AutoPilot Compass issues

I have an old Navico Coran wheel pilot on my E27, which has always worked like a charm. Recently, it has gone awry, working well for a couple of minutes, then veering to port. The only thing I have changed, is I have a small 4 pin electrical socket on my binnacle for my GPS, and I recently changed it from plastic to chrome plated brass. It is about ten inches away from Coran. Could this affect my magnetic fields?
Any help would be welcome

I am not familiar with that model Ian. Are you sure the fluxgate compass is in the unit and not installed somewhere else in the boat? It is common to install them in the bilge centered fore and aft. I do not think your socket change would affect it unless you disturbed the wiring for th AP.

Verify the location of the compass and then check for changes near it.

Thanks. I am pretty sure this is the only change, but will check anyway

I wonder if your AP is a Navico Corus, later acquired and sold for a while by Simrad?
As I sort of remember, the main selling point of the Navico wheel unit was that it incorporated a flux gate compass. My Autohelm (Raymarine nowadays) has a separate compass module that has to be mounted away from internal magnetic interference and close to the roll center of the boat... And of course that added hours to the install time.

For magnetic influence ten inches is a long ways, at least for something like a plug that may have a little bit of plated steel somewhere in the parts. Any VHF or other RF frequency cabling near the AP circuit or power supply??
Perhaps, as the printed circuit board warms up, there are changes in it that affect the logic chip?? As this electronic stuff ages, things like that can happen sometimes.

Good luck with your trouble shooting.

LB

ps: a search on Navico Corus via google brings up semi-useful threads like this one:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1848748/an/0/page/7

Hi Loren
Thanks for your help. You called it, it is a Navico Corus 300CX.
I will recheck for disturbaces, but maybe you are right and the circuitry has had it. It is over ten years old!

Loren, I am still getting nowhere here. Are you saying the compass is somewhere in the binnacle mount or in the wheelpilot? I have installed new circuit board, with no difference, as well as hooked the pilot up to a separate power supply. It still yaws to port, after about twenty seconds.

Similar Problem with Simrad WP

I have a Simrad WP30 which is a Navico product and is about seven years old. After years of reliability, it started veering off to port. Customer service at Navico was monosyllabic and extremely unhelpful but the bottom line is that this company is out of the wheel pilot business and no longer repairs or supports older units. The rep did say that this sounds like a fluxgate compass issue and they do have some parts still available.

Thanks Loren. Would appreciate number/contact there if you have it. A shame, as it was a great piece of equipment. Do I understand the fluxgate is in the unit, or is it somewhere else on the boat?

What's in a name, anyway....

Ian,
Direct your thanks to Laura...
She is the poster with the Navico/Simrad.
I am just a poor ol' Autohelm owner.


Loren

Oh, sorry. Thanks though

Simrad Yachting.Com

Ian-
I contacted them through their web site. I believe they had a phone number for customer support. In my WP 30 the fluxgate compass is internal to the unit and can be found under the cover of the control panel. Good luck!

Here;s the Link

For Simrad USA customer support.

http://www.simrad-yachting.com/en/S...chting.com/en/Store-locator/Distributors/USA/

Repair Service Available for Simrad WP30

I spoke to a much more helpful customer service rep at Simrad this morning. After being told in a previous call that they no longer repair the WP30, I was informed today that they DO have parts and service available for the WP30. You'll need the serial number to get a return authorization.
The reason for this second call was that I discovered this weekend that WP stopped misbehaving when I used the remote control rather than the integral key pad to operate the unit.
I was all set to replace this WP with the Raymarine X-5 WP which I purchased from West Marine recently. That unit arrived with a broken motor assembly. I took back to the store, and both units they had in stock had the same broken part! They ordered another from the warehouse, and that one came in with the same broken part! They called Raymarine and found these units have been recalled. West Marine was great about trying to get me a good unit, but I got a refund instead.

Glad to hear good news on the WP 30 Laura! Hope mine holds up. FWIW we used the pilot a lot on our cruise to New England and it did a lot better than I expected, even worked off shore in some decent swell. I still believe it is underpowered for the 38 but compared with the cost of a below deck unit its just fine.

Thanks Laura for your help. I replaced the circuit board on mine without success, so do need to send it in, maybe a problem with the fluxgate.