Raymarine Autopilot 6001 Fluxgate help please!!!

[Velero49]

Where is your fluxgate/compas in your H410? I installed my fluxgate, calibrated the system and got 9 degrees of error. I think that it is not in the right plage because at times there is a 25 degrees difference between the GPS and the autopilot. Thanks for your help.

 

[LKYusnret]

not all the same

I beleave the 9 deg of error you are talking about is the calibration that you do on the autopilot, so not a problem..... The GPS reads in true (unless you set it different) while the autopilot reads in magnetic heading..... so not a problem. Does the autopilot maintain a heading ? if so, you are in like FlintBaums Rush Than again I could be out to lunch, LOL

 

[Velero49]

I would like to see a factory installed autopilot;

Something happens when under power the boat ever so slighly changes heading and in some headings the error is 25-30 degrees. I did the installation and would appritiate some help from 410 owners that had their autopilot installed at the factory.ThanksGD

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Do you mean 'error' compared to the GPS reading?

If so disregard that. The only thing that counts is holding a course.

 

[Velero49]

Routes

Not necesarily true, I want to navigate using waypoints and routes from the my GPS. If there is a significant diferrence (5-15 degress) between the GPS and the Autopilot and you engage the autopilot the boat could turn suddently to either side depending on the error.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

My Autohelm 6000 won't.

It can only turn one degree every 5 seconds. The manual said it is made that way for just what you fear. The GPS will try to send your boat to a waypoint. Nothing will happen after you activate EVERYTHING, until the GPS computes heading and speed. Then it sends a course correction. It will also try to keep your boat on the rumb line. Again, don't worry about the flux gate too much unless you want to use it in lieu of the ships compass. The GPS doesn't need it. Give it a try.

 

[newly anonymous]

my 410

Mine was installed by the dealer, and is in the locker with the water heater. While you don't want it close to metal, you want it close to the center of the boat.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

That is an opinion that is said a lot here

Center line mounting, that is. Before the web was available I had to figure out where to put mine. Once in a previous AH5000 system, I put the control head with the compass next to the VHF radio speaker. I had to pay for the reps time to find that mistake. No warranty for 'dumb'. Anyway, on my web site, photo #39, (yes, I numbered them now) is the locker that I have installed my fluxgate in. It is outboard of the center line, against the hull. It was here before our rebuild too, always works fine.

 

[Terry]

in the locker under the dinete

as far forward and tword the centerline as possible is where I mounted mine. same boat 2002 410, same a/p ST6000. works great!

 

[Dal]

ST6000 with a 30 degree error!

I have a Passage 450 and am just in the middle of my challenge with my Raymarine Autopilot. It is an ST 6000+ which has performed flawlessly for 4 years now but out of nowhere decided the only heading worth pointing at was 69 degrees mag Raymarine tech support people responded immediately to my question and I'll copy you here hoping it may be helpful:""Dear sir,What heading does the pilot indicate in Standby? If this looks correct, it could be there is a fault with the drive ouput on the course computer. If the heading indicated in Standby is not correct throughout 360 degrees then one of the following problems exists:- The pilot's fluxgate compass has not been successfully calibrated;- Something magnetic is throwing the fluxgate out;- There is another source of conflicting heading information in the system;- There is a fault with the fluxgate compass, its cable or possibly the course computer.If the heading on the fluxgate is locked permanently on one heading then this suggests a cabling fault or heading conflict, while an heading reading that does move but which sticks in some sectors suggests a fluxgate fault, and an erroneous heading which nevertheless changes smoothly as the boat turns suggests a lack of calibration or something inducing a high deviation.If you can let me know a little more about the symptoms then I would be happy to help further.""I let them know I would get to the boat this past weekend.I calibrated with a two circle turn at speed under 2 knots as per the manual. It took 8 minutes and the message appeared "Error 39 degrees". I then set a heading and entered an offset to match the ship's compass and presto Autohelm OK.It said in the install manual that if the error is greater than 15 degrees - move the fluxgate. The unit is under the nav station at the moment about two feet above water line and offset from center by about 3 feet. Hasn't been a problem in 4 years.My concern is why it went sexy on me in the first place. It ran all last weekend just fine in auto and in vane modes. Hummmmm.I did install a Garmin GPS MAP2006C several weeks ago but everything worked fine until just last week. Go figure.I have the urge to move the fluxgate to at least the centerline and am checking where the best location might be. First thought is on the bulkhead under the companionway wet basin.(kind of plastic sink to catch or hang drippy clothes/boots etc when entering the salon). I will also be researching a potential conflict with the Garmin but these units aren't on the same connection and don't talk the same language.Other suggestions welcome. I hate cable pulling.

 

[Bill Bell]

Metal Object?

Dal,Did you add anything with a lot of metal content near the flux gate compass? My Raymarine pilot went goofy a few months ago and when I started tracking it down found that I had moved a tool box in a nearby locker too close to the flux gate compass. I moved the toolbox and everything went back to normal.Maybe you have something similar.Bill

 

[Jim2]

Magnetic Field

GD - You wrote:"Something happens when under power the boat ever so slighly changes heading and in some headings the error is 25-30 degrees."If this is true it often indicates that the alternator (including the wires that conduct the alternator current to the batteries and main buss) is creating a magnetic field that is affecting the compass in question (in this case the fluxgate). A quick check would be to disable the alternator by disconnecting the field lead and then operating the engine to see if the symtoms are gone, changed, or remain the same.Forget about the GPS. Swing your main compass and create a compass correction card. Then compare the corrected readings to your fluxgate readings. They will not agree around the "horn" so split the differences.