Raymarine ST6002 problems

[bman88]

I recently hooked up my Raymarine ST6002 auto pilot to my new Garmin 540 GPS, and after considerable difficulty, and a previouis post for assistance on this site, I finally have them working together.

However, two problems remain:
1. The bearing on the ST6002 and the GPS is off by bout 6 degrees, but I think I can recalibrate the auto pilot to agree with the GPS. Is this correct?

2. When I set a destination and GOTO on the GPS, and push AUTO on the auto pilot, while it displays the info on the BTW and DTW screens, it does NOT steer to the course.

Any assistance will be appreciated.

 

[rpwillia]

Need more info

However, two problems remain:
1. The bearing on the ST6002 and the GPS is off by bout 6 degrees, but I think I can recalibrate the auto pilot to agree with the GPS. Is this correct?

2. When I set a destination and GOTO on the GPS, and push AUTO on the auto pilot, while it displays the info on the BTW and DTW screens, it does NOT steer to the course.

1. Depending on the course I am on and where I am, I get differences in bearing between the AP, Compass and GPS. It seems like 6 degrees of is not too bad. You will probably note that if you 90 or 180 degrees off of that course the difference will change again.

2. Have you tried putting the AP in Auto and then using GOTO on the GPS? What does that do. It may be that AP does not look for the course until it is in AUTO.

 

[kloudie1]

Remember that the autopilot is giving you where the nose of the boat is pointed and the GPS is giving you the course over the bottom.. which can be quite different and will be affected by currents and leeway and deviation in the autopilot's electronic compass

 

[bman88]

Re: Need more info

Good idea, I'll give it a try this weekend and let you know the outcome.

 

[bman88]

Yes, and the compass is affected by the proximity to the GPS, but isn't it preferable for a least the AP and GPS to agree on the bearing?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Bearings & headings are two different things.

 

[Don12364]

1) Assuming everything else is perfect, is the GPS is reading True and the pilot magnetic? Is variation 6° in your locality?

2) To make my ST6000 follow the GPS it is first necessary to put the boat on autopilot - i.e. steering by its own compass, and then to press "TRACK" and wait a few seconds. The pilot will then say whether the boat will turn to port or stbd and, if there is nothing in your path, you press TRACK again and the boat then follows the direct route to the next waypoint.

If you have a "ROUTE" activated in the GPS then, provided you have a cross track error of less than 1/2 mile off the rhumb line between the relevant two waypoints on the GPS, the pilot will take over.
When you are approaching the next waypoint the pilot will give a warning beep to warn you of your impending arrival.
If you ignore this beep the boat will continue in a straight line on the same bearing FOR EVER - or until it hits something!

BTW I use mine in the Track mode all the time and hardly ever hand steer - unless I am competing with someone else and even then the pilot often does just as good a job.
Have fun.