Raymarine AP slowly drifting 1 direction

[the_alpine]

So my RM wheel pilot has started slowly drifting to port. I've recalibrated it twice, but that does not seem to help.

The compass heading is correct, but when I engage pilot it constantly slowly veers off course. Would prob complete a loop if I left it?

I did notice the rudder indicator on the control head indicates a good amount of starboard rudder (no rudder ref is fitted and the wheel is actually slightly to port).

Any thoughts?

[TheOffice]

Did you put any metal near the fluxgate? If not I'd guess it is failing but I would use the Ray forum to get an answer


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[MarkJ]

Yep, check what junk youve put next to the Fluxgate.

[the_alpine]

Flux gate is the same as its been for 5 years.

Only difference is I did add a NMEA to wifi box, which is within 5' or so.

[deblen]

Originally Posted by the_alpine

So my RM wheel pilot has started slowly drifting to port. I've recalibrated it twice, but that does not seem to help.

The compass heading is correct, but when I engage pilot it constantly slowly veers off course. Would prob complete a loop if I left it?

I did notice the rudder indicator on the control head indicates a good amount of starboard rudder (no rudder ref is fitted and the wheel is actually slightly to port).

Any thoughts?

If you have no rudder ref. sender,how does the control head indicate stbd rudder?
Have you tried increasing the rudder (yaw) control?
/ Len

[gulfstar37]

You mentioned the WiFi box added just prior to this issue started. Could you disconnect the WiFi temporarily to verify this has nothing to do with the issue? Shouldn't have anything to do with it, but stranger things have happened. Should be easy and doesn't cost you anything.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Nadezhda]

I had the same problem with a raymarine ST4000. Kept on turning to Port and at the same time showing that it was going off course. Eventually the off-course alarm would go off but it would continue to turn to port. So it knew it was wrong but kept doing it. It never did it early in the season and some guy told me that something in the control head was overheating (probably the boost transitors). Anyway I could get a second hand control head of dubious quality or invest in a new autopilot - I did the latter.

[bjymd]

I have heard of people who put metal objects in the lazarette in the cockpit and found that affected the autopilot. Rick Moore had a segment on his youtube channel about that.
Chex out all those lockers.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by the_alpine

Flux gate is the same as its been for 5 years.

Only difference is I did add a NMEA to wifi box, which is within 5' or so.

Turn the bloody thing off and test again!


My fluxgate is in a wardrobe: Sure, like, really, really sure you havent put a metal clip from a safety harness near yours? Really, sure? Have you looked? Really looked?

Friends of mine in the Pacific upon leaving Panama, same time as me, started going in circles. Wifey said "what about stuff near the Fluxgate?" Husband said "Get back to the kitchen, Bozo"
For 2 days he refused to look as they went in circles. Circles in the ocean!
2 Dayys!!!! I was 2 days ahead of them by this time.

2 days before he looked and removed the new spare alternator that he stored next to the fluxgate compass.

So check

[out42]

Same problem and the end result was a new fluxgate compass. All solved. Metallic/magnetic stuff is usually obvious and if not there, then I suspect it will be the compass.

[Teknishn]

In a previous post, the OP stated that all worked well until he added WiFi. WiFi is a radio signal in the 2.4 Ghz range (UHF) and around the 5 Ghz range (SHF). These are elecromagnetic frequencies being constantly emitted from a sending unit. Fluxgate compasses are, unless fully protected from outside interference, are susceptible to electromagnetic interference. Disconnect the WiFi (as has previously been suggested here) and test the system again.

Remember one day sailing the Ches Bay years ago on a friend's boat while on AP. Friend got a call on his cellular phone and the AP took a automatic 90-turn to port! Once the phone call ended, AP worked just fine. Dude calls his wife....and 90-degrees to port we go again.

So, fluxgate compasses are susceptible to RF interference.

MarkJ mentioned alternators, additionally a faulty voltage regulator can also emit an RF signal (I know when a taxi passing my flat here in Egypt has a faulty regulator....if I am watching local channels my satellite signal is disrupted).

[Symphony]

1) calibrate the system again. if it still has the problem, calibrate it again. the Calibration Wizard makes it easy.
2) If no metal by the fluxgate, I am betting something wrong with rudder position indicator (from my ample experience).
3) Raymarine Forums are quite useless. Unsupported by the company. Useless is actually too positive a descriptor for the Raymarine forums. You'll get no support until you telephone Raymarine and wait in line. then you'll get good tech support.

[CHRISBENJES]

Check to see if your drive belt is occasionally slipping in one direction. You can hear it. If so, try increasing tension or get new belt if needed.

[RaymondR]

I now have a problem with my Raymarine autopilot wandering about after I replaced my solar panels for larger capacity ones. The extra current through the cabling, which runs fairly close to the wiring for the fluxgate and past the fluxgate itself is sufficient to generate a magnetic field which causes the autopilot to wander about as clouds vary the current output from the panels. I'll get around to moving the fluxgate to fix the problem one of these days.

[Marksman]

I had the same problem with my 5000. Compass display is correct, off coarse alarm, yadda yadda yaddy.Tried everything no results. Finally removed all the connectors off the back of the control unit and slid them back on several times. This fixed it. They didn't appear corroded or dirty but as a last resort it was the only thing left to do. I can't explain it but that's what worked and is still working. Hope this helps.