# Smart Pilot Raymarine X5 Wheel Pilot



## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Anyone installed this yet. How do you like its performance? Easy installation?
What do you like about it? What do you not like about it?

Thanks,

Dave


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Nope, guess not, so you're a guinea pig.  let us know how it goes.


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## craigtoo (Aug 17, 2007)

chef2sail said:


> Anyone installed this yet. How do you like its performance? Easy installation?
> What do you like about it? What do you not like about it?
> 
> Thanks,
> ...


Bumpity...bump bump.

Anyone?


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## JohnRPollard (Mar 26, 2007)

Chef,

This is pretty funny. I was going to post an identical thread today asking the same question! 

Does anyone know if Raymarine has even delivered the product yet? They announced it last February, if I recall correctly.

Eagerly awaiting first-hand reports....


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## craigtoo (Aug 17, 2007)

West was supposed to receive them this month if IIRC.


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## craigtoo (Aug 17, 2007)

Here's the response I got from Sailnet's Mallory back in September I think... just some product info. Very helpful.

I'll definitely buy it here when the finances recover from the holidays. The November Availability date was pushed back.. don't know how far though.

>>>>>FORWARDED TEXT>>>>>>>

Hi Craig

Thanks for the inquiry. I think the following info will help with your decision. I have noted the major differences in red. If it were me I would wait for the X5 to be released for the sole fact that a rudder sensor is no longer needed on the X5 pilot. Everything else is fairly comparable; both drives are powerful enough for you, displays are the same, and fluxgate compass. Again, the course computer is the same except for the addition of the rate gyro compass and the AST software which I expand on below.

ST4000 - Discontinued. The part you see on our site is the replacement drive unit only.

S1 - This replaces the ST4000. ($1094)
- Enough power to handle your tonnage (18,700 lbs max)
- Uses same drive as ST4000.
- Uses rudder feedback sensor to determine rudder position and therefore compensate (beneficial for sailing downwind).
- No rate gyo sensor. Available as an upgrade though.
- NMEA 0183 - GPS can talk to Pilot. Course to steer etc.
- ST6002 control Head. This is your std control head and will do everything you need. ST8002 has a larger display and some other features but I cant see any benefits to upgrading for a wheel pilot.

X5 - Replaces the S1. (available 11/19/08) (same price as S1)
- Enough power to handle your tonnage. (16.500 lbs max)
- Basically same drive unit as S1.
- Course computer now has rate gyro standard.
- Rudder feedback sensor eliminated. Course computer now has software (AST) to do what the rudder sensor used to do. This is huge since installing the rudder sensor is a huge pain.
- NMEA 2000 connection as well as NMEA 0183. This doesnt really add any particular benefit to you.

Please let me know what questions you have after comparing this data.

Thanks

Mallory

____________________________________________

Mallory Schoolfield
Marine.com, Sailnet.com, Speedwake.com
Sales
[email protected]
Phone. 1.800.597.1781
International. 843.724.5638
Fax. 928.962.1049


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## jbondy (Mar 28, 2001)

The S1 didn't have a very long life on the market, did it? It wasn't that long ago that it replaced the ST4000. I just installed the S1 last summer. It's interesting that the S1 WheelPilot is not listed as a current product nor as a retired product on Raymarine's Product Support page.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Looks like I opened Pandoras Box,,How was the S1? I saw some of the struggles people had putting the rudder sesnor on. Almost seemed like if it took the time to do that you might has well have gotten a linier drive autopilot ( for 2000 more of course). The beauty of the wheel drive is that it was easy supposedly to install and was 1/3 the rpice and was appropriate for a boat my size and the conditions I will face using it.

Dave


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*I don't know...*

Jeeze I've installed about a half a dozen or so rudder position sensors and other than a little creativity never found them to be as big a pain as everyone else?

Here's one install done with Starboard and 1" stainless tubing and fittings:


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## patrickrea (Aug 20, 2007)

They are available even in Canada. I almost bought the X-5 demo from the Toronto Boat show. The are available. CDN$1100 for the show demo (repacked and full warranty) or CDN$1250 for a new unit next week.


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## FishFinder (Feb 24, 2008)

I waited all summer for the X-5, Raymarine kept delaying the release so I gave up and got the S1. I've never used an autopilot before, but the S1 seems pretty solid to me. It really increases the enjoyment I get out of sailing especially since I'm solo a lot of the time ... got it linked to my GPS which is really nice. Seems plenty powerful for my 30ft boat. Issues I've had so far -- a couple times the autopilot has suddenly stopped tracking a course without warning, and the autopilot's compass doesn't match my boat's compass despite calibration (could be a mounting location problem).

Installing the rudder sensor didn't bother me that much, from what I understand having a rudder sensor is a good thing ... should increase the accuracy of the autopilot (it's still available for the X-5 as an upgrade, and IIRC the better Raymarine autopilots will still include the rudder sensor). The toughest part for me was removing the wheel, it was really stuck on, had to buy a gear puller. Here is my mount for the rudder position sensor, just took a little bit of planning (Halekai AKA Maine Sail's posts helped me out for inspiration):


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## jbondy (Mar 28, 2001)

The S1 is a lot more reliable than the belt-driven ST3000 it replaced. Since I mostly single-hand with company, it comes in real handy to have it to take the helm while I trim sails or other duty. It integrates with my Raymarine GPS/plotter, which also lets me set the most direct course over a long haul. The installation of the RPS wasn't a big deal. There was a support for the steering system nearby to which the stationery component was mounted. We're pleased.


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## norsearayder (Dec 19, 2006)

defender has the x-5 in stock


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## bene305 (Jan 25, 2009)

DO you know where the X-5 will be available at 1250$ CAN? Is it this week?


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## patrickrea (Aug 20, 2007)

I have a contact who is a Raymarine installer. I think he gets them out the back door of Raymarine directly. Drop me a pm.


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## bene305 (Jan 25, 2009)

Hi, 
I'm sorry, but I can't send you a PM, I think I'm to new to this forum......


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## patrickrea (Aug 20, 2007)

bene305 said:


> Hi,
> I'm sorry, but I can't send you a PM, I think I'm to new to this forum......


Yep you need 10 posts.


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## CapnRon47 (Jul 29, 2007)

*S1 upgrade - FYI*

I bought an S1 last summer, but I have not installed it yet, as it requires the rudder sensor. I asked Raymarine about upgrading it and they said if I sent back the main controller and $400 they would upgrade the S1 to the X-5, without the need for the rudder sensor.

I got the S1 on sale and I think the rudder sensor is probably a good idea, things work better with feedback. So I did not follow up on their offer. My biggest problem is that the boat is in NC and I am still working in NJ. So, someday soon I will get to it.


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## hutch5151 (Jul 16, 2000)

*x-5 Autopilot*

I just helped a friend install the x-5 on his Benetau 35s5. Installation was a breeze, really no different than the S-1 except the omission of the rudder sensor.
The real test of any wheel pilot is it's ability to hold course in a following sea. We took his boat out in 20-25 knot winds and 4-5 foot following seas. the x-5 held the boat every bit as well as my older s-1 system with linear drive and rudder sensor. I was really impressed with the "learn" function of the course computer. The first few yaws were a little excess, but the computer kicked in the on each succesive yaw, and the steering was more precise as we went.

I am seriously considering buying the upgrade to my s-1 course computer to include the yaw sensors. They really work.

The X-5 wheelpilot is definetly an improvement over the S-1 and the installation is easier and cost as low.


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## acolette (Feb 27, 2009)

*NMEA 2000 works well*

I was unhappy that NMEA 2000 is never mentioned in any technical document either shipped with or currently available on the web site. The marketing brochure says it supports it, but you never see another mention of it.
Raymarine support told me to just cut off an NMEA 2000 cable and hard wire it to the SeatalkNG connections. Apparently SeatalkNG is a superset of the NMEA protocol with proprietary connectors.
My Lowrance display, GPS and DSC radio all magically began communicating over the NMEA 2000 network with zero configuration.

Installation was simple and it work great. Raymarine just needs to accept that proprietary networks are a thing of the past and embrace it.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

It'd be nice if they included a pigtail or adapter instead of having to have you hack up a perfectly good cable.


acolette said:


> I was unhappy that NMEA 2000 is never mentioned in any technical document either shipped with or currently available on the web site. The marketing brochure says it supports it, but you never see another mention of it.
> Raymarine support told me to just cut off an NMEA 2000 cable and hard wire it to the SeatalkNG connections. Apparently SeatalkNG is a superset of the NMEA protocol with proprietary connectors.
> My Lowrance display, GPS and DSC radio all magically began communicating over the NMEA 2000 network with zero configuration.
> 
> Installation was simple and it work great. Raymarine just needs to accept that proprietary networks are a thing of the past and embrace it.


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## JustineIII (Feb 27, 2009)

*Is S1+E12101 > X-5?*

Hmmmmm...

Now that you can buy the S1 plus the Gyro for a total price roughly equal to the X-5, which of those packages makes the better pilot? Is the S1 more powerful? I am thoroughly confused by the statistics pointed previously in this thread

S1 --- 18,700 lbs
X-5 --- 16,5000 lbs

If both pilots use "basically the same drive unit," then what accounts for the difference in displacement rating? A real difference in the power of the units, or just a re-evaluation by Raymarine?

Clearly the X-5 is quicker to install without the rudder sensor, but if you go to the trouble of installing the rudder sensor, will an S1 with both rudder sensor and Gyro work better than an X-5? Why or why not?

How can we find out?

Y.


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## mxtommy (Sep 1, 2006)

Sorry for digging up an (oldish) thread, but just took my boat out for the first time since installing the X5 and figured I'd add to this one rather then start a new one.

Here are my observations/notes

Installation was really easy. Hardest part I had was passing the wires through my pedestal guard, as there was already a bunch of wires going through it and not much space left. Aside from that no issues. I also manged to connect my Navman Wind instrument via NMEA with no issues, which was nice since this one doesn't seem to be too popular a brand. (It came with the boat  )

Overall installation time (and I'm no professional) was about 4-5 hours, at least 3 of which was spent passing cables through the pedestal guard.

Once my boat was in the water I performed the dockside calibration. I then took off for my marina which is about 4-5 hours away from where I store the boat in the winter. The manual says you need to perform a seatrial to calibrate the unit before oporation, and since 3/4 of my trip was in a river without enough room to do it, I planned on steering manually the entire way. The forecast for the day called for 15-20 knots of wind from the west (I was heading south) climbing to 25 knots in the afternoon. Waves around 3 feet at times. Unfortunately my only crew was my 12 year old little brother who has no sailing experience and my boat isn't really set up for single-handed sailing so I decided to motor the entire way 

Like I said I had planned to steer by hand the whole way since I couldn't do the "at sea" calibration where you swing the compass, let the course computer learn your boats handling etc. Out of curiosity I decided to try and use the autopilot anyways, (at low speed) "just to see", figuring it would only take a second to disengage if it did something wrong. Well, even though it hadn't yet gone through autolearn and the compass was about 130 degrees off my actual course, it worked like a charm! Even with the boat rocking through the beam seas it kept us on course without any issues what-so-ever. I ended up using the autopilot almost the entire trip, just making adjustments to my course through the autopilot display.

I'd be totally happy with the units performance as is. I can only wait to see how well it will work when it's actually configured! 

Anyways, that's my review so far, cya later!


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## drgamble (Oct 28, 2008)

Tommy - thanks for the post. I'm actually having my yard do the install of my X-5 along with the remote SmartController in the next couple of weeks. Shouldn't have the wiring issues as I'm forgoing the pedestal mount and mounting the display unit down by the engine guages. Your install time estimates are appreciated as I'll be pinning those guys down on their estimate to install.


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## bwindrope (Feb 25, 2007)

Any response to the question about differing power of S1 and X5. I'm in the autopilot market and my Gulf 32 is right near the edge of #16,500. If the S1 is stronger, that would be good for me probably. 

Curious.


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## tackdriver (Apr 6, 2009)

bwindrope said:


> Any response to the question about differing power of S1 and X5. I'm in the autopilot market and my Gulf 32 is right near the edge of #16,500. If the S1 is stronger, that would be good for me probably.
> 
> Curious.


I've got the x-5 and it is not strong. I've wrecked two gearboxes on it in 4 months. The software is great, and I have no complaints about that part of it, but the drive does NOT handle the quoted displacement. It would be OK on a much smaller boat. I've found one other person who has posted the same issue. There is also problems with the motor housing, a Raymarine tech admitted this to me on the phone, mine fell to pieces in addition to the gearbox issues and I've seen other units with the same problems. 
The drive unit is under engineered and I wouldn't be putting it on your boat.
cheers
JMB


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Good success with the ST-400Mk2*

FYI, I've used the ST-4000 MK2 to sail from the Chesapeake Bay to Sydney Australia in 3 years, and it worked great. I had a windvane on board too, but after the Atlantic I never used it, the ST-4000 was that reliable. Used the Raymarine full time all the way to Australia. I had an electronics failure in the Atlantic at the same time a number of other electronics failed in a gale, so it probably was a transient or something. It was fixed in a couple of hours in St Maarten. (I like the availability of parts and service!). The wheel drive, the same I believe as used on the X-5, lasted all the way to Australia. However once here for a year, I found the outer plastic bearing ring inside the wheel unit to have broken. It was OK when I arrived. I purchased a replacement from Whitworths, a chandlery here locally, so it's now good as new. I carry a spare AP, but other than that transient issue have not used it. 
Now I'm thinking of upgrading to one with a gyro, the X-5. I'd like the gyro feature, as I could not use the rudder sensor. I believe on the whole the drive should work OK if it is the same. I did have a problem with the clutch handle loosening up and not staying engaged. A bungee fixed that. It may have been a loose screw in retrospect. I've also had a ham-fisted crewmember break the clutch eccentric wheel, but again replacement parts were readily available. Carry spares! I agree that the drive could be more robust, but I saw several bigger APs on the trip with more problems, I have to say. They also eat more current. I sail a Kennex 380 38' catamaran.


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## thekeip (Aug 8, 2007)

I did an x-5 wheel pilot install a few months ago on a Catalina 36 for a Dr. in San Fran. This system is extremely well laid out and, thanks to the lack of rudder feedback sensor, there's no agony over the mechanics ordinarilly involved. The biggest problem I had was burying the fluxgate compass in a convenient invisible location, and bringing switched 12V to the unit from the DC control panel. I think I had only about 6 hours total including sea trial. I should say that this was a minimal installation in that there was no networking involved. The sea trial worked out well too. The "learn" feature is way cool and can deliver a really smooth AP all by itself without further refinement though some tweaking will always be necessary...."sensitivity", for instance. I found the unit to be fairly "hyper" or jittery until I turned the response down a little, but that's all.
Here, the bay is a great place to do a sea trial, by the way...you can do the compass deviation swing and learn routines in the morning calm and the pilot will get a real workout in 20-25 kn just a little later.
I was impressed enough to decide on this unit for my Ericson 35.
Howard Keiper
Berkeley


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## douwefokkema (Jan 25, 2011)

I found the X-5 very instable on waves, the unit reacts heavily on the rolling of the yacht. see my YouTube: watch?v=czikxpzYjVI
Raymarine X-5 vs Navico TP30 Comparison


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Before condemning the unit, have you played with the gain and auto-correction settings on the autopilot. Most autopilots have some problems with heavy waves.



douwefokkema said:


> I found the X-5 very instable on waves, the unit reacts heavily on the rolling of the yacht. see my YouTube: watch?v=czikxpzYjVI
> Raymarine X-5 vs Navico TP30 Comparison


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## douwefokkema (Jan 25, 2011)

I have really tried all settings of rudder gain and response. Lower settings will result in an off-course alarm, then the unit will continue to pump the helm on every wave but will not apply helm to stay on course. The problem is that the sensitivity of the gyro is far too large and can not be adjusted.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

We currently use an S-1 with a rudder sensor rather than a gyro.. previously had the ST4000 - neither control well in a seaway, esp with a lively,responsive boat.

We use ours to stay on course for dousing/setting sail, and for long motoring legs. If we're sailing I like to steer - and can do a much better job.


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## sailor25b (Jun 2, 2006)

I had teh Raymarine Smart Pilot installed last summer, and everything works as expected, except once in a while when the weather is hot. Then the unit shuts down without warning. I can put it back on, but it keeps shutting off.
When things cool down later in the day/evening, it's fine. Oonly happens when th etemp is over about 85degs. 
Must be something wrong with the wiring, but I can't figure it out, and neither can the yard. Any ideas?


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## Skipper26 (Apr 2, 2010)

sailor25b said:


> I had teh Raymarine Smart Pilot installed last summer, and everything works as expected, except once in a while when the weather is hot. Then the unit shuts down without warning. I can put it back on, but it keeps shutting off.
> When things cool down later in the day/evening, it's fine. Oonly happens when th etemp is over about 85degs.
> Must be something wrong with the wiring, but I can't figure it out, and neither can the yard. Any ideas?


I have installed my X5 today and I had exactly the same problem, it would not stay in AUTO and go to STANDBY wihout any reason or warning. Once it happens it is not always possible to set to AUTO again. It would sometimes go to START UP message and hangs there.

I suspected electrical problem at first, replaced power wires with heavier wire, added ferrites on power and network wire, on both ends, added grounding wire (heavy braid).

The system started working. I thought I had it fixed, until I saw your post.

Come to think of it now after reading your post, by the time I was done it was almost 7 p.m. and temperature had come down from 85 to about 70. No wonder, if it is temperature related, it is quite possible that all the wires and ferrites were not useful.

I will see if it does it again, if it does I will take the board out and set it up on a bench and blow hot air at each component separately.

You can tell when the system "goes to sleep" - the two indicator lights next to the processor start flashing regularly. Normally they are either off when in "normal" standby, or flashing sporadically when the motor engages.


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## craigtoo (Aug 17, 2007)

Well... Looks like my Gyro's on the course computer crapped out on mine after 20 or so hours of use. 

*grumble* just off the phone with the guys at Raymarine in NH. I'll have to send back the old one for repair... 7-10 day turn-around.


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## c40eb (Sep 12, 2002)

Ouch. No fun.

I installed the unit at the beginning of last season.

No complaints. Installation was as reported and functions as indicated.

It is a wheel pilot, so can get overwhelmed by heavy weather helm. Tells me I have too much sail flying.

It did start to get noisier towards the end of last season. I flushed the wheel unit with fresh water (as per the instructions) which quieted it.


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## mariner0822 (Apr 12, 2012)

Installed the X5 on my 27 ft Catalina. Installation alright to do.
Installed fluxgate compass where old st 4000 compass was installed approx. 3 feet from engine.
Did numerous swing checks and get no deviation response.
Installed computer on quarter berth wall, engine side. Some vibration there.

Need help to determine what is wrong.

Autopilot works even w/o compass calibration.


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## Skipper26 (Apr 2, 2010)

When I installed this same unit on my boat I also had a hard time swinging the compass, had to wait for perfect "flat" conditions and even then it takes a lot of patience, at least 4 circles if not more, and you cannot rush it, if you get "reduce speed" message you have to start it all over. 

It helps to make larger circles.

By the way, to follow up on my post above, it turned out defective board, Raymarine support were most helpful and replaced it at no charge, now autopilot works regardless of air temperature.

It is a very useful gadget, except may be when running in a following sea, it has a bit of problem keeping course. On all other points it works great.


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## mariner0822 (Apr 12, 2012)

Thanks, talked to RM and they wanted me to check a few things.
By the way, made at least 15 swings w/o any comment except "keep turning"


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

mariner0822 said:


> Thanks, talked to RM and they wanted me to check a few things.
> By the way, made at least 15 swings w/o any comment except "keep turning"


We're you in..

CALM water
Turning at close to 3 degrees per second
Above 2 knots but below 5
Did you confirm the compass swings 360 before entering sea trial set up

If the compass is not swinging a full 360 degrees, even before you calibrate it, you may have a bad flux gate. I've had a few bad right out of the box... Raymarine can give you the test procedure for Ohms readings.


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## RickWestlake (Sep 22, 2009)

Thank you all, to the folks who resurrected this thread.

I put a Raymarine X-5 Smart Pilot on my MacGregor 26X, Bossa Nova, a few years ago. It did a pretty good job, when I used it; but I did have a catastrophic failure of the wheel-drive, probably because of 'inadvertent' stresses on the drive and its motor-pod (Raymarine fixed it under warranty, but it was a nuisance.) What I disliked about it was the fussy "bzzzt-bzzzt-bzzzt" as it swung the helm to each pitch of a wave. Of course, the Mac is a very lightweight boat, long spade rudders, skinny little centerboard, water ballast in the hull - a 26-foot sleep-aboard sailing dinghy.

Now I'm in another boat; a Bristol 29.9 whose ballast alone weighs more that the fully-loaded Mac 26X! (She displaces about 9000#, loaded as she is now for Chesapeake Bay weekends.) I'm planning to take this vessel on longer cruises; in fact I'm emboldened to maybe even take her to Bermuda. I'll be going solo, so of course I'm going to need some kind of self-steering mechanism. I'm wondering whether to go the easy, cheap way with another SPX-5 wheel pilot, or to mount a Cape Horn wind-vane for about three times as much money (_but no electrical power needed._)

Any opinions? I'd welcome your thoughts.


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## sailak (Apr 15, 2007)

RickWestlake said:


> What I disliked about it was the fussy "bzzzt-bzzzt-bzzzt" as it swung the helm to each pitch of a wave. .


You can adjust gain/sensitivity and reduce the annoyance factor.


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## Ritchard (Aug 15, 2011)

Rickwestlake above mentions the annoying Bzzt Bzzt as the unit constantly steers. Mine creaks. It is annoying enough that you want to turn off the pilot a lot of the time. I guess I have to adjust the gain and sensitivity as suggested above to make it steer a bit less, but still, should a nearly new unit make creaking noises as it steers?


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## fstuart (Oct 3, 2011)

i just bought the SPX-5 P70, yesterday, haven't installed it yet They say it is easy but I am a little timid with elec work especially since my boat is old and there's a ratnest of wires. I guess I'll see how it goes this week and report back


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

fstuart said:


> i just bought the SPX-5 P70, yesterday, haven't installed it yet They say it is easy but I am a little timid with elec work especially since my boat is old and there's a ratnest of wires. I guess I'll see how it goes this week and report back


Good luck and let us know how it goes!

MedSailor


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I'm picking mine up on Tuesday to be installed on my Morgan 33 Out Island. I'll keep you posted how it works.

Gary


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## bigdogandy (Jun 21, 2008)

I've found that if you flush the wheel mechanism with fresh water the buzzing / creaking sound goes away.......the manual recomends this as part of the regular maintenance.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Have used nine extensively on trips including right now as we are sailing back down the LISound to the Chesapeake. Works like a charm, especially integrated with our C90w chart plotter. Fresh water rinse when leaning the boat takes care of the abberant noises. Worked well on a 20 knot wind sail broad reaching last week. Usually the telling point on auto pilots with large amount of yawing with almost following seas. Key is in the calibration or it is constantly working.

Dave


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## RickWestlake (Sep 22, 2009)

I've got mine installed - but due to family matters, I haven't been able to take it out and commission the SmartPilot system yet.

The newer system comes with a "SeaTalk _ng_" network, which is more involved to install than the old ST6002 control head. On Bossa Nova, I ran the control-head cable straight to the computer box, and it got its power from there; with the new system, I had to install a network 'backbone' and run both power and network connections to this thing. I also had to buy a separate cable direct from Raymarine to hook this 'backbone' to the control head - this because of the length of the cable run.

The Sea Talk _ng_ cable presents another 'interesting problem' with cable runs, because Raymarine says it should not be bent in a curve tighter than a 4-inch radius. This meant I had to find a way to run the cable along bulkheads in this smooth curve, which means get a lot of screw-in-place cable ties to secure it this way.

Raymarine advises you - wisely - to plan out all your cable runs and hookups before you start your installation. I made some mistakes, and the job took a lot longer than I'd expected, but I'm satisfied with the results. So far.


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## Ritchard (Aug 15, 2011)

Ritchard said:


> Rickwestlake above mentions the annoying Bzzt Bzzt as the unit constantly steers. Mine creaks. It is annoying enough that you want to turn off the pilot a lot of the time. I guess I have to adjust the gain and sensitivity as suggested above to make it steer a bit less, but still, should a nearly new unit make creaking noises as it steers?


I thought I'd update my creaking complaint. I learned on a recent long cruise that the locater pin that you affix to the pedestal had worked its way loose. The loud creaking I was hearing was that pin moving back and forth as it got looser and looser. 45 seconds with a screwdriver removed most of my noise complaint. I still have to get in there with some threadlocker.


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## RickWestlake (Sep 22, 2009)

Ohhh-kayyy! I have commissioned my wheel pilot and I am ready to buy it a diamond ring. It works very well and it's better-modulated than the one I have on my old boat.

Spent the day out sailing. I can sit where I want to, even up on the bow. "Otto" does a fine job of keeping Halcyon on course, on all points of sail. It can't take care of a change in the wind, though - but it held its own in light winds and heavy gusts, under sail and under power. And it is wonderful to be able to use the awning I've only used at anchor, as shade when I'm out under sail.


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