good questions I cant wait to hear the answers I fish alone some as well maybe we can get together next season.

I also fish alone alot we could all get together stay in touch. "reel it in "

This was discussed a great lentgh a few weeks ago, use the search feature of the mesage board and I'm sure it will find what you are looking for.

John S.

I just have finish installing an AP12R rotary cable autopilot from Simrad. The GPS interface is NMEA 0183. Bought it from BOE for just under $1000, free shipping. The manual can be downloaded from Manual. The manual is very good in explanation of removing existing and installing the autopilot helm.

Most small boats have rotary cable steering systems and the next most popular steering is hydraulic. There is only one autopilot for rotary cables systems and that is the AP12R, that I’m aware of. There are a lot of hydraulics and a few other mongrel types for sail boats.

The NMEA 2000 is not compatible with NMEA 0183, if you think that you need the 2000 features then you could get a Translator. Your GPS will give you steering info on one of its display pages, with that info you can perform the necessary maneuvers to steer to waypoints. The AP12 has a feature where you can adjust heading in 1 degree increments for manual coarse adjustments. With the GPS, you can still setup routes containing multiple waypoints and just manual steer to the new waypoint, good to use in fog to get home, etc.

Dr. Ghost: Thanks for the link and info. I have a Lowrance 337c, just about exactly the same as your buddy Salty's unit. I just checked the manual and it says my Lowrance actually has one NMEA 0183 ver 2 data port for exporting data via the older NMEA 0183 standard....so this should work with the Simrad then? I assume my steering is a rotary cable type, I will need to check with alumacraft. Did you do the installation all yourself? How difficult was it?

I did the entire installation with my own two hands, although I could have used a third hand at times because of the limited access space.

Ghost:

Yeah, its seems the old third hand is a little slow to evolve in we humans. I think I'll download the manual as you suggested before I take the plunge. But I'm leaning towards it...I fish alone so much and in some cases all it takes is some wind and chop to really take a lot of the fun out of it. An autopilot would "free the slave" and allow me to really enjoy fishing more. Thanks for the feedback.

Eric

My barge is tough in the wind when I'm alone, do you guys really think it will keep me on course ???

I'm looking at it hard myself.

John S.

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Replying to:

Ghost:

Yeah, its seems the old third hand is a little slow to evolve in we humans. I think I'll download the manual as you suggested before I take the plunge. But I'm leaning towards it...I fish alone so much and in some cases all it takes is some wind and chop to really take a lot of the fun out of it. An autopilot would "free the slave" and allow me to really enjoy fishing more. Thanks for the feedback.

Eric

John S. : I talked with a Simrad guy this am and checked out their web site. They claim that the unit senses the conditions and adjusts to keep you on course. This capability appears to have a lot to do with the computer - compass interface. The software analyzes the changes in heading. Presumably under windy conditions that could spin you off course faster, the software detects this and then compensates by more aggressively keeping on top of the steering corrections needed to stay on course.

While it might sound like I know something....I don't. All I know is it would be a HUGE relief to be able to fish by myself and not struggle with boat all the time. It got to the point where late in the season if I could not find someone to go out I'd just stay home. With a working autopilot I just might have gone out a few more times.

John, you’re only going this way one time, so you might as well enjoy it with an autopilot, just dedicate one of those SS checks to the autopilot.

The autopilot will probably not handle some of the more sever winds that you go out in and everybody else is sitting at home. What it will do is give time to get back to helm so that you can whip the steering around to correct your course. In normal conditions with winds up to 15 to 20 mph it should do a fair job.

Hey Gus,

Do you know anybody, say within 20 miles or so of Billerica that could help me install one. I know a guy up in Hudson, NH that can do most anything, maybe I can get him to give me a hand.

If I buy one now it will snow the next day and all winter, so I'll probably get one over the winter, along with a real radio and 8' antena, etc. and when the weather breaks early spring, do it up. Does it help if the boat is in the water.

John S.

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Replying to:

John, you’re only going this way one time, so you might as well enjoy it with an autopilot, just dedicate one of those SS checks to the autopilot.

The autopilot will probably not handle some of the more sever winds that you go out in and everybody else is sitting at home. What it will do is give time to get back to helm so that you can whip the steering around to correct your course. In normal conditions with winds up to 15 to 20 mph it should do a fair job.

I’ll give you a hand installing the unit no problem. Late March should be a good time with the weather getting warmer. You install every thing on land and do a preliminary check out to see that every thing works and then on a calm day on the water you calibrate the flux compass, then you are good to go.

To access the steering helm, do you have an access panel or do get access from underneath the helm?

Pretty easy to get at from several doors. If needed, I'll have Thy (small Cambodian) available to help.

I really appreciate the offer to help, your a good man Gus. I'll be in touch.

I think Salty should get one, then he (or the Peggy C) might know the difference between Center Harbor and that other place he fished allot this Fall, I forget the name at the moment, brain cramp, LOL.

Thanks again,

John S.

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Replying to:

I’ll give you a hand installing the unit no problem. Late March should be a good time with the weather getting warmer. You install every thing on land and do a preliminary check out to see that every thing works and then on a calm day on the water you calibrate the flux compass, then you are good to go.

To access the steering helm, do you have an access panel or do get access from underneath the helm?

John S., Grey Ghost...

John -- after a little more research two things to point out that appear to be the biggest issues. First, you need to determined what type of steering system you have, radial cable or hydraulic, and then what specific type. Like Gus I have a radial cable, my guess is you do too. After a little homework I found out my specific make of steering system is a "Teleflex no feedback." From there you look up what you extra parts you need (if any) from a chart in the Simrad installation manual. You also need to know the make / angle of your steering bezel (mine is a Teleflex 90 deg). From all this it appears my installation is "relatively" simple in that at least I don't have to replace the steering cable and I don't need a cable adapter. All I need is a bezel adapter (for the 90 deg teleflex).

Now here's the hard part for me, and perhaps for you given your "barge" boat configuration: where to put the bloody flux compass? Simrad recommends the ideal location is the center point of boat (ie., midship / center line). Issues are (i) the compass is supposed to be protected from the elements (away from rain / sun) and (ii) it should be at least 2-3 ft. away from potential sources of interference (power cables, radio or radio cables, batteries and basically anything else that is ferrous or generates an electrical field). This is a real problem for me. I don't have any "below deck" space, just a few storage compartments, the closest to the center point holds my trolling motor batteries! Under my console (off to the right side) would be the most protected spot, but thats where all the power cables come in to my fuse box. I may have a real problem finding where and how to install the compass in a good spot...

Grey Ghost, any ideas for John or myself on the compass issue?

That's why I yelled for "HELP" from Gus, if anyone can come up with an answer it's him.

In the meantime, I'm going tp call my Marina and see ifthey can answer a few of the questions or if they have installed any ????

John S.

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Replying to:

John S., Grey Ghost...

John -- after a little more research two things to point out that appear to be the biggest issues. First, you need to determined what type of steering system you have, radial cable or hydraulic, and then what specific type. Like Gus I have a radial cable, my guess is you do too. After a little homework I found out my specific make of steering system is a "Teleflex no feedback." From there you look up what you extra parts you need (if any) from a chart in the Simrad installation manual. You also need to know the make / angle of your steering bezel (mine is a Teleflex 90 deg). From all this it appears my installation is "relatively" simple in that at least I don't have to replace the steering cable and I don't need a cable adapter. All I need is a bezel adapter (for the 90 deg teleflex).

Now here's the hard part for me, and perhaps for you given your "barge" boat configuration: where to put the bloody flux compass? Simrad recommends the ideal location is the center point of boat (ie., midship / center line). Issues are (i) the compass is supposed to be protected from the elements (away from rain / sun) and (ii) it should be at least 2-3 ft. away from potential sources of interference (power cables, radio or radio cables, batteries and basically anything else that is ferrous or generates an electrical field). This is a real problem for me. I don't have any "below deck" space, just a few storage compartments, the closest to the center point holds my trolling motor batteries! Under my console (off to the right side) would be the most protected spot, but thats where all the power cables come in to my fuse box. I may have a real problem finding where and how to install the compass in a good spot...

Grey Ghost, any ideas for John or myself on the compass issue?

This is a picture of my boat 2006 version, the compass was mounted in the bow compartment on the center line in the area of the small green rectangle.




You get the 90 degree mounting bezel with the installation kit as shown in this picture




This is a picture of my console, the autopilot control is mounted to the top right of the steering wheel on the tan rectangular plate. That is an engineering plate that covers up a 3.25” hole, had to move the RPM/time meter to the bottom right between the steering spokes, had an interference issue, also gave me a place to mount the control.
My helm was a Teleflex no feedback.

Correction; the control was mounted to the top left of the steering wheel

The compass issue; take a hand held compass like in kids toys, hiking etc. and do a survey of the area that you want to use to mount the autopilot compass and see if there are any magnetic fields being generated or metals that would disrupt the natural magnetic field. The worst offender would be speakers and especially when they are powered. When doing the survey; power up the boat with all the electronics on and working normally.

Great idea on the compass check Gus. Thanks for all the info.

Hey, is your boat an Alumacraft? What is the make and model? It looks very similar to my boat / floor plan (I have an '04 Alumacraft Magnum 175 cs). Have you shaken down the autopilot after mounting the compass so far forward? My only other idea was to find a way to get below the flooring mid-ship (through a drain?) and put it on top of the gas tank. I don't have a water-tight compartment forward on my boat, the "Navigator" had that, mine has two forward storage bins which are actually one open area below the port / startboard hatches. I may have to create a tupperware "house" for the compass or something along those lines...

My boat is 2000 Lund Tyee. I’ve check out the autopilot and it is all functional. I used the compass and simulated a turn to port and starboard and sent it a waypoints from Moosehead and Lake Ontario, so it functional. The next step is to calibrate the compass by making a slow turn on a calm sunny day. BTW, the compass calibration will take out any residual error, the survey is to minimize any gross magnetic interferences.
Check out Radio Shack or some other electronic retailer on line for a plastic electrical box.

Thanks Gus. The Lunds and Alumacraft are very similar, the floor plans are too. Good fishing boats. The "only" thing I'm missing is that water-tight compartment. An electrical box sounds like the answer. I'll need to get something sturdy / heavy duty as I store a lot of heavy stuff up forward (anchor, chain etc.).

Since you have the same steering system (Teleflex no feedback), I presume you did NOT need to replace the cable, is that correct? Was it pretty simply to thread out the cable and thread it in to the drive unit?

Used the original cable; there is one bolt and nut on the helm near the cable entrance that secures the cable sleeve, remove it and turn the wheel and the cable comes out, pushing the helm away from the cable sleeve. The helm has to be removed from the console to accomplish the removal. It is easy; the hard part is access to get it done a third hand would come in handy.

Gus, access I have, its pretty much wide open "inside" my console, but I don't have a third hand. I may need to grow one.

Thanks for all your great input. I am going to make the leap and buy the AP14R. I'm thinking the 14R display (vs. none of 12R) will help with calibration and learning the ropes. I would love to check out your installation if you are close by and don't mind when I come up to "the gathering." Looking forward to meeting you and some of the others on the board...I'm going stir crazy and its only December!

I’m from southern NH, Hudson, your welcome to take a look at my installation when you come up for the Gathering, just E-mail me.

Sounds great Gus, thanks. Hey, in southern NH at least you're close to Winni! I just got approval from my "minister of free time" (my wife) to get the AP14R. This is going to increase my enjoyment big time when fishing alone. I also just ordered a Fishlander planer mast. Next is a couple of Big J. otter boats and I'm ready for the spring.

Eric