If one is contemplating a tiller pilot, one must be aware of the recommendation of the manufacturers about the vessels size!
Many customers fall into this trap, to under size their pilot. It is partially lack of attention to details partially stinginess to save a penny.
Tiller pilots do not like to be run at their maximum all the time. If your tiller pilot is for vessels up to 3000kg (like raymarine st1000) and your craft weights 2000kg, by the time you load the boat up with gear plus people you be close to the limit of the pilot mentioned so you must upgrade to the next size, st2000 for up to 4500kg, to be in the ballpark not to be over stressed at all times.

Buy an over sized tiller pilot regardless of the extra cost!


Can not help with the hook up being electrically challenged.

One consideration is after sales support simrad has a lot better reputation then raymarine. 5 years down the track raymarine is onto a different model 10 years on when you need support there is none available. Simrad tends to still support.

Hi Moraus,
Regards the NMEA conversion, I use a Actisense NGW-1 adaptor, and have found it to be super reliable. Not the cheapest, but excellent piece of kit.
With regards to the sensor input for an autohelm with NMEA, it is not complex once the basic are understood:

1) NMEA devices are unidirectional. Even though there might be an input and output on a GPS, treat them as separate interfaces.
2) You can only have one transmitter talking to a receiver.
3) You can have multiple receivers listening to one transmitter.

So to set up for example both the wind sensor and the GPS as inputs for an autohelm, you need to send the wind data to the GPS as an input, then wire the output of the GPS to the autohelm. As long as the GPS can "repeat" it's inputs, it will send the wind sensor data, as well as its gps data as strings to the Autohelm.

There is both a V1 and V2 version of NMEA when it comes to wiring. You just need to be aware of what your device types are when it comes to connecting the wires.
I will try and dig up a simpel line diagram that shows connecting a V1 talker to a V2 receiver and so on, if I find it I'll post it for you.

Thanks all for the replays. Great point on the weight. It's listed at 3000kg so yeah weill need the next model up. Have spent most of the day watching
you tube clips and reading the manuals. The more I research the more I'm pulled to the raymarine. Price is more or less the same between the two brands. Also from what I have read all I need for the nmea is a Garmin nmea0183 cable for the back of the GPS to hook into the socket of the tiller plug.. Im heading towards the raymarine mainly due to the display And the extra functions. heading to the boat tomorrow so will size it up to what will
fit best.. Thanks again for all the replays..

Hi Moraus,
Just to make it harder , I am going to be listing a Raymarine EVO Tiller in the next few days, I found its perfromance much better than the standard ST series. This is NMEA 2000 already and uses a gyro rather than a gps only. I checked the ram, it uses a ST4000 drive. This will be listed complete with the P70 control unit, gyro and ACU. Keep an eye on Gumtree or PM me if interested.
Good luck with your research!
SB

One of the reasons I went for the SIMRAD is it is self contained. You don't need to cut holes in your cockpit for the control panel.
Another is the TP32 was more powerful than the Raymarine. Important when in big quartering seas.

I currently have both a TP32 and ST2000+ which I use on my Compass 28 which weighs about 3.5 tons loaded.

The TP32 died on me a couple of years ago and I bought the ST2000+ to replace it. Recently I managed to revive the TP32 by using the fluxgate compass scrounged from a dead TP10. I had used the TP32 for about 2 years before it died, and have since used the ST2000+ for going on 3 years.

So I'm pretty well placed to compare, and here's my 2 bob's worth:

* Functionally I reckon there's not a lot between them in controlling the boat, although the ST2000+ stroke is noticeably quicker
* I have read lots of posts about failure due to water entry, so some sort of cover is essential. I make a cover from clear plastic taped on and replace it each year or so. I also use electrician's tape around the body joint. Looks like ****e but works.
* Tuning the gain and deadband is a little easier on the TP32, but no big deal
* Both benefit from tuning according to the boat and sea conditions, which can save an enormous amount of battery power due to reduced stroking
* Both accept NMEA 0183 and hence can steer to a waypoint, and/or in wind mode (if you have the wind instrument). Very simple 2-wire connection for both.
* The ST2000+ has a nasty habit of stalling at the end of its stroke with the motor still trying to grind away, so it's vital that you have good sail balance to avoid heavy weather helm causing hard-over tiller for extended periods. I found this out the hard way when it failed while I was soloing in the middle of Bass Strait. The TP32 has drive gear rotation sensors which I think sense a stall and shut the motor off (but I could be wrong with this).
* The ST2000+ has a global 2 year warranty (even if you buy from USA) plus an additional year if you register it on Raymarine's website. The Simrad's is (or was) based on where you bought it hence no warranty if bought from USA.
* When I enquired 3 years ago about repairing my TP32, Simrad told me they don't repair them, but offered a reco unit with a 3 month (!) warranty. The cost was about the same as the landed cost of a brand new ST2000+ from USA with 3 year warranty. No prizes for guessing which way I went!
* The ST2000+ has a bad habit of the shaft unscrewing and falling out. I returned it already for warranty repair for this and was told I was overstressing it, which was not true.
* The LCD display on the ST2000+ is nice to have but not really much use unless you don't have the data already displayed on a plotter


Summing up, the price advantage of buying from USA coupled with 3 year global warranty decided it for me. Mind you the fallen A$ might have changed things a bit.

Hope that helps.

Graeme

Sorry the st2000 went a week ago

MorningBird said..
One of the reasons I went for the SIMRAD is it is self contained. You don't need to cut holes in your cockpit for the control panel.
Another is the TP32 was more powerful than the Raymarine. Important when in big quartering seas.

Way to go.

Circled in red is the rudder angle sensor (hall sensor) on the simrad as mentioned in my earlier post this monitors the rudder angle and position of ram
the raymarine does not have such a sensor and it does not know when the ram is fully extended


I still prefer my ramarine st2000 its quicker ,quieter and more powerfull than the simarad tp32 that I had to returnee

h28kurt said..






Circled in red is the rudder angle sensor (hall sensor) on the simrad as mentioned in my earlier post this monitors the rudder angle and position of ram
the raymarine does not have such a sensor and it does not know when the ram is fully extended


I still prefer my ramarine st2000 its quicker ,quieter and more powerfull than the simarad tp32 that I had to returnee

G'day Kurt.

Raymarine ST2000 thrust 77kgs.
http://www.raymarine.com.au/view/?id=346&collectionid=195&col=748
Hardover time with no load is 5.5 seconds.

Simrad TP32 thrust 85kgs.
www.simrad-yachting.com/en-GB/Products/Tillerpilots/TP32-Tillerpilots-en-gb.aspx
Hardover time with no load is 4 seconds.

The hardover time is key in big quartering seas.

I have used both and I reckon the Simrad is more like 20% more powerful, but unless they are done side by side it is hard to be accurate.

This is a bit unfair on Raymarine as the ST4000 is the equivalent to the TP32.

The Simrad isn't quiet but you only use it when there isn't enough wind for the Fleming and the motor is on.

h28kurt said...













hard over time for the raymarine is 4.5 seconds the st2000 was upgraded to the st2000 plus and some stage

I tested both units with a stop watch of a fully charged battery, the raymarine was 4.3-4.6 seconds
the simrad was over 5 seconds every time
I was under the impression the simrad tp32 was the faster and more power full unit I paid a extra $300 for it.



the tp32 I was supplied brand new was slower and had noticeably less power. it developed issues within hours of use
so I returned it .

my old autohelm 1000 was over 25years old and worked well until it failed

Sounds like you got a Monday or Friday one. I bought mine in 2008. It has been heavily used, mistreated, overloaded, dropped, sat on, fallen on (a heaving cockpit at night), under water. Never missed a beat and a new belt this year quietened it down a lot. I hope to get another 8 years from it.

h28kurt said..

my old autohelm 1000 was over 25years old and worked well until it failed

That's a very zen statement, everything works well till it fails

True its like saying It floated well until It sank

still 25years is much better than a few hours and if it wasn't for my poor soldering skill's the autohelm could of been repaired

you where definitely on to it wongaga

simrad manual says

i guess it knows ram position too

i don't understand why the raymarine st's don't have a rudder sensor

i also enquired about the raymarine ev100 tiller (st4000 replacement ) i was told there rudder angle sensor was not suited for mounting outside and i would have to do with out . i wasn't going to pay big bucks for a package that wasn't complete