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RayMarine EV-100 Autopilot Installation
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Will-C



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PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 11:01 am    Post subject: RayMarine EV-100 Autopilot Installation Reply with quote

We use our autopilot in a point the boat and lock in on that heading mode. We have a 4208 Garmin chart plotter that has sonar radar and it also provides fuel usage information. We don't use routes interfaced with the autopilot as lobster traps crossing traffic and other items will require manual steering. We use the autopilots hand held remote to steer the boat when we have a straight leg. I just go back to the stand by mode if I have to go around something. Then hit pilot once we have a heading that will continue for a ways.
Setting up routes using a chart plotter is a pain for me anyway. We use Coastal Explorer nav software on a laptop. We just bring up the chart the add a route then point and click for waypoints. These routes can be saved as windows files and can be opened and used without having to be connected to the internet. The laptop just has a Velcro mounted GPS puck and plugs in using a USB port. We just watch the boat on the laptop and steer with the auto pilots remote. Even on our new boat which has a complete factory installed Garmin integrated system, Chartplotter, radar auto pilot I doubt I will do anything differently. Just a thought.
D.D.

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colbysmith



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PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yippy, got the boat out today for the first time this season. Everything seems to be working well. The autopilot tracked the route I set on my Garmin GPSMAP 840xs without problem. The internal patterns in the autopilot system worked. The manual steering worked well too. P70r still doesn't recongize the 840 in it's system listing, while it lists the 541, but at least it is working with the 840. While RayMarine recommended a bigger pump for my system, I didn't see any need for it today. Pump didn't work much, and didn't need to put more than about 20 degrees at most of outboard turn. For my planned use of the autopilot, I can see hooking it up to follow a route more than the manual use. But guess I'll only know that after time. I'll have to monitor the compass heading a bit more however. I'm within about 15 degrees between my GPS shown magnetic heading, my compass, and the EV-1 sensor heading. However, many times my GPS and EV-1 appear to be within about 5 degrees of each other. I may just have to "swing" my compass later to make sure it is accurate. (Seems like last year it went off abut 5 degrees or so on Southerly headings....) Just hard to get a solid reading on any of them. Colby
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SGIDave



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PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello Colby,

I'm glad to hear your EV ap is working.

I frequently WILL plot a route and ask the AP to follow it. That works well for me. You will have to dodge obstacles whether on a straight-line course or following a route. Creating a route on the Garmin platform is easy-peasy.

I moved my Garmin 740s to a secondary roll. A Simrad NSS8 is now my primary MFD. Both the NSS8 and 740s are on the N2K backbone. Your situation got me wondering if my AP would work with the 'new' mfd. The p70r DOES 'see' the simrad equipment on the N2K network.

I set up a route on the NSS8 and then hit the 'track' button on the p70r...it alarmed 'no track' or something to that effect. Yikes!! Then I realized I failed to push the "go to" button on the NSS8...THEN the AP knew what to do. phew!

I bought a Raymarine a68. I think I'll like their downview. I have been trying to update the software in the EV components...but having trouble. I put a question on the Raymarine tech forum and await a response. I'm wanting to update because I started getting a "no pilot" error since adding the second MFD (simrad) to the system. At least, I'm hoping that the newest operating system will eliminate the 'no pilot' problem.

dave
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colbysmith



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PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dave, I think the "no pilot" msg was one of the reasons for their update. My GPSMAP 840xs has the downview, and it does seem nicer than just the regular sonar. Eventually, I wouldn't mind finding a really cheap used Raymarine MFD, to just use as a software updater. However, after I told one of the techs on the forum about Garmin's NMEA2000 updater card reader, he said he would forward that as a suggestion for the powers to be...will see... One of these days if Raymarine does come out with another software update, I may still try just downloading it to a card and insert into my Garmins to see what happens... Colby
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SGIDave



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PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

colbysmith wrote:
One of these days if Raymarine does come out with another software update, I may still try just downloading it to a card and insert into my Garmins to see what happens... Colby


Hello Colby,

Good luck. I tried the card-in-the-Garmin method of Raymarine update and that was a big NO-GO.

I also bought the Garmin N2K updater and that DIDN'T WORK either. Sent it back.

Raymarine has us by the short hairs. That is, you WILL BUY one of their mfd's if you want to update their components. If I had gotten the 3G Simrad radar BEFORE the autopilot, I would have probably gotten the Simrad AP...I really like the Simrad gear.

When the AP works it is GREAT! Looking forward to having it all working smoothly again.

/david
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colbysmith



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PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 9:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I saw another post somewhere about I think a Loran autopilot, $999. Wonder how that one works. I will admit, I was very happy with the results today when I got the boat on the water. And while many folks complained about the noise that earlier inexpensive Raymarine autopilot hydraulic pump made, this one is hardly noticeable above the 4 stroke hum, and I have it right beneath me! I still have not heard back from Hodges Marine about exchanging this Raymarine system for a more expensive Garmin system, but at this point since everything is installed and working, I don't think I want to pull it all out and spend the extra $900 or so for the Garmin AP... Colby
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tpbrady



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PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 11:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dave

I have been fighting the "No Pilot" error for a year. It gets better with each update but it still crops up when you run multiple MFDs on a network. In the beginning it was happening every 20 minutes, now only a couple of times a day. On the update, you have to follow the Raymarine instructions precisely especially in regard to the way the files are copied to the card. I have a rather large NMEA2000 network with 2 P70Rs and the one on the opposite end of the network would not update until I inserted my update MFD at a T a little closer to it.

Tom

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colbysmith



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PostPosted: Tue May 12, 2015 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK, I've burned about 20 gallons of fuel since I installed my new autopilot, so thought I'd provide a bit of a review. As a quick recap, I run Garmin electronics in the way of a GPSMAP 840xs and an older GPSMAP 541s (for backup). The autopilot is the Raymarine Evolution 100. It was a fairly simple installation, and as of today, the EV-100 still does not list the GPSMAP 840, (while it does list the 541) when I do a system listing from the P70R control head. None the less, when I have a route entered into the GPSMAP 840, either via route page, or direct to a waypoint, and I do not have a route setup in the 541, the AP will follow the 840's route. However, if the 541 has a route set up, then the AP ignores the 840.

Advantages of the EV100:
-Fairly simple installation
-Relatively inexpensive
-Quiet in operation (I have pump mounted under helm seat)
-Works well in maintaining direction (course) of boat
-Simple to operate
-Has several fishing patterns internal in unit that can be selected
-In an emergency, one can still turn the helm wheel which over rides the small AP hydraulic pump (Although best to put the AP in standby)
-Follows "Route" guidance from Garmin Units (sort of. Still needs "acceptance" at each turn point.)

Disadvantages of the EV100:
-Requires Raymarine MFD to update software (or factory or dealer).
-Does not follow "Tracks" or "Autoguidance routes" from Garmin units.
-Requires track acceptance at each turn waypoint when on a route.

In all honesty, I did make several attempts to return this unit to Hodges Marine or Raymarine due to my displeasure with it not being completely compatible with the Garmin GPSMAP's, or having an internal method for software updates. None the less, in the end, I couldn't justify spending an additional $1000+ to replace it with the next cheapest Garmin unit. If I had it to do over again, I probably would have gone with that Garmin unit to keep everything in the same manufacturer family. But still hard for me to justify a higher priced autopilot in a CD-22. With that being said, I've resolved myself to leaving this Raymarine unit installed, as it does a great job at what it does... Colby
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colbysmith



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PostPosted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Since my last post, I've also had the opportunity to use the EV-100 while salmon trolling. Trolling at 3 mph, with smooth (for Lake Michigan, vs. chop) 2-3 ft rollers off the Quarter Bow or Stern, the autopilot had a hard time keeping me on course. So while it kept me straight long enuf to go back and pull or drop lines, I couldn't leave it by itself for long. Colby
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thataway



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PostPosted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
While RayMarine recommended a bigger pump for my system, I didn't see any need for it today. Pump didn't work much, and didn't need to put more than about 20 degrees at most of outboard turn. For my planned use of the autopilot, I can see hooking it up to follow a route more than the manual use. But guess I'll only know that after time. I'll have to monitor the compass heading a bit more however. I'm within about 15 degrees between my GPS shown magnetic heading, my compass, and the EV-1 sensor heading. However, many times my GPS and EV-1 appear to be within about 5 degrees of each other. I may just have to "swing" my compass later to make sure it is accurate. (Seems like last year it went off abut 5 degrees or so on Southerly headings....) Just hard to get a solid reading on any of them.


With the autopilot struggling to keep a heading at 3 mph while trolling, do you believe that a larger pump motor would have helped?

Have you swung the compass? How much off, is the EV-I sensor from your GPS magnetic heading? Were the courses you were taking, such that there was a significant deviation from the GPS calculated course?

Three MPH is a speed where an auto pilot should work OK--it is down in the 1.5 or so MPH that they begin to really struggle more. The EV-i heading sensor is a 9 axis sensor, so it should handle the slow speed, and the difficult circumstances of quartering seas.

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colbysmith



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PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 12:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

"With the autopilot struggling to keep a heading at 3 mph while trolling, do you believe that a larger pump motor would have helped?"

No. The pump was having no problem moving the outboard. That being said, would a larger pump turn the outboard any faster? Perhaps. However, I don't remember the a/p actually turning the outboard full throw, although it is capable of doing that.

"Have you swung the compass? How much off, is the EV-I sensor from your GPS magnetic heading? Were the courses you were taking, such that there was a significant deviation from the GPS calculated course?"

GPS magnetic heading and EV-1 sensor are within 2 degrees of each other. The compass does not really come into play, other than to be a manual backup. It's close enough for C-dory work! Very Happy My course was actually a straight line route, that was previously set up in my GPS. AP was having a hard time staying on that course, so I simply disconnected the AP from the GPS, and used it in the manual mode of following a heading only. This allowed the AP to work a bit better, but it would still end up turning off heading from the quartering seas at the slow speed. I suspect this was from slow reaction by the autopilot, and it failing to correct in a timely fashion. Also, it's almost like it just gave up and alerted that it was off course. (Us humans preempt that bow swing immediately when it starts to happen.) If I wasn't worried about tangled lines, I would have let it gone to see how long it would take to finally correct itself. (I did reset the autopilot to a more sensitive tracking mode, but that did not help.)


"Three MPH is a speed where an auto pilot should work OK--it is down in the 1.5 or so MPH that they begin to really struggle more. The EV-i heading sensor is a 9 axis sensor, so it should handle the slow speed, and the difficult circumstances of quartering seas."

One would think so, but it does not. My trolling speed was between 2-3 mph. Even on very calm water, at no-wake speeds, the EV-100 seems to have a hard time staying on course. Speeds above that, then it seems to do ok.
Colby
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rogerbum



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PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Colby,

Do you change the gain/sensitivity on the autopilot between high speed and trolling? I my older Raymarine AP, I had 3 gain settings 1,2 and 3. The highest gain (3) was much better for trolling while (1) was better at high speed. With some newer AP's the AP is connected to the chart plotter (usually via NMEA 2k) to get the speed and the gain is auto adjusted based on speed. On others it's a manual setting.

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colbysmith



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PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Roger, the EV100 also has 3 sensitivity settings. I forget the name they give each; but yes I change it to the most sensitive when at slower speeds. You have to manually set it in settings; it does not automatically change when hooked up to the chart plotter. Colby
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thataway



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PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One issue you would have been dealing with was the GPS refresh time on the older Garmin 541, vs (If could have used it) the 10X faster refresh time on the 840x. However, when going slowly, with the slow GPS, the 9 axis sensor should have been better than the GPS.

The size of the pump set would relate to the speed of reaction, not if the pilot went hard over. So, I suspect with a bigger pump, it would have handled the rough water better. I did some reading on theEDVxxx system and it suggests that if the ram is at the upper range of the pump, that you go with the larger pump....

If the auto pilot is struggling at 3 mph in calm water, and especially at no wake (4 to 5 knots in the C Dory22), then there is something else wrong.
It might be interesting to see what Ray Marine says about this, since much of the trolling is at these lower speeds. In my limited reading on THT, for the most part folks are happy at the slow speeds. But..apparently the calibration is set for 3 to 15 mph. Most of these new pilots have virtual rudder feedback. The computer simulates what the feedback would be. If it is different than what the software predicts, then that would cause issues.

Even if they have a soft ware upgrade, you are still stuck without a RayMarine MDF for upgrades, and dependent on tech support to do any further upgrades.
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hardee



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PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know that I have used mine at less than 3kph water speed, but I have used it at the 3 - 5 KPH over the ground, (GPS) speed, which may have been under 3 in water speed at times. It seemed to work ok then. I usually use it in the "point the boat and go that way" mode instead of placing a waypoint an d going to that.

Harvey
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