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Pelagic Autopilot - any experiences?
- Thread starter Foolish
- Start date
Hi Andrew,
Yes, I'm looking forward to that as well. This weekend for the initial testing I kept it to working sails as I get used to response times and using the remote control. Hopefully it will work as well in following seas and higher winds.
The control head next to the companion way will eventually be recessed into the cabin once I get a box made so it will be flush with the cabin side and won't get snagged on lines. It was just mounted quickly for the testing.
Best regards,
Dave
Yes, I'm looking forward to that as well. This weekend for the initial testing I kept it to working sails as I get used to response times and using the remote control. Hopefully it will work as well in following seas and higher winds.
The control head next to the companion way will eventually be recessed into the cabin once I get a box made so it will be flush with the cabin side and won't get snagged on lines. It was just mounted quickly for the testing.
Best regards,
Dave
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BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
I couldn't bring myself to cut another big hole in the boat so I mounted the Pelagic control box in the lower drop board. The board needs to fit tight and not vibrate.
Brian gave me a prototype bezel and it turned out pretty well. Now it looks like he has sexier off-white bezels on his website - maybe if I ask nicely he'll sell me one.
Seeing this photo reminds me that I still need to scrape off that excess clear silicone. Oh and a minor quibble with Brian's new control box labels: "Standbye" ?
Brian gave me a prototype bezel and it turned out pretty well. Now it looks like he has sexier off-white bezels on his website - maybe if I ask nicely he'll sell me one.
Seeing this photo reminds me that I still need to scrape off that excess clear silicone. Oh and a minor quibble with Brian's new control box labels: "Standbye" ?
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BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
Brian can confirm, but my Pelagic accepted apparent wind data in generic NMEA 0183. So get a birdie that outputs that. If you get a Raymarine birdie like I had on Rags, you'll need something to convert the data from SeaTalk to NMEA 0183 first, and that adds to the cost and slows the signal.
PSutchek
Racer !
Yes , Brian and pelegic mentioned the converter , I'm pretty new to sailing , never have bought a birdie before... I don't know which output what signals ,, I had found a solid state wind on Ebay , but I didn't know
the converter would slow down the signal...
What unit do you have on your new boat Bob ?
the converter would slow down the signal...
What unit do you have on your new boat Bob ?
BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
If you have to convert the signal the slowing is probably milliseconds - not a big deal - just extra cost.
My masthead "birdie" is a B&G 608. It forms the end of the boat's NMEA 2000 backbone so if the PCB fails (up at the top of the mast) the whole system can go down.
Go cheap - go simple!
My masthead "birdie" is a B&G 608. It forms the end of the boat's NMEA 2000 backbone so if the PCB fails (up at the top of the mast) the whole system can go down.
Go cheap - go simple!
tiger beetle
N/M 45 Tiger Beetle
I'm just learning about NMEA 2000 networking, having installed the initial bits into Beetle to support a chart plotter. Do you carry a spare NMEA 2000 terminator/resistor to keep the network up if the masthead unit fails?
- rob/beetle
brianb
Olson 34 Driver
Hello Paul, and the bird watchers here.
The NMEA2000 wind sensor might have a very fast response time, maybe 10 readings per second. On the NMEA2000 (N2K) they may transmit the same data many more times per second than that. Wind data is typically heavily filtered (and this is often adjustable) because it bounces around so much with boat motion. This filtering slows the rate of meaningful wind data that is transmitted. A really high end sensor will do a more advanced form of filtering that results in a faster result. If your boat is a foiler, hitting speeds north of 20 knots, and you are blasting down the bay, on autopilot, you are are going to want that super fast data, to make decisions rapidly to stay on that foil. The last time I saw your boat I did not see any foils ? OK, when you put the wind sensor into a NMEA0183 converter it will only pass data through a couple times per second. On a typical boat, like my Olson 34, that is ok in terms of altering course with wind shifts. Going upwind, tight on the wind, you would prefer something quicker as a quick shift, that is slowed by say 2 to 3 seconds, accounting for NMEA delay and the sensor plus AP filtering, will maybe begin to stall the sail before the rudder accounts for the shift. Wind steering in a NMEA0183 system is not bad, but for the ultimate in response one really needs to get very fast instruments that are integrated well with the AP manufacturers system. These types of systems, the usual high vendors supply, really depend on using their proprietary instruments as they are all tuned and tested together during development. Maybe this helps ? BTW, the AC boats, and many ocean race boats place a wind sensor on a stern post so that off wind they sensor is not impacted by the sails turbulent flow. Also, makes for a good back up.
Brian
The NMEA2000 wind sensor might have a very fast response time, maybe 10 readings per second. On the NMEA2000 (N2K) they may transmit the same data many more times per second than that. Wind data is typically heavily filtered (and this is often adjustable) because it bounces around so much with boat motion. This filtering slows the rate of meaningful wind data that is transmitted. A really high end sensor will do a more advanced form of filtering that results in a faster result. If your boat is a foiler, hitting speeds north of 20 knots, and you are blasting down the bay, on autopilot, you are are going to want that super fast data, to make decisions rapidly to stay on that foil. The last time I saw your boat I did not see any foils ? OK, when you put the wind sensor into a NMEA0183 converter it will only pass data through a couple times per second. On a typical boat, like my Olson 34, that is ok in terms of altering course with wind shifts. Going upwind, tight on the wind, you would prefer something quicker as a quick shift, that is slowed by say 2 to 3 seconds, accounting for NMEA delay and the sensor plus AP filtering, will maybe begin to stall the sail before the rudder accounts for the shift. Wind steering in a NMEA0183 system is not bad, but for the ultimate in response one really needs to get very fast instruments that are integrated well with the AP manufacturers system. These types of systems, the usual high vendors supply, really depend on using their proprietary instruments as they are all tuned and tested together during development. Maybe this helps ? BTW, the AC boats, and many ocean race boats place a wind sensor on a stern post so that off wind they sensor is not impacted by the sails turbulent flow. Also, makes for a good back up.
Brian
PSutchek
Racer !
Here's what I'm getting at , there Is no recommended units that I know of ....
Love the idea of a stern Post ,,, no wire up the mast ! , also there isn't really any "top plate" on a cal20 mast head to screw anything to... so , more expensive equals faster response cheaper/ or units with converters equals slower response , guess im going to half to take a guess....
Love the idea of a stern Post ,,, no wire up the mast ! , also there isn't really any "top plate" on a cal20 mast head to screw anything to... so , more expensive equals faster response cheaper/ or units with converters equals slower response , guess im going to half to take a guess....
solosailor
Member
Somehow I've managed to not have wind instruments on any of my boats...... yet. Certainly don't see needing one on a Cal20.
everydaysailor
Member
Stern post works just fine off the breeze- pretty sure it was a conversation with Brian that steered me that way. I mounted a wireless transducer to a carbon pole for the last Pac cup and put its wireless readout under the boom. Same numbers as hardwired masthead unit. All Raymarine incl EV0 100 which did great. Still, Pelagic is my next purchase for my Express 27 as backup.
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PSutchek
Racer !
Well , with 7 hours out to the SE farallon , I'd like to chill down below for 20 to 30 min while the palegic sails itself
solosailor
Member
The nifty remote is your new friend.
Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
It’s true. I love my remote. Keep it on a lanyard, close to my heart. Seriously. It's the tiniest, flimsy thing. And when it stops working? I just replace the battery and it works again. Technology. Huh! That such a small thing can make big heavy Dura Mater change course.
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