Calibrating a Simrad TP10 tiller pilot

[drewcathell]

I don't know of anyone owns and has calibrated a Simrad TP10 tiller pilot but Kath and I could use some help. We are loosing all credibility in the Newport RI area as we spent half the summer motoring around in circles trying to calibrate our tiller pilot. The directions seem pretty clear but we have not been able to successfully calibrate the unit. We called Simrad support and the only tech available simply read the owners manual to us. We called back after another few circles and asked to speak to anyone who had actually calibrated one. Hard to believe but NO ONE at Simrad had ever calibrated one! We were told how to reset the unit to factory defaults, which is not in the owner's manual but were not able to learn anything else.

To clarify our condition we have successfully motored at the right speed and angle for 450 degrees without the red and green lights flashing. However, at the end of our 450 degree turn we get a long beep rather than a short beep (as described in the manual if we have calibrated it successfully). Beeps aside we try to use the tiller pilot and find that it is clearly not working properly. It allows use to stray off course to either port or starboard with no correction.

One last piece of information that might be helpful. Our sailboat is wood with all bronze hardware. There is almost no iron on board and nothing close to the pilot. The only thing close to the tiller pilot is the Yanmar controls which don't appear to affect a hand held compass in any way.

The folks at Simrad seemed very willing to check it over for the price of a new one.

Sooo, what am I missing.

[jan van woerkom]

Hi there,

i cannot help you with the calibration, but i would like to learn how to reset the simrad tp10 to its factory settings. Would you share that with me?

Thanks,

Jan

[boatman61]

Owned one for 3 days.. then took it back to the Chandlery and changed to a Raymarine ST1000 and have never looked back..
Also tried the Simrad WP back in '05... never again..
Raymarine Rocks...
Though I did once have a Plastimo TP that out performed anything on the market today in every sense..