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#1
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Possibility of autopilot for jet boat
I have a three year old Bombardier Utopia 185. It is powered by a Mercury
200 hp jet drive. I would like to use this for fishing, but you absolutely cannot take your hands off the wheel, particularly at low speeds. Steering is accomplished by a push pull cable arangement which connects to a steerable pipe under water. I've been trying to find an autopilot that would work at trolling speeds, but have been able to find anything. The Nautamatic TR1 requires hydraulic steering, the Raymarine Sport Pilot Plus require some kind of rudder feedback which would mean attaching a cylinder or rotary actuator under water and none of them appear waterproof. The factory has told me that the plain Sport Pilot would not work because a jet boat responds too quickly. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, -- Larry email is rapp at lmr dot com 09/13/05 10:23:44 AM |
#2
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Larry wrote:
Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, No friction clutches or drag adjustments on any of the cables or turning spools? Maybe you could add one somewhere. Jack -- Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net (also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com) |
#3
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On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 10:45:11 -0400, Jack Erbes wrote:
Larry wrote: Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, No friction clutches or drag adjustments on any of the cables or turning spools? Maybe you could add one somewhere. Jack The cable is a single cable - push/pull. Not certain how I could change that in any way. That said, there is no slack in it at all, so I am wondering why rudder feedback is even needed. -- Larry email is rapp at lmr dot com 09/14/05 10:04:52 AM |
#4
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"Larry" wrote in message news On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 10:45:11 -0400, Jack Erbes wrote: Larry wrote: Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, No friction clutches or drag adjustments on any of the cables or turning spools? Maybe you could add one somewhere. Jack The cable is a single cable - push/pull. Not certain how I could change that in any way. That said, there is no slack in it at all, so I am wondering why rudder feedback is even needed. -- Larry email is rapp at lmr dot com 09/14/05 10:04:52 AM Larry, look at fitting something like the Raymarine ST3000 wheel pilot. This is as fitted to my motorsailer with push-pull steering, and does not need a rudder feedback. Also, the compass unit is in the control head, so only the control head and drive motor fitted, with belt drive to the steering wheel. The ST4000 (I believe) requires a separate compass unit. Go to the Raymarine website for some more information. regards, Philip. |
#5
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Larry wrote:
On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 10:45:11 -0400, Jack Erbes wrote: Larry wrote: Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, No friction clutches or drag adjustments on any of the cables or turning spools? Maybe you could add one somewhere. Jack The cable is a single cable - push/pull. Not certain how I could change that in any way. That said, there is no slack in it at all, so I am wondering why rudder feedback is even needed. If you can turn the jet by hand and the wheel will go with it, maybe one of the accessory market autopilots made for use with tiller steered boats or for direct attachment to motors can be made to work. You basically need to find a place with enough room where you can anchor one end of an autopilot attached to a point on the jet that will swivel it right and left. Here is a link to one made by Raymarine as an example, there are others on the market. Check out places and catalogs like West Marine or BoatUS to get some others to consider: http://tinyurl.com/7v66k You might be a fringe market, seems like most of the jet boat drivers want to do it by hand so that they can quickly irritate every single other boat driver within their vision. I'm joking of course, no insult intended. Jack -- Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net (also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com) |
#6
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Simrad makes a "Virtual feedback" pilot. Also their Mechanical drive has
built in feedback. I've no idea what kind of drive unit you need or if they have one that would work for you. http://www.simradusa.com/1-virtualpilot.php "Larry" wrote in message ... I have a three year old Bombardier Utopia 185. It is powered by a Mercury 200 hp jet drive. I would like to use this for fishing, but you absolutely cannot take your hands off the wheel, particularly at low speeds. Steering is accomplished by a push pull cable arangement which connects to a steerable pipe under water. I've been trying to find an autopilot that would work at trolling speeds, but have been able to find anything. The Nautamatic TR1 requires hydraulic steering, the Raymarine Sport Pilot Plus require some kind of rudder feedback which would mean attaching a cylinder or rotary actuator under water and none of them appear waterproof. The factory has told me that the plain Sport Pilot would not work because a jet boat responds too quickly. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, -- Larry email is rapp at lmr dot com 09/13/05 10:23:44 AM |
#7
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On Wed, 14 Sep 2005 16:17:43 +0100, Philip wrote:
"Larry" wrote in message news On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 10:45:11 -0400, Jack Erbes wrote: Larry wrote: Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, No friction clutches or drag adjustments on any of the cables or turning spools? Maybe you could add one somewhere. Jack The cable is a single cable - push/pull. Not certain how I could change that in any way. That said, there is no slack in it at all, so I am wondering why rudder feedback is even needed. -- Larry email is rapp at lmr dot com 09/14/05 10:04:52 AM Larry, look at fitting something like the Raymarine ST3000 wheel pilot. This is as fitted to my motorsailer with push-pull steering, and does not need a rudder feedback. Also, the compass unit is in the control head, so only the control head and drive motor fitted, with belt drive to the steering wheel. The ST4000 (I believe) requires a separate compass unit. Go to the Raymarine website for some more information. regards, Philip. Thanks, Philip, Well, I asked Raymarine and they said the ST3000 would not work, nor will any unit they manufacture. He said that use of any autopilot with a jet boat requires something which sends the cpu the actual position of the rudder (jet in my case). Also, it would be extremely difficult to attach a motor to the wheel as there is no room. -- Larry email is rapp at lmr dot com 09/15/05 11:32:52 AM |
#8
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On Wed, 14 Sep 2005 11:30:26 -0400, Jack Erbes wrote:
Larry wrote: On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 10:45:11 -0400, Jack Erbes wrote: Larry wrote: Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, No friction clutches or drag adjustments on any of the cables or turning spools? Maybe you could add one somewhere. Jack The cable is a single cable - push/pull. Not certain how I could change that in any way. That said, there is no slack in it at all, so I am wondering why rudder feedback is even needed. If you can turn the jet by hand and the wheel will go with it, maybe one of the accessory market autopilots made for use with tiller steered boats or for direct attachment to motors can be made to work. You basically need to find a place with enough room where you can anchor one end of an autopilot attached to a point on the jet that will swivel it right and left. Here is a link to one made by Raymarine as an example, there are others on the market. Check out places and catalogs like West Marine or BoatUS to get some others to consider: http://tinyurl.com/7v66k You might be a fringe market, seems like most of the jet boat drivers want to do it by hand so that they can quickly irritate every single other boat driver within their vision. I'm joking of course, no insult intended. Jack Thanks, Jack, You bet we're a fringe market! However, this isn't a jetski, it's an actual boat! In fact, one of the finest boats you can buy - Hinckley - uses jet drives. They have the advantage of having nothing hanging below the bottom to get banged up by rocks. Thus, it is uniquely equipped for fishing in shallow water providing you don't suck up mud into the pump! The problem is that the steering mechanism for the jet is under water. Thus, any drive which moves the jet also has to be. Nautamatic suggested I replace the steering mechanism with a hydraulic one, but that is close to impossible. -- Larry email is rapp at lmr dot com 09/15/05 11:38:32 AM |
#9
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On Wed, 14 Sep 2005 19:16:36 -0700, johnhh wrote:
Simrad makes a "Virtual feedback" pilot. Also their Mechanical drive has built in feedback. I've no idea what kind of drive unit you need or if they have one that would work for you. http://www.simradusa.com/1-virtualpilot.php Thanks, I'll give them a call. -- Larry email is rapp at lmr dot com 09/15/05 11:43:45 AM |
#10
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"Larry" wrote in message ... On Wed, 14 Sep 2005 16:17:43 +0100, Philip wrote: "Larry" wrote in message news On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 10:45:11 -0400, Jack Erbes wrote: Larry wrote: Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, No friction clutches or drag adjustments on any of the cables or turning spools? Maybe you could add one somewhere. Jack The cable is a single cable - push/pull. Not certain how I could change that in any way. That said, there is no slack in it at all, so I am wondering why rudder feedback is even needed. -- Larry email is rapp at lmr dot com 09/14/05 10:04:52 AM Larry, look at fitting something like the Raymarine ST3000 wheel pilot. This is as fitted to my motorsailer with push-pull steering, and does not need a rudder feedback. Also, the compass unit is in the control head, so only the control head and drive motor fitted, with belt drive to the steering wheel. The ST4000 (I believe) requires a separate compass unit. Go to the Raymarine website for some more information. regards, Philip. Thanks, Philip, Well, I asked Raymarine and they said the ST3000 would not work, nor will any unit they manufacture. He said that use of any autopilot with a jet boat requires something which sends the cpu the actual position of the rudder (jet in my case). Also, it would be extremely difficult to attach a motor to the wheel as there is no room. -- Larry email is rapp at lmr dot com 09/15/05 11:32:52 AM Larry, I hear what they say, but my ST3000 has no feedback or any way of knowing where the rudder is when I engage the drive. It just uses the compass to keep a heading and adjust steering to keep on course. It is a pity it will not fit, but other than this, I don't think the person you spoke to actually knew the unit and its capability properly - if at all. regards, Philip |
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