IdleUp
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2008
- Messages
- 50
- Fluid Motion Model
- C-248 C
- Vessel Name
- Linda Sue
Raymarine S1 Autopilot Install - Ranger 25
As if my little Ranger could get any better than it was, I have to confess, the Raymarine S1 Auto-pilot adds a whole new degree of control and pleasure. Now not to be misinterpreted, the R-25 steers like it’s on a rail, in calm water, I can sometimes go for 5 minutes without touching the wheel. However, get a little wind in the mix, and like any boat, you’ll have to be on your toes to reach a destination. The S1 takes all the work out of it!
SUMMERY
The following is a summery of my installation of the Raymarine S1 autopilot in my 09 Cummins Ranger 25. I originally planned on installing the S1000 Autopilot from Raymarine, which sells for under a grand. This simple system is very easy to install however, it only uses the GPS for heading accuracy. After researching almost everything on the market, I finally decided on the Raymarine S1 autopilot. Some of the immediate advantages are the inclusion of a rudder position indicator, combined with a magnetic fluxgate compass for only around $500 more. It soon became obvious, this would be a worthwhile investment since I was originally planning on installing a rudder indicator on my R25, which would cost $300-500. It just made good sense to go with the S1 system since it now provides rudder indication on the supplied ST6002 autopilot Controller, which almost paid for the upgrade to the better system.
Another advantage of the S1 system is the hydraulic pump, since it’s very quiet in operation, you can mount it up by the helm and is barely audible when the engine is running.
ELECTRONIC INSTALLATION
The installation is straight-forward, the rudder indicator wire was run up to the helm area and hooked to the computer.
Next, I installed the ST2006 display/controller above the helm in the chart compartment overhead. There is an opening for the right hand wiper wire, which allowed me to run my Sea Talk cable dressed up against the window frame to the helm, it is almost invisible. I then ran this SeaTalk cable to the S1 Computer. Since I now had the SeaTalk cable up in the overhead cabinet, it made an easy SeaTalk connection to mount the transceiver unit for my remote control SmartController. I mounted the transmitter right in the center of the overhead compartment so it is line of site almost anywhere on the boat to the remote.
Next, I bought a 6ft. 12-gauge extension cord, wacked the ends off, and hooked it into the marked autopilot 15 amp breaker on the 12volt power panel for power the S1's computer. I used the center (ground) as an earth ground to the boats chassis.(required on the S1)
After a quick call to Andrew at Ranger to find out which wires to pick up my NMEA 0183 from my Garmin 4212 GPS system, my Garmin 4212 GPS was now interfaced to the S1 computer as well.
The electronic fluxgate compass took a bit of planning however after about 2 hours, I found a great place to mount it. The compass was mounted all the way forward and mounted to the forward panel, which easily comes out with just two screws. I dressed the cable up against the upper starboard panel and ran it all the way to the helm and made the connection to the S1 computer. The whole run took only minutes. I had some concerns regarding the chain in the anchor locker, however it made no difference to the magnetic heading reading when I moved the chain in or out of the locker.
MECHANICAL
The mechanical portion of the S1 installation only entails mounting the rudder position indicator in the aft section. While the aft section is very tight, Ranger still provided a fairly good-sized access hatch area to work in. On my tug, I used a small bungy-cord to hold the hatch open. I manufactured the rudder position sender bracket and also manufactured the bracket for the ball link so it ended up right at the “pick-up point” of the ram. While I really preferred aluminum, or stainless brackets, I found these galvanized brackets at Loew’s. You’ll find them with the truss hanger section in lumber. I used a good grade of epoxy paint to cover the brackets after the holes were drilled. My images pretty much show how they were constructed.
HYDRAULICS
The hydraulics was the most difficult to complete, I ordered 3-6ft lines from Ultraflex to include 2-T’s and 4-elbows.
I began by draining the helm pump and removing the two elbows. Next, believe it or not, I was able to (very carefully) run the three lines out the starboard opening where the power cables exit the helm locker area. I relocated the Cummins SmartTalk interface, and mounted the pump on the same board which was fiber glassed to the cabinet. Careful planning of the T fittings at the helm is difficult and must be assembled in a special order or you won’t be able to tighten the lines.
After a few hours, I had everything in place and there I stood with an empty helm pump and maybe 18 feet of empty hoses plumb full of air. After a call to Raymarine, Ultraflex, and Ranger, it became evident that all three said I would need a “Power Bleeder” to get all the air from the system. I spent a day calling every marine facility within 100 miles and most had not even heard of a bleeder, much less have one.
After an almost sleepless night, I dreamed up a way to use the autopilot pump to bleed the system, by using the autopilot pump and a 12-volt, gell-cell, and some plastic hoses. After filling the helm pump with a bottle and hose to monitor the levels - I used the autopilot pump to fill the center hose until I could see the fluid come up to the helm reservoir. I then hooked up the center hose to the auto pilot pump. Next, by powering the pump in short bursts, I was able to fill the port hose to the helm pump by leaving the hose connection loose, to see it bleed the air. Finally, by reversing the 12-volt line, I was able to fill the other. I now had all three hoses to hooked to the auto-pilot pump and I continued to bleed both lines of any remaining air by moving the helm wheel (slightly) and running the pump both directions in short bursts.
An important note is to make sure the rudder is "Centered" before you loosen any fittings and do not turn the wheel until the system is bleed of all air in the hoses. As long as the helm was centered, if there is any trapped air, it will reach the helm pump and not be pushed aft to the ram. believe it or not, I never bleed the ram in the rear and there is no air in my system.
COMMISSIONING
Dockside - The dockside commissioning went smoothly which involves a few inputs from your to tell the S1 computer a few things about your boat and it’s operation like the type of hull, speed, etc. You'll also check the pump direction and rudder indicator direction.
Sea Trial - The Sea Trail portion is also quite simple which involves going into the “Dealer Set-up” menu and making a few turns to check the deviation error of the system, calibrate your fluxgate compass with the GPS, and a simple test to make a 90 degree turn with the autopilot and check to see just how far the S1 computer over-shoots or under-shoots to the new heading
On my system S1 system, I opted for the optional Raymarine Remote SmartController ($438.39) which provides numerous pages of information and the best part if the conditions exist - it allows me to visit and control my R-25 from the forward or rear decks as well as occasionally use the passenger seat to stretch out.
OPERATION
In brief, the S1 Auto-Pilot in your Ranger provides three modes; you have “Standby” mode where the auto-pilot is in standby mode and you have full control of the helm steering. During this mode the S1 is powered up and ready. During standby the ST2006 controller / display, shows some vital information such as magnetic heading and my favorite; the R-25’s rudder position.
Next, you have the “Auto” mode where at any time you can just press the “Auto” button and the Ranger will hold the same exact course you were on. During the “Auto” mode, the user can make course adjustments by pressing the -/+1 buttons, or the -/+10 buttons. As an example, if you push the +10 button three times, the R25 will make a 30-degree immediate course change. This is nice since if you happen to see something in the water, it offers the opportunity to “dodge” the obstacle. On the same note, if you happen to be walking around your tug with your remote around your neck, if you see something you don’t like, you don’t have to run into the helm area to react.
The last mode is the “Track” mode, in brief, you just set a course on your GPS, then from the Auto mode you press the "Track" button and the S1 will sound an warning. By pressing the track button again, your little tug proceeds to do exactly what you programmed on your GPS. Keep in mind, so you don’t go wandering off in an error, the S1 will ask you to confirm each new heading.
CONCLUSION
It has now been almost a month since I installed my S1 unit, other than your GPS, the S1 Auto-Pilot is one of the best electronic investments you can make for your Ranger. It makes long cruising trips just that much enjoyable. During night travel, it enables you to keep your eyes out in the water looking for "lights" instead of constantly peering down at the GPS and having to adjust your eyes each time. In addition, the "Better Half" can now sit at the helm and hold a course while you do important things like fishing - does this get any better?
Best of all, it makes my little Ranger trawler just like the big boys now!
Enjoy – Mike Mas
Original helm hookup
New helm set-up with “T” fittings and return line
Galvanized bracket was picked up at Loews
By joining the two brackets it allowed me to have the ball link centered right on the pivot point. Second bracket is for mounting the rudder indicator.
This image shows the indicator mounted – note I bent in some angel to adjust to overcome the transom angle.
This image shows the rudder indicator mounted on a plywood support clear of the cylinder.
This image show the finished set-up – note I used the 2nd locking nut on the ram to secure my bracket, however the picup point is still centered over the input.
The fluxgate compass is mounted all the way forward away from any metallic items and generally hidden by a few throw pillows in the bunk.
The S1 computer is mounted to the starboard side rug with just one half of a Velcro strip which adheres to the rug.
This is my bleeding set-up after the system was bleed. While not show in image I used a quart of oil and a plastic hose to fill lines.
Use caution when reaching in this area on the starboard side when pulling cables etc. – the A/C power panel is hidden from view by the cables, there is no shielding to shield the terminals or in the event of a short or fire.
The is the Cummins Smart terminal block that was removed to allow the pump to mount on the intended mounting area.
This is the completed pump installation with the lines running up into the helm area. The S1 pump is very quiet in operation and is barely heard with the engine running.
I opted for the SmartController which provides numerous pages of information and the best part is it allows me to control the R25 from the forward or rear decks.
The transceiver for the wireless remote is mounted forward in the chart cabinet. I powered the transiever off the SeaTalk cable going to the ST2006 controller.
The Raymarine ST2006 Controller was mounted over the helm in the chart cabinet. As shown in the lower portion, the ST2006 display controller doubles for a rudder indicator. It also allows you to engage auto or tracking functions and or steer the boat using the -/+1 & -/+10 keys.
This is where I mounted my SmartController using a piece of stick tape and an existing screw on the windshield. In addition to being easy to grab and charge here, you can also use it to steer instead of reaching up to the ST2006 controller.
What else can I say!
As if my little Ranger could get any better than it was, I have to confess, the Raymarine S1 Auto-pilot adds a whole new degree of control and pleasure. Now not to be misinterpreted, the R-25 steers like it’s on a rail, in calm water, I can sometimes go for 5 minutes without touching the wheel. However, get a little wind in the mix, and like any boat, you’ll have to be on your toes to reach a destination. The S1 takes all the work out of it!
SUMMERY
The following is a summery of my installation of the Raymarine S1 autopilot in my 09 Cummins Ranger 25. I originally planned on installing the S1000 Autopilot from Raymarine, which sells for under a grand. This simple system is very easy to install however, it only uses the GPS for heading accuracy. After researching almost everything on the market, I finally decided on the Raymarine S1 autopilot. Some of the immediate advantages are the inclusion of a rudder position indicator, combined with a magnetic fluxgate compass for only around $500 more. It soon became obvious, this would be a worthwhile investment since I was originally planning on installing a rudder indicator on my R25, which would cost $300-500. It just made good sense to go with the S1 system since it now provides rudder indication on the supplied ST6002 autopilot Controller, which almost paid for the upgrade to the better system.
Another advantage of the S1 system is the hydraulic pump, since it’s very quiet in operation, you can mount it up by the helm and is barely audible when the engine is running.
ELECTRONIC INSTALLATION
The installation is straight-forward, the rudder indicator wire was run up to the helm area and hooked to the computer.
Next, I installed the ST2006 display/controller above the helm in the chart compartment overhead. There is an opening for the right hand wiper wire, which allowed me to run my Sea Talk cable dressed up against the window frame to the helm, it is almost invisible. I then ran this SeaTalk cable to the S1 Computer. Since I now had the SeaTalk cable up in the overhead cabinet, it made an easy SeaTalk connection to mount the transceiver unit for my remote control SmartController. I mounted the transmitter right in the center of the overhead compartment so it is line of site almost anywhere on the boat to the remote.
Next, I bought a 6ft. 12-gauge extension cord, wacked the ends off, and hooked it into the marked autopilot 15 amp breaker on the 12volt power panel for power the S1's computer. I used the center (ground) as an earth ground to the boats chassis.(required on the S1)
After a quick call to Andrew at Ranger to find out which wires to pick up my NMEA 0183 from my Garmin 4212 GPS system, my Garmin 4212 GPS was now interfaced to the S1 computer as well.
The electronic fluxgate compass took a bit of planning however after about 2 hours, I found a great place to mount it. The compass was mounted all the way forward and mounted to the forward panel, which easily comes out with just two screws. I dressed the cable up against the upper starboard panel and ran it all the way to the helm and made the connection to the S1 computer. The whole run took only minutes. I had some concerns regarding the chain in the anchor locker, however it made no difference to the magnetic heading reading when I moved the chain in or out of the locker.
MECHANICAL
The mechanical portion of the S1 installation only entails mounting the rudder position indicator in the aft section. While the aft section is very tight, Ranger still provided a fairly good-sized access hatch area to work in. On my tug, I used a small bungy-cord to hold the hatch open. I manufactured the rudder position sender bracket and also manufactured the bracket for the ball link so it ended up right at the “pick-up point” of the ram. While I really preferred aluminum, or stainless brackets, I found these galvanized brackets at Loew’s. You’ll find them with the truss hanger section in lumber. I used a good grade of epoxy paint to cover the brackets after the holes were drilled. My images pretty much show how they were constructed.
HYDRAULICS
The hydraulics was the most difficult to complete, I ordered 3-6ft lines from Ultraflex to include 2-T’s and 4-elbows.
I began by draining the helm pump and removing the two elbows. Next, believe it or not, I was able to (very carefully) run the three lines out the starboard opening where the power cables exit the helm locker area. I relocated the Cummins SmartTalk interface, and mounted the pump on the same board which was fiber glassed to the cabinet. Careful planning of the T fittings at the helm is difficult and must be assembled in a special order or you won’t be able to tighten the lines.
After a few hours, I had everything in place and there I stood with an empty helm pump and maybe 18 feet of empty hoses plumb full of air. After a call to Raymarine, Ultraflex, and Ranger, it became evident that all three said I would need a “Power Bleeder” to get all the air from the system. I spent a day calling every marine facility within 100 miles and most had not even heard of a bleeder, much less have one.
After an almost sleepless night, I dreamed up a way to use the autopilot pump to bleed the system, by using the autopilot pump and a 12-volt, gell-cell, and some plastic hoses. After filling the helm pump with a bottle and hose to monitor the levels - I used the autopilot pump to fill the center hose until I could see the fluid come up to the helm reservoir. I then hooked up the center hose to the auto pilot pump. Next, by powering the pump in short bursts, I was able to fill the port hose to the helm pump by leaving the hose connection loose, to see it bleed the air. Finally, by reversing the 12-volt line, I was able to fill the other. I now had all three hoses to hooked to the auto-pilot pump and I continued to bleed both lines of any remaining air by moving the helm wheel (slightly) and running the pump both directions in short bursts.
An important note is to make sure the rudder is "Centered" before you loosen any fittings and do not turn the wheel until the system is bleed of all air in the hoses. As long as the helm was centered, if there is any trapped air, it will reach the helm pump and not be pushed aft to the ram. believe it or not, I never bleed the ram in the rear and there is no air in my system.
COMMISSIONING
Dockside - The dockside commissioning went smoothly which involves a few inputs from your to tell the S1 computer a few things about your boat and it’s operation like the type of hull, speed, etc. You'll also check the pump direction and rudder indicator direction.
Sea Trial - The Sea Trail portion is also quite simple which involves going into the “Dealer Set-up” menu and making a few turns to check the deviation error of the system, calibrate your fluxgate compass with the GPS, and a simple test to make a 90 degree turn with the autopilot and check to see just how far the S1 computer over-shoots or under-shoots to the new heading
On my system S1 system, I opted for the optional Raymarine Remote SmartController ($438.39) which provides numerous pages of information and the best part if the conditions exist - it allows me to visit and control my R-25 from the forward or rear decks as well as occasionally use the passenger seat to stretch out.
OPERATION
In brief, the S1 Auto-Pilot in your Ranger provides three modes; you have “Standby” mode where the auto-pilot is in standby mode and you have full control of the helm steering. During this mode the S1 is powered up and ready. During standby the ST2006 controller / display, shows some vital information such as magnetic heading and my favorite; the R-25’s rudder position.
Next, you have the “Auto” mode where at any time you can just press the “Auto” button and the Ranger will hold the same exact course you were on. During the “Auto” mode, the user can make course adjustments by pressing the -/+1 buttons, or the -/+10 buttons. As an example, if you push the +10 button three times, the R25 will make a 30-degree immediate course change. This is nice since if you happen to see something in the water, it offers the opportunity to “dodge” the obstacle. On the same note, if you happen to be walking around your tug with your remote around your neck, if you see something you don’t like, you don’t have to run into the helm area to react.
The last mode is the “Track” mode, in brief, you just set a course on your GPS, then from the Auto mode you press the "Track" button and the S1 will sound an warning. By pressing the track button again, your little tug proceeds to do exactly what you programmed on your GPS. Keep in mind, so you don’t go wandering off in an error, the S1 will ask you to confirm each new heading.
CONCLUSION
It has now been almost a month since I installed my S1 unit, other than your GPS, the S1 Auto-Pilot is one of the best electronic investments you can make for your Ranger. It makes long cruising trips just that much enjoyable. During night travel, it enables you to keep your eyes out in the water looking for "lights" instead of constantly peering down at the GPS and having to adjust your eyes each time. In addition, the "Better Half" can now sit at the helm and hold a course while you do important things like fishing - does this get any better?
Best of all, it makes my little Ranger trawler just like the big boys now!
Enjoy – Mike Mas
Original helm hookup
New helm set-up with “T” fittings and return line
Galvanized bracket was picked up at Loews
By joining the two brackets it allowed me to have the ball link centered right on the pivot point. Second bracket is for mounting the rudder indicator.
This image shows the indicator mounted – note I bent in some angel to adjust to overcome the transom angle.
This image shows the rudder indicator mounted on a plywood support clear of the cylinder.
This image show the finished set-up – note I used the 2nd locking nut on the ram to secure my bracket, however the picup point is still centered over the input.
The fluxgate compass is mounted all the way forward away from any metallic items and generally hidden by a few throw pillows in the bunk.
The S1 computer is mounted to the starboard side rug with just one half of a Velcro strip which adheres to the rug.
This is my bleeding set-up after the system was bleed. While not show in image I used a quart of oil and a plastic hose to fill lines.
Use caution when reaching in this area on the starboard side when pulling cables etc. – the A/C power panel is hidden from view by the cables, there is no shielding to shield the terminals or in the event of a short or fire.
The is the Cummins Smart terminal block that was removed to allow the pump to mount on the intended mounting area.
This is the completed pump installation with the lines running up into the helm area. The S1 pump is very quiet in operation and is barely heard with the engine running.
I opted for the SmartController which provides numerous pages of information and the best part is it allows me to control the R25 from the forward or rear decks.
The transceiver for the wireless remote is mounted forward in the chart cabinet. I powered the transiever off the SeaTalk cable going to the ST2006 controller.
The Raymarine ST2006 Controller was mounted over the helm in the chart cabinet. As shown in the lower portion, the ST2006 display controller doubles for a rudder indicator. It also allows you to engage auto or tracking functions and or steer the boat using the -/+1 & -/+10 keys.
This is where I mounted my SmartController using a piece of stick tape and an existing screw on the windshield. In addition to being easy to grab and charge here, you can also use it to steer instead of reaching up to the ST2006 controller.
What else can I say!