Raymarine Rotary Drive Autopilot
- Thread starter Franklin
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Steve...according to Raymarine, you did correctly. I called them for assistance as I was having problems with the install and they told me that the Rotary type isn't supported by the Type 1 control unit even though the drive is a type 1. They say it will burn out the control unit. I looked at the specs and the type 1 rotary drive unit draws up to an amp more then the type 1 linear drive unit.
Of course there isn't any documentation of this so I had no idea before buying and of course, the type 2 control unit runs $800 more if I could get the dealer to take back the type 1 and give me equal trade value. I think that also means I have to un-install everything and ship it back, not just the control unit as the control unit, rudder sensor, and compass all came together.
I don't understand how it will burn the control unit though. If I'm not mistaken, the control unit is what determines how many amps the drive unit gets, so if anything, I would think the drive just wouldn't run at max power.
Just wondering if anybody else ran into this issue and decided to run the type 1 rotary drive unit with the type 1 control unit. There is a hugh difference between the type 1 and type 2 in amps (not just 1) and I really don't want my pilot using that much anyway.
Of course there isn't any documentation of this so I had no idea before buying and of course, the type 2 control unit runs $800 more if I could get the dealer to take back the type 1 and give me equal trade value. I think that also means I have to un-install everything and ship it back, not just the control unit as the control unit, rudder sensor, and compass all came together.
I don't understand how it will burn the control unit though. If I'm not mistaken, the control unit is what determines how many amps the drive unit gets, so if anything, I would think the drive just wouldn't run at max power.
Just wondering if anybody else ran into this issue and decided to run the type 1 rotary drive unit with the type 1 control unit. There is a hugh difference between the type 1 and type 2 in amps (not just 1) and I really don't want my pilot using that much anyway.
Tim:
I don't think so. The S1 Corepak is rated at 6 amps (15 amps peak), the S2 Corepak is rated at 15 amps (20 amps peak).
The S1 unit is recommend for boats upto 20,000 Linear drive. The S2 unit is recommended for boats upto 24,000 and either the linear or rotary drives.
I don't think so. The S1 Corepak is rated at 6 amps (15 amps peak), the S2 Corepak is rated at 15 amps (20 amps peak).
The S1 unit is recommend for boats upto 20,000 Linear drive. The S2 unit is recommended for boats upto 24,000 and either the linear or rotary drives.
My Set Up
Hi Franklin,
I bought my 376 in June 1996 and had a type 1 rotary drive fitted into the steering console. It is driven by the ST50 controller which I presume is a type 1 being of that age. The rotary drive is stated to require 28 - 48 watts average and it has performed faultlessly since new. It generates so much torque that one can hardly resist it.
Points to note:-
1) The acceleration it applies to the wheel kept working my wheel nut loose and excessive tightening damaged the circlip which stops the wheel moving along the 1" diameter shaft - there being no taper on the wheel. Edson made a special clamp to go on the wheel shaft and I got one foc when I complained (in 1997!)
2) The shelf inside the pedestal flexed and when we were running with a big sea behind us I occasionally heard a loud bang from the chain drive. The chain was riding over the small sprocket teeth on the rotary drive. I beefed this up by fitting two aluminium rods 1/2" diameter between the wheel plummer block and the pedestal shelf. I made them 3/4" too short and tapped each end so they screwed on the lower ends of two of the steering shaft cradle (plummer block) bolts with two additional bolts through the shelf looking upwards.
Difficult to describe but I could do a sketch and/or poke my camera into the pedestal.
Now, should I ever want to adjust the chain I just slacken the two lower bolts, rotate the two struts until the tension is right and simply re-tighten the lowers.
This has been a most satisfactory mod and now I hardly ever hand steer my boat.
Details of my Rotary Drive including sprockets are below.
Make sure to get a non-magnetic stainless top sprocket else your compass will be off! The original keyed sprocket with grub screw would never remain tight so eventually I replaced it with a taperloc type. This is for ever. Also a stainless chain would help though I don't have one:-
Rotary Drive Type 1 M81135
Shaft 33 rpm
Torque 20Nm (180 lb in)
Power 28 – 48 Watts average
Autohelm - with added struts between mounting plate & wheel shaft.
Drive sprocket 13 teeth x 3/16" wide
Wheel sprocket 38 teeth x 3/16" wide
Chain xx links of 3/8" pitch
Chain tension adjusting spanner 14 mm
Good luck with the job - it will make a such tremendous improvement that you will wish you did it years ago.
Hi Franklin,
I bought my 376 in June 1996 and had a type 1 rotary drive fitted into the steering console. It is driven by the ST50 controller which I presume is a type 1 being of that age. The rotary drive is stated to require 28 - 48 watts average and it has performed faultlessly since new. It generates so much torque that one can hardly resist it.
Points to note:-
1) The acceleration it applies to the wheel kept working my wheel nut loose and excessive tightening damaged the circlip which stops the wheel moving along the 1" diameter shaft - there being no taper on the wheel. Edson made a special clamp to go on the wheel shaft and I got one foc when I complained (in 1997!)
2) The shelf inside the pedestal flexed and when we were running with a big sea behind us I occasionally heard a loud bang from the chain drive. The chain was riding over the small sprocket teeth on the rotary drive. I beefed this up by fitting two aluminium rods 1/2" diameter between the wheel plummer block and the pedestal shelf. I made them 3/4" too short and tapped each end so they screwed on the lower ends of two of the steering shaft cradle (plummer block) bolts with two additional bolts through the shelf looking upwards.
Difficult to describe but I could do a sketch and/or poke my camera into the pedestal.
Now, should I ever want to adjust the chain I just slacken the two lower bolts, rotate the two struts until the tension is right and simply re-tighten the lowers.
This has been a most satisfactory mod and now I hardly ever hand steer my boat.
Details of my Rotary Drive including sprockets are below.
Make sure to get a non-magnetic stainless top sprocket else your compass will be off! The original keyed sprocket with grub screw would never remain tight so eventually I replaced it with a taperloc type. This is for ever. Also a stainless chain would help though I don't have one:-
Rotary Drive Type 1 M81135
Shaft 33 rpm
Torque 20Nm (180 lb in)
Power 28 – 48 Watts average
Autohelm - with added struts between mounting plate & wheel shaft.
Drive sprocket 13 teeth x 3/16" wide
Wheel sprocket 38 teeth x 3/16" wide
Chain xx links of 3/8" pitch
Chain tension adjusting spanner 14 mm
Good luck with the job - it will make a such tremendous improvement that you will wish you did it years ago.
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I took it out to calibrate it yesterday. I noticed that if I set the Response setting to low to save battery it couldn't keep the course (it would get lost and beep). I also noticed that with the wheel on, it made a little noise but with the wheel off, you couldn't even tell it was running. I don't think I'll be taking the wheel off much but when in open waters there have been many times I wish I could take the wheel off (old autopilot was a wheel pilot - ST).
I ended up going with a drive sprocket of 17 and a wheel sprocket of 60. Didn't realized that the wheel sprocket was just a tad too big so I need to add a "lift" to my tray to keep it off the sprocket. Also need to fill in the hole from the old pilot with fiberglass. So I figure in two weekends I should be able to put it to a good offshore test. Can't wait. If all goes well, I'll be spending 4 months cruising the Caribbean.
I ended up going with a drive sprocket of 17 and a wheel sprocket of 60. Didn't realized that the wheel sprocket was just a tad too big so I need to add a "lift" to my tray to keep it off the sprocket. Also need to fill in the hole from the old pilot with fiberglass. So I figure in two weekends I should be able to put it to a good offshore test. Can't wait. If all goes well, I'll be spending 4 months cruising the Caribbean.
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