Autohelm 2000 tiller pilot plus#

The ST4000 is designed to accept and process more sources of data than the other units itвЂ™s targeted more toward ocean passage-makers than the normal cruiser-racer. The apple among oranges was the ST4000, which is operated by a separately mounted display and whose fluxgate compass must be located away from the drive unit.

Autohelm 2000 tiller pilot plus#

We left out the Raytheon 1000 Plus (because itвЂ™s the sole contender in the lightweight class, and was previously reviewed), and the Simrad TP20, which uses a screw-thread drive slightly more powerful than the TP10, and adds an instrument interface. We tested four of the six available models: SimradвЂ™s TP10 and TP30, and RaytheonвЂ™s ST2000 Plus and ST4000 Plus. Each company sells three models of varying power, to cover as wide as possible a range of vessel displacements.ДЇor this test we focused on pulling power and current draw. Navico, meanwhile, has been absorbed by Simrad, maker of Robertson below-deck autopilots, which sells the Navico pilots under its own name. Today the two players on the field are essentially the same, although monikers have changed: The Autohelm pilots are now referred to by the parent companyвЂ™s name-Raytheon.

We pitted AutohelmвЂ™s and NavicoвЂ™s tiller autopilots against each other in September 1996, and updated the field in October 1997 with a short review of AutohelmвЂ™s ST-1000 Plus unit. Remember, however, that a boat thatвЂ™s easy for you to steer will also be easier for the autopilot. wheel question in light of the tillerpilotвЂ™s superiority. If buying a new boat, you might reconsider the tiller vs. Some cruisers have made good use of tillerpilots by attaching them to the trim tabs offered on some wind vane self-steerers, or the emergency rudder made by Scanmar to supplement its Monitor vane. When self-steering isnвЂ™t needed, simply remove the tiller and the pilot and stow. For these reasons, a good tillerpilot will probably do a better job steering your boat in sketchy conditions than a wheelpilot.Д«ut what if your boat has wheel steering? Well, you might be able to rig the emergency tiller (and when was the last time you tried that?!) for attachment of a tillerpilot.

They are comparatively inexpensive but not as robust.Д«etween the two, the tillerpilot has several distinct advantages over the wheelpilot: no belt to slip and much faster hard-over times. Tillerpilots and cockpit wheel pilots are the low-cost alternatives to belowdeck pilots that attach directly to the rudderstock and often employ hyraulic rams to provide turning power.ДЄbovedeck pilots, on the other hand, use small, energy-efficient high-speed, low-torque electrical motors.