if power supply is good, and course computers have been changed, the only element of the system that has not been changed is the control head. Does anyone know if there are circumstances where a control head has been at fault when the system drops into standby.
This happens when in Auto, or just in Auto at the dock, or we get error signal 3 beeps even when already in Standby.

If I get hold of a new control head, that is the least cost option?

Thoughts please?
 
I remember there was a circuit board fix. On some units a capacitor on the pcb was mounted the wrong way around. Some people on here may have a copy of the service bulletin. It was publicly downloadable for a brief period. It may not be the cause of the problem but worth investigating.
 
syfuga said:
Hi
Still beating myself up about this.
Logically, if power supply is good, and course computers have been changed, the only element of the system that has not been changed is the control head. Does anyone know if there are circumstances where a control head has been at fault when the system drops into standby.
This happens when in Auto, or just in Auto at the dock, or we get error signal 3 beeps even when already in Standby.

If I get hold of a new control head, that is the least cost option?

Thoughts please?
Click to expand...

I think you've nailed it there. Easiest route now is to borrow someone else's control head and try that. Have you also checked for shorts or breaks in the cables to the rudder sensor and the fluxgate - a problem there could put it into standby. What did tech support say? They really know their onions at Raymarine.
 
Hi

I have a control head sitting on a shelf
a couple of segments on the display don't work but otherwise all ok
you could try it and see if it makes a diffrence
 
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