raymarine ev100 vs cpt autopilot

[skob1014]

I'm trying to decide between these two autopilot systems. CPT is considerably more expensive and seems less sophisticated than the Raymarine EV100. But I know people love their CPT systems. I would appreciate any comments on the good and bad of both systems.

Thanks!

 

[jviss]

I love this topic, because I am fascinated that the CPT is clearly 1970's technology that has stood the test of time, both in function, and in the dated but very functional mechanical features. It was apparently "brought back;" I take that to mean it was out of production for some time. It apparently has a very loyal and dedicated following.

It's a very rugged and strong pilot, and can steer some pretty large vessels in blue water, even boats over 50'. It's about 50% more than a Raymarine pilot, and at this, I think it's worth it.

It's not networked, not to anything. This may deter some folks, but apparently not all.

One great advantage of this pilot is that there are knobs, right there in your face!, to adjust "rudder," i.e., gain, and deadband in real time, immediately. Sure, you can do this on other pilots, but digging through the setup menus on your MFD or AP control head is nightmarish at times, and certainly not something you'd want to do while rockin' and rollin' underway. You will probably come up with rudder and deadband settings for a couple of few points of sail and sea conditions. As a result this may well steer better than new pilots with the factory default settings or automatically generated settings, and those won't change with changes in sea and point of sail until you get into $20k+ racing systems.

If you want a strong, reliable, standalone compass steering pilot, that can be economically installed, even by yourself, this is it.

 

[jviss]

CPT is considerably more expensive and seems less sophisticated than the Raymarine EV100.

I don't know, an EV100 is $1,500 at Defender, the CPT will set you back $2,200, direct from CPT. Yes, it's about 50% more, but in the total scheme of things, depending on how your RM one is installed, they are in the same ballpark, in my opinion.

For the basic task of steering to a magnetic compass heading, I think the CPT is far superior. If you need or really want to network it, then not so much.

 

[jviss]

A couple of discussions on this very comparison:
Best Wheel Autopilot for C30
New Autopilot - CPT vs Raymarine EV100

One thing I forgot to mention that the first thread reminded me of: the Raymarine wheel drive is fragile. I had the predecessor, the AH4000, for quite a while, on a Catalina 36. That wheel drive was a constant problem and annoyance. A few of the plastic bosses supporting idler wheels broke off, so I ended up rebuilding it by drilling and installing little metric screws and nuts to support all of them. That worked. Then the clutch started slipping out of engagement on its own, and despite hours of fiddling with the adjustment I couldn't get it to work. I finally just get a short piece of line at the helm and I'd tie the lever down with a slip hitch when the pilot was engaged. The plastic also faded in the sun and looked like crap after a while. Perhaps regular coatings of Aerospace Protectant would have helped. The motor cable rotted and failed. And so on.

 

[BobH57]

I installed a CPT autopilot on my Hunter 410 in 2018 and have been pretty happy with it. The EV100 was not an option due to it's weight limitations (I believe around 15000 lbs) and my boat has an empty weight of over 20000 lbs. The CPT has no connectivity to other instruments or chartplotters, so no ability to steer to waypoints or wind direction, but does a decent job holding a compass course. One weakness is the two shear pins in the clutch, which I've had break in heavy following seas on the stern quarter- lets me know I should have been hand-steering in those conditions!

 

[jviss]

One weakness is the two shear pins in the clutch, which I've had break in heavy following seas on the stern quarter- lets me know I should have been hand-steering in those conditions!

Interesting! Do you think that perhaps the shear pins were rated too conservatively? I mean, people have used the CPT on much bigger boats than yours, per the testimonials on the website, for example:

65 feet and over
HUTCHINSON 65
MACGREGOR 65
SUTTON CUSTOM 72

Some of the boats steered by CPT Autopilots

 

[Tally Ho]

Is this for your H28?

I have only used RaymRine wheel pilots, so no experience with CPT. Take that for what it is worth.

As @jviss said, CPT is a stand alone system, and not networked to anything. I don’t know for sure, but I assume that means it won’t sail to a wind angle. I use this function on my Raymarine ST6000 all of the time.

The CPT may be a bit more robust (motor, belt drive). But the belt is exposed, and I don’t really like that.

I am happy with my ST6000, and it is not the latest Raymarine AP available…which I assume is even better. This is steering my 1988 O’Day 322.

Either unit should be ok for a 28 foot boat

Greg

 

[dlochner]

If the plan is to sail Lake Ontario, the CPT may well be overkill. The CPT has a well deserved reputation for being robust, which would be very important for long ocean passages. When I had my Sabre 30 I had an RM wheel pilot and it did a good job on the lake. No autopilot is going to do well when Lake Ontario kicks up its steep, square waves, so you'll be at the dock or hand steering anyway.

 

[BigEasy]

Main detractor for me was open drive belt & antiquated looking control module. Not saying that it isn't a good auto pilot; just not what I wanted for my boat. Also, I have a Giot (sp?) rotating wheel that would not accommodate a fixed point mount for the drive gear as exhibited by the CPT unit. First choice would have been a Raymarine EV-100 with below deck linear drive; compromised & installed an EV-100 wheel pilot.....it's OK.

 

[BobH57]

Interesting! Do you think that perhaps the shear pins were rated too conservatively? I mean, people have used the CPT on much bigger boats than yours, per the testimonials on the website, for example:

65 feet and over
HUTCHINSON 65
MACGREGOR 65
SUTTON CUSTOM 72

Some of the boats steered by CPT Autopilots

Quite possibly. As I mentioned, they tended to break when I was dealing with sea swells (usually 6' or more) on the stern quarter, resulting in additional lateral force on the rudder. CPT sells the shear pins for $9.95 a pair, and I'm sure I'm not the only one to have ordered replacements....

 

[jviss]

I wonder if anyone has ever "hacked" a CPT pilot to add features, like steering to a wind angle, or to a waypoint? If I could pick up a used one for free or cheap I might try doing that.

 

[skob1014]

Thank you all for your great comments. If I got the EV100, it would be completely standalone because I don't have any navigation system on my boat -- so lack of integration is not a concern. It seems like the simplicity of installation and components is a benefit of the CPT. Maybe it will be overkill for Lake Ontario but it would be easy to transfer it to a bigger boat if I get ambitious. Looks like CPT is the better choice for me.

 

[jssailem]

Welcome to the SBO Forum

I'm trying to decide between these two autopilot systems.

The two you are considering will both work on your boat. Beyond that the decision revolves around what compromises are involved and at what cost. This becomes a personal dilemma with really no bad results.
When faced with this type of conundrum, one method is to list the Pros/Cons of the two.

I have the RayMarine EV100. My opinions.
It is a light weight design manufactured to a price point. I have found it relatively easy resolve the mechanical failure points, now that I understand them. I have used the AP as an aide since 2017 with the unit exposed 365 to the marine environment. In that time the electronics have functioned as advertised. It keeps a straight line bearing under power and calm to moderate sea conditions (1m waves, not breaking in 10-13 knots of wind). The failures I have had involve the wheel unit. The rubber covering the motor power connection has fallen apart. While the belt has worked with out issue the internal drive ring failed and required replacement. I have replaced the manual clutch due to the plastic portion, that actuates the concentric tensioning the belt drive, rounded out making the clutch useless. Both were easy repairs. I consider them consumables.

In use the I find on my 16000lb displacement boat functional for my needs. I tend to limit the use to motoring on a set bearing. While I have used it as a sailing aide it is necessary to properly balance your sail plan. I do not use it on down wind courses with a following sea. I prefer to manage the helm myself. The system is always behind the conditions and the boat slews about uncomfortably for my tastes.

I looked at the CPT unit and for the same reasons expressed by @BigEasy, I did not like the open belt drive. I considered it a hazard in the cockpit that I did not want to have.

One weakness is the two shear pins in the clutch, which I've had break in heavy following seas on the stern quarter- lets

I suspect this issue, while serious should it occur, would be influenced by the sea conditions and the mass of the boat. A smaller lighter boat might not experience clutch pin shear as much as a larger displacement boat.

I would encourage you to search out the various posts on the SBO forums regarding auto pilots.

 

[jviss]

For a completely standalone pilot with no desire to steer to the wind I think the CPT is the hands-down winner, if the increased cost is not a strain. The open belt issue was addressed in another thread, where one owner said it's a lightweight belt that's easily torn off by hand if it comes to that. The shear pin issue can likely be solved, as people have put this pilot on 63' yachts! One enormous advantage are the rudder and deadband knobs, in my opinion.

 

[MikeHoncho]

I did a lot of research while considering the two. I do coastal cruising with a lot of change of direction due to narrow passages (Puget Sound) and had no real need for waypoint tracking. For me it came down to the use during the worst of times while single handed. That is the primary reason I have a AP. All other uses are considered convenient. The EV has a significant history of broken and worn down internal parts within the stearing belt system over time. For these reasons I went with the CPT. Customer service was top notch. Installation was straight forward with exceptional documentation. The only down side is that it is bulky and I would like a wireless remote option. I’ve had it for about three years now with no regrets.
I don’t buy into the shear pin argument. Shear pins are designed as a weak point and sacrificial. You should always have back ups ( several) for any sacrificial element. Imagine what would have happened ( probably only applicable to those who know the CPTs strength) in the same situation with the EV?
Exposed drive belts can be minimized in the configuration of the system. Mine is so low pro that it is a non issue.

 

[JohnShannon]

My experience with the Ray Marine was that if the electricity wasn't "perfect" it would beep and disconnect. The RM unit replaced a 20+year old "Robertson" that had functioned reliably and well. I didn't notice superior steering performance, I did notice that the unit would disconnect so I never fully trusted it. What fixed it in the end was a small battery right at the input power terminals.

 

[Head Sail]

I had the EV-100 for 6 or 7 years. I didn't install the rudder position sensor (not require). I kept it covered when not in use and never had a problem with broken parts but I was careful to pay attention when engaging or disengaging. It worked fine 90% time but when weather kicked up, it had difficulty tracking. It was integrated to the chartplotter which made planning and traveling routes easy.

 

[jviss]

There were times on my previous boat, a Catalina 36, on which I had an AH4000 wheel pilot, essentially the same drive as the newer RM ones, when I really wish I had the CPT. We were only sailing to a magnetic heading anyway, didn't need any kind of integration. But dig this: sailing out of Long Island Sound on the ebb, at max flow past the Race, doing 14 knots over the ground with 35 kt. from the Southwest and fog, visibility 1/8 mile or less, and the AH4000 just couldn't do it. My dear wife helmed the boat, with one of those fatalistic grins on her face as I worked the radar and made security calls every 15 minutes on the VHF. It would have been grand if she could have gotten under the dodger instead of helming for what turned out to be a couple of hours in the wet, windy weather. I think the CPT could certainly steered the boat in those conditions.

 

[dlochner]

My dear wife helmed the boat, with one of those fatalistic grins on her face as I worked the radar and made security calls every 15 minutes on the VHF.

Why didn't she work the radar and make the security calls while you steered?

 

[jviss]

Why didn't she work the radar and make the security calls while you steered?

Ha, ha! Because that wasn't her thing, baby! Honestly, she's naturally shy and preferred to steer. I'm the nerd, the radar guy, the radio guy, etc.

On that trip after making one of my security calls I was hailed by "United States submarine, NS...." They asked me for a visibility report at the race. I had just measured the distance to race rock light on the radar, which I could just barely see, at 1/8th mile, and told them. They said "thanks captain, we're going to come to all stop on the surface 'til the visibility improves." They were on their way to New London. When we made our closest point of approach they blew their fog horn, which shook my rigging and sent chills up our spines! It was cool.