Garmin autopilot/chartplotter issue

T

tatoweb

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 20, 2016
Messages
65
Fluid Motion Model
R-21 EC
Hi all,

Let me see if I can explain this...

I don't know why my boat symbol is not 100% straight with the direction I'm heading on the chartplotter screen. For example, when I engage the autopilot and I'm heading to a certain waypoint, the magenta line is straight towards the correct direction, but the boat symbol is pointing towards a few degrees more to the right.

To see it in numbers, I'm heading towards 000 degrees and the boat symbol is heading towards 020 degrees.

Any ideas how to solve?
 
On our boat this is normal. I believe that the orientation of the boat is determined by the fluxgate compass, not the GPS path. If there is a current, the chartplotter will show that the boat is angled into the current but the track will follow the purple line to the destination. I think this is the way it is supposed to work. I am sure others that know more than I will answer.
 
The boat icon should be aligned with the track. Your compass requires calibrating. You can follow the Garmin's Wizard for doing this.

I had this issue some years ago and when at a RT gathering here in the PNW Garmin was attending and we simply recalibrated the compass and fixed the issue.
 
It was explained to me that when this happens, and it will with any move of the boat, it is simply a matter of running the calibration sequence for the autopilot again.

I have no clue how to do this but expect that it is easy enough to figure out.
 
Before you start calibrating make sure you have not placed any metal objects next to the black ball. Any metal near the ball screws it up. Just like a regular compass. Once you remove the interference things should go back to normal.
 
Before you start calibrating make sure you have not placed any metal objects next to the black ball. Any metal near the ball screws it up. Just like a regular compass. Once you remove the interference things should go back to normal.
 
I've done this, Pretty easy if you follow the wizard. Just need a decent sized area of calm water with no obstacles(mile or so).
 
I dismounted my fluxgate ball when re-doing the upholstering project last winter.
First cruise this spring was crazy when it turned on the autopilot. I finally figured it out it was the fluxgate. I actually went back and just turned the ball a little bit at a time and achieved alignment. After reading the manual I learned that there is a calibration procedure for letting the "ball" figure out where it is. i haven't tried it but I'm satisfied with my hand adjustment.
 
tatoweb":1ifzdsk0 said:
Hi all,

Let me see if I can explain this...

I don't know why my boat symbol is not 100% straight with the direction I'm heading on the chartplotter screen. For example, when I engage the autopilot and I'm heading to a certain waypoint, the magenta line is straight towards the correct direction, but the boat symbol is pointing towards a few degrees more to the right.

To see it in numbers, I'm heading towards 000 degrees and the boat symbol is heading towards 020 degrees.

Any ideas how to solve?
Click to expand...

For what you are saying it does sound like you need to re-calibrate the GPS/autopilot, this is something that is easy to do through the "menu" of the autopilot screen, you will see a "user autopilot setup" from there you just need to follow the steps that the wizard gives you, if you have any questions before, during or after feel free to email or call me direct.

Thank you,
Kevin Lamont
 
kevin_summit":2ve10533 said:
tatoweb":2ve10533 said:
Hi all,

Let me see if I can explain this...

I don't know why my boat symbol is not 100% straight with the direction I'm heading on the chartplotter screen. For example, when I engage the autopilot and I'm heading to a certain waypoint, the magenta line is straight towards the correct direction, but the boat symbol is pointing towards a few degrees more to the right.

To see it in numbers, I'm heading towards 000 degrees and the boat symbol is heading towards 020 degrees.

Any ideas how to solve?
Click to expand...

For what you are saying it does sound like you need to re-calibrate the GPS/autopilot, this is something that is easy to do through the "menu" of the autopilot screen, you will see a "user autopilot setup" from there you just need to follow the steps that the wizard gives you, if you have any questions before, during or after feel free to email or call me direct.

Thank you,
Kevin Lamont
Click to expand...

Thanks!. I appreciate it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Respectfully, I think y'all missed the point, as contained in the post from "norcal". In my experience, there are only a very few times that the boat is pointed exactly at the destination, There is almost always some offset when the AP is taking you to a destination. As norcal stated, this is due to the influence of current, but wind can also be a rather large factor. In my experience, the only time that the boat should be aligned is when heading hold is selected.

The way to really test this is by either running reciprocal courses and noting the offset, or by selecting a destination directly into the external influence (current or wind, tougher to determine of both are in play) and noting any offset.

A 20 degree offset is not unusual, especially in a situation with current. A re-calibration is easy to do, but (I think) understanding the cause and impact of the offset is pretty important.

TK
 
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