I've installed a couple of these, and yes... they work great. Holds course very well, even in rough conditions. Also has many trolling patterns, in different sizes.
The s1000 uses gps course over ground, (cog) info from either Raymarine's "Seatalk" or any nmea 0183, (which most gps units provide). There's no rudder reference unit and no flux gate compass, (like other ap's) which makes the install a lot simpler. A course computer, (control box) the pump and the remote... that's it.
One thing that really impressed me was, they provide everything to do the install... wrenches, drill bits, wire ties, fluid, you name it.
I don't know about other brands of hydraulic steering, but with Teleflex/Seastar, it's a piece of cake. The pump lines simply get "T'd" onto the helm. Just swap out the existing fittings with the provided "T" fittings.
One draw back is, the supplied pump lines are only about 2 feet long, so you have to mount the pump close to the helm. I guess if you had to, you could go to a hydraulic shop and have longer hoses fabricated, or added-on. The pump also has to be mounted below, (lower) the helm.
Another is the power button they provide. If you do any web searching about the s1000, your sure to find people complaining about it, and rightly so... it's big and it's ugly! It's been referred to as the "ronald mcdonald" switch, lol. Just use any on-board switch that's rated for about 10 amps, or install a separate one that's easy to get at in case you need to do a quick, emergency shut-down.
I have seen some minor "quirks"... one is.... sometimes the boat will over-shoot it's turn, when you "track" to a way-point. It only happens on the initial start, after that it holds course fine and makes smooth, minor adjustments. It also depends on the direction of the turn. If say, the way-point is 45 degrees to the right, it will over-shoot... if it's 45 degrees to the left, it won't. Imo, it may have something to do with how well your steering is "balanced". By that, I mean how much torque, (at the wheel). If it's easier to steer in one direction, than the other, the ap will sometimes turn faster and more aggressively in the "easier" direction. So, the more balanced your steering is, the smoother the s1000 will perform.
Also... basic "Pilot" mode simply holds your existing heading, (no way-point). Works well, from what I've seen. No aggressive or violent turns involved... but they recommend you hold course for at least 10 seconds before activating pilot mode. That way, your gps has a better "cog".
