Auto pilot opinions
- Thread starter Brett83
- Start date
wildthing
Well-Known Member
whats your setup ???? ev0-2 /3 - AP computer - pump - tiller sensor? heading sensor compass???
Rain City
Crew Member
Ordered the Lowrance for my kicker
Saratoga
Active Member
Here’s some additional info in case it’s usefull for anyone planning to do their own installation (which I would recommend if you have the time). One of the major challenges for me when doing the install was getting appropriate hydraulic hose lengths and fittings to integrate with my existing Seastar system. I had no prior experience with hydraulic steering systems so this was an intimidating exercise for me initially. But I now have a full understanding of how my steering system is installed & operates which is great. Seastar has proprietary hose connections and restrictive hose lengths that are just not practical for most autopilot installs. Their hoses are far too long and cannot tolerate a tight bend radius so, depending on your install, you could really end up with a mess. Not only can it make for a frustrating installation experience but they also charge a lot of money for their hoses. You really need to have custom hose lengths so you end up with a clean install and hoses tracking up toward the helm so you can bleed the system afterward. Despite the warnings from Seastar to only use their hose, it turns out that having custom hose lengths made up is very easy to do. The specs on the custom hoses I had made were far in excess of any Seastar hose and allowed for much more practical radius bends to facilitate a clean install. They were also a small fraction of the cost of seastar hoses...despite being customized to the precise lengths I needed. You’ll also likely need to convert the existing proprietary seastar hose fittings (3/8" compression fittings which utilize a 9/16" - 24 extra fine thread) to standard fittings depending on your layout so they integrate with your custom hoses. Through discussions with the hose distributor (several in Richmond that were very helpful), I decided to get the connectors that converted them to JIC-4 connections. It all worked extremely well. Quite the learning curve and it certainly made me aware of how restrictive Seastar is. You could easily end up with a mess of hoses that cost you a fortune and can never be properly bled of air if you aren’t aware of other options that are available.
bryce
Crew Member
I’ll look into it tonight I’ve got 3 lowrance HD’s touch screen linked through lowrance hub if that helps
gunnerlove
Well-Known Member
I built a bracket for a buddies Lowrance auto pilot. Everything ran to Ts off the back of the helm. The install was super simple. I just don't like the pump being behind the dash.
searun
Well-Known Member
Saratogo's advice is bang on. Integration with your existing chart plotter etc, is a big consideration when deciding which manufacturer to choose from. The most challenging aspect of the install was completing the sea star connections. Careful not to mess up your helm connection, those connector threads are delicate and especially hard to complete in tight spaces. I realized after a while given my situation with extremely tight spaces that it paid to hire an expert to complete the final connections. I installed and ran all the compass, pump and wiring and left the hydraulics to an expert. Also, another bit of advice is to upgrade the pump. That is the weak link in the whole system. If you try to get the smaller less expensive pump to work it may lead to a future failure. Small pumps are OK for single engine applications, but not recommended for twins.
Location of your compass if also very important. Must be as low as possible, dry space (no water), and in the middle of the boat. Also avoid installing it close to any other larger metal objects - location is covered in the install instructions. I also recommend mounting the Pump in a dry space protected from any water or moisture - and they make a bit of noise so if you can find somewhere on the boat where the pump noise could be muffled that will help.
Another tip is I spent the roughly $400 for a remote Fob to steer the system from anywhere on the boat. I just clip the Fob to my bib, and can easily steer the system remotely.
As stated AP is a game changer. Its not a toy, and once installed you will not ever want to go back. It makes my life so much simpler on the water. Like many on this thread I felt I could not justify the expense, and that kept me from making the plunge. If I only knew how good AP made the fishing experience that much more care free.
That said, AP is not for everyone, and I would say that if your not on the water a lot its probably not worth the investment unless you have a bundle of cash sitting around.
Location of your compass if also very important. Must be as low as possible, dry space (no water), and in the middle of the boat. Also avoid installing it close to any other larger metal objects - location is covered in the install instructions. I also recommend mounting the Pump in a dry space protected from any water or moisture - and they make a bit of noise so if you can find somewhere on the boat where the pump noise could be muffled that will help.
Another tip is I spent the roughly $400 for a remote Fob to steer the system from anywhere on the boat. I just clip the Fob to my bib, and can easily steer the system remotely.
As stated AP is a game changer. Its not a toy, and once installed you will not ever want to go back. It makes my life so much simpler on the water. Like many on this thread I felt I could not justify the expense, and that kept me from making the plunge. If I only knew how good AP made the fishing experience that much more care free.
That said, AP is not for everyone, and I would say that if your not on the water a lot its probably not worth the investment unless you have a bundle of cash sitting around.
RevyG
Crew Member
Well said....sums it up perfectly. Game changer and relationship saver haha, no more not that way, can you turn, can you, can you, auto and my remote handle it all.
Saratoga
Active Member
Definitely agree on the remote control as well. I didn’t have room to install a separate helm at the stern so the only practical way to allow me steering from the stern was an autopilot with a remote. It’s great not having to ask guests to keep the boat straight while you set/check the lines. And I‘ll reiterate the point Searun made about the pump size ... you definitely want the next size up. In strong wind/current, a smaller undersized (or just barely sufficient size) pump will really struggle to keep you on track.
One thing I’m still working on is the ability to adjust my speed remotely. I’ve integrated my Yamaha electronics with my Garmin chartplotter (It’s just a single cable that connects into the chartplotter) which gives me all the engine metrics on the chartplotter. It also allows me to adjust my RPM’s using the Garmin ActiveCaptain app on my iPhone. It works really well. It does seem to chew up battery life on the phone pretty quickly and the phone screen can be somewhat difficult to read in strong sunlight. But it works ... careful not to drop your phone overboard when tweaking speed though
. I’m considering installing another chartplotter near my stern so I can just have the engine controls on the display and can tap the screen to adjust the speed as needed. All I’d need is a NMEA2K cable connected into the backbone and it will work very well. Always another way to spend money on electronics. But the functionality has really come a long way.
One thing I’m still working on is the ability to adjust my speed remotely. I’ve integrated my Yamaha electronics with my Garmin chartplotter (It’s just a single cable that connects into the chartplotter) which gives me all the engine metrics on the chartplotter. It also allows me to adjust my RPM’s using the Garmin ActiveCaptain app on my iPhone. It works really well. It does seem to chew up battery life on the phone pretty quickly and the phone screen can be somewhat difficult to read in strong sunlight. But it works ... careful not to drop your phone overboard when tweaking speed though
. I’m considering installing another chartplotter near my stern so I can just have the engine controls on the display and can tap the screen to adjust the speed as needed. All I’d need is a NMEA2K cable connected into the backbone and it will work very well. Always another way to spend money on electronics. But the functionality has really come a long way.
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eriks
Active Member
I had a Garmin Reactor unit installed and really liked the ability to just grab the wheel in an emergency, as opposed to the older system where you had to hit a button to disengage it. They called it Shadow Drive. I’m sure all other systems now have it too. I didn’t like the heading sensor on my Garmin unit, had to very often reset North, even though I kept tools and all other metallic/magnetic items away from it.
I have a Seastar Optimus steering system now, and use their Seaways autopilot and they have a great heading sensor. I’ve never needed to reset it. It integrates very well with my Garmin MFD
I have a Seastar Optimus steering system now, and use their Seaways autopilot and they have a great heading sensor. I’ve never needed to reset it. It integrates very well with my Garmin MFD
Rain City
Crew Member
I'm getting more and more excited about this. I really hope the rudder issue doesn't make it suck for my rig.
noluck
Well-Known Member
they work perfect with rudders
Rain City
Crew Member
Not sure if you're joking...
I was told that there may not be enough "rudder" with just the kicker so it may be fighting the condo. I have no idea what I'm talking about though.
fishin solo
Crew Member
I think you should just pod it already..... no more issues with autopilots and kickers
searun
Well-Known Member
Forgot to mention, that you may want to look at your house battery situation. AP does draw additional current. I have so many things running, I have gone to 2 house batteries and a 100w solar panel. My poor batteries were taking a beating. 3 GPS chart plotters+ 2 radios +1 AIS + AP + 3 down riggers + stereo + phone charger = poor over worked battery
wildthing
Well-Known Member
just AP the mains and tie the kicker in put a rudder sensor N2K on the mains ...
wildthing
Well-Known Member
and whats wrong with davis bay and having a bertram on the coast.....lol i do but Gibsons
Rain City
Crew Member
Oh God nothing at all, that's the dream!
