autopilots

[LARRY VALENTINE]

My Benmar Compucourse autopilot is throwing in the towel and I am looking for a replacement on my 1985 , 53 ft, Hatt ED. Anyone out there with recommendations for a replacement. I am considering the Garmin Reactor with smart pump (about $4000). Also any estimates for instillation costs? Also does anyone know the hydraulic cubic inch rudder cylinder displacement of my boat? Thanks, LEV

 

[MikeP]

What, exactly, is it doing that constitutes "throwing in the towel?"

Depending on what you NEED from an autopilot affects what the solution might be.

For example, our 1980 53MY has the original Raytheon Neco autopilot that was installed when the boat was new. All it does is maintain a dialed-in heading. There is no interface with GPS/whatever. BUT...it does the heading-holding job perfectly.

When we bought the boat, it didn't work. I went through all the connections in the various autopilot components, breaking/cleaning/ remaking everyone of them (nearly 100) and the autopilot then worked perfectly for years. 3 years ago it quit and after troubleshooting, I found that a one dollar transistor had failed. Mouser supplied a new one and the AP has been working perfectly since. Since I don't have any need for an AP that integrates to GPS/chart plotter, I don't care about that capability.

My point is that your AP may be..and probably IS...fixable and if it does what you need it to do, why waste the money on a new one?

 

[Hat52MY]

Larry - Went through a similar situation last year. I ultimately went with a new Simrad/Robertson unit. The cost was about the same when you added in everything. The link below should help.

http://www.samsmarine.com/forums/sh...armin-Autopilot-Replacement...which-to-choose

 

[Tim Powell]

garman smart pump results this was taken tuesday coming home from OI pick tell all 20 21 knots no waving

 

[Tim Powell]

 

[smoothmove]

I also wanted to ask about the extent of the failure. Is the pump working but not the control circuitry?
My unit gave up the ghost a couple of years ago and I just went through a total redo on my 1968 Benmar but the pump was still operating correctly. We replaced the big green compass and Binnacle with a 3 axis accelerometer/magnetometer and we wired a jump board into the existing head unit. You can't tell that it's not original unless you look underneath and spot the USB output port. A friend of mine is really talented at this kind of stuff and he did it just for the challenge and the joy of being around boats. Ironically, by the time we were done reverse engineering the old compass, we knew it pretty well and could point to why it didn't work and could have fixed that one instead.
The top photo below is the new compass unit and the bottom pic shows how it all goes together in the old box.

Eric

 

[Boatsb]

Tim,

Do you have the new reactor system or the old version?

The smart pump is awesome although too many people get scared of the price. It out performs anything else out there. For a new install where the plumbing is not already done its the best choice.

Raymarine was the first with the super smart autopilot with multiple gyros, Garmin followed. Simrad has yet to respond. FWIW I would have no problem recomending a Ray autopilot on a garmin system. Especially where existing pumps and plumbing dictate. I've done a bunch like that before the reactor was released.

 

[Tim Powell]

Tim,

Do you have the new reactor system or the old version?

The smart pump is awesome although too many people get scared of the price. It out performs anything else out there. For a new install where the plumbing is not already done its the best choice.

Raymarine was the first with the super smart autopilot with multiple gyros, Garmin followed. Simrad has yet to respond. FWIW I would have no problem recomending a Ray autopilot on a garmin system. Especially where existing pumps and plumbing dictate. I've done a bunch like that before the reactor was released.

BOB I DO NOT KNOW IT IS ABOUT 2 YEARS OLD AND OPERATED GRATE ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS

i DID NOT GET YOUR PACKAGE OFF TODAY IT IS ON THE BOAT I AM AT HOME..

CG reporting freightor missing off Bahama coast!!

 

[Boatsb]

Thats OK. No rush. You have the older unit that was based on the TR-1. Garmin did a great job integrating it and with the shadow valve and other interfaces it did a great job. The new reactor series is a new processor and course computer.

 

[bobk]

How does the accelerometer work in quartering seas? Twenty seven years ago when I bought a system for my trawler I tried to convince the manufacturer that an accelerometer would improve steering in a quartering sea. The lift in the stern quarter is essentially what the helmsman responds to and an accelerometer should do the same for the AP.

Bobk

 

[Boatsb]

How does the accelerometer work in quartering seas? Twenty seven years ago when I bought a system for my trawler I tried to convince the manufacturer that an accelerometer would improve steering in a quartering sea. The lift in the stern quarter is essentially what the helmsman responds to and an accelerometer should do the same for the AP.

Bobk

Placement is one concern and second is tuning. I have one in a trawler that just runs slowly and set the system to respond less and not over steer the boat. That said on a planing hull i would suggest it be faster to respond as the boats motion is less of a concern vs its actual direction.

 

[SeaEric]

I have a 2 yr old Garmin GHC 10 with the "Smart Pump" etc. It was around $4,000. plus about $2,000. for install. It's likely the best thing I have ever bought for my boat. I also have the wireless remote. Excellent system. Probably newer/better Garmin out now but what I have works very well especially in a following sea. Garmin says that the "rudder feedback sensor" is optional and it IS NOT. You have to have it for the system to work properly. The RF sensor, when added also provides rudder angle indication on the display. IMHO - Best six grand + that I ever pissed away.