Commissioning Confusion

[DFMott]

I finished the install of my EV-1, ACU-200 and P70 and did the initial setup and commissioning but I am unsure if I have major problems or not. The Dockside Wizard went smoothly. The rudder reference unit and autopilot pump checked out fine. I thought it was going to ask me if the rudder moved the correct way but it did not. I them proceeded with the sea trial but my display never showed the screen on page 46 of the manual indicating the max deviation. So I hit the restart compass menu item and it came back with a max deviation of 188 degrees. WOW - I was hoping for under 10. I thought there must be something major wrong so I took the ev-1 out of its mount and had my wife hold it 3' above the deck to see if there was some sort of interference. I reset it again and got the same - max deviation 188 degrees. So I put it back in its mount and continued.

I tried aligning the ev-1 with the GPS. That was hit or miss but the seas were not real smooth so it was not possible to hold a perfectly straight course. It did do it sucesfully 5 or 6 times. I then put it into auto and kept changing the heading and compared it to what the GPS was reading. The 2 did not always read the same - worst case was 7 degrees - best case was exactly the same but the system held its heading just fine - not sure if this indicates an issue.

I remembered reading in the manual that there was a way to display the deviation so when I got back to port I found it by hitting set-up - diagnostics - About Pilot and scrolled down and saw 0:45 for the time and 2 degrees for the deviation - but it doesn't say MAX deviation so I am not sure what that means.

Do I have major issues?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Don,

Please click here to view a FAQ addressing this subject. This FAQ addresses not only how to view the maximum deviation detected by your autopilot, but also how the short cruise to determine the deviation and vessel handling should be conducted. A problem report has been logged regarding the confusion which may be raised by large differences in the deviation reported on the control head's screen following completion of "Detecting Magnetics" and that obtained via the About Pilot feature. As you have suggested, the maximum detected deviation value may be ascertained via the command sequence MENU->SET-UP->DIAGNOSTICS->ABOUT PILOT and then examining the value listed for DEVIATION. Should the maximum detected deviation be less than the value specified within the referenced FAQ, then heading alignment may be performed. Should the maximum deviation be greater than the value specified within the referenced FAQ, then the EV-1 Sensor Core should be installed in another location where it may sense less magnetic deviation.

Please also see the referenced FAQ regarding heading alignment and the caution concerning comparisons of Heading and GPS SOG values. Heading and COG should be expected to deviate from one another due to the effects of leeway.

[DFMott]

I remember reading in the documentation to make sure you download and update the system with the latest software. I did not do this in my initial attempt. So I downloaded the software and updated both my MFD and my autopilot system. Reset everything to the factory defaults and tried again. This time it went more as I expected. I did the dockside wizard and then set out from the harbor to the open sea. I saw the bar indicating it was searching for magnetic fields. It took a few circles in both directions before it completed. When it did, it displayed a screen indicating the Max deviation was 4 degrees. The same number is shown in the pilot diagnostics. I did a few heading selections and it held the course quite impressively. I then did a cloverleaf pattern for a couple of spins and that worked well too.

I have a Teleflex power steering system and chose to go with their autopilot pump which attaches directly to their power steering pump and eliminates the need to add or cut any hydraulic lines. I also used the teleflex rudder reference smartstick which simply bolts onto their hydraulic system. It cost a little more to do it this way but it made the install much easier and they seem to be working flawlessly.

So I think I can say at this point the install was a success.

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Don,

Thanks for the follow-up message regarding the success obtained with your autopilot.