This is a poor location for the EV100 sensor, especially if alternator or other wires are close by.. 3' minimum to ferrous metals and wiring... All you'll need is a longer STng spur cable to get it is a good location.
EV-100 Inconsistent
- Thread starter markwbird
- Start date
This is a poor location for the EV100 sensor, especially if alternator or other wires are close by.. 3' minimum to ferrous metals and wiring... All you'll need is a longer STng spur cable to get it is a good location.
But deviation is a local thing. Over the course of the distance the OP is going in his marina, does it apply? Even if the local deviation is huge, the autopilot is set and holds a course, so it's relative to whatever the deviation is, so I was thinking it really doesn't care what the deviation is, especially over a short distance. Local magnetic disturbance from installing it too close to the motor is another thing.
the way i understand it is that if it has not been set for deviation correctly then it will not have its local memory/knowledge and cannot function consistently every time .....the only thing i can think of is maybe something in the marina area where he is may be causing interference assuming everything else is set correct...i also think the rudder sensor is part of the equation based on what mainesail has said about some working good without and some not doing so good ..... he may need that accessory in order to get positive results
Mark.... This is the rudder reference that we referred to.... Do you have one installed? While RM says it's optional... It's not. Just a required add-on to make the whole system appear to be less expensive. Hope this isn't redundant.... -Jon
It sounds as if he is just point & shooting, when doing this, and in this case the compass could be 360 degrees off and it would make no difference in how it steers to where you pointed when you hit "AUTO".
All though I do not have a rudder sensor, after doing the intial setup along with timing the full rotation of the rudder as prompted by the set up menue I have had only one PITA problem. The lever locking the drive wheel to the fixed wheel often pops open. I wonder if this might be your problem? There is an excellent thread somewhere on this forum on the fix, till I get to it shock cord holds it in locked position.
BTW, PG! your steering cable appears way out of alignment as if the idler wheels are not positioned correctly. You may want to check for aluminum dust under the radial. Would hate for you to lose steering. ( much worse than losing most of my old girlfriends)
BTW, PG! your steering cable appears way out of alignment as if the idler wheels are not positioned correctly. You may want to check for aluminum dust under the radial. Would hate for you to lose steering. ( much worse than losing most of my old girlfriends)
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This is not true. Not needed. Mine works fine without as long as you go through entire setup process, including hard oner time.
As one who installs AP's on a professional level "not needed" is not where I land on this subject...
If you want the best performance they are certainly a necessary evil. If you are happy with the performance without one, that's great, but even Raymarine rather strongly suggests one. In training a RR is not really considered optional for a professional installation..
Raymarine:
"The connection of a rudder reference unit is highly recommended, to help ensure optimum autopilot performance.
The more accurate the rudder angle information, the more accurately the autopilot system can keep to a correct course."
The RR was removed from the package for pricing purposes when Ray was finally able to get the units to perform somewhat decently without one.
Would you be willing to stand by that comment, beyond a single installation on a C-30, and apply it for all boats such as the OP's...?
The Evolution heading sensors are a definitely a major, major improvement but the AP still performs better when it actually knows where the rudder is. Heck it took Raymarine many years to get the X series to even work marginally well without an RR and that was after holding back the launch date for a very long time. Even when the X series finally launched it still failed to perform well without a RR, despite them actively marketing & suggesting that it did not need one. While the EV's do considerably better than the X series the RR really completes the package in terms of overall performance. Course any AP needs to be properly installed, properly calibrated & set up and they rarely are.
Hard over time being accurate helps, as does a good set up (the EV is much easier in this regard), but does not help much when it gets sloppy and the WP belt starts slipping. On some boats, such as outboard motor fishing boats, I can't install an RR but the hydraulic pumps don't stall or slip and with careful set up they can be made to perform okay but not as well as they could with an RR. A RR definitely helps at low speeds too. When going slow in calm water the rate gyro and digital compass are trying their hardest to steer the boat accurately but without RR data over corrections can be made due to the slow response reactions sensed by the rate sensor & digital compass. An RR can very often help with slow speed performance. Many boats upgrading to an Evolution series already have a RR installed and the old RR's still work perfectly with a new EV series.
I would walk and have walked away from an AP installation when the owner chooses not to use a RR.
Again, my comment is not needed. The discussion is not around what is better. If his sailboat is not moving fast enough for the rudder to have any affect, it doesn't matter whether he has an RR or not. The boat will not steer even if the autopilot is turned off.
I can see where a rudder sensor would improve operation, so not needed vs needed is relative to one's expectations. Since I did the install myself, I decided on a wait and see approach. It works well enough on our boat without one, so I'll likely wait indefinitely. It replaced an old Navico WP30, so my expectations weren't that high 
However, if I paid someone else to do the installation, with every little miss and issue, I'd be on the phone with the installer, with the question..."Do you think YOU should have installed a rudder sensor??" I can totally see MS's point of view on this. To do something professionally, and get paid for it, you have to hold yourself to a different set of standards and expectations.
However, if I paid someone else to do the installation, with every little miss and issue, I'd be on the phone with the installer, with the question..."Do you think YOU should have installed a rudder sensor??" I can totally see MS's point of view on this. To do something professionally, and get paid for it, you have to hold yourself to a different set of standards and expectations.
I am assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that before he hit auto he could manually hold position into the wind. If this is true then the AP should be able to do the same. If he was unable to human steer, and hold to wind, then nothing you do to tweak the AP will work.