Autopilot Mysteriously switchs to Standby

[jmolinelli]

Occasionally my engaged autopilot mysteriously switches itself to Standby for no apparent reason -- it happens infrequently (once every few hours of use) but otherwise unpredictably. My system is a 2002 vintage ST6001 with a 150 Course computer. The network is a mix of Seatalk and Seatalk NG since I had to upgrade the GPS antennae to a 130. The NG blocks (there are two of them) are properly terminated.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what might cause this behavior ad/or how to fix it?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum jmolinelli,

Does this problem occur when the autopilot is operated in AUTO mode? If so, it is recommended that you verify that the autopilot's power circuit has been isolated from that of high current drawing devices (ex. winches, pumps, mascerators, etc.), as such devices may cause momentary brown-out. It is also possible that weak or discharged batteries could cause the reported issue. Should the autopilot's power circuit be properly isolated, then it would be recommended that the batteries be load tested and/or charged when such conditions occur.

Should the problem occur only when operating in TRACK mode, then the problem may be data related. In such cases, it would be recommended that a system diagram of the vessel's marine electronics system be attached to a response for further analysis.