Auto pilot hardover

[trapper]

A question regarding my AP . When using the Sabiki (holding position with auto back troll mode) or even stopped and the steering is hard over with the auto pilot reaching its port or starboard limit the Ap cannot return it, I need to manually return (unstick) it with a jerk of the steering wheel and then all is well. It has always done this even after bleeding the system numerous times. Since I never "hard over" while cruising or forward trolling it has never been a problem. Just questioning if the pump size has anything to do with that. It is suppose to be an efficiant size pump per Furruno specs. Furuno does not have an answer to my issue, so sending it out to the many gurus on GG. Appreciate any suggestions. Thanks

 

[Halfhitch]

On a Raymarine AP in the commissioning phase, there is a choice of how many degrees do you want the AP to steer stop to stop. Yours may have that choice and if it gets beyond the set range, it may not be willing to try until you bring it back into its range. Just a guess.

 

[trapper]

Thanks Halfhitch, will pour over the installation bible and see if that could be the issue. My questions to Mr. Furuno did not arrive with any answers.

 

[Halfhitch]

I am not familiar with the ability to hold boat attitude in a back-troll situation with the AP. A cool feature for sure. Let us know what is causing the snafu if you find the answer elsewhere.

 

[trapper]

Yes Halfhitch, I chose Furuno NavPilot 300 for its Geture controll (point and shoot with the remote controll to change direction from anywhere on the boat). Sabiki mode.... It is in the Sabiki mode that when hard over it won't return without an assist from the wheel.

 

[Halfhitch]

Thats a very interesting feature. It kinda sounds like you need to speak with a Furuno tech to get to the bottom of that glitch. I do wonder if it hangs up in both port and starboard hardover situations or only in one direction?

 

[trapper]

Yes Halfhitch, it hangsd up on both starboard and port hardover. I have talked on line with their gurus on the Furuno Forum and their suggestion was a in line hydraulic bleeding was necessary. Have done that more than once to be sure, but still the issue persists. I'm thinking I may have to increase the the pump pressure (a bigger pump) although they say the one I have should do the job. All is ok though, I live in paradise and I can still can fish "going forward" just like most others........but I will persist.

 

[Doc Stressor]

I would first try and re-do the dockside setup. From my experience, you need to start and the beginning and go through the whole routine. You can't jump to a specific section.

It is possible that when you told the unit where the hard over points were you could have forced the piston too tight. Or by bleeding the system and getting rid of some air you could have slightly changed the hydraulic pressure.

Try configuring it again and as stop as soon as you feel resistance at the port and starboard hard over positions.

 

[trapper]

Thanks Doc, I will try configuring as suggested and see if I can bring Sabiki mode back to working order. I believe you have the same Nav Pilot 300. Do you use the Sabiki mode?

 

[Doc Stressor]

Thanks Doc, I will try configuring as suggested and see if I can bring Sabiki mode back to working order. I believe you have the same Nav Pilot 300. Do you use the Sabiki mode?

I found that using Sabiki mode out in the Gulf is not practical. The 2 ft short chop splashes over the stern. It also required one guy to be at the helm to work the throttle. The new Suzuki digital integration looks interesting since it will automatically control the throttle in Subiki mode. I still think it would only be useful in low sea conditions.

 

[trapper]

Because of our flat water days here off Vancoiver Island It would be a useful way of putting the boat the boat in a holding pattern for our prawning trips. Where positioning the traps fairly precisely is imprtant for posative results. Since traps are placed up to 400 ft in depth, with wind and tide affect, by the time you get them down one could miss the location wanted. Have always tried to aticipate the drift with a waypoint marking the spot and checking the drift before sending down the traps. Could eliminate that guess work.

 

[Doc Stressor]

Should work fine on flat water days.

 

[ROBERTH]

My Lowrance pilot one system does the same thing. Once it goes hard over, it will get stuck. Just thought that was part of the hydraulics angle of the tie rod. Just a manual turn of the wheel, it will unstick and not have any issue unless it has to go hardover again. Only does it on one side. Not sure if there is a limiter in the settings.

 

[Halfhitch]

When I was setting up my AP (raymarine), I manually turned the wheel lock to lock and noted the max angle readout on the controller. In the settings for limiting the amount of stroke the AP can induce, I subtracted 5 degrees in each direction so the AP would never turn to full lock. In Trappers case, where he only has the problem in the Sabiki mode, I can't help but think it has to do with some short sightedness on the part of the designers when they were writing the programs. If the problem goes away in later models, then it's possible an update for Trapper may eliminate the glitch.

 

[trapper]

Halfhitch, I guess I did not clarify, It is not just in Sabiki mode. If I hold down the port of starboard activation buttons on the controller until hardover they will not return "stuck" until I manualy jerk the wheek to unstick them and then the AP reponds. Since I have never gone hardover when running it never showed up, but belive the same issue would be there. I am in the process of reprogramming the AP from scratch, but having an issue with bringing up the "dockside set up". Once it has been used it is reluctant to return for another go at it. There are intructions for bringing it back up, but I am getting no responce from the controller with my attempts. Thank Halfhitch, I will check for updates and persist.

 

[ROBERTH]

I wonder if there is a way to place some type of small diameter spacer on the ram so that it limits how far it can move to full extent? Like maybe an O-Ring or something, but prefer something that could be installed without dis-assembly. Something that would clamp on the ram for example.

 

[Halfhitch]

There are intructions for bringing it back up, but I am getting no responce from the controller with my attempts

Brian, I wonder if you may have to do a factory reset to get it to open the "set-up" program??? It would clear all the other special parameters you have set and you would have to re-enter them, but that may be the cost.

 

[trapper]

Thanks John, having a bit of difficulty getting to the factory reset as the little box does not follow instructions at the moment... The Furuno folk have sent me the direction (which is also in the installation bible ) but so far negative responce. Just matter of erasing the memory and starting over. It appears to have much stronger memory than this ageing skipper.

 

[Halfhitch]

Ha Ha Ha....Trapper we are cut of the same cloth. All this button pushing and seeing all these magic black boxes making pretty pictures and numbers on a screen is more than confusing. I do want to make sure that you save all your waypoints onto an SD card and remove the card from the MFD before starting that reset operation, so you don't lose them.

 

[trapper]

Yes Halfhitch good point, re "way points". Speaking of which, returned to my favourite prawning grounds and productive waypoints on my GPS. Anyway I guess someone had marked my spots on his GPS last visit and set on my marks where I had been setting. We usually leave them for a few hour and fish or an extended lunch on the water so I got marked, usually by guys who don't have a clue what they are doing and need a little free guidance. We relocated and did well anyway.