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Boat Forum / Sailing / July 2009Raymarine tiller pilot constant beep
Spent this weekend on the boat playing with the toys left by the previous owner. Put waypoints into the GPS, and it did what I hoped, so I'm pleased with that. Used the anchor for the first time, and though manual windlass is slow, it's definitely easier than hauling that huge chunk of steel off the bottom. What gave me some grief, though, is the Raymarine tiller pilot. It's either and ST1000 or an ST2000 (I didn't note it before I left the boat). The problem is that as soon as I plug it in it starts beeping... well, it's not a beep, it's just a continuous tone. There's no display, and pushing the buttons have no effect. It just goes "eeeeeeeeee" and doesn't stop until I unplug it. Any ideas why this might be, or how I might track down the problem? I've looked at the Raymarine web-site but there troubleshooting page came up with nothing. I don't know if the previous owner ever actually used it, it is possible it's wired incorrectly; that's something I'll have to look into when I have a little more time. Thank you for any suggestions or help you are able to give. Justin.  SignatureJustin C, by the sea. >Spent this weekend on the boat playing with the toys left by the >previous owner. Put waypoints into the GPS, and it did what I hoped, so [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Justin. Tiller pilots are not waterproof. That goes for both Raymarine and Simrad. My guess is that yours has corrosion (or even remaining water) somewhere inside. It's not hard to open up and take a peek. You won't be unsealing any magic water resistant seals or anything. Just remove all the screws and pry apart the two halves. I made a simple cover for mine by sliping on a gallon sized zip lock bag with a small hole for the pushrod. I then wrapped a ring of tape around it at the open end to keep it on. You don't want to cover the vent area on the underside, near where the pilot mounts to the bracket on the boat. The clear baggie enables me to operate the buttons and read the display, but protects it somewhat from rain and splashes. >>Spent this weekend on the boat playing with the toys left by the >>previous owner. Put waypoints into the GPS, and it did what I hoped, so [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > The clear baggie enables me to operate the buttons and read the > display, but protects it somewhat from rain and splashes. I have a ST2000. Unplug it (this removes any previous settings), plug it in again. If it still goes eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit is ****ed. As noted elsewhere these units are not very waterproof. They are assembled using steel screws which rust and the case cannot be dismantled without destroying the case. Expect to pay about £150 (which includes a new casing) for a repair; when you get it back replace the steel screws with SS to save money next time it fails. SNIPPED > I have a ST2000. Unplug it (this removes any previous settings), plug it > in [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > casing) for a repair; when you get it back replace the steel screws with > SS to save money next time it fails. On reflection, this is a bit brief. As it is making some sort of noise it is highly unlikely to be due to a wiring fault. If after plugging it in, it does not go eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, but makes a short bleep, you are in with a chance. DO NOT touch the 'Auto' or 'Standby' buttons. As you have just plugged it in, it is in the standby mode and it does not know about any external information, such as connection to a GPS. What happens next depends on whether the ram is fully retracted, partially extended or fully extended, and also if the unit is set for port or starboard cockpit mounting. Assuming the ram is set for port mounting, and the ram is not fully extended, press either of the port change of course buttons. The ram should extend. If the ram is fully extended press a starboard button, the ram should retract. (For starboard mounting, reverse the port/starboard buttons). Providing the ram is moving it might be OK. To check the compass. Put the ram in the midway position. Press the 'Auto' button. Move the unit on its pivot as if the boat was changing course. The ram should start to move in and out automatically as you waggle the unit around. As the Craptain mentions, there are no limit switches. If, in Auto mode, it looses the course and the ram is fully extended (or fully retracted) for a time (~30 secs?) it will alarm with a continuosus eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, but this is a safety feature to warn it not following a course. >SNIPPED >> [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] >time (~30 secs?) it will alarm with a continuosus eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, but >this is a safety feature to warn it not following a course. Go back and read the original post. The display is blank and the push rod it does not respond to pushing of any buttons. It's broken, Chief. Most likely cause is corrosion, which is a chronic problem with all tiller pilots, not just Raymarine. Second possible problem is that previous owner allowed it to run with the push rod either fully extended or fully retracted, with the motor straining and the alarm beeping until the motor burned out. I know someone who added limit switches to his ST1000. He uses his in conjunction with a wind Vane steering system. His ST1000 is mounted down inside a lazerette, where he is not aware if it goes into full extension or retraction and sounds the alarm. He modified it after burning out a motor. >>SNIPPED >>> [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] > Go back and read the original post. The display is blank and the push > rod it does not respond to pushing of any buttons. Actually, the Auto and Standby buttons were the only ones I tried - I got fed up with the noise. I didn't try the other buttons (couldn't see the point, it sounded broke). > It's broken, Chief. I'll give it another try, and then pull it apart. > Most likely cause is corrosion, which is a chronic problem with all > tiller pilots, not just Raymarine. Second possible problem is that > previous owner allowed it to run with the push rod either fully > extended or fully retracted, with the motor straining and the alarm > beeping until the motor burned out. Then it becomes a project! > I know someone who added limit switches to his ST1000. He uses his in > conjunction with a wind Vane steering system. His ST1000 is mounted > down inside a lazerette, where he is not aware if it goes into full > extension or retraction and sounds the alarm. He modified it after > burning out a motor. I think I could figure that out on paper, but I'm not enough of an engineer to make it. Justin. SignatureJustin C, by the sea. >>> SNIPPED >>>> I have a ST2000. Unplug it (this removes any previous settings), plug it [quoted text clipped - 70 lines] > > Justin. Its possible it's suffering from voltage drop due to corrosion at it's connector. See if you can shift the cover screws without breaking anything. If so, open it up (the whole top comes off) and inspect the circuit board for water damage. DO NOT attempt to remove the board or motor assembly from the lower case half unless you have experience with delicate electronics. . . If the board looks all right, plug it in *without* fitting it to the tiller and check there is at least 12V at the supply terminals spade connectors (the thick wires in its cable) at the circuit board. If not, find which connection in the circuit is corroded and fix it. If you *have* got 12V at the board, its probably a job for Raymarine. A good board will power up and operate normally with no motor connected, so you might want to disconnect the motor and try again in case the motor has shorted. If the board is obviously ****ed, you may want to disconnect the motor and test the motor and ram assembly with a 12V supply. Run it end to end and reverse the supply to the motor to go the other way but as there are no limit switches, DO NOT leave the 12V connected to the supply. If the motor OR the board is OK its probably worth getting fixed. Talk to Raymarine in any case. Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly, taking care to get the wires in the right place in the lower case and to get the gasket in it's groove evenly and fully seated before tightening down the screws. Put all the screws in, turning them back slightly to find the existing thread in the plastic (if it cuts a new thread it *will* weaken the bush and next time it will probably strip) before screwing them in till the heads just touch, then follow a diagonal tightening pattern like fitting a cylinder head, working out from the middle. Get them medium tight, then go round again tightening them as much as you dare without stripping the plastic thread in the casing. A cover is essential if there is any rain or spray about. The force on the push rod is transmitted to the mounting pin via the case and of course it flexes slightly and often leaks. Always wipe it down before stowing it and don't stow it buttons down or any damp that has got in will eat the circuit board. SignatureIan Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED) ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk [at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & >32K emails --> NUL: > A cover is essential if there is any rain or spray about. Why are they still making such a crappy device? A machine designed to be used in the cockpit of a small yacht and it's apparently not even splashproof? Pete >> A cover is essential if there is any rain or spray about. > >Why are they still making such a crappy device? A machine designed to be >used in the cockpit of a small yacht and it's apparently not even >splashproof? because the only competition can get away with it too? SignatureMartin >>> A cover is essential if there is any rain or spray about. >> Why are they still making such a crappy device? A machine designed to be >> used in the cockpit of a small yacht and it's apparently not even >> splashproof? > because the only competition can get away with it too? Indeed. I was going to write "surely there's a gap in the market for a new company to offer a waterproof tillerpilot - I'd pay a reasonable premium for that", until I realised that within months of this going on the market the incumbents would probably start manufacturing the waterproof designs I'm sure they have stored away[1], and put the upstart out of business. Do these things get hot in use? If not, ie no ventilation requirements, as soon as I buy one I'll be modifying it for water resistance. Pete [1] Don't tell me that no engineer at that company has tried to pitch a waterproof version and been told it doesn't fit their product strategy at the moment >>>> A cover is essential if there is any rain or spray about. > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >waterproof version and been told it doesn't fit their product strategy >at the moment Heh! Next you'll be suggesting a cut out when the shaft reaches the limits :-) and that Raymarine buys the top of the range, instead of the bottom of the range, of the through hull sensors from Airmar. BTW the problem I had in April with the O rings on the Raymarine log sensor was caused by them being too hard at 5C. The STS SRBs had a similar problem. SignatureMartin > Heh! Next you'll be suggesting a cut out when the shaft reaches the limits :-) > and that Raymarine buys the top of the range, instead of the bottom of the > range, of the through hull sensors from Airmar. Any commercial product is a tradeoff between quality and cost. I wouldn't suggest that Raymarine make every possible improvement to the specification, because then I wouldn't be able to afford the device. The difference with water resistance[1] is that the cost/benefit ratio is skewed so far over to one side. It doesn't seem like it would be hard to do, and the tales of failed pilots due to water ingress are legion. Pete [1] I wouldn't demand IPx7 waterproofing because there's a substantial moving part that penetrates the case; sealing this would be costly compared to the additional benefit. >> Heh! Next you'll be suggesting a cut out when the shaft reaches the limits :-) >> and that Raymarine buys the top of the range, instead of the bottom of the [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >moving part that penetrates the case; sealing this would be costly >compared to the additional benefit. If you look at what Airmar sells, you really see that we get the scrapings of the barrel. SignatureMartin > If you look at what Airmar sells, you really see that we get the scrapings of > the barrel. Perhaps I should consider building my own? About time I got back into embedded microprocessor programming. I wonder if there's a better way to connect a built-in system to the tiller? Really I want a "below decks" system, but I imagine that's not feasible with the vast majority of tiller mechanisms. Pete >> If you look at what Airmar sells, you really see that we get the scrapings of >> the barrel. > >Perhaps I should consider building my own? About time I got back into >embedded microprocessor programming. I did wonder if Airmar would sell me a nice sensor in a tube made of stainless steel instead of plastic. I noticed Airmar were advertising for agents >I wonder if there's a better way to connect a built-in system to the >tiller? Really I want a "below decks" system, but I imagine that's not >feasible with the vast majority of tiller mechanisms. In the days when the control system and motor were in different packaging a friend fitted the motor unit inside a quarter berth with only the shaft protruding. SignatureMartin >>> A cover is essential if there is any rain or spray about. >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >because the only competition can get away with it too? It's a bit of a challenge to make something like this completely sealed. It has a pushrod stcking out that moves back and forth a lot, and with a lot of pressure behind it. Just the same, I think they could make some of the internal components like the circuit board and buttons, completely and independantly sealed. The motor, unfortunately, is another story, as it not only has protruding moving parts, but is also air cooled. If you take reasonable care of the unit, and put a baggie over the most vulnerable area, it becomes a non-issue. My older unit has been used for many years in all conditions without any problem. I have opened it up occasionally to confirm things are okay, and there has never been any corrosion. >>>> A cover is essential if there is any rain or spray about. >>> [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >opened it up occasionally to confirm things are okay, and there has >never been any corrosion. The socket went long before anything else. SignatureMartin >>>>> A cover is essential if there is any rain or spray about. >>>> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > >The socket went long before anything else. The socket comes with a screw on cap (on a tether so it it always available) to protect the socket when the unit is disconnected. >>>>>> A cover is essential if there is any rain or spray about. >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] >The socket comes with a screw on cap (on a tether so it it always >available) to protect the socket when the unit is disconnected. It doesn't keep condensation from entering from the back. SignatureMartin >>>>>>> A cover is essential if there is any rain or spray about. >>>>>> [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > >It doesn't keep condensation from entering from the back. Maybe you should have read the instructions. You seem to have multiple self-inflicted problems that are easily avoided. Not many people leave exposed, unprotected connections when wiring anything on a boat. That is pretty basic. >>>>>>>> A cover is essential if there is any rain or spray about. >>>>>>> [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >Maybe you should have read the instructions. You seem to have multiple >self-inflicted problems that are easily avoided. I have remarkably few boat problems compared to what I see others posting here. > Not many people leave >exposed, unprotected connections when wiring anything on a boat. That >is pretty basic. So you potted the rear of your ST1000 socket? Exactly which part of the instructions are you referring to? SignatureMartin >>>>>> If you take reasonable care of the unit, and put a baggie over the >>>>>> most vulnerable area, it becomes a non-issue. My older unit has been [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > So you potted the rear of your ST1000 socket? <VBG> :-) </VBG> Not exactly, but . . . . I did complain bitterly about the connector having mild steel screws in the terminals. There was a batch produced that were far from corrosion resistant. DONT mount the connector on a horizontal surface. I fitted a replacement connector and applied conformal coating to the backs of all the terminals. For a wiping contact like most plugs and sockets, silicone grease is very good at reducing water damage and preventing oxidation. It is *totally* unsuitable for 'dry' or non-wiping contacts as found in switches and relays and actually increases the damage. > Exactly which part of the instructions are you referring to? If installed according to the instructions, it will be either be deep sixed within three years or a continued source of income for Raymarine. OTOH if you ignore the wrong bits of the instructions you'll be unhappy from day one. SignatureIan Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED) ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk [at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & >32K emails --> NUL: >>>>>>> If you take reasonable care of the unit, and put a baggie over the >>>>>>> most vulnerable area, it becomes a non-issue. My older unit has been [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >I did complain bitterly about the connector having mild steel screws in >the terminals. Mild steel in brass terminals? >There was a batch produced that were far from corrosion >resistant. DONT mount the connector on a horizontal surface. I fitted [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >OTOH if you ignore the wrong bits of the instructions you'll be unhappy >from day one. Mine did last more than ten years before the socket corroded. SignatureMartin >> I did complain bitterly about the connector having mild steel screws in >> the terminals. > > Mild steel in brass terminals? Yes. They were supposed to be stainless of course. I found them when investigating a lack of NMEA input. Most of the screw heads had rusted off and there was nothing left except rust holding one of the NMEA signal wires into its pin. Several of the pins had actually split round the wire entry from rust. The remains were attracted by a magnet so I suspect that somewhere in the supply chain someone was subbing ordinary steel for stainless and pocketing the difference. Raymarine weren't very happy to hear about that. :-) They had previously offered to fix it for free if the fault was something that could have been spotted at the previous service but I'd have been on the hook for at least the shipping and handling and possibly the full service cost if it was due to incorrect connection or other abuse. As I'd taken this ST2000 on with the boat and didn't know what exactly what trouble the previous owner had had other than that it had been back at least twice, I investigated myself and found I could replace the plug *and* socket for less than it would cost me to send it to them, *and* I'd have it done for a long trip that was coming up soon. The new plug looked identical but had non-magnetic screws :-) N.B. Contrary to what has been claimed elsewhere in this thread, Raymarine do NOT automatically replace the casing on all units repaired. They will repair leaks around the display and buttons with silicone sealant. I know this because my unit had two service stickers with different dates on the casing and silicone applied by the service department with a letter to say so. >> There was a batch produced that were far from corrosion >> resistant. DONT mount the connector on a horizontal surface. I fitted >> a replacement connector and applied conformal coating to the backs of >> all the terminals. SignatureIan Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED) ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk [at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & >32K emails --> NUL: >>>> SNIPPED >>>>> I have a ST2000. Unplug it (this removes any previous settings), plug it [quoted text clipped - 77 lines] >motor assembly from the lower case half unless you have experience with >delicate electronics. . . On mine the socket corroded causing erratic behaviour. >If the board looks all right, plug it in *without* fitting it to the >tiller and check there is at least 12V at the supply terminals spade >connectors (the thick wires in its cable) at the circuit board. If not, >find which connection in the circuit is corroded and fix it. > >If you *have* got 12V at the board, its probably a job for Raymarine. Good luck if he gets the same sort of customer "service" I got when I asked them about O rings. <snipped a lot of good advice> SignatureMartin [snip] > Its possible it's suffering from voltage drop due to corrosion at it's > connector. See if you can shift the cover screws without breaking > anything. If so, open it up (the whole top comes off) and inspect the > circuit board for water damage. DO NOT attempt to remove the board or > motor assembly from the lower case half unless you have experience with > delicate electronics. . . [snip] Excellent stuff, Ian. Thanks for the post. Saved for consideration. I'll take my multi-tester to the boat next time. Justin. SignatureJustin C, by the sea. >[snip] >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Justin. Brown wire - PIN 1 = +12v Blue wire - PIN 2 = GROUND PIN 3 = not used Yellow wire = PIN 4 = Seatalk Data Green wire - PIN5 = -NMEA DATA White wire - PIN6 = +NMEA DATA >>[snip] >>> [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Green wire - PIN5 = -NMEA DATA > White wire - PIN6 = +NMEA DATA It's more likely a mechanical failure. Those things have inside the case a fluxgate compass. It consists of two brass or copper rectangular plates standing tall side by side. Unfortunately due to vibration and the workings of the ram one of these standing plates can break the solder joint to the circuit board. If either of them can be wiggled by lightly trying to move them with light pressure from a finger it means a cold or broken solder joint. Removing the board and re-soldering the joint will restore it's function. Wilbur Hubbard >>>[snip] >>>> [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > Wilbur Hubbard Is that how it works on your 'Swan 64', wilma? >>>[snip] >>>> [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > Wilbur Hubbard Is that how it works on your 'Swan 64', wilma? >>>[snip] >>>> [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > Wilbur Hubbard Is that how it works on your 'Swan 64', wilma? >>>>[snip] >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] >> Wilbur Hubbard >Is that how it works on your 'Swan 64', wilma? You can ask that again and again and again ... SignatureMartin >>[snip] >>> [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >Green wire - PIN5 = -NMEA DATA >White wire - PIN6 = +NMEA DATA Manuals downloadable from the Raymarine website. SignatureMartin >>>[snip] >>>> [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > >Manuals downloadable from the Raymarine website. I don't think the manulas will offer him much help. I don't really think his problem is in the parts external to the device, but since he mentioned he wanted to test something with a meter, I gave him the pinouts. If he has enough voltage to the device to sound the beeper, he should not be looking at a blank display. He needs to open the unit and determine if it is something obvious that he can fix himself. If not, he can send it for repair or junk it. Not too many other options. The most common problem with these things is water inside. When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses before you look for zebras. > He needs to open the unit and determine if it is something obvious > that he can fix himself. If not, he can send it for repair or junk it. > Not too many other options. The most common problem with these things > is water inside. When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses before you > look for zebras. Theres certainly _something_ seriously wrong with his autopilot if he can hear horses. Cheers, P >> He needs to open the unit and determine if it is something obvious >> that he can fix himself. If not, he can send it for repair or junk it. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Theres certainly _something_ seriously wrong with his autopilot if > he can hear horses. Cheers, P If he believes anything salty dog types he's hearing a horse's arse! :-)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Wilbur Hubbard (sold the Swan, pay attention!) > > Theres certainly _something_ seriously wrong with his autopilot if > > he can hear horses. Cheers, P > > If he believes anything salty dog types he's hearing a horse's arse! Why am I not surprised that an amateur like Wilbur has never heard of the horse latitudes? > When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses before you > look for zebras. If you're sailing and you can hear hoofbeats look out for Uffa Fox. salty@dog.com wrote: > When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses before you > look for zebras. Depends on geographic area and proximity of a zoo. -is Signatureseal your e-mail: http://www.gnupg.org/ > salty@dog.com wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > -is Are you talking about Wilbur on a pedallo on the Serpentine? Justin. SignatureJustin C, by the sea. >>> When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses before you >>> look for zebras. >> >> Depends on geographic area and proximity of a zoo. > > Are you talking about Wilbur on a pedallo on the Serpentine? I don't reckon Wilbur is all that keen on horses, or zoos. I understand he finds ze bras much more fascinating. >>>> When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses before you >>>> look for zebras. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I don't reckon Wilbur is all that keen on horses, or zoos. I understand > he finds ze bras much more fascinating. It's the only support he'll get on here. >>>> When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses before you >>>> look for zebras. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >I don't reckon Wilbur is all that keen on horses, or zoos. I understand >he finds ze bras much more fascinating. He prefers girls before the age when they need one. >[snip] >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >Excellent stuff, Ian. Thanks for the post. Saved for consideration. I'll >take my multi-tester to the boat next time. You should buy a multi-tester for the boat and keep it in the boat. They are very cheap nowadays. SignatureMartin >>[snip] >>> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > You should buy a multi-tester for the boat and keep it in the boat. They > are very cheap nowadays. Maplins, about 7 quid. >>>[snip] >>>> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > >Maplins, about 7 quid. Rip off! 5 in the Netherlands LOL SignatureMartin >>>Spent this weekend on the boat playing with the toys left by the >>>previous owner. Put waypoints into the GPS, and it did what I hoped, so [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] >casing) for a repair; when you get it back replace the steel screws with SS >to save money next time it fails. I have never had a problem with the screws. I don't recall any inserts. I remember sheet metal screws directly into plastic, not machine screws and inserts. Rusted or not, they shouldn't be that hard to remove. If they seem stuck, the tip of a pencil soldering iron applied to the head will soften the plastic. I have an ST1000 that is about 9 years old and a 1 year old ST2000. I haven't opened the ST2000, so maybe newer ones have inserts for the screws. > Spent this weekend on the boat playing with the toys left by the > previous owner. Put waypoints into the GPS, and it did what I hoped, so [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Justin. Before you pop the wishbone into the brass mounting cup, plug it in and then while holding it horizontal turn it through 360 degrees. At some point the beep will stop and the telescoping arm will move out. Probably what's happening is the arm is up against the inner stop and it is trying to go in even further but can't. There is no limit switch in these things - only the alarm. Wilbur Hubbard >> Spent this weekend on the boat playing with the toys left by the >> previous owner. Put waypoints into the GPS, and it did what I hoped, so [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > >Wilbur Hubbard Bwhahahahaha! Spoken like someone who has never even seen a Raymarine ST1000 or ST2000. I own one of each. There is no "wishbone" or "brass mounting cup", and if you felt the pushrod was stuck at either extreme, for some odd reason, you would simply push the buttons to either extend or retract it. The only time I've seen the unit act that way, was while in auto mode, the arm got knocked off the post on the tiller and fully extended or retracted desperatly trying to get the boat to turn. The fix for that is to press the standby button, and then the button to extend or retract the pushrod as needed before putting it back on the post. Sheesh! >>> Spent this weekend on the boat playing with the toys left by the >>> previous owner. Put waypoints into the GPS, and it did what I hoped, so [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > > Sheesh! Sheesh your freakin' own self! I have an ST 1000 myself. But, the ST stands for SeaTalk and that designation was given it before Ray Marine bought out Autohelm. But, regardless of that, the ST 1000 is a tiller pilot and it has a gimbaled pin (the older versions had a wishbone the newer ones have the pin) that slides into a brass cup or socket. But, I am right and you are wrong. When the unit is unplugged whatever instructions the buttons had been given are gone, lost, kaput. It has no memory feature for storing presets after the plug is pulled. What it does have is a rubber detent that the shaft butts up against and an alarm sounds when it can retract or extend no further. So just stick around and wait for JustinC's reply where he thanks me for solving his problem. Wilbur Hubbard >snip< > Sheesh your freakin' own self! I have an ST 1000 myself. Isn't it asking rather a lot of an ST1000 to handle a (wheel steered) Swan 64, Wima? After all, that's what you've told us in the past that you have; or maybe you have traded down recently? What boat do you now have, Wilma? > But, I am right and you are wrong. When the unit is unplugged whatever > instructions the buttons had been given are gone, lost, kaput. It has no > memory feature for storing presets after the plug is pulled. What does it do after the plug is put back in and before it has been given a new course to steer? Surely rather than making one up at random, it powers up in standby/manual/non-steering mode in which the rod moves in or out only as instructed by button presses. I suggest Justin's problem could be that as a result of corrosion the unit thinks one of the buttons *is* being pressed, and it's attempting to pull the rod in against the end stop. |
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