Raymarine Live: Autopilot Basics for Every Boat 

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching and commenting.

Glad you like them! Thank you for watching.

Thank you for watching. I'm glad to hear your prior autopilot worked so well. You'll love the Evolution system!

Glad it helped! If you are running a Raymarine Axiom chartplotter in addition to the EV100, be sure to check out or latest software release, LightHouse 4.6. There are a bunch more sailing related features and data boxes, as well as a software update for the EV100 components that will allow the autopilot to steer to a target wind angle from the boat's polar performance data. We have made a bunch of sailing data improvements across the last 2 updates, versions 4.5 and 4.6. Updating to the latest will get you all of them. Details here: www.raymarine.com/en-us/learning/online-guides/lighthouse-for-sailing

Thanks for watching, Buck! Those are beautiful boats. Good luck with the purchase. We're planning for an episode in a few week that revolves around updating an older boat with new technology. You'll definitely want to watch.

Hello Mike. What are you seeing on the screen of the ST6002? If there is no heading being reported, but instead just dashes, check the cabling to make sure nothing is disconnected somewhere along the way. ST6002 is powered from the network, so the fact that its on means you are part way there. Make sure the Seatalk 1 connection is in place, in the yellow port, of the SeaTalk1 to SeaTalk NG converter. I don't think you will see all the ST1 equipment on Axiom's network page. You'll see just the converter itself. Also know that the communication between an SPX-series autopilot and Axiom is a bit more limited than what an Evolution pilot can do with Axiom. Axiom can act as a full-fledged controller for the Evolution-series pilots, including calibration and setup of the pilot. That is not available with SPX-series pilots. For those models the calibration, setup and control of the pilot is done through the pilot control head. Axiom can send waypoints and routes to the pilot to follow, but primary control of the pilot isn't available on Axiom. Feel free to shoot me an email of you have more questions. james.mcgowan@raymarine.com

I went back to my mockup today after you wrote me about my dilemma. The ST6002 was showing NO PILOT while hooked up to the STng converter. I finally figured out what was missing, the Seatalk 1 from the SPX-5 had to be reconnected to the ST6002 without the power (red) as per original installation instructions. By doing this the ST6002 displayed the flux compass course, to be sure it functioned I engaged the autopilot and moved the rudder over a few degrees then disengaged the autopilot. Thanks for nudging me in the right direction.

Glad to hear its working. I have been in similar situations before. So many wires and connections, and it can be very unclear which one is the culprit.

Hi Andrew. There is a feature that was recently added into LightHouse 3 for Axiom that makes it a bit easier to do what you are asking. Long-press on the route-leg you are on and select follow route. Axiom will now prompt you whether you want to follow from the start, or from the next waypoint (from where you touched.) There is also a check-box that allows you to reverse the route direction if needed.

That's a great idea, Bob. I will make sure our product team sees this.

@@RaymarineInc Thanks and thanks for the quick answer. Hope they produce it.

Hello Bryan. I am sorry to hear about the issues you have been having. Where you are seeing so many issues over a relatively short period of time I suggest having an electronics dealer out to your boat to check things over. It is possible there is some undiagnosed condition in your boat's electrical system or network that could be causing some of these issues. The EV1 and p70 communicate using SeaTalk NG, and they also receive their power from that network. Axiom communicates over that same network with them too. Please feel free to open a ticket with our support team at raymarine.custhelp.com if we can be of assistance, or if you need a referral to a local specialist.

Hello Sergio. The p70s controller is compatible with all of our Evolution series autopilots, and several generations of pilots before that too. I think your question is more, what autopilot system will work with my boat? For that I'll need to know the details on what kind of boat you have, what kind of steering it has, and if it is a boat with mechanical steering (not hydraulic) I'll need to know the displacement of the boat. Feel free to send me an email with the details and I can make a recommendation. james.mcgowan@raymarine.com

It sounds like your autopilot might be losing its memory settings configuration over the winter. If this happens again, definitely get in touch with our technical support team at raymarine.custhelp.com.

Hi John. Apologies, but I don't see it in here or over in the Facebook comments. Feel free to drop it in or send me an email at james.mcgowan@raymarine. I do try to answer all of them.

Glad you liked it!

Thanks for watching! You can change the view on your pilot display without canceling it. Tap the Menu button, then scroll down to Pilot View and press the center of the rotary knob. In the next menu select View Type and it will show you several different view options to choose from. When you see the one you prefer, press the center of the rotary knob to select it.

Hello Tom. Yes, you can link the brightness settings across MFDs, instruments, pilot controller and our VHF radios too. On your Axioms go to Home...Settings...This Display. There is a setting for Display Group. Use a display group to identify the location where this device (and others) is located so they will all dim together. Then turn on the shared brightness control. Repeat this on all of your Axioms at this location. Assign them to the same Display Group, for example Helm 1. Your P70 pilot controller has a similar function in its main menu. Go to Menu...Setup..System Setup...Network Group. Assign your P70 to the same group as Axiom (Helm 1). The P70 will give you the option of assigning brightness to that instrument only or the entire group. Choose This Group. Then, when prompted, press Sync. This will synchronize the lighting on all of the devices assigned to that group. Now, when you adjust the lighting on one, it adjusts on all of them. The keys on the P70 are backlight. The key backlights may not switch on until the display brightness level drops below about 80%. If you have a Raymarine VHF radio, it also supports group dimming and can be configured in a similar manner in its menu.

Hi Blayne! We did another Autopilot episode in 2020 that has some slightly different information. You can watch it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3ZcRb_oJXrk.html Our 2022 season will be starting soon and I would like to get deeper into pilot technology and the different types of steering systems we can support.

Enshrined in Rule 5: Look-out Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.

Most likely, that boat uses a hydraulic autopilot drive system. I suspect inside your helm or near back of the boat will be a device called an Actuator Control Unit (ACU.) For your size boat it is probably an ACU-200 or ACU-400. If you have one of those, then the ACU-200 is used with a Type 1 hydraulic drive, and the ACU-400 is used with the Type-2 hydraulic drive. Worst case, snap a few pictures of your Raymarine components and email them to me and I can probably identify what you have there. james.mcgowan@raymarine.com comes directly to me.

You'll still be using a standard hydraulic autopilot drive system with this setup. The pump will need to be matched to the volume of the steering cylinder that is moving the outboards. Normally there is a data plate on the steering cylinder that will have the make/model (which we can cross reference for size) or it may state the cylinder volume in either cubic inches or cubic centimeters. That volume determines which pump you'll need, and from that, which actuator control unit (ACU) to drive the pump. Most likely, it will be the EV150 or EV200 system, but don't buy anything until you confirm the size.

Hello Al. I'll need more information about your system to fully troubleshoot this, but I can give you a few things to look at. Most likely your boat is fitted with an electric linear drive that is attached to your rudder quadrant, or an electric rotary drive that drives a chain-and-sprocket system through your helm. In either case, these drive units have an electric clutch as part of them. When the autopilot is in engaged, the clutch is engaged, locking the autopilot drive into the steering system. When the autopilot is in standby, the clutch is disengaged, allowing the drive unit to just free-wheel with the movement of the steering system while you are hand steering. It may be that the clutch on your system is not releasing. There is an electric clutch control line that runs from your autopilot's course computer to the drive unit. At the dock, if you have an assistant cycle the autopilot between standby and auto modes, if you are near the drive unit you'll hear the clutch engage and disengage to confirm it is moving. If you are not hearing the click, it is likely stuck and the drive unit should be serviced. You can also check with a multimeter to see if the course computer is sending current to the clutch when the pilot is engaged. You'll see 12 or 24 volts (depending on your boat's system voltage) at the clutch leads when the pilot is engaged. It should go to 0 volts when the pilot is in standby. If you aren't seeing the voltage shift, the course computer could have an issue. These drives do have a mechanical gearbox/drivetrain internally. I breakdown in the mechanicals could also cause resistance. Also inspect the overall mechanicals of your steering system itself. Make sure cables, pulleys, shafts, etc. are all in good shape and turning freely. I do recommend opening a support ticket with our team at www.raymarine.com/support so an autopilot specialist can review your setup and respond with some specific recommendations.

We currently have 2 different autopilot remote controls in our lineup. The S100 is a battery operated wireless remote that lets you get at all the major pilot controls from anywhere. SmartController is another option. It's a rechargeable wireless remote that also offers access to wireless instrument data, in addition to pilot control. These devices have been our line for a long time, and do work very well. They connect to our network using the slightly older Seatalk 1 protocol, so if you are connecting one to an Evolution autopilot you will need to use our E22158 Seatalk 1 to SeaTalk NG converter kit to integrate it.

No. Axiom's autopilot control functions only work with our latest Evolution series autopilots. Axiom can feed waypoints or a route to your SPX-10 system, and the autopilot can follow them. All of the setup, calibration and control of your autopilot must be done from its control head.

@@RaymarineInc Got it - thanks for the prompt reply!

Your Lowrance graph does have a NMEA 2000 connection so it should be able to send information to the EV-100 autopilot. The connection will be very easy. Your EV-100 came with a SeaTalk NG cabling kit that links together the autopilot's sensor core/compass, controller and the ACU100 controller. You will plug the Lowrance unit into any empty white socket on the SeaTalk NG network. Once connected, GPS and waypoint information can be transmitted to the autopilot for steering. Also, compass heading will be transmitted from the autopilot back to the Lowrance. You will need at least 1 extra cable, part number A06075. This cable has a threaded collar that will screw onto the Lowrance NMEA 2000 port. The other end of this cable is a white connector that will plug into any empty white SeaTalk NG spur socket. If all of your white sockets are already full, you can make another one by adding a SeaTalk NG T-Connector (A06028) and a short length of backbone cable (A06034.) You'll disconnect one of your blue backbone connections, and insert this T-Connector and cable. The T-connector has a white spur socket where the Lowrance will plug in.

Thank you for your reply! I did figure out I needed that cable adapter and I have it now, looking forward to trying this auto pilot out soon for Great Lakes salmon, rainbow, and walleye trolling. Will be nice on the long lake runs to fishing spots too!

@@RaymarineInc tried to do this and every time I connect the sea talk adapter to my Nmea network the p70 head unit starts responded very slowly. My sea talk network for ev100 has its own operate power supply as indicated in manual. It doesn't matter if its powered on its own or just connected to NMEA as soon as its connected it start lagging terribly.

Thanks for watching, LauriG. It sounds like your autopilot system might be experiencing a symptom known as hunting. It causes over activity of the rudder under autopilot control. There is a setting in your pilot control head called Rudder Damping that can be used to correct for it. On your controller go to Menu...Setup...Autopilot Calibration...Drive Settings...Rudder Damping. There is a scale of 1 to 9. We recommend adjusting it only 1-step up or down at a time. Whatever level is pre-set in there now, increase by 1 and see if that improves the performance. If it is unsatisfactory, increase it 1 more step. Another value to check is Wind Trim Response. This setting controls how quickly the autopilot responds to changes in wind direction. You mention that this symptom is most prevalent in rough seas. When the boat is pitching and rolling, the effects you feel on-deck are amplified at the masthead where your wind transducer is located. It the wind response is set high, the pilot might be over-correcting for changes to wind direction it senses at the masthead caused by vessel movement. Lowering that 1 level at a time might also improve the performance. You'll find this at Menu...Set-up...Autopilot Calibration...Sail Boat Settings...Wind Trim Response. 5 is the default value and you can go up or down from there.

Ps we have now removed the multi data as we suspected it of causing the short (cracked screen) but it hasn’t fixed the problem at all.

Your i50, i60 and p70 displays are linked by SeaTalk NG, which is a powered backbone. The ST60 gets introduced through a SeaTalk 1 to SeaTalk NG converter. Reduce your system down to backbone only, no instruments, and power it up. Does the fuse hold at the course computer? Re-introduce your instruments one at a time until you see a data crash or the fuse pops. That device, or the cabling to it that you just reintroduced, is the culprit.

Your EV100 (wheel or hydraulic) has a device called an ACU-100 behind-the-scenes. This device is the Actuator Control Unit that powers your wheel drive or hydraulic pump. There are just a handful of connections on it for the SeaTalk NG network, an option rudder reference transducer, a 12-volt DC power connection, an RF ground (drain connection) and finally 2 terminals for the drive unit labeled MOTOR A and B. The message you are seeing is typically caused when the autopilot's EV1 sensor core and control head cannot communicate with the ACU-100. They are linked using the SeaTalk NG network. Double-check the SeaTalk NG connections on the ACU-100 to make sure they are plugged in tightly. The other end of that cable connects to a white spur connection in the SeaTalk NG backbone. The EV-1 and control head are also connected to the SeaTalk NG backbone through white spur connections. There is usually a distance between the EV-1, control head, and ACU. This distance is covered by a long, blue backbone cable. Double check that the backbone is fully connected at each end of its run. Also make sure you have plugged the blue backbone terminators into the empty blue sockets, 1 at each end of the backbone. The networking will not communicate properly without the blue backbone terminators in place.

Okay now I see that it's an RF ground. Another question: what's the preferred location for adding the ferrite clamp-ons? I didn't that mentioned in your video.

I don't have a dedicated RF ground system in my boat. I am installing a fused block for distributing power to the ACU and a separate power line to the Seatalk system. Can I run a wire from the RF Ground terminal on the ACU to the ground side of my new fused block (which is grounded back to my main circuit panel)? If so, what type of a wire should that RF be?

Hello Roger. I didn't see a mention of specifically which ACU you have. The gauge of wire needed for the cable run from your boat's power block to the ACU will vary a bit depending on which ACU model you have, what drive unit it is powering, the length of the run from the power source to the ACU, PLUS the length of the cable run from the ACU to the Drive unit. I will say, sizing this is very important. The vast majority of technical issues we see with autopilots stems from them starving for power because the power cable is undersized. Please don't skimp here, and when in doubt, heavier gauge is always better. We have a chart to help you figure this out. I can't post images in-line here, so I extracted this chart from the larger installation guide and posted it here for easy download: teledyne.box.com/v/APCableGuide The RF ground point on the ACU should be connected to the boat's RF grounding system, if equipped, or to the battery negative terminal. The preferred way to connect the RF ground is using a flat tinned copper braid, about 1/4" wide suitable for 30A service. The alternative is to use an equivalent stranded wire conductor. If the run is less than 1 meter back to the battery negative, use #10 AWG (6mm) or greater. If the run is longer than a meter increase the gauge to #8 AWG (8mm) cable. You can combine the RF ground points for multiple devices together, but ultimately they should connect back to the RF ground point or battery negative directly, and not through the panel or fuse block. The ferrite chokes supplied are intended to be wrapped around the motor A and B wires. Use 1 ferrite per lead, and you'll make a loop through the center and around the outside of the ferrite. They should be attached as close as possible to the motor terminals at the ACU. I also posted a full copy of the installation handbook for our Evolution-series autopilot EV-1 and ACU systems here, for reference: teledyne.box.com/s/1lwg81yid6wwmzff7hqq81yp7y9d47qn

@@RaymarineInc Okay thanks for that info. I have the ACU 100. We installed it yesterday. All connections seem to be good. But the P70 did not light up at all (nothing). We tried pushing the power button on the P70 for two seconds. Still nothing. The LED on the compass/gyro did not come on either. The ACU was getting 13.2 volts (shore power was on so battery was charging). The ACU indicated the seven red flash pattern. Seven flashes, then long off. Repeat. The manual (thanks for that) on page 115 says, with that pattern, contact Raymarine technical support. Please help! Very frustrating! I was so bummed after working all day on installation.

Thanks for watching! Yes, all of our autopilots offer auto-tack as a standard feature. You can set the preferred tack angle in advance in the pilot's calibration menu. Generally its activated by pressing simultaneously the +1 and +10 buttons (for a starboard tack) or the -1 and -10 buttons (for a port tack.)

You should see about 24 volts on the drive output line when you call for a course change. It could be a bit lower depending on what the input voltage is to the ACU at any given time, but overall it should be similar to the ACU supply voltage. The ACU doesn't change the output voltage to the pump. The ACU just drives the pump for a longer amount of time to move more fluid and create a higher rudder angle as needed. I suspect the wide 4 to 90 range you are seeing when measuring may just be some noise in the readings the meter is picking up. If you are having trouble with the pilot, please open a ticket over at raymarine.custhelp.com with with our autopilot support team. They will be able to evaluate the problem and offer solutions.

Hi Sarah. The Catalina 42 weighs-in at about 20,500 pounds from what I can find online. We add 20% to that to account for fuel, water, provisions, gear, etc. so we are shopping an autopilot that can handle 24,600 pounds. That displacement needs a Type 2 autopilot drive. Most likely you'll be looking for a linear drive system, though depending on your steering configuration your boat could also potentially use a rotary drive system. Part number T70161 is our EV400 Sail Pilot kit that includes the p70s color pilot controller, EV-1 sensor core, ACU-400 actuator control unit and a cabling kit. You will add to that either a Type 2 Short-Stroke linear drive (M81131) or a Type 2 Rotary drive unit (M81136.) Before you order anything I do strongly recommend having a Raymarine dealer or experience boatyard take a look at your boat and its setup. They can help to make the determination of which drive will work better for your boat, and also what additional accessories will be needed. For example with a linear drive you may need to order an autopilot drive adapter for your rudder post or quadrant and the area where the fixed end of the drive gets mounted to the boat may need to be reinforced. With Rotary drives a chain and sprocket kit will need to be ordered to mate the drive unit to the boats steering gear.

Hello Bob. I will share this with our autopilot software team. I'm not aware of any such problem, but we can certainly take a closer look. Just FYI, B&G and Simrad are the same company, both formerly part of Navico, and now both owned by Brunswick.

Hello Nat. Touch the Standby button on your autopilot to take it out of whatever mode its currently operating in. Then press the AUTO button. That will engage the autopilot and lock it on whatever heading the boat is currently on. You can make adjustments to the locked heading using your +/- 1 and +/- 10 keys. The advanced modes like Wind Vane and Track are accessed by first going into the Mode menu and selecting them.

Hello Reidar. That chart at 44:10 is a Raymarine LightHouse chart for Spain. When you have a moment please send me an email so I can get back to you on this issue. I am building out and downloading a copy of the latest LightHouse Chart for Sweden right now and I will take a closer look at this.

Thank you! Cheers!

Hi James. Thanks for watching and for going with Raymarine on your sailboat! The GPS position from Axiom is shared across the SeaTalk NG network with everything else onboard. It will provide data to the autopilot, instruments, VHF, etc. The AIS700 comes with its own GPS receiver. Because it is a Class B transceiver (sending and receiving), the regulations require it to have its own source of GPS position, independent of other systems onboard. In the box with the AIS700 kit is a small GPS puck aerial that plugs into the AIS700. You do need to install this for it to work properly. If you don't connect its dedicated antenna the AIS700 won't transmit your boats information. It will instead stay in silent mode, receiving only. The Ray63 VHF also has a GPS receiver of its own built-in, however, it can also take a feed from the SeaTalk NG network. Most modern VHF radios now have a built-in GPS receiver to make it easier to get their Digital Selective Calling and distress features working. Depending on where the radio is mounted it may or may not have a good view of the sky for its internal receiver to obtain a fix. For that reason you can select in the Ray63's setup menu where it should look for its primary fix information. Should it not be able to get a fix that way, then it will revert to its other source.

I'd need to know a bit more about the boat's steering setup. Does it have a steering wheel or is this a tiller-steered outboard? If it has a wheel, does it have cable-driven steering or hydraulic? Please shoot me an email at james.mcgowan@raymarine.com with those answers and I can make some recommendations.

This flash pattern means that there is no SeaTalk NG network connection to the EV1. The unit is receiving power, but it not communicating with any of its other components. I would double-check that the black/white spur cable is fully seated at the EV-1, and wherever it plugs in at the other end to the backbone. Double-check the spur connections to your autopilot controller and your Actuator Control Unit (ACU.) Check your SeaTalk NG backbone to make sure all of the blue/black backbone connections are securely plugged in and that both terminator plugs are present and fully connected. If you have a Raymarine Axiom also connected to this network, turn it on and go to Home...Settings....Network. On this tab you'll see a list of all of the devices Axiom sees connected. Verify that the EV-1 sensor, ACU and control head are visible on the list. If you have any other SeaTalk NG devices, are they visible too? They should be. If you are seeing everything except the EV-1, and its cabling looks good, I'd suspect it has gone bad.

Our Evolution autopilots do not require a rudder reference sensor. They can learn the responsiveness of the helm and rudder during their self-learning calibration.

Your Axiom screen should be plugged into both the RayNet high speed network as well as the SeaTalk NG network. Run a cable between Axiom's Network port and one of the empty ports on your HS5 network switch. You'll also connect your radar to the HS5 network switch. There are 2 legs on the Axiom's power cable. One leg provides power to the unit. The other has a 5-pin, threaded DeviceNet NMEA 2000 data connector. In the kit with your Axiom was a DeviceNet to SeaTalk NG adapter cable with a white connector on the end. Attach this adapter and plug it into any empty white port on the SeaTalk NG network. This will allow Axiom to see and control your autopilot, get data from your AIS, and share information with other network instruments. The RayNet network is Ethernet-based and carries high-speed, high-bandwidth information like radar, sonar and camera feeds. This network also allows multiple Axioms to share a single map card. The SeaTalk NG or NMEA 2000 network carries low-bandwidth navigation and status information like GPS position, course, speed, depth, wind, heading, AIS, engine parameters and similar.

Hello Louie. Axiom can communicate with the Raypilot 650 autopilot if you also add a Seatalk 1 to SeaTalk NG converter module (E22158) to your system when you add the Axiom unit. This module bridges information between the older data format the Raypilot supports and the current generation language the Axiom speaks. Axiom will be able to send waypoints or routes to the autopilot to be followed. The autopilot will send back compass heading to the Axiom. Axiom has the ability to fully control and calibrate our current Evolution-series autopilots, but it can't do that with your Raypilot 650 system. Once you set a waypoint or route on Axiom as the destination you'll use the controls on the Raypilot 650 to follow in navigation mode, just as you can now with it. You could change the control head on your system if you wanted to, but it would not change the integration-level with Axiom. If you added a p70Rs (our current color, rotary-control head) you would link it to the pilot through the E22158 Seatalk converter module.

@@RaymarineInc will the issue of the Axiom not being able to calibrate and control the Raypilot 650 be solved if I change the Course Computer and add the p70Rs too? If so, what course computer should I pick to replace my Raytheon Type 100. Finally, is there anything else in the autopilot system that must be replaced to work in this setup? Currently my autopilot connects to the curse computer via SeaTalk and the Course Computer Connects to my MFD E120 via NMEA 0183, but the MDF can not communicate with the autopilot. I am not sure if I am missing a step in this setup to make it all work and use my Waypoints directly from the E120. I am hoping that upgrading to Axiom and perhaps a new Course Computer and p70Rs make it all work I tried using the E22158 SeaTalk converter directly from the Raypilot 650, but it only powered it up. It did not communicate with the E120. Thanks.

Hello Nat. The p70s should work just fine with your existing setup, through the SeaTalk to SeaTalk NG converter.

@@RaymarineInc Thanks for the previous answer. I now installed the Raymarine Axiom Pro 9 at the helm and Axiom Plus 9 at the NAV station. The two MFDs work great together (and MFDs see the depth, Speed, Wind and the Flux Gate compass just fine) but it can't control the ST6001 AutoPilot. I have a Linear actuator and Rudder position sense already on board (working well with the old ST6001). Which ACU and Evolution would work best for my system... Thanks so much!

For a stern drive boat with mechanical (cable) steering you really only have 2 possible options for an autopilot. The first option is to convert the boat's steering system to hydraulic, and then use an appropriately sized hydraulic autopilot system. For your boat, most likely, that would be our EV100 or EV150 Hydraulic autopilot system. The volume of the hydraulic steering cylinder selected is what ultimately makes that determination. The other option is to change out your helm unit for an Octopus Drive system. This is a 3rd party offering (not made by Raymarine) that has an electric autopilot drive unit integrated into a mechanical, cable helm. The electric drive in it is compatible with Raymarine Evolution EV200 Power Pilot kit (T70156.) You can learn more about Octopus drives here: octopusdrives.com/

@@RaymarineInc Thank you. I think I was confused by the term "cable drive". I was imagining that it applied to the old mess of cables and pulleys that were used on outboards when I was a kid (I'm 62). I guess technically I have a cable.🙂 Thanks, I followed the link to Octopus. P.S. I went to the Raymarine site and cannot find T70156. A search came back "no results found".

Thank you for your feedback. I will definitely share it with our product team.

The SeaTalk NG backbone and the RayNet network are 2 different connections, carrying different data. SeaTalk NG is a low-bandwidth network for navigation data like GPS position, heading, course, speed, depth, wind, engine data, AIS information, etc. The RayNet network, which runs through your HS5, carries high-bandwidth information including the radar picture, camera feeds, sonar information, SiriusXM weather, and similar types of information. In your installation you'll want to plug your Axiom into both networks. It has a RayNet port on its back that will connect to an empty port on the HS-5. Axiom also has a NMEA 2000 port built into its power cable. In the box with your Axiom should have been a screw-on adapter that allows that NMEA 2000 connection to plug into a white spur socket on the SeaTalk NG backbone.

@@RaymarineInc Thank you very much that makes sense now, I was hoping on one network but I see I will have 2 networks. Thanks again I finally have direction!

Thanks for watching, Faro. We'd need to know the volume of the hydraulic cylinder that turn the boat's rudders in order to choose a pilot. The hydraulic drive unit (pump) is matched to the volume of the cylinders, and then the rest of the pilot components will match the requirements of the pump. Normally there is a data plate on the cylinder that identifies the manufacturer, model and sometimes the volume. Even if the volume is not listed we can figure it out if we know the model of the cylinder. Feel free to send me an email to james.mcgowan@raymarine.com with those details, or a photo or 2 of whatever markings there are on the cylinder.

Thanks for watching MTI. The EV-1 and EV-2 are really the same sensor, but the EV-2 version is used onboard boats that have steer-by-wire electronic steering systems. Most commonly we use them with Volvo Penta IPS systems, Zeus systems, Optimus 360, Yamaha Helm Master and similar systems that have gone totally electronic. The EV-2 sensor has 2 connections on it. One for our SeaTalk NG network, the other is a CAN bus connection to communicate with the boat's controls. Most likely your boat will use one of the Evolution EV-1 based systems. At 10-tons you'll most likely be using a Type-1 pilot drive of some kind. We'd need to know more specifics about your boat to make a full recommendation. Feel free to send me an email to james.mcgowan@raymarine.com. I'd need to know what kind of steering you have onboard (wheel, tiller), the displacement of the boat, and the builder/model is helpful too.

Autopilots are generally wired directly to a master switch or circuit breaker so they come on when the boat's systems are energized. "Standby" mode on the autopilot is basically its equivalent of "Off." When it is in standby mode it draws very little power.

Also, the control head for the autopilot does have a power button. It is only turning on/off the control head itself though. It might be used in an instance where you have more than one control head attached, some of them at remote locations, and you want them powered off while they are not being used. The other pilot components are still energized, in standby, when the controller is off.

Hello Gregg. Raymarine autopilots can communicate with Garmin MFDs. No problem there. Our Evolution series autopilot support NMEA2000 networking, as does all modern Garmin systems. If you set a waypoint or route on your chartplotter the EV150 system will be able to follow it. Heading from the autopilot will be shared back to the Garmin. Course, speed, and whatever other navigation data your Garmin generates is shared with the pilot.

From Axiom's home screen go to Settings....Pilot...and make sure the switch there to enable autopilot integration is turned on. If that does not fix it, you could try resetting your Axiom in case some old data from the prior version is stuck in its data cache and causing a bug. Before resetting you can backup your waypoints, routes, tracks and settings from the home screen. Home...My Data....Import/Export.....Save My Data and Save my Settings. To reset Axiom go to Home...Settings.....this Display.....Factory Reset. After it restarts, you can restore your data and settings in that same Import/Export menu. Check again to make sure the pilot integration is enabled too.

All Evolution autopilots must use the EV-1 sensor core that comes with the system. The EV-1, the white circular component that look like a flying saucer, serves not only as the compass sensor for the system but also the brain unit too. All of the decisions and processing happens inside the EV-1. While your Raytheon fluxgate compass sensor was good in its day, the technology in the EV-1 makes it a much more accurate and reliable device. The EV-1 has a package of sensors inside including a magnetometer and an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS.) The Magnetomoetor is the "compass" portion, detecting the Earth's magnetic field. The AHRS is a solid-state gyrocompass sensor that detects even the smallest motions of the boat in 3-dimensions. All of those inputs are fed into the EV-1's processor and used to direct the autopilot's drive unit to steer. If you choose to upgrade, your Raytheon compass will get retired, as will your existing course computer and control head. Whatever drive unit you have now (hydraulic pump, linear drive, rotary drive, etc.) can still be used with the new Evolution systems as long as it is in good working order. This is a huge savings in both installation time and money.

Hello Dave. Its important to double-check exactly which value you are looking at across your devices. COG or Course Over Ground, comes from a GPS sensor and is only accurate when the boat is moving at speed. Heading is generated by an electronic compass, in this case the EV-1 sensor in your autopilot. It works no matter whether you are moving or stationary. Being a magnetic sensor, it is impacted by the boat's deviation and the local variation. When you are underway, on a steady course, with no current, the values for COG and Heading should be relatively close to one another. You can fine-tune the compass heading by going into the calibration settings for the autopilot and performing a heading adjustment. If the difference between your COG and heading is just a few degrees, you can dial-in the compass heading value to match.

@@RaymarineInc Thanks so much Jim - I'll do some double-checking and see what I can do. Unfortunately, a winter storm is arriving tomorrow, so it may be a little while until I can test things out. Appreciate the detailed response! Cheers, Dave

All of our Evolution autopilots support SeaTalk NG and NMEA2000 networking. NMEA2000 is the protocol that allows marine electronics from different manufacturers to communicate with each other. The Raymarine pilot is cabled using our SeaTalkNG cabling system, but the data it carries on those cables is NMEA2000 data. You might need to purchase a SeaTalk NG to DeviceNet adapter cable to make the final link between pilot and your boat's Garmin NMEA2000 network backbone. You don't mention which model Garmin you have, but as long as it is something made in the last 8 years, you should be able to interface it without any issues. If you happen to have an older Garmin plotter without NMEA2000 capability, there are 3rd party NMEA2000 to NMEA0183 converters available that can allow them to communicate.

Hello Nick. I think your Lumitec Poco controller has a female RJ-45 Ethernet connector on it. To make the connection to the Raymarine network you can use a RayNet to RJ-45 network cable. We offer them in a few different lengths. One end of the cable has a standard RJ-45 Ethernet connector on it, the other end has the round, waterproof, locking RayNet connector that can mate either directly to your Axiom's Network port, or to an empty port on a Raymarine network switch. A80247 RayNet to RJ45 (F) Adaptor - 100mm A62360 RayNet (F) to RJ45 (M) cable - 1m A80151 RayNet (F) to RJ45 (M) cable - 3m A80159 RayNet (F) to RJ45 (M) cable - 10m This is what the ends of the cable look like, for reference: raymarine.canto.global/direct/image/9pldg0220h6oj0ulfe0m2e086k/yxlIzTMCodbhQCToIdRQXHE9fVk/m800/800

Hi Kenny. If you are supplying your own drive unit (the electric motor) and you have an Axiom chartplotter, the minimum hardware you'd need is an EV-1 heading sensor, an actuator control unit (probably the ACU-150) and an Evolution autopilot cabling kit to link it all together. Your electric drive would need to be 12 volts, reversible, and would be controlled by the actuator control unit. We're really need to know a bit more about your boat and your wheel drive system to know if this is appropriate or not for your situation. Our Evolution autopilots do not require a rudder reference sensor. They can learn the responsiveness of the helm and rudder during their self-learning calibration.

Hello Dave. Thank you for watching and posting a question. Your Dragonfly 7 does not have any external connection on it, so it can't talk to the autopilot at all. Those units are designed for simple, stand-alone operation. Your Axiom 12 actually has autopilot controls built in. When the pilot is installed and Axiom detects it on the network you'll have access to them. You might consider adding the autopilot system and mounting its traditional p70Rs controller down below where your Dragonfly is, and then using Axiom's integrated controls above. 2 control heads is another option too. The system does support having more than one.

@@RaymarineInc Thanks for the quick reply! I think I will explore the 2 Control Head option, or maybe a wireless remote for when I'm down below? BTW, I am loving your Raymarine LIVE series you posted on youtube. When will they be starting up with truly Live Thursdays again?

Definitely double-check the volume of the hydraulic ram (steering cylinder) you are planning to install because the hydraulic pump must be closely matched to its size for proper steering. Type-1 hydraulic pumps support steering cylinders between 80cc - 230cc (4.9in3-14in3). If your steering ram is larger, you will need a larger pump and consequently a larger ACU to power it. If indeed you are going with a Type 1 hydraulic drive you can use either the ACU150 or ACU200. The ACU150 works on 12-volt systems only. The ACU200 works on 12 or 24-volt power systems. That is the key difference. The ACU150 or ACU200 is part of a larger Evolution autopilot system. Along with the pump and ACU you'll be installing an EV1 sensor core. I strongly suggest updating your control head to one of the new p70s or p70Rs controllers at the same time. Your i60-style controller is probably the T6002 controller (part number E12098 or E12100). In order to use that controller on the new system you would also need to add a Seatalk 1 to Seatalk NG converter kit (E22158.) There are certain aspects of the calibration and fine-tuning you won't be able to access with the older controller. I'd rather see you setup the system with a new controller to have access to all features and capabilities. If you really wanted to, you could use the older controller down below or at some other location (through the STNG converter still) to remote control the pilot.

Thanks for choosing Raymarine! If you are getting leaks of hydraulic fluid from the fittings, something is definitely wrong. The first thing that comes to mind is to ask whether or not use used the pipe thread adapters that came in the box with your hydraulic pump? The pump body is threaded in 1/4-inch BSPP parallel thread (common in Europe.) We provide in the box with the pump three BSPP to 1/4-inch NPT adapters. That size is common here in the USA. If direct-connected NPT lines to the pump's ports without using the adapters that could be the cause of the leak as the threads won't match up correctly. We really don't want you to use any kind of thread sealant or tape sealant on these connections as their is always a risk of contaminating the hydraulic steering system. Debris floating in the hydraulic fluid can cause check valves to stick or jam, and it can cause other issues should it get trapped in various parts of the steering system.

@@RaymarineInc yes we used the adapter but it’s the fittings we hooked up to the adapters that are leaking

Hello Dan. That configuration is not one that we officially document or support, though there are many boats who have customized the installation on their own to accomplish this. Most of our technical dealers could assist with building this kind of installation if you want it on our boat. Much of it comes down to just how much redundancy you want, and how quickly you need to be able to switch over. You could double-up on just about everything if you wanted to, and set it up via relays to switch over rather seamlessly, or it could be a mostly manual process where cables are unplugged from the primary and reconnected to the backups. If you have the space you can have dual linear or rotary drives connected to the quadrant or steering. Being mechanical in nature these drive units are not engaged mechanically unless their electric clutch is turned on (via the ACU.) In most cases the "reserve" drive just freewheels until its called into service. On other boats they'll just keep a complete duplicate drive in storage reserve and swap it in, if needed. Fortunately, all of these mechanical drives are very reliable when sized properly to the boat. I know of many customers that are running drives that are approaching 20-years old, on newer Evolution electronics. They upgrade the pilot electronic technology every few years, but the drive unit itself remains the same. The #1 killer of any mechanical autopilot drive system is choosing one that is too small for the displacement of the boat. Our guidelines, when followed, should ensure a long life of dependable service. Going small means the drive unit will be overstressed and overheated, particularly when the seas get rough. This can ultimately leading to premature and unexpected failure.

@@RaymarineInc Thanks for that Jim - very useful. Is there any part of a linear drive which wears or is likely the first item to break? Is it possible to open and inspect the unit? The idea of going out without spares for, or of the entire unit for such a critical item I find unnerving. Thank you!

There is no battery in the EV-1 compass or the ACU. Everything is stored in flash memory. I would start with the software check (in my other reply) to make sure you are up-to-date on all of the pilot components.

Thank you for all the detail. It is very helpful. I would start by adjusting the rudder damping setting through your pilot controller. Its a 1 to 9 scale, and 3 is the default. Small adjustments are better here so try increasing from 3 to 4 and see what happens. If that is not enough, then go 4 to 5. Also, if you have never done so, you might want to update the software in your autopilot. Your eS7 can do it for you if it can be connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot at the dock, or through your mobile phone. Our Evolution R4 update that came out a while back has some pretty significant improvements to it steer-to-wind capabilities. You'll definitely want them. With eS7 connected to Wi-Fi go to Home....Settings....Software Update...Update Online. It will scan your system then compare with what is available on our server. The only downside to this is you will have to recalibrate after updating, but I think it is worth it. The wind instrument stabilization through the EV-1 I mentioned in the broadcast is part of that update, as is the GPS filtering too. You can see more on it here: www.raymarine.com/autopilot/evolution-autopilot/evolution-r4.html

@@RaymarineInc thanks for all the detailed instructions. I’ve adjusted the rudder dampening as you suggested. Still testing to see the impact and will report back when I have enough experience. I couldn’t connect my eS7 to the internet as you suggested. In LH3 on my eS7 there is no online update button, only card update. I did check the software versions of my autopilot and they appear up to date. P70 display v3.07, i70 displays x3 v3.11, EV-1 course computer V2.18 (RSCP V1 L4), and ACU400 actuator unit V2.23 (RSCP V1 L4). Any additional suggestions appreciated.

Hi David. On your Axiom, in the chartplotter app touch Menu...Navigation and STOP. That will cancel the command to follow the waypoint or route. If you want the autopilot to stop following the waypoint or route, but want the destination to remain active on the chartplotter you can also just switch the pilot out of navigation mode. Press the Standby button to bring the pilot out of navigation mode and back to hand-steering. Now you can either steer on your own, or touch Auto to lock the pilot on the current heading.

Hi John. Thanks for watching! To make the ST1000 and Element-S talk to each other you will need to add a Seatalk to SeaTalk NG interface, part number E22158. The pilot and your ST60 wind instrument speak in a format called Seatalk. The Element is a bit newer unit that uses Seatalk NG (NMEA2000.) This small device sits in the network between them and does the translating. There is one additional cable you will need too, part number A06075 which ties Element into the Seatalk NG converter.

Hello QEII. When the Man Overboard Alarm is activated on the Raymarine network each device has its on pre-programmed response to the alarm, primarily showing the position of the event or other data needed for recovery of the person in the water. The autopilot system will repeat the alarm, and also allows you to rapidly disengage the pilot (Standby) for hand-steering. I am checking with our pilot team for specifics, but I don't think the autopilot can navigate to a Man Overboard-generated waypoint. This is to prevent accidentally running over the victim with the boat. I have asked for some additional information on this from our team about this specifically. When you have a moment please send me an email to james.mcgowan@raymarine.com so I can get the latest information to you.

@@RaymarineInc May I jump onto this as well. Is it possible for the MOB button to also stop playing any audio through a connected (NMEA) stereo?

Thank you for watching! The Raymarine Type 2 linear drive you already own can be used on a Raymarine Evolution pilot system. Our Sail Pilot Kit T70161 has everything you'll need. It includes a p70s controller, EV-1 sensor core, an ACU-400 (to drive your linear drive) and a SeaTalk NG cabling kit to tie the components together. Your B&G H3000 system does not natively support NMEA2000 data (which Evolution uses.) If you want the Evolution autopilot to communicate with the rest of the instruments you will need to source a 3rd party device to complete the integration. There are a few vendors offering solutions to bridge the older data your H3000 system communicates with to the newer NMEA2000 protocol. The Sailmon E4 processor looks like a good solution for that. sailmon.com/compatibility/bg-fastnet/

Hello Mark. There is an adjustment procedure for the belt drive clutch mechanism. Typically we hear about them being too loose and slipping. It sounds like yours might be adjusted too tight and needs to be backed off slightly. This article has the adjustment instructions: raymarine.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4316/related/1

Hello Mark. We'll need more details about your boat and steering system to make a recommendation. We do have a few different options though. Boats with cable steering can often be fitted with an electric rotary drive that drives the cables directly via a sprocket. It might also be possible to use an electric linear drive mounted at the rudder quadrant. Open up a ticket over at raymarine.custhelp.com with the details on your boat make and model, and type of steering. If you have photos they can be helpful too. Our pilot team can make a recommendation.

@@RaymarineInc I sent info and pics thank you mark

Thanks for watching! It sounds like your autopilot might be "hunting" which what we call that jittery back-and-forth action you are seeing. Evolution pilots monitor the angle of the boat's rudders (or drives) using either an actual rudder-reference transducer device, or, they can virtually derive the rudder angle without a sensor by learning the steering response of the boat over time. Rudder angle is then fed back to the autopilot's brain unit (EV-1 Sensor) and factored into any steering commands it sends to the drive unit. On most boats there is just a little bit of free-play in the steering linkages that allows the rudders to move just a tiny bit on their own, independent of the steering input. On older boats it is sometimes caused by wear on steering components, and sometimes it just comes from the small tolerances in how the parts all fit together even on new boats. The free play in the steering is detected by the rudder transducer (or virtual rudder transducer.) Those minor motions are transmitted to the pilot, which then tries to adjust for it. It manifests itself as that small back and forth action. There is a setting you can adjust to filter that out called Rudder Damping. You can access the setting either through Axiom or your p70Rs. Rudder Damping is a 1 to 9 value. 3 is normally the default. You do want to keep it set as low as possible, so only increase it 1 increment at a time and see how it responds. Rudder Damping increases a factor called Deadband Angle in the pilot. Basically it creates a dead-zone around rudder amidships in which it will ignore minor movements of the rudder. At level 3 it allows for 0.3° degrees of play in either direction. It doesn't sound like much, but at running speeds that small amount of adjustment can make a significant difference.

@@RaymarineInc Jim, Thanks for the quick response. I forgot to mention that I do have the rudder reference installed. I have looked in both my Axion Pro and the EV-1 control unit and can't locate the Rudder Damping setting. Where do I find this? Thanks again. Brad

The Dragonfly 4-Pro does not have an internal fuse. We suggest in the installation procedure adding a 2 Amp slow-blow in-line fuse, or protecting it with a 3 Amp circuit breaker. If your unit is not switching on, first double-check that power is being fed down the line to the power connector. Unplug it from the back of the screen, and use a multimeter to test across the 2 largest terminals. You should read the boat's battery voltage, roughly 11 to 13 volts DC. If you don't double check the cable connections at the power source, check for a blown or tripped circuit breaker, and check for cable damage. If power is present at the plug, inspect the pins on the back of the screen to make sure they are clean and straight. Re-seat the plug in the socket ensuring its aligned properly and secure the lock ring. The design of Dragonfly's plug is a very deep fit. Its common that it feels seated when it really is not.

ty will check all @@RaymarineInc

Hello Dave. I'm not quite sure what you are asking. Please feel free to shoot me an email to james.mcgowan@raymarine.com. Based on the video I think you are looking at an autopilot.

Hello Storm. If you want to bring our p70Rs autopilot controller into the mix, you will need to upgrade many of the autopilot components in addition to the controller. The AP300x could control both reversing hydraulic drives as well as solenoid controlled steering systems. We'd need to know a bit more about what's on your boat now before we could make the call as you what you would need autopilot-wise. Its not possible to upgrade just to the p70Rs controller though. Send me an email to james.mcgowan@raymarine.com with the full details on your old pilot system. If you have pictures of any of the components, especially the drive unit, those would be helpful too.

Hey Jim I figured it out just have to keep p70r turned off that being said I had my WP alarms shut off as I was using the p70r control and acknowledge. I seem to have perhaps a glitch now when turning WP alarms back on unit freezes up in alarm menu. Eventually it comes back and I can set parameters but cant get sound for WP arrival, but it does show warning for turn to next waypoint in a route but no sound. Thanks Jeff

Hi Jeff. Could you please email me? I'd like to dig a bit deeper into what you are seeing. james.mcgowan@raymarine.com

Hello David. I am sorry the new pilot is giving you trouble. It is very rare to have an out-of-box issue like that.

@@RaymarineInc Thanks for the quick reply, hoping I get this resolved by March 7. Planning on passage to the Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas and need my electronics working.

Follow would be dimmed out if the Axiom dies not have a GPS fix, or, if it is already tracking to another waypoint or route. You'd need to stop navigation in order to then restart it and follow the newly created route.

@@RaymarineInc Awesome! Thanks for the response. Yes, it must be that I am already heading to a way point. I'll try stopping navigation next time. Thank you

Thanks for watching the video, Aaron. Disengaging the autopilot changes the maneuvering situation onboard the boat. We don't want to disengage it without ensuring someone onboard is in positive control of the helm. Depending on the conditions the boat is in, disengaging the autopilot without any human intervention could result in an unexpected maneuver of the vessel, swinging the propellers in the direction of the person in the water, or just a dangerous maneuvering situation with other nearby traffic. We want to leave it to the Captain or crew to take control of the vessel, disengage the pilot, and then make the appropriate actions and maneuvers to recover the person in the water.

We offer a kit, part number T70214, which is a special Volvo edition of our Evolution EV-DBW (drive by wire) autopilot system. It is designed for direct connection to the Volvo IPS system. With any autopilot purchase, we do strongly recommend working with a local Raymarine dealer who can take a look a boat and ensure this is the right solution for your setup.

The EV1 or EV2 sensor core is both the main compass for the system as well as the brain unit. Because there is an internal magnetic compass sensor inside we recommend installing it 3-feet (1 meter) away from other sources of possible magnetic interference. The actuator unit has an electric motor inside so would be considered a possible magnetic interference source.

Hi Will. Radar can detect floating debris, though floating logs can be tricky because they are very low to the water, don't have much reflective surface, and the material they are made of isn't very reflective either. Radar can help with the logs, but its not 100% effective. Sometimes a thermal imager like the FLIR M232 or M300-series will be more helpful for debris. For fog and heavy rain the radar is excellent. On a 23-foot boat your topside space is probably limited so I imagine you'll probably want to go with a radome (enclosed) scanner rather than an open-array. The Quantum 2 is a great radar for navigation, fog, weather, and collision avoidance. If you do like to run offshore, the RD418HD or RD424HD are good choices too as they have dual range and dual-speed scanning.

@@RaymarineInc yeah I was looking at a 18 inch radome maybe a 24 but more than likely a 18 inch just trying to decide between HD color and quantum 2

@@RaymarineInc leaning towards HD because of the dual range

Hi Bill. I reached out to my pilot gurus for some help with this question. I'll drop an update in here as soon as I hear back.

Hi Bill. I am told on the Sea Star power assist systems they have very specific instructions on where to plumb-in the autopilot pump, but it does vary by power assist model. If you have the documentation that came with your system it should have their suggested location. If you don't have that, we can try to find out if you can identify the assist pump model you have. As for choosing a Raymarine pilot, since yours is hydraulic, the same rules apply in that we'll base our system recommendation on the volume of your steering ram. If you have the ram model number or can snap a picture of its data plate we can narrow it down for you. james.mcgowan@raymarine.com is my email if you want to send pics.

Your old computer (E12092) is the S3G course computer. There is no exact drop-in replacement for it because the autopilot technology has changed since that one was new. The S3G course computer would need to be replaced with an Evolution EV400 autopilot. Our part number T70161 is a kit that comes with the p70s controller (pushbutton style.) Part number T70162 is a kit that comes with the p70Rs (rotary style) controller. You will use your existing mechanical or hydraulic drive unit with either of these kits. Drive units have not changed. You also probably have a rotary or linear rudder reference transducer now. That will also connect to the new system. You will need to replace your S3G, its fluxgate compass sensor, and your current autopilot controller with the new components in the kit. You will also be adding a SeaTalk NG network backbone to the boat (included in the kit) to link the components together.

Hello Paul. It is normal for the pilot to exhibit some "hunting" action and overactivity. The rudder damping setting is used to eliminate this behavior. There are 9 levels in the rudder damping menu. We suggest increasing it 1 level at a time until the hunting stops. If you are at level 6 and the twitching of the wheel has stopped, that is acceptable. If you are still seeing hunting, bump up to level 7, 8, 9 etc. until it does stop. Even a level 9 is acceptable, as long as the hunting stops.

@@RaymarineInc thanks Jim for your swift answer reassuring.

Yes. You can have multiple controllers on your system. The p70-series controllers are waterproof to IPX-6 and IPX-7 standards so you can mount them anywhere.

Hi Felix. XTE, short from Cross Track Error, is the measurement of how far left or right from the planned course line the boat is sitting. Keep in mind if the pilot is following a route then the planned course line is the line connecting together the previous waypoint to the next one. If you are following to a single waypoint the planned course line is a line drawn between the boat's position at the moment you activated the waypoint, to that waypoints location. It doesn't take much time for a boat running at speed to open up some significant cross track error if its not heading in the right direction already. If you know that you are off course and it is safe to proceed directly to your waypoint you can use the Restart XTE function to zero-out the cross track error. This also re-plots the planned course line. When the pilot is put into navigation mode it tries to minimize the cross track error first, then get the boat pointed towards the next waypoint. Imagine if you were in a winding narrow channel or canal. The planned course line hopefully is plotted in the safe water, where simply turning to the next waypoint might cut a corner and put the boat aground. For this reason the pilot first tries to correct the cross track error (get back on the planned line) and then secondly turn towards the direction of the next waypoint. This behavior of the pilot is sometime misinterpreted as it misbehaving because it will aggressively turn to get back on the trackline first, then turn to the next waypoint. Hopefully the reason for it doing that makes sense when you step back and think about it. It is most aggressive (and the behavior most noticeable) if you are 0.3 miles or more off of your planned track when navigation mode is enabled. You will get a Large Cross Track Error alarm. The pilot will also indicate whether you are to port or starboard of the planned track line before it engages.

@@RaymarineInc thank you for your comprehensive explanation. What happened was that i activated the autopilot after i selected one waypoint to go, at speed of course. At one point of time i had to disengage the pilot due to avoiding some obstruction. And yes i was a lil far off course . So the was a big angle from the dotted line to the straight line point toward the waypoint from starting point. Now i understand that the pilot will not follow the dotted line. But instead it will find the closes direction toward the original solid line and then turn toward the intended waypoint. I hope i understand you correctly. . Thank you 🙏. I will try again the next time i am at sea.

Hi Larry. Let me look into this one and get back to you. I am on the water tomorrow and will test this. When you have a moment could you send me an email so I can find you easier? james.mcgowan@raymarine.com

Hi John. From a functional and software standpoint the p70 and the p70s are 100% identical. The p70s was a refresh of the original p70 to bring its looks into line with eS-Series (and later Axiom) displays. You'll notice the p70s is more squared off at its corners, where the p70 has the softer corners and edges. We did use that refresh opportunity to switch so a different LCD panel. The p70s might be a touch brighter than the original, but I wouldn't swap it out unless it was giving you trouble. If you want to refresh your p70 controller and i70 instruments to give them all the new "S" styling we offer a retrofit bezel that fits them all. Part number A80355 is a black replacement bezel that replaces the gunmetal silver edges on your current devices, making them more rectangular to match the new styling of Axiom and the "S" instruments and pilot controllers. R70663 is the silicone suncover that goes with it. You'd need that too as the shape of the device changes and the old suncover won't fit.

Thanks! I appreciate the clarification.

Hello Verdran. The Raymarine autopilot can't control the Helm Master EX system. Yamaha offers their own autopilot option for HelmMaster EX. You would need to purchase and add that to your system. The Raymarine pilot components you have now would not be used.

@@RaymarineInc thank you

@@RaymarineInc is it possible to get rudder angle information from Yamaha to be displayed on raymarine MFD or P70rs?

Hi Steve. I am double-checking with our pilot team on this. I'll post an answer shortly.

Hello John. You didn't mention which component is flashing red, but there are LED status indicators on both the EV-1 sensor core and the Actuator Control Unit (ACU). If the LED is flashing red on either one, it is indicating a problem with SeaTalk NG connectivity. The EV-1 gets power from the SeaTalk NG backbone directly. The ACU is powered directly from the boat. Most likely the issue lies somewhere in the SeaTalk NG backbone that links the components together. First, make sure you have both of the blue SeaTalk NG bus terminators firmly plugged into the ends of your backbone. If these are missing they will impact network communication and can cause this symptom. There should always be 2 terminators at the network, at the ends of the backbone. They are always blue. If you have more than 2, take out the extras. We also have black weather plugs for capping unused connections, and have no impact on the system. Black plugs can stay in, and you can have as many as you want. Blue plugs, terminators, have a circuit inside them and you can only ever have 2 of them total in the backbone. Also double-check that your pilot control head (if you have one) is plugged into the backbone with a white spur cable. The control head also gets it power from the energized backbone and its display will turn on when connected. The ACU also comes with a SeaTalk NG spur cable (white) that must be plugged into the backbone so it can communicate with the EV-1 and control head. Double-check that it is fitted. The ACU also has a dedicated power connection to the boat because it needs more current than the SeaTalk NG network alone can provide. This powers the drive unit. If you have any SeaTalk NG T-connectors or 5-way connectors in your network please double-check that the white spur cables from each component are secure, and double-check that the blue backbone connections that pass through them are also secure.

Hello Louis. Thank you for watching the broadcast. Remember when I said the boat makes most of the choices for you when selecting an autopilot? Yours is a great example of that. Whenever we spec a mechanical autopilot we add 20% to the boat builders stated displacement to account for the added weight of fuel, water, gear, provisions, passengers and all the other stuff that gets added to the boat. That would bring yours up to potentially 44,400 pounds. From what I see online about the CSY44, I believe that boat has a conventional rudder stock. We can attach a linear drive unit to it, so your boat's displacement dictates that you will need the Type 2 Long Stroke Linear as your autopilot drive unit (this is the one I had on the broadcast last night.) This drive unit is for boats falling between 33,001 and 44,000 pounds. I'm not sure if the number you stated (37,000) is the dry weight or laden displacement, so I will give you back that extra 400 pounds on the high end. That drive unit is available in either 12-volt (M81132) or 24-volt (M81134) configurations to match your boat's electrical system. That linear drive requires the ACU-400 actuator control unit to power it. The ACU400 supports both 12 and 24-volt power systems. Part number T70161 is our EV-400 Sail Pilot kit. It includes the ACU-400, the p70s controller, the EV-1 sensor core and a SeaTalk NG cabling kit. The drive unit (part numbers above) is purchased separately. The US MSRP for the Sail Pilot kit is $3,149.99 and the drive unit goes for $2,079.99 for the 12-volt version or $2,229.99 for the 24-volt version. Rounding it off, figure just under $5,500.00. Before you purchase anything I would suggest having your local electronics dealer or boatyard take a look at your steering setup to make sure the linear drive will work for your application.

Hello Mike. The EV100 hydraulic autopilot is still being produced, as are our EV150, EV200 and EV400 hydraulic models. Ultimately, the correct pilot for your boat is based on the steering configuration you have onboard now. The dealers may be "steering" you to a higher-level system based on the configuration of the boat. It is important that the pilots drive unit is properly matched to the steering system for proper performance. If your boat has traditional hydraulic steering we will mate to it a hydraulic pump unit that is matched to the volume of your boat's steering cylinder. You can normally find the cylinder volume on the data plate attached to it, or from the manufacturer's make and model information on the cylinder. That cylinder volume is then matched to a pump of the correct flow rate, and then the pump dictates whether you need the 100, 150, 200 or 400-sized pilot components. As the pumps get larger, their power input requirements change. Each different pilot core pack has an Actuator Control Unit (ACU) that supplies the power to the pump unit. The EV100 system works on boats with traditional hydraulic steering with a volume of 50cc-110cc (3.1in3-6.7in3). www.raymarine.eu/autopilot/evolution-autopilot/ev100-power/ The EV150 system is a bit larger, and works on traditional hydraulic steering with a volume of 80cc - 230cc (4.9in3-14in3). www.raymarine.eu/autopilot/evolution-autopilot/ev150-hydraulic/ We also have pumps for even larger hydraulic systems though I don't think you'll need one of those. Another important consideration. You did not mention the age or series of motors you have. If you happen to have a Yamaha Helm Master or Helm Master EX system then we'd need to change to something completely different. These are drive-by-wire systems that do not have traditional hydraulics.

@@RaymarineInc Thank you for the reply. My steering is SeaStar with a volume of 7.1. I do have power steering, if that is important. If not, it looks like the EV 150 will work.

Hello Paul. Thank you for choosing Raymarine. Like many companies we are having some product shortages at the moment. I suggest getting one on-order from a dealer and it will be filled as quickly as possible.

Hello Dave. This video is a couple of years old and we have significantly improved the integration between our autopilot systems and chartplotters since this came out. If you have not updated your software recently on your system, please do so. Here are a few of the improvements which I think speak to your situation: Whenever you create a single waypoint, or build a route, you are asked if you would like to engage the autopilot and navigate to that. If you long-press on a waypoint that is somewhere in the middle of a route appearing on-screen one of the popup options you'll get is "follow from here" which will begin the route starting with that waypoint, and bypassing any earlier waypoints in the sequence. If you are a powerboat, we now offer automatic sequencing between waypoints in a route under autopilot control. This means you no longer have to make any acknowledgments for the boat to change course. You'll still get an alarm and notification that the boat is about to change course, but even if you ignore it, the course change will happen on-schedule with no user intervention needed. This feature can also be disabled if you prefer the old method. I think you'll find the number of presses and acknowledgements all around are significantly reduced.

@@RaymarineInc I am running the latest updates, so no old system installed here. Have been working with AP's my whole working life (as a pilot) and trust me, what you designed is not what an AP should look like. It is truly absurd to ask me three or four times whether I am sure if I want to follow something or not. If I make a conscious change then you can safely assume I am not by accident pressing something. If I need to quickly make a 20 or 30 degree change of hdg (due to traffic) I need to be able to do that without having to confirm that over and over again or even having to stop nav. All I am doing is a deviation, for whatever reason and that should overrule any route I am following. Now I have to stop nav, wait for the Axiom to react, then I still don't get the option to change course (I get the option maintain hdg or disengage AP, but when I choose for maintain hdg I have to engage the AP again ???? So why is there the option to disengage when the other option also disengages the AP ??? ), so before I can make that required hdg change (to avoid traffic) we are 1 or 2 min down the line and whatever route I was following has now disappeared. If I want to pick up the route again i have to search that route in the list (where I have over a hundred different routes), then press follow, but before I engage the AP again I have to sort out to which WP I need to go. This is absurd. I should be able to just deviate, build up a XTE or even enter a desired XTE after which I can tell the AP to go back to the original route. Intercepting the route should be based on the XTE, which means e.g. max 45 degrees when over a certain amount of nm, 30 degrees when within 2 nm, 15 degrees within 1 nm etc. Now it can actually turn 90 degrees in order to get back on the route, but by doing so it can overshoot and get you in other trouble. Even selecting a GOTO takes so much time that, by the time you have finished, the boat is already past the point where the software placed the track. Then you engage the AP and the boat is fully capable of making a 180 degree turn in order to get on track. Please guys, if you want to design AP software talk to the people who have used AP's for a bit longer than your average weekend boater or software designer that doesn't even have a boat. The current set up does not make sense at all, AP is there to make our life easy, not to make it more complicated or plain dangerous. Not being able to quickly deviate left or right from a route is just dangerous, that option should be instantaneous without having to confirm that multiple times. Of course you can say that it is all in the user manual, but I sincerely hope you don't expect all of us to dig through 600 pages for 1 piece of equipment. I have about 5' worth of user manuals on the boat, I would never leave the dock if I have to dig through all of them to get something going. Basic operations should be based on logic daily use and logic daily situations, easy to find for everyone without the need to go studying stacks and stacks of papers. If you need help designing a useful AP logic you can reach out to me, have nearly 30 years experience in AP use and how it needs to be set up, have seen the good and the bad. You really need to step up to make it more safe and user friendly.

Hi David. The S100 links to its base station using an industrial wireless protocol called Zigbee. Its range is about 10 meters (32 feet) from the base station. Centrally located, it can typically cover a 50 to 60-foot boat with 1 base station. I don't recommend relying on it for the man-overboard type of functionality you ask about here. I suspect that by the time someone fell of the boat and then resurfaced, the boat might already be out-of-range for the remote.

@@RaymarineInc ok...thanks for the response. That would be a nice feature if it would work but I can understand the limitations with range. Perhaps that is something else Raymarine could think about providing a solution for solo operators. Falling overboard is always one of my concerns when I out on the water.

Yes. Dielectric grease works well on all of your connections, but especially on connections like the drive unit which are exposed to the air.

@@RaymarineInc thank you

Hello Mark. I/O boats with cable steering will use either our standard (M81138) or Universal (E12026) sterndrive actuator. We'd need a bit more information about the make, model and year of your boat and motor setup to narrow down which one is better for your application. To complete the system you would purchase the Evolution EV200 Power Pilot kit (T70156) to mate to it. This kit includes the p70Rs color pilot controller, the EV1 Sensor Core, ACU200 actuator controller, and an autopilot cabling kit. Feel free to send me a message with the additional details on your boat. james.mcgowan@raymarine.com

@@RaymarineInc my boat is a 1989 pennyan tournament 21ft The weight is 3250 dry with a 4.3 v6 and a 9.9 Honda kicker the main motor is a I/0 merCruiser with power assist cable steering

Your autopilot is reporting that it is losing its source for speed information. It can get it either from a speed instrument or transducer (paddlewheel or ultrasonic) or from a GPS source. Based on the devices you list here the pilot is likely using GPS speed over ground information from either the Raystar 150 or from the Axiom 7. Of those two choices, the Raystar 150 would be the preferred selection. It may be that the pilot is looking to the Axiom 7's internal GPS instead of the Raystar 150 and it is having trouble maintaining a consistent GPS lock (which is probably why you have the Raystar 150 too.) On your pilot controller go to Menu...System Setup...Data Sources...GPS Position. There you will see a list of all available devices that can possible provide GPS data. Select the Raystar 150 from the list.

All of our mechanical autopilots have a clutch in their drive system. When the autopilot is in standby and you are steering by hand, the clutch is disengaged so there is no additional weight or drag on the steering.

Thanks for watching the show! The EV2-based autopilots are for boats with steer-by-wire electric steering. Where you are running an Octopus R drive, you will want to use that with our Evolution EV200 power pilot system. That system comes with the EV1 sensor core, the ACU-200 actuator control unit (which will drive the Octopus drive) and a p70Rs control head. Our part number for it is T70156.

@@RaymarineInc Hey Thanks for the reply but I have attempted to order but item is not available in Canada? (Hu?) now where do we go mate any suggestions? I need help lol please

The EV200 pilot is available worldwide. Any Raymarine dealer in Canada should be able to order one for you. Like many companies we are experiencing product shortages, so I suspect the problem you are having is more that the pilot is not available in-stock anywhere currently. We're sourcing parts, building and shipping as quickly as the conditions allow, so if you do get one on order, you will get it eventually.

Hi Gavin. Thanks for choosing Raymarine! There are a couple of things you can check in your pilot's settings that might help. Evolution pilots have a quick selection mode that changes the steering characteristics between Leisure, Cruising and Performance response modes. Check where yours is set. Performance mode provides the tightest track-keeping, while the other modes allow a bit more deviation (which can improve ride quality in bumpy conditions.) Another setting that is sometime mis-calculated during the initial setup is the value for hard-over time. The pilot needs to know just how quickly the rudder can turn from full port to full starboard. This value is manually timed out and entered in the pilot's setup menu when it is installed. You might want to see what value is entered there and correct it if its off. This is an excerpt from the pilot manual. Sorry for the giant text block here as a RU-vid reply, but here goes: To estimate your hard over time follow the steps below: 1. With the autopilot in Standby, manually turn the rudder / engine full to port. (For vessels with power steering the engine should be running when turning the rudder.) 2. Engage Auto mode. 3. Press the +10 and +1 buttons at the same time (p70/p70s) or use the Rotary (p70R/p70Rs) to alter your locked heading by 90 degrees. Use a stop watch to time the movement of the rudder / engine. 4. Estimate how long it would take to move the rudder from full port to full starboard. This estimate is your Hard Over Time. 5. Enter this estimate as your Hard Over Time. The Hard Over time setting can be accessed from the Drive Settings menu: Menu > Set-up > Autopilot Calibration > Drive Settings > Hard Over Time. 6. After setting your Hard Over Time, observe your autopilot’s behavior and if required, make small adjustments to the Hard Over Time value until a satisfactory result is achieved.

Hello Marcel. It sounds like we need to re-check some of the settings in the pilot setup wizard. In particular you should look at the value that is in there for hard-over time and also rudder drive sense. It sounds like it is over-steering, or is maybe trying to steer in the wrong direction. Which pilot do you have, and what kind of boat is it installed on?

@@RaymarineInc my boat is a Beneteau 38 first , ice tried on all settings . But only when I go fast and track along it's going pretty good. But the reaction of correcting only activated when the vessel is at the set degrees then it reacts and starts bringing the boat with lots of oversteer back the other direction. Is there an expert in my GC area Queensland . It's the grey ring on wheel unit.

Yes. Unfortunately the microphone pinned to my shirt stopped working, and the fallback microphone was the camera's built-in one. The resulting audio has a little more echo from the large room our studio is in. Right after this happened we upgraded our in-studio microphone system to prevent this from happening again. You should be able to hear a dramatic difference in the sound quality of episodes recorded since this one.