Location of autopilot components

K

kennharriet

Member
I just ordered a Garmin Reactor 40 auto pilot. I’m researching the installation and it seems the space available on Lochsa will make it challenging. Where are others placing the components, particularly the pump? Any pics also appreciated. Thanks in advance. Ken
 
Hi Ken,

Take a look at the photos of all AP components in our photo album under Customizations and Additions. Rogers Marine in Portland did all the work and all items are installed nicely in out-of-the-way places. The Pump is located on the Starboard side, cabin / cockpit bulkhead and I cannot hear it while in use.
 
Hey Ken,
Look at the embedded album of Midnight Flyer for my Garmin autopilot install on it. http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?...ame=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php I placed the pump in the V-Berth, just in front of the helm bulkhead. The compass unit underneath the center dash, and the controlling head on the bulkhead just left of the helm. I put the shadow drive on the cabin wall next to the throttle. I moved this system to my 25, and installed the pump on the back bulkhead under the sink. The shadow drive is also installed on the starboard hull under the sink, but doesn't work very well, and if it did, I'd prefer the boat return to course or heading selected afterwards, so I have disabled it. (The shadow drive works when you turn the helm in an emergency, but cutting out the autopilot, but once you maintain a heading, the autopilot connects to that heading. With or without the shadow drive you can still turn the boat in an emergency, but the autopilot will continually try to correct back to the heading or course you were on until you select standby. I prefer the boat go back on selected heading or course after I steer around a log or obstruction...)Colby
 
My pump and control is under the captains seat and the compass is in the v birth inside where the foam floatation would be. I installed a 4” deck plate to put it in there. There are pictures in my album. Oh and the shadow drive sensor is by the throttle.
 
I installed one recently on my TC. Best advice I have for you is to put the CCU as far forward as and as close to the waterline and centerline as possible. I put mine under the berth stbd side near centerline. The original location was on the waterline at the pivot point. Big difference in how the steering reacts compared to the more forward and centerline position.
Plan ahead to order the CCU extension cable. I was only able to get to the pivot point with the included cable length. Build from the kicker forward to make sure you have plenty of cable for the other components, steering tube to ECU, ECU to GHD, ECU to CCU and ECU to NMEA 2000.

For the throttle control, it warns you not to have any other part of the sensing wire in contact with the spark plug wire. Believe it. I thought I was far enough away from the plug and zip-tied the remaining wire to the plug wire. Causes the throttle control to fail at the most inopportune times.

Other than those lessons learned on the install, I really like the unit so far.
 
I installed one recently on my TC. Best advice I have for you is to put the CCU as far forward as and as close to the waterline and centerline as possible. I put mine under the berth stbd side near centerline. The original location was on the waterline at the pivot point. Big difference in how the steering reacts compared to the more forward and centerline position.
Plan ahead to order the CCU extension cable. I was only able to get to the pivot point with the included cable length. Build from the kicker forward to make sure you have plenty of cable for the other components, steering tube to ECU, ECU to GHD, ECU to CCU and ECU to NMEA 2000.

For the throttle control, it warns you not to have any other part of the sensing wire in contact with the spark plug wire. Believe it. I thought I was far enough away from the plug and zip-tied the remaining wire to the plug wire. Causes the throttle control to fail at the most inopportune times.

Other than those lessons learned on the install, I really like the unit so far.
 
Chuck, the options with Garmin's smart pump are expensive, but well worth it. I initially had the cheapest Raymarine unit, on my 22, but that couldn't hold a course on anything but flat smooth water with no wind. The smart pump can troll backwards on a track if you want it too! Colby
 
Chuck, I was considering the 1.0 l pump. I talked to a couple different Garmin tech reps that recommended the 1.2 l pump that I purchased. They advised that it should do everything wanted on a 22’ slow or fast in rough water so hopefully that was a good choice.
 
I just found what my first system was. It was the RayMarine ACU 100, and only had a .5L pump. That pump ended up being worthless. My guess is that the 1.2L would suffice. None the less, Garmin's Smart Pump does a great job with it's variable flow rate. Colby
 
kennharriet":yviuk3b4 said:
Sounder- For clarification, I am not sure what is meant by the boats pivot point@?
Click to expand...

The pivot point is that point where you will get no closer and no further from a point on the water (set and drift = 0). On my TC255 it is just behind the helm chair. For example, when entering or leaving port, if I need to make a sharp turn and there is a dock end to the side of the turn, I will wait until the obstacle is just past my helm chair before making the turn. This way I will ensure that I do not hit the obstacle. Now wind and current can throw this all off and you must plan for the conditions.

When you drive a car, you already account for the pivot point. When you hit the curb or if you swing into the other lane when turning, you turned in front of or too far behind the pivot point.

Hope this helps.
 
Can any of you tell me what components you used from the pump to “
T” into the hydraulic steering tubing. I have Baystar hydraulic steering. I had some custom hose made up from the Garmin pump which is 5 ORB to a “T”. I am having trouble finding the correct compression fitting to use between the “T” and the Baystar tubing which is 3/8” OD. Any of the compression fittings I can find have a nipple in the fitting that is too large to fit inside the
Baystar tubing, even though the feral and nut fit the outside. Thanks again in advance. Ken
 
Mine is Seastar the hoses and fittings are proprietary and I had to buy them from Seastar. I don’t know if the Baystar is the same way. I took my hoses to a hose company in Salt Lake and was told they couldn’t match them.
 
If it's the standard hard plastic 3/8, then a 9/16 fine thread compression will work. But your T also has to be 9/16 fine thread as opposed to 1/4 pipe. Colby
 
I will try the 3/8 compression nuts without the inner nipple in the fitting. Garmin recommends all the components be 1,000 psi rated. I’m not sure that’s the case but I don’t see any other alternatives. Thanks again. Ken
 
Ken, while most of my lines are the Seastar or Parker (who makes the SeaStar lines) 5/16", I have some 3/8 hard plastic shorter lines in the system between the cockpit helm and it's shut off valves. The 9/16" fine thread compression nuts I bought at my local hardware store, and have worked just fine. SeaStar will not recommend using the 3/8 hard line anymore for outboards, due to folks not properly torquing the nuts and getting leaks. The line itself I believe is actually rated at 1000 psi, although now they say 500 psi. I used a little more of the 3/8 line when I had my autopilot system in Midnight Flyer (CD-22), but when I moved it over to C-Traveler (CD-25), since I had enough of the 5/16" flexible line, I only used some of the 3/8" line between the Tee's and autopilot smart pump, and the cockpit helm to the shutoff valves there. I have had no problems in that area of my steering... If you already have some 5/16" flexible hose, and need end fittings for that, you can get some field fittings to install yourself, p/n 2TFMS-6-5B. However, they are a bit of a bitch to get on, as they go on tight. Colby
 
After much discussion with Seastar and Garmin I bit the bullet and will upgrade to the new Seastar hose that is 5/16” or 7.9mm ID, 1,000 psi. They said the autopilot will function with the older Baystar tubing which is .21” or 5.5 mm, however it would not perform as it should with the limited hydraulic flow. More than I ever wanted to know 🙂
 
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