Just testing

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Nov 5, 2005
5
- - Fremantle Western Australia
Hi folks. Just testing to see if anyone is using this forum yet. I have just spent a weekend fitting an Autohelm 4000 to my boat. If I had known what a messy job it was I would have ordered it with the boat. As it was I bought the Autohelm unit at a good saving at the Southhampton Boat Show ( in the UK ) when we were across there last month. If anyone decides to fit one, ask me about drilling out another wiring hole down through the cockpit floor from the starboard side pedestal tube to get into the steering "blister" in the aft cabin. Well, just because the port tube hole goes through into the blister, don't assume the starboard one does also, because it misses by by about an inch! I am going to have to do some minor repairs to the liner, but you only see it when you are lying in the aft bunk, so it could be worse. Lying half way through the access hole into the lazarette for a couple of hours drilling holes and fitting the rudder sensor is also great fun for an ageing 50 year old arthritic body. Cheers Alan & Heather Gluyas C310 #324 ANAKIWA Fremantle Western Australia
 

Jon W.

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May 18, 2004
401
Catalina 310 C310 Seattle Wa
Rudder Sensor.

I've always been curious if the rudder sensor would help correct the tendancy to wander (up to +/- 10 degrees) that I get with the AH4000 on the C310. Also, where you attatched it to the boat.
 
Nov 6, 2005
1
- - Pensacola
Question on Rudder Sensor

Hi-- Glad the fourm is up. I recently did the same Ahelm 4000 installation, but did not connect the rudder sensor. I'm still trying to figure an easy way. I'm curious how you did this, since the rudder has no quadrant on the 310. Thanks for any help. Lacy McCall
 

MarkZ

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Nov 5, 2005
119
Hunter 49 Green Turtle Bay: Ky
Mounting the rudder sensor

Hi everyone, I'm glad to see people starting to use the forum. About the rudder sensor: I'm curious, as well, how to mount the sensor. I've had my sensor for about a year now, but haven't installed it yet. I'm thinking about making a "shelf" and either clamping it or glueing it around the fiberglass housing that supports the bottom portion of the rudder post. Alan, one of the benefits of this forum is that we can post photo's. Is there any chance that you could take a picture of your work and post it in this thread? Mark Zabawa C-310 #211
 
G

Gary Malcolmson

ST4000 Settings

Jon: Have you tried these settings for the ST4000 Autopilot? My Dealer suggested them and they've worked well so far: Calibration Lock OFF Pilot Type 4000whl Rudder Gain 2 Response 2 Turn Rate Limit 20 Align Rudder 0 Rudder Limit 20 Off Course Alarm 20 AutoTack 100 AutoTrim 3 Drive Type 2 Variation 0 AutoAdapt nth Latitude The correct latitude for the location of the boat. Rudder Damp 4 Cruise Speed A I'm told that one of the most important settings is the Drive Type (which is "2"). With these settings, and the initial set up that was done by the Dealer to swing the fluxgate compass, the autopilot does a good job of holding a steady track. Once in a while, particularly if sailing downwind in a strong following sea, the autopilot may get "confused" when first engaged. When that happens I simply go back to STANDBY for a moment, re-establish the track, and re-engage, and this usually works. Regards, Gary Malcolmson C310 #230 "Rhythm"
 

Jon W.

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May 18, 2004
401
Catalina 310 C310 Seattle Wa
Settings

I’ve tried these settings, and more. I do use drive type 2. I can motor on a dead calm day for a minute or two before the boat gets off to one side by about 6 degrees. The autopilot then corrects, and the boat heads slowly back to center. But of course it overshoots, by about 6 degrees before it starts correcting back the other way. Soon we are doing a slow zig zag across the water, first 10 degrees one way, then 10 degrees the other. Our wake looks like a serpent. I have mostly tried changing the rudder gain from 1 to 5 and everything in between. Also tried response 1and 2. Two is supposed to be the tightest band. Changing the rudder gain seems to change the speed and frequency of the turning slightly, but the result is basically the same. I have as much of the steering wheel play adjusted out as I can. I even had the control unit’s circuit board updated under warranty in ‘2001 I would have an easier time accepting this performance, except that the old Autohelm tillerpilot 800 on my previous C25 held a rock steady course in the same conditions. I have pretty much given up on steering a straighter course, thinking that maybe the C310 rudder is just too sensitive. But I am still curious if the Rudder Sensor would help.
 
Nov 5, 2005
5
- - Fremantle Western Australia
Mounting the Autohelm 4000 rudder sensor

I have not actually used my autopilot yet but mounting the sensor was no problem. I used a jigsaw to cut a tapered piece of 1/8" alloy plate approx 8" long, radiused at one end for the sensor base ( and drilled accordingly for the screws) and with two holes at the other end to match the two 3/8" studs that protrude down from the rudder top bearing housing. Note that the two studs on the port side on my boat are not parallel to the boats centreline on my boat and the end of the plate needs to be "skewed" to accomodate this offset. I suspect that every boat is different here and that you will need to shape the bracket for your own boat. 1/8" alloy plate is easy to shape with a coarse 3/8" round file so on-boat modification is simple. I then had to bend the bracket twice to get a 3/4" offset between the end in order to get enough clearance between the top face of the steering quadrant and the mounting face of the bracket, which is the bottom face, because I mounted the sensor upside down. This is permitted in the manual. I have a 6" vice, a large hammer and a block of hard wood which made bending simple enough. I then bolted the bracket under the two studs, using suitable ss washers for packing. One day if I get bored I will mix some epoxy putty and bed it properly, as the fibreglass surface is not very even, but in reality there is very little stress on the sensor. I mounted the nylon ball joint on a small piece of alloy plate that fits under the two existing but unused 3/8" machine screws at the back of the quadrant. The nylon ball joint sits just outside ( aft) of the two machine screws, which are 2 3/4" apart. The sensor is mounted with the arm trailing aft (in its centre position) so the threaded link rod runs athwartships when the wheel is centred. It will save you time if you clearly mark the sensor body and arm when the arm is centralised, as trying to do this with the moulded in marks on the unit when you are lying halfway through the access door in the rear bunk is not easy. I found it easier to completely remove the access door and its frame by removing the 4 screws securing the fram to the bulkhead. All you have to do then is cut the threaded rod to length and don't forget to reverse the sensor wires on the back of the control panel (because you have fitted the unit upside down, which effectively is back to front). If any one wants a picture or drawings I could knock some up. I will let you know how it works! Cheers Al
 
Nov 5, 2005
5
- - Fremantle Western Australia
Rudder sensor again

Jon I don't think that the AH4000 unit will work at all without the rudder sensor beacuse it needs to know where the rudder is in order to correct the heading. The tiller pilot does not need this because it is built in to the unit. Cheers Al
 
Nov 5, 2005
5
- - Fremantle Western Australia
Thanks for settings

Steve Thanks for the settings - I will check mine and see how they look. Cheers Al
 
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