RayMarine EV-100 Autopilot Installation

colbysmith · Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 5:50 pm Post subject:

Hey Harvey,
No Coffee Cup. That's the drying chemical stuff. And it's too damn cold out there right now to even think about peeing out there right now! Smile

I think I'd be fine with the trim tab switch over by the remote (throttle). I pretty much just use it by feel now anyway, and it does kind of make more sense to have it over by the throttles. I want to move the control box over to under the helm seat anyway, so then all the wiring will be close together. (Other than running the power harness from the fuse panel.) Once it warms up a bit, I'll take the Autopilot control panel out there and take a look at where it might best fit in. May just end up moving the spot light controls, and let it fit there, but otherwise that area with the trim tab switch is a pretty good spot as well. The anchor windless is the other switch panel there, and that too would work just as well over by the throttle. But again, it probably all depends on the best spot to put the A/p control panel. The stereo/speakers were already in the boat when I purchased it. Not my ideal location, but they'd leave a pretty big hole (bigger than the other items) to move it. But that's a possibility. Plenty of room in front of the port seat, where the radio and other speaker are already located. Moving the stuff isn't the hard part. Filling in the holes will be. I think I'll be able to clean the wiring up quite a bit by just installing the bigger buss and removing the two I currently have. And then rerunning some of them around the main switch panel. I'm really trying to decide what to do with the hydraulic pump right now. I'm leaning towards just mounting it under the berth, and plumbing it into the helm with T's, as the SeaStar kit recommends. Guess I need to talk to RayMarine to see what they say. Colby

Pedromo · Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 9:28 pm Post subject: ou

Colby;
Send me a private message, and i'll send you pictures of what I did, for whatever it's worth.
Stay out of the cold...
Pedro

colbysmith · Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 11:55 pm Post subject:

On it's way Pedromo! Harvey, it just hit me, you must have the EV-100 also. How is your's mounted? That is, where are all your system boxes and pump located? Any pictures you could link me too, or send me? Since I have the stuff here now, I'm trying to layout a plan of where to mount everything. I've got some ideas, maybe good and maybe not so good. As soon as it warms up a little bit from this cold week, I may even just throw a heater in the boat to start doing some of the rewiring behind the helm that I want to get done. Summer just can't get here soon enough! Colby

hardee · Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 12:23 am Post subject:

Colby,

I do have the EV-100 and I love it. The control panel is mounted on my dash, beside the Stbd Tach. ( As you may already know, I have twins -- Yami 40's so there is a tach on each side of the Panel. Port is the trim tab control just inboard of the tach, and on Stbd side, inboard of the tach is the AP control. Windlass control is under the wheel hub. My switch panel is to the right and lower than the AP control panel.

As to the other components, The pump is on the aft cabin wall, under the counter, near floor level. I do hear it working, but it is not bothersome to me. I do hear it cycling but it is not terrible, (coming from a guy who spent years working in ER and ICU and hearing alarms going 12 hours a day.)

The steering system is Baystar, and it works. I am not much mechanical so the hooking up part was done before I got it and the upgrade was done at Rodgers Marine in Portland Ore. They did a great job and it all works great. I wish I knew more about it, but the fluid stays up and it doesn't leak. I know that isn't as much help as you wanted to know but that's my story.

BTW, the coffee cup was a guess --- I was wrong Embarassed

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

colbysmith · Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 10:49 am Post subject:

Thanks Harvey for that photo and info. I may have to look at relocating my windlass switch to where you have yours. I have nothing in that area right now, and that may be a good spot. I'll have to check and see where my knees go as I crawl into the seat. Smile

I have a few more gauges to contend with. (Motor trim angle, water pressure, Tach, and one other that I can't remember right now. So for me it seems like the best mounting spot for the p70R control panel is going to be on Port side of the helm either where my spotlight control currently sits, or where the trim tabs control and/or windless control sit. Do you know, and I'm assuming you have the smaller .5 L pump as well, did that get plumbed, or tee'd, into the ram or into the helm pump? I'm still waiting to hear back from Ray Marine, but I don't really know if it makes a difference. Seems to me it will be pressurizing the system where ever it is tee'd in. The SeaStar kit I have for adding a second helm or autopilot has hardware for teeing in at the helm, thus I would mount the pump farther forward in the boat. That brings all the wiring for it closer to the other components as well. I'm really not worried about the noise. At least I'll know it's working! Wink

Colby

hardee · Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 10:19 pm Post subject:

colbysmith · Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 9:36 am Post subject:

It all helps Harvey! Thanks. As of today, I am leaning towards mounting everything under the helm seat. But that might change tomorrow. Mr. Green

Colby

colbysmith · Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 2:14 pm Post subject:

Ok, think I'm nailing down some things in the planning stage.

With reference to the photo below, I think I will move the Anchor Windless switch to below the steering wheel. Then I can move the Trim Tabs switch down to where the Windless switch was. Plan to put the P70R Autopilot control head then where the trim tabs switch currently shows in the photo. May try to move the speaker over to the port side of the boat, but have to look at that later. I can get around the speaker, but it sure would open up a lot of room both on the front and back of the bulkhead.

Still feel that the rest of the Autopilot components can be installed under the helm seat, as I have plenty of room there.

Now, regarding the Seatalk network planning, below is a picture of current plans.

At this point, I'm also planning on putting the network power cable on a switched circuit. (I understand otherwise the network is always drawing a minute bit of power.) The question I have is should the ACU-100 be on a switched circuit also, so it's not always "on". (The ACU-100 does not power the network, nor receive power from the network. It has it's own power cable.) Colby

SGIDave · Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 2:54 pm Post subject:

Hello Colby,

Before you carve up your helm, consider using a RAM mount for the p70R. I used something like this

I mounted the control head to a small board which was mounted to the RAM assembly. You could fix the base to the righthand side of the dash and then adjust it's height to your comfort and viewing angle. With the rotary knob, you can "steer" the boat with just the knob, so locating the unit within easy reach is important.

Fair Winds and Auto pilots,

dave

colbysmith · Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 2:59 pm Post subject:

Thanks Dave. I'll have to consider that. I don't have a lot more room on top the "dash", but I also hate cutting holes in fiberglass. Colby

jkidd · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2015 8:42 am Post subject:

colbysmith · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2015 9:18 am Post subject:

I'll have to take a look and see how much room I really have there. Otoh, other than moving a few things and drilling more holes, I almost prefer installation in the dash.

colbysmith · Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:59 pm Post subject:

We had a heat wave here today at 27 degrees, so decided to go do a few things on my boat. Got the Autopilot control panel mounted; ended up putting it on the port side of the helm. Also removed the two smaller fuse panels I had and replaced with a larger one. Moved the speaker that was located just below and to the left side of the Helm. (Placed it under the aft dinette seat). Unfortunately, in the process of moving the trim tab switch, I managed to break the pins on the back. Repaired them this evening, and will have to wait for a warmer day to see if it's going to work. Also managed to bust my main switch panel on the helm while trying to drill a few more holes into it for some additional switches. Guess that's what I get for trying to do this now.... Sad

Soooo, now I need to fabricate or buy a new panel. Anyone already know what make and model this is? Colby

colbysmith · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 11:00 pm Post subject:

Another heat wave in the midwest, as we climbed up to mid 30's today.... Finished up my rewiring project. Ended up just making a new switch panel. Here are some photos of the switch panel, and the wiring "mess" behind it. A little cleaner than before, but not much... Sad

Also pretty proud of myself for replacing a pilot lamp led in one of the original switches. The LED had burned out in the cabin light switch. I was able to buy a $2 LED, take the switch apart and rebuild it. Smile

Colby

colbysmith · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 8:11 pm Post subject:

Another warm and sunny day at 27 degrees.....so I finished mounting the EV1, Hydraulic Pump and ACU. All three are under the helm seat. Because the forward bulkhead under the seat is pretty thin, I brought the screws through from the front. This was a bitch on the EV1, as it had no room for using a socket to tighten the nuts. I was however able to wedge a screw driver against the nut to hold it while tightening the screw. All the wires and seatalk cable are also hooked up, however I need to ziptie and secure them. Still have to finish plumbing the hydraulic pump lines at the helm pump also.