Tiller Pilot on Windvane.

[Jdiamond]

this is what it looks like set up properly,still having issues though, might have to take it in to see if its faulty

[hpeer]

Like I said above, I had two bad out of the box last summer.

[seandepagnier]

Isnt a tiller pilot overkill (not to mention inefficient) for this setup?

I have connected remote control servos, some $30 units can do 40kg/cm torque and draw only a small fraction or 0.3 amps of power being much higher efficiency. Then I have magnetoresistive sensors which can be mounted anywhere on the boat, or just use gps feedback if moving fast enough or.. a wind vane sensor I built as well. It looks like a mini vane except it just turns a potentiometer and you can set the wind angle with it. The advantage is it can cancel oscillating movements rather than amplify as we all know in some sea states with a wind vane when the boat rolls it makes the vane move and causes the boat to turn! It ends up correcting itself bbut the boat doesn't steer the optimal course.

Work is still in progress, but I did have some success in wellington harbor a few months ago. So basic conversion cost to drive a vane from compass would be under $100 total and far better logic and feedback control than any tiller pilot. I have source code on github for automatically computing the PID loop gains.

[Jdiamond]

Its very inefficient at the moment because its not working, I use the hydrovane when windy but since it doesn't work while your motoring I want to use this set up, I am trying to use the systems I have got with out re inventing the wheel.

[seandepagnier]

fair enough, the thing is, the tiller pilots are notoriously stupid, expensive, and inefficient... also are not modular in a way that my system is. This is a better wheel

[delmarrey]

The reason in the first place for a tiller pilot attached to a wind vane is the low amps it pulls combined with the strength of the wind vane to move a large rudder. They can be merged or autarky.

[cszosler]

Hi,
It may sound silly, but have you check setting for port/starboard?
have you you done calibration?
Posted without intention to upset.

[Jdiamond]

yep I have checked the port and starboard, and tried the calb, but still no go. cheers.