RayMarine EV-100 Autopilot Installation

colbysmith · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 12:56 pm Post subject:

Bob, you may be on to something there with the suggestion of buying a cheap Raymarine MFD to use for the software updates. I just think it's rediculous that they require their own MFD units to update an autopilot that is suppose to work with other systems.... But I may look around and see if I can find something cheap new or used that could be used just for the updating of autopilot software.

colbysmith · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 9:51 pm Post subject:

So here's where I'm at. Got everything in and hooked up. Now the problems.

1. Via NMEA 2000 while both my Garmins (840 & 541) see the RayMarine ev-100 components and each other, the Raymarine p70r only sees one of my Garmins, the older 541. Also gives a msg unable to select data source when I try to assign either of the Garmins for gps data.

2. I can hear hydraulic pump working, but steering ram isn't moving.

jkidd · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 10:16 pm Post subject:

Garmin sells a nmea 2000 updater. Does Ray Marine have one of those? Garmins is about $69.

colbysmith · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 11:00 pm Post subject:

I'll have to check. Would be great if they did...

thataway · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 11:18 pm Post subject:

Don't know for sure in this instance, but RayMarine "Sea Talk" often is not read properly by other instruments on NMEA 2000.

As for the pump;, I would only attempt to activate it when on the water, when your are starting to do the set up/calibration. Is there a plumbing issue?--one of the outputs going to the "return" Hyraulic fluid is basically not compressible..so either something moves, or a bypass system is working.

Pedromo · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 11:57 pm Post subject:

Colby;
The EV pump does not take its direction from a flux gate or earth magnetic field, but from the Gyros feeding information to the controller. When the boat is in the water you will find the rudder/motor will function in direct relation to the motion at the time, and in accordance to mode in which you have set it.
I dont know anything about the interface issues.

SGIDave · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2015 4:51 am Post subject:

colbysmith · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2015 10:22 am Post subject:

Thanks all. First the pump. Again, I can hear it run. I will try to bleed the system again, as all "plumbing" is hooked up correctly. I still have normal steering, just not getting any movement when the pump is running. There are suppose to be check valves in the helm and pump, so that shouldn't be a problem either. I will try loosening the fittings on the back on the T at the helm pump, where the AP pump hydraulic lines attach, and see if I do in fact still have air in those lines. The p70r appears to show the "rudder" is moving by the lighting of LED's. But this must just be an internal equation, because nothing is moving!

As for the p70r recognizing my Garmin GPSMAP 840, I have "unplugged" (by turning unit off; perhaps I need to physically unplug the NMEA 2000 line) the GPSMAP 541, turned the NMEA2000 system and the p70r off and back on, but still does not recognize the 840. I am wondering if I need the latest update to the p70r, for it to recognize the 840, but I was told by RayMarine earlier that their unit would "talk" with the Garmin... Otherwise, everything on the NMEA 2000 system, is recognized by everything else. It's just the p70r not recognizing the 840, even the 840 recognizes it tho.

journey on · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2015 4:33 pm Post subject:

Well, if the pump is running and nothing moves that's interesting and not comforting. Dumb question: have you checked that the plumbing is correct, all line are going where they are supposed to? I also assume that all you had to do is tee into the existing steering lines. I did that at the steering wheel ports.

First, the motor runs when the controller commands it, not any sensors or external input. The controller takes all those external signals and develops an error signal, which then powers the pump. The pump is a simple DC motor driving a constant volume pump. So, when there's a port error signal, the motor drives one way and when the error signal is starboard, the DC voltage polarity is reversed and the pump goes the other.

That said, if the pump is running, and I assume you can hear it run, one of 3 things is happening: the pump is defective and isn't moving fluid, it's pumping air, or the flow is going somewhere other than to the steering ram. As you mentioned, cracking a fitting will tell you if fluid is getting there.

So, when I installed the pump on Journey On, I had a heck of a time bleeding the hydraulic lines. Turning the steering wheel to pump fluid through doesn't cut it, because the velocity is too low to expel the air when the lines aren't perfectly horizontal. The first time, I had the factory use the Seastar pressure bleeder and got a good bleed. Last year, I bought a cheap pressure bleeder (Motive Products Power Brake Bleeder $35,) and used that via the steering pump fill port. Worked as well as the factory bleeder. Note that the autopilot pump is somewhat self bleeding as the center port, which returns the ram's retracting side fluid to the reservoir in the hand steering pump will feed any air coming back from the ram to the reservoir.

Next, the hand pump check valves may be bad. I assume you can check that by turning the steering wheel, listening for the click that tells if those valves are working as well as seeing if the motor turns. Of course if there's air in the lines, the motor doesn't turn either, but then the reservoir would be empty.

Last, cracking a pump fitting when the pump is running will tell you if the pump is working.

Good luck. And I assume you know all this, I just thought I'd share some of my pain.

Boris

colbysmith · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2015 6:48 pm Post subject:

Boris, you are right about bleeding. It's a bitch! I think that was my problem. I suspect I still have a little air in the line, but I do have the steering ram moving some now when the pump is running. I ended up loosening the lines at the pump, then using the steering helm to pump fluid back to it. I couldn't do much that way though as I ran out of the SeaStar hydraulic fluid. Geeze, that stuff is like $36/quart now. I finally found some Aeroshell #41 fluid that ran $40/gallon. So I'll do some more bleeding of the system tomorrow. Hopefully that'll take care of the pump stuff. Still problem with getting the p70r to recognize the GPSMAP 840 though. I have a bad feeling that's going to require a software update on the Ray Marine...

When I go to System Setup, Data Sources, GPS Position, I get "Source selection not possible. Consult manual for more info." I haven't gotten in the manual yet, so guess that's next.

SGIDave · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2015 9:11 pm Post subject:

My p70R recognized my GArmin 740 AND the Simrad NSS I recently added. I installed mine in June 2014 and have NOT updated any software.

Keep trying. It seems strange it won't 'see' your 840 on the network.

Does the 840 "see" any of the RAymarine AP components on the n2K network? There's a screen where it shows everything it sees. If nothing is showing on the 840 then maybe it's not connecting to the network which would explain why the p70R doesn't "see" the 840. Double check the cables, connections, etc.

/david

journey on · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2015 10:02 pm Post subject:

That stuff is aviation hydraulic fluid and at one time Seastar mentioned it. They now use a colorless fluid, but it's the same stuff. Mil-H-5606 is the older one, still used by Seastar. Mil-H-83282 is the synthetic, non-flammable version. Both should be available on the internet for ~$15/gal.

Boris

thataway · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2015 10:10 pm Post subject:

For those others who are reading, as Colby found out, you can get the proper hydraulic fluid from any fixed base operator at an airport.

Suitable are: Chevron® Aviation Hydraulic Fluid A, Esso® Univis N15 or J13, Mobil® Aero HFA, Petro Canada Harmony HV115 (in Canada only), Shell® Aero Fluid #41, Texaco® HO15 and other fluids meeting MIL SPEC H-5606-G. We got some for $10 a gallon out of barrel at an airport.

colbysmith · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2015 10:20 pm Post subject:

Once I got enough of the air out of the hydraulic lines between the hydraulic pump and the system, I was able to run through the "dockside setup". The system runs the motor moving the steering ram, and you just indicate if it moved to port or starboard. I got all that taken care of, but then going back to do the "hardover" time, I had a problem with the ram just continuing to go one way. I suspect still some air in the system (I'll work on tomorrow), or I went to far with the dial. Smile

I'll keep working on bleeding the system and also guess I'll start perusing the large operation manual on the p70r to see if I can get it talking with my GPSMAP 840.

colbysmith · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 3:00 pm Post subject:

Think I got all the air out of the lines now, and pump seems to work fine. Still no answers on getting the p70R to communicate with my Garmin GPSMAP 840. It "sees" the 541, but not able to select any "sources" for GPS info. I've read completely thru the 104 page operating manual, with no information or solutions. Have an email into Raymarine and if I don't hear back from that by Monday, I'll give them a call. I suspect they will tell me to update the software, which means pulling the control head and sending it back to them to do so.... Sad