Just installed a raymarine ev100 autopilot on my Catalina 30. Does anyone know how to do the calabration and setup for this . It doesn't come with the greatest directions
Calabration of raymarine ev100 autopilot
- Thread starter ChrisCall
- Start date
It is the P70 . With no rudder reference. I'm not sure how to get the rudder limit setting or hard over time . Or if I should set it for leisure, cruising or performance
The good news is that it's infinitely adjustable. Since you have no idea how this particular unit will make the boat perform, pick the middle settings and run through the calibration. Chances are the AP will probably perform best in the mid or upper settings. Mine is set to Race, and of the 5 levels of adjustment on the p70, it's usually at the lower end, most often at 2. This offers the flexibility to wind the thing up to be really responsive if asked, and dialed back so as to not be making adjustments every 20 milliseconds if cruising.
If the settings don't work well for you, or your style of sailing, change it. Start in the middle and go from there.....
If the settings don't work well for you, or your style of sailing, change it. Start in the middle and go from there.....
Everyone seems to agree that having a rudder reference unit is best. Why in the world would you NOT install one when CLEARLY it is a safety issue in a "nasty following sea"? This is when you REALLY need your AP to work, and work perfectly.
There will come a time... Maybe you made a poor decision and thought everything would be OK, but now you are stuck in dangerous conditions. It happens to everyone who is serious about this sport. Maybe you need to make an adjustment on the mast, leave the cockpit momentarily, and suddenly the AP loses it's track. The boat wildly swings, stuff falls, your passengers panic. They look at you with wonderment and silently lose faith . It's not worth it.
I always use my AP. It holds the helm better than I can, and I know I can depend on it in any condition. I EXPECT it to work, not always wonder "is it going to work?". No thanks.
Very True!
Since RM make this AP for just about any boat, you see an almost infinite adjustment.
I am only chiming it (since my Hunter 430 is different than a Cat 30), to point out a couple of considerations.
The controller gets info from...
1) Flux compass (course)
2) Rudder position (feed back of sensitivity)
3) Chart plotter ( Tracking mode, auto tacking ) ... thus GPS ( I wouldn't use this in foul weather or high sea states)
IMHO You can't have just one setting.
I would recommend you do what the others have said (with Cat 30), and do minor adjustment for your general needs and comfort.
Learn how to adjust quickly (practice) for changing sea states, if you do solo sailing.
Any AutoPilot is not a substitution for a Captain. It is basically a "steady on" course controller.
My rudder is so big that when I do a manual "hard over" my 43' turns in a 50' circle, but not if the sea state causes part of my rudder to come out of the water (manual or AP).
Of all my "add ons" the auto pilot is top on my lists of luxury for cruising.
You will love it!
Jim...
Calibration changed quite a bit with the latest firmware version (May 16) - lots fewer questions.
In addition to straight ahead - it will adjust for wind shifts if you have wind direction and speed available on the network.
The comment is well founded, but somewhat moot. The AP will work without the rudder reference, but the rudder reference will not work without the AP. If it were a question of safety, I wouldn't risk lives on 2 little ball joints and and a pair of plastic bushings. This is, after all, consumer grade product and should never, ever, be considered as anything more.
That said, the reference is on our "toy" list, only because we like toys. For us, it's in the "diminishing returns" column, as we know quite well what the performance characteristics of the AP are, and adding additional, breakable hardware won't increase the performance much beyond what's already known. The wind input was on the "must have" list, as it's exceptionally capable of providing input, allowing focus on trim and tactics. Nobody I know can keep our big asym full as well as Ray can.