autopilot

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qbgrady

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looking for some advice on which autopilot to get for my 208 Adventurer . thanks
 
qbgrady said:
looking for some advice on which autopilot to get for my 208 Adventurer . thanks
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there are many good ones but i would try and get the brand you have for other electronics because often there are integration features.
 
I have the Furuno Nav pilot 300. Great AP with remote point and shoot, have it connected to My Furuno and Lowrance MFD
 
The first question is what type of steering and electronics do you have. I am in the process of installing one on my 208.
I am having to convert over to hydraulic steering. I did not have enough room under my helm to use my cable steering.
 
They all require hydraulic steering since they use a pump. I don't think they make APs that work with manual steering anymore. I had a King unit back in the day that used an electric motor that fit under the steering wheel.

I have a Furuno Nav Pilot 300 like Trapper's. It works very well and is robustly built. It makes the other outboard APs look like toys. The remote with the gesture feature is very convenient for dodging crab traps and other boats. It has a sabiki mode that is supposed to hold the boat a fixed position with the engine in reverse. I find that this is only useful on the rare days where the wind and current are coming from the same direction. The flux gate magnetic compass is good, but it is not fully water proof and needs to be mounted in a protected location.

I use mine with a Simrad NSS Evo3. Like all the other APs, it is recognized as another NMMA 2000 device by the MFD. The point being that they all work with any NMMA 2000 compatible MFD. Integration with the native software is really not as important as you might think. If I had a Simrad AP, I would be able to go directly to the AP steering function by tapping a waypoint on a chart twice. But with the Furuno, after selecting the way point on the chart, I just have to press a button on the control unit or the remote to start the steering function. So no big deal.

If you have at SImrad or Lowrance MFD, there is some advantage to using the more expensive satellite compass. I was on a boat with one of these and they are really fast and accurate. They are also water proof and can be mounted in an exposed location like on a T-top.
 
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SiTex makes a nice aftermarket unit that works as standalone or via NMMA 2000 when connected to your GPS. I would have to agree that one sync'd to your exisiting electroncis would be more robust but if $$ is of concern there work well. This is what I have connect to my Garmin units
 
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might be good to list what you have for electronics to ensure compatibility.
 
Yamaha makes an electric steering "cylinder" now, im curious if one could retro fit that and utilize yamahas new helmaster autopilot. My guess is you have install the full suite of helmaster to get the AP. Would be cool if they sold a kit with a helm, electric cylinder and a basic AP controller. It also seems that any of the helm master stuff is dealer only install...

Have heard great things about the Simrad AP systems, they even play nice with garmin products. Heard bad things about the garmin autopilot programs.
 
doug228 said:
Yamaha makes an electric steering "cylinder" now, im curious if one could retro fit that and utilize yamahas new helmaster autopilot. My guess is you have install the full suite of helmaster to get the AP. Would be cool if they sold a kit with a helm, electric cylinder and a basic AP controller. It also seems that any of the helm master stuff is dealer only install...

Have heard great things about the Simrad AP systems, they even play nice with garmin products. Heard bad things about the garmin autopilot programs.
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I think the cost of standalone all electronic steering is somewhere near $5k. Hopefully it will come down soon because the integration will be amazing.

The Garmin Compact Reactor AP is useless. Need to step up to the SmartPump models ($$$) for them to work well.

I’ve heard good things about the Sitex for something simple and straightforward.

Anyone with Simrad or Lowrance use the Outboard Pilot coupled with their MFD? I’m thinking of heading this route with my 208 using an EVO3 and a separate standby button for safety.
 
I have the Lowrance Live 12" units with the Outboard Pilot system and love it. Easy install and works perfectly. No idea how I survived without it so long.
 
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ROBERTH said:
I have the Lowrance Live 12" units with the Outboard Pilot system and love it. Easy install and works perfectly. No idea how I survived without it so long.
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Perfect. $1000 to integrate with my evo3 is sounding a lot better than $2500 for the standalone AP44 Medium system. Any issues with controlling solely from the Live 12s?
 
The integration is very easy. I am actually impressed! The audio and Autopilot hides on the left side of the screen. Just swipe it out and the menu/buttons are all there. Immediate response.
I run with twin 200 HPDI Yamaha's on a tiebar with single hydraulic cylinder and it is no issue. Mounted the pump under the helm behind a panel. Easy installation and way cheaper.
Have been using it to take us offshore out about 50-60 miles and back for last 2 years and it is a great 3rd hand when both of us are reeling in the fish and even when trolling.
 
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