Instrument integration/calibration

[Steve Kratchman]

I have completed my pedestal system by purchasing an ST50 APP/Wind instrument. So I now have the depth, Tridata, 3000 autopilot. 1-Can the knot meter by calibrated to the readings of my GPS? 2-Can my autopilot 3000 be connected to the other equipment for automatic controlling singlehanded sailing? Is any of this info in the books I now possess at the time of buying these instruments because I see nothing of this capability. 3-What would I need to do to pursue the answers to these questions?I have asked these questions before in emails to your company and all I get back are a catalog showing your new equipment. Please do not send me more. Thank you, Steve Kratchman

 

[Michael]

Instrument Integration

Steve;You say you have a wind, depth, tridata, and 3000 AP? The tridata reads out speed, depth, and one of these, trip distance, total distance water temp in C, water temp in F, timer functions. I believe you will need to get a NMEA adapter for the 3000. The ST4000 will accept NMEA data, but the 3000 requires some adapter made by Autohelm. To calibrate the knot meter to the GPS will require trial and error. Start by motoring in calm water, no current, no wind. Then try different settings to match the knotmeter to the GPS. The calibration proceedure is kind of confusing, so just try changing it first to see what is does to the reading. Once you get the readings set, don't expect them to always match, (current, wind, GPS error). The advantage to getting NMEA info from the GPS to the AP is steering a course from the GPS. None of the other instruments make use of position data. What do you mean by automatic controlling single handed sailing? Read the manual on the AP to see if it has the auto tack function (on my 4000 if I press the 1, and 10 at the same time it will turn 100 degrees to starboard, or port with -1, and -10). This allows me to tack singlehanded, but this requires no input from the other instruments. The Tridata, Wind, and AP should all link together using the connectors on the instruments. Hope this helps.Mike

 

[Bill Boudreau]

Speed Cal and Autopilot Route Integration

1.) The ST50 Tridata can be calibrated to your SOG in slack water. This is done by computing and entering the appropriate log factor. The log factor is computed by a ratio between the SOG and the STW (Speed Through the Water) in slack (no) current. This is necessary because boats have different boundry layers, with the water flowing across the bottom differently on individual boats. Typical calibration factors are around 1.2. Page 30-31 in the manual should describe the procedure. It is title "Manual LOG calibration".2.) The most typical need for interfacing a pilot is to navigate a GPS route. Do you have an ST3000. This is SeaTalk compatible and can be directly interfaced with and SeaTalk navigator. This is done by running a SeaTalk cable from the navigator to the back of the socket on the autopilot plug. This should connect the Red, Yellow and Shield wires. The ST3000 is not directly NMEA compatible. NMEA interfacing can be done through a NMEA to SeaTalk interface box (Part#E85001). If your 3000 is older than an ST3000 (approx 1990) then the navigation interface that would have accepted the older NMEA 1080 is no longer available. The ST3000 manual describes how to enter the navigation mode once the pilot is properly interfaced with a navigator and AN ACTIVE WAYPOINT HAS BEEN SELECTED.