I have a Garmin CPSMAP 76CSx and just bought a raymarine tillerpilot 1000+ According to the installation manual the tiller pilot can talk to my GPS via NMEA. Before I go tapping into my NMEA cables (which are now run only between my VHF DSC radio and GPS) to attatch them to the tiller pilot, I want to know if anyone has done this and if it is worth the connection. Specifically, I know the tiller pilot will then know where my GPS waypoints are but I want to know if it really makes much of an enhancement to the tiller pilot. Does it signficantly inmprove performance or is just another "gee whiz" toy? I do not have a "digital windex" or a speed sensor installed so I don't know if having a waypoint is going to do me much good. Anybody hooked a tiller pilot up to thier GPS? Does it make much difference? I know it is not a huge operation to connect it, but I really try to avoid getting too many "gizmos" interconnected unless thier is a good reason to do so. Espcially in this application since my GPS and DSC radio are primarily a safety device. Any thoughts or experiences are greatly appreciated.
Hooking up NMEA to a tiller pilot - is it worth it
- Thread starter mrscott
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If you tap into NMEA
You do so only to have waypoint information sent to the tiller pilot. That's just about all this is good for. This is useful if you are plotting a course and have waypoints designated. If you hear the alarm that you've reached a waypoint, you ack the alarm and the tiller pilot is told to change course to the new heading. Otherwise, you will do it manually. Your call really. I have the WP32 and my Garmin hand held GPS is connected via NMEA. Just for the same reason mentioned above.
You do so only to have waypoint information sent to the tiller pilot. That's just about all this is good for. This is useful if you are plotting a course and have waypoints designated. If you hear the alarm that you've reached a waypoint, you ack the alarm and the tiller pilot is told to change course to the new heading. Otherwise, you will do it manually. Your call really. I have the WP32 and my Garmin hand held GPS is connected via NMEA. Just for the same reason mentioned above.
Great if you're a power boater.
I have basically the same equipment you mention and have not bothered to interface the units. When going across Lake Ontario (30 miles or so) the chart plotter tells me exactly where I am and where am heading. I don't think the helm and the gps tied together would be any help when you are beating into the wind, or close reaching - only if you are heading straight for the waypoint. If you are heading for a waypoint, say to Niagara on the Lake from my harbour, I don't think the system would see that big point of land sticking out in the lake just off 50 Point and steer you around it. You have to do that manually.
I have basically the same equipment you mention and have not bothered to interface the units. When going across Lake Ontario (30 miles or so) the chart plotter tells me exactly where I am and where am heading. I don't think the helm and the gps tied together would be any help when you are beating into the wind, or close reaching - only if you are heading straight for the waypoint. If you are heading for a waypoint, say to Niagara on the Lake from my harbour, I don't think the system would see that big point of land sticking out in the lake just off 50 Point and steer you around it. You have to do that manually.
I did mine yesterday
My chartplotter lost the connection to the VHF for DSC location info (tiny wires broke) so I had to go in there anyway. I bought a separate bus bar for NMEA + and -, hooked up the chartplotter, VHF, radar and ST1000+. I have not tried the autopilot yet, but I figured it would not hurt to connect them all - the only "talker" on the NMEA bus is the chartplotter. If you have radar it is useful to be able to see your waypoints on the radar display. I say why not - it won't make anything any less reliable in my opinion. If you use the bus bar approach, it is easy to add a wind instrument and get some real advantage from the autopilot down the road.
My chartplotter lost the connection to the VHF for DSC location info (tiny wires broke) so I had to go in there anyway. I bought a separate bus bar for NMEA + and -, hooked up the chartplotter, VHF, radar and ST1000+. I have not tried the autopilot yet, but I figured it would not hurt to connect them all - the only "talker" on the NMEA bus is the chartplotter. If you have radar it is useful to be able to see your waypoints on the radar display. I say why not - it won't make anything any less reliable in my opinion. If you use the bus bar approach, it is easy to add a wind instrument and get some real advantage from the autopilot down the road.
There is a train of thought
that says keeping them separate involves the skipper more in the running of the boat than if they were separate. As far as having land in the way of two waypoints, the basic theory is to make the end of the peninsula into a third waypoint and then have the integrated units steer around the end of the land. Anyway, it's your boat, your choice. I wouldn't personally bother, because it "keeps my head in the boat" and I like to make adjustments. The answer about its usefulness when sailing is well taken, but OTOH, it would be helpful when motoring. We go out the same channel almost every time we go out. I've thought about it, but realize that due to traffic, it is NEVER the same trip twice, so I don't think it would be very much help. If it's not too much bother to hook 'em up, why not just do it, and see if you like it. If not, no need to disconnect, just don't use the feature. Simple suggestion, though: don't get too dependent on it, especially when visibility is limited.
that says keeping them separate involves the skipper more in the running of the boat than if they were separate. As far as having land in the way of two waypoints, the basic theory is to make the end of the peninsula into a third waypoint and then have the integrated units steer around the end of the land. Anyway, it's your boat, your choice. I wouldn't personally bother, because it "keeps my head in the boat" and I like to make adjustments. The answer about its usefulness when sailing is well taken, but OTOH, it would be helpful when motoring. We go out the same channel almost every time we go out. I've thought about it, but realize that due to traffic, it is NEVER the same trip twice, so I don't think it would be very much help. If it's not too much bother to hook 'em up, why not just do it, and see if you like it. If not, no need to disconnect, just don't use the feature. Simple suggestion, though: don't get too dependent on it, especially when visibility is limited.
not worth it for me
An autopilot programed for a waypoint doesn't know how to adjust for leeway and current. I hooked mine up, it was easy, but I haven't used it in a long time. Point and shoot is easier and steers a more proper course.
An autopilot programed for a waypoint doesn't know how to adjust for leeway and current. I hooked mine up, it was easy, but I haven't used it in a long time. Point and shoot is easier and steers a more proper course.
AP Does Not Compensate For Drift...
...when steering to a WP??? I guess someone should tell mine
I don't think it's a big deal, and I have had mine go bonkers when I lose a GPS signal (I try to never leave it on track to a WP when I'm off the cockpit) but having said that, I use it a lot when I'm doing 10+ miles in a cruise specifically so that it will compensate for current and drift. It's a Autohelm 6000 so maybe there is a difference, but I don't know why there would be. Rick D.
...when steering to a WP??? I guess someone should tell mine
I don't think it's a big deal, and I have had mine go bonkers when I lose a GPS signal (I try to never leave it on track to a WP when I'm off the cockpit) but having said that, I use it a lot when I'm doing 10+ miles in a cruise specifically so that it will compensate for current and drift. It's a Autohelm 6000 so maybe there is a difference, but I don't know why there would be. Rick D.
Huh?
An autopilot programed for a waypoint doesn't know how to adjust for leeway and current. Nonsense. Of course they do. They keep changing direction to offset for the effects of leeway and drift. They won't compensate for it BEFORE you begin the journey between waypoint #1 and #2, but they most certainly will DURING the trip. Read the manuals.
An autopilot programed for a waypoint doesn't know how to adjust for leeway and current. Nonsense. Of course they do. They keep changing direction to offset for the effects of leeway and drift. They won't compensate for it BEFORE you begin the journey between waypoint #1 and #2, but they most certainly will DURING the trip. Read the manuals.
AP's do compensate for leeway and drift...
... they use the XTE (cross-track-error) NMEA info to bring the boat back on to the line to the waypoint from the point where the track was established. This prevents the curved track that would result from use of the BTW (bearing-to-waypoint) in the presence of drift.
... they use the XTE (cross-track-error) NMEA info to bring the boat back on to the line to the waypoint from the point where the track was established. This prevents the curved track that would result from use of the BTW (bearing-to-waypoint) in the presence of drift.
Not Sure That Tiller Pilot Corrects For Set and Drift
Go ahead and hook it up and let us know. Even if there is no utility gained it is pretty cool. It could be handy for other things such as swinging your compass. It is going to drain your battery pretty quick though if your motor does not put out a decent charge keep that in mind.
Go ahead and hook it up and let us know. Even if there is no utility gained it is pretty cool. It could be handy for other things such as swinging your compass. It is going to drain your battery pretty quick though if your motor does not put out a decent charge keep that in mind.
Tiller Pilot on an ODay25
Regardless of what it's connected to, a tillerpilot is not something I rely on for more than a minute unattended. I'll use it while I'm in the cockpit or when I need to go forward to mess with the jib, but not for extended periods of time where a waypoint might come into play. It's more of an electronic tiller tamer than a true autopilot. If you had a full keel boat that could maintain a track it would perform better, but on a O25 it has a hard time keeping up in any but the best of conditions.
Regardless of what it's connected to, a tillerpilot is not something I rely on for more than a minute unattended. I'll use it while I'm in the cockpit or when I need to go forward to mess with the jib, but not for extended periods of time where a waypoint might come into play. It's more of an electronic tiller tamer than a true autopilot. If you had a full keel boat that could maintain a track it would perform better, but on a O25 it has a hard time keeping up in any but the best of conditions.
sure its worth it,
I do delivery work, with that technology i can just put in waypoints and hit go. The boat will usually be fine tracking to a waypoint, so i can do back up navigation no have to sit there comparing numbers, I find it to be quite reliable to use a good coupled system. It takes a few steps out of the steering process. This lets you focus on where you are and whats coming up-- Not a substitute for watching where your going or tracking your position on paper as you go.
I do delivery work, with that technology i can just put in waypoints and hit go. The boat will usually be fine tracking to a waypoint, so i can do back up navigation no have to sit there comparing numbers, I find it to be quite reliable to use a good coupled system. It takes a few steps out of the steering process. This lets you focus on where you are and whats coming up-- Not a substitute for watching where your going or tracking your position on paper as you go.
I vote yes for the connection too.
I bought an ST2000+ last spring. It took over 3 months to get the NMEA connection established because I had a bad DB9 connector and thought that the tiller pilot was at fault. It wasn't. During the 3 months of figuring out the problem, I did all of my sailing via the internal flux gate compass. It was ok, but I did have to make corrections periodically (I am sailing on a dammed up river that is only 2 miles wide at best). When I finally got the tiller pilot listening to the nav computer and GPS, I was amazed at how little I had to play with the tiller pilot. It is great to be able to follow a route with pre-defined waypoints. All I have to do now is figure out why I can't get the tiller pilot to listen to my wind instrument.
I bought an ST2000+ last spring. It took over 3 months to get the NMEA connection established because I had a bad DB9 connector and thought that the tiller pilot was at fault. It wasn't. During the 3 months of figuring out the problem, I did all of my sailing via the internal flux gate compass. It was ok, but I did have to make corrections periodically (I am sailing on a dammed up river that is only 2 miles wide at best). When I finally got the tiller pilot listening to the nav computer and GPS, I was amazed at how little I had to play with the tiller pilot. It is great to be able to follow a route with pre-defined waypoints. All I have to do now is figure out why I can't get the tiller pilot to listen to my wind instrument.
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