Raymarine Evolution EV-100 autopilot settings

[rmbrown]

Can anyone running this autopilot that's happy with the performance tell me:

1) what you are using for vessel hull type (sail or sail (slow turn)?)
2) Wether you have a rudder position sensor?
3) If you don't have a sensor, what you used for rudder limit setting (did you leave it at 30 degrees?)
4) What you used for hardover time?

[rmbrown]

Does this mean that no one is having good results with this autopilot?

[Jim Hardesty]

I'm very happy with mine.
Just don't remember the settings and they are on the boat.  I am using a rudder position sensor, the one from my previous raymarine autopilot.  Wasn't a problem getting it to work with the recommended settings.  Easy to change and see if there was an improvement.  I don't fuss with settings like I did with the Raymarine 4000+.
Last season I single handed from Erie,PA to and back to the North Channel, 1100 NM, used the autopilot almost all the time 95% +.   Even when towing a friends 42 footer back from Detroit.   This autopilot works so much better than the Raymarine 4000+ .
Hope that helps,
Jim

[rmbrown]

I appreciate the feedback!

It gives me confidence that I can get mine dialed in, albeit possibly through the addition of an RPS.

Mine steers like a champ when I'm motoring, but it struggles when sailing.  My observation is that it just doesn't use enough rudder to do the job.  My recollection is that I have 3/4 turn each direction stop to stop and that I can steer in almost any conditions using less than 1/4 turn in each direction.  Problem is that the AP uses only about 1/8 turn in each direction.

[Roc]

Mike,
When sailing are you setting it to track wind angle or compass heading?  I have the 4000+ and when sailing, I set it to track wind angle.

[rmbrown]

I use both.  It does a good job of knowing what the track *should* be when chasing the wind angle but doesn't do a better job of keeping to that track assuming I'm sailing.  It tracks great using either method under power.  I know that it sounds odd to motor to a wind angle but I do that when I'm getting sails up or down, typically... just a slow motor directly into the wind.

[Jim Hardesty]

Mine steers like a champ when I'm motoring, but it struggles when sailing.

I think it's important to balance the sails when using the autopilot.  ie. How much weather helm? 
I also use both the heading function and the wind angle function.  At times one will be better than the other.  Seems like the evolution is much less effected by changes in healing and gusts. 

Problem is that the AP uses only about 1/8 turn in each direction.

Mine will turn much more than that.  I'm thinking 1/2 turn when auto-tacking.

Jim

[rmbrown]

If I had that 1/2 turn, I'd be golden.  A beer for your settings... the next time you make it to your boat!

Re weather helm, I won't say I never have excessive weather helm, but in the cases I'm talking about, I could hand steer just fine with a fingertip... I just wasn't getting enough rudder to do the job.  Since all I can  modify is vessel type, rudder limit and hard over time, I'll use your settings and, if it still doesn't play nice, invest in an RPS. :)

[Roc]

When motoring is relatively flat seas, the compass heading works well.  In choppy seas, then motoring using wind angle works better.  For sailing with autopilot, the helm needs to be balanced.  If there is excess weather helm, it will be difficult for the autopilot to stay the course.  You may have too much weather helm.

[rmbrown]

I can't say I've never sailed with too much weather helm... I'm still learning the boat... but in this case, I'm pretty sure that I just haven't configured properly and I'm not getting as much rudder as I need.

I'm assuming that's either because I've configured the AP in a way such that when it commands 20 degrees rudder it gets 10 or that it only has 15 degrees stop to stop instead of 30... using completely made up numbers of course.  While my wheel is 3/4 turn each direction, I've not gone under the boat, or remembered to measure while I was hauled out. to determine what the actual rudder angle is stop to stop.

I appreciate your feedback! 

[Wayne]

I have an Ev too, and it works well.  I also have a rudder sensor.  I know that when I'm under sail in high winds on occasion my wheel will rotate through an adjustment of more than 10 degrees (gust from a different direction, etc) and certainly so when I auto tack.  As I recall, I'm set to 'sail'.  There are way more than three adjustments to deal with . . . do you have an owner's manual?  You should find several settings there.  Also, by my recollection not only did I need to do a 'swing the compass' thing to set mine up but I also needed to do some calibration runs whereby I ran a reciprocal course a few times so that the thing could properly program itself. 
Good luck!

[rmbrown]

I do have a manual, and there are definitely more than three steps in getting it set up...
1) language - english in my case
2) vessel type - sail or sail (slow turning) I assume, although there are other choices
3) drive type
4) check rudder alignment
5) rudder limit setting
6) hard over time
7) rudder drive direction check
compass linearization (Sorry about the smiley... I can't figure out how to type an "8" followed by a ")" without the automatic conversion)
9) compass deviation
10) compass offset
11) compass lock

It's just that I have no issue with my compass course, so I eliminated 8-11, the wheel turns in the right direction so I eliminated 7, I got a good handle on 1 and 3, and while I'm not sure exactly what 4 does, but I can't see a way to do to do it wrong.  That leaves the ones in bold to play with, I think...  so when spring is sprung, I hope to get those values from others so I can dial mine in. :)

Are there other settings that I can access you know about?  Maybe I missed a page!

[Scott Hibbs]

Like Jim, my delay in responding was not remembering the settings and limited access to the boat over the winter.  I am extremely pleased with the EV-100 performance.  Winds are erratic in northern Michigan, so most of the time when the autopilot is used it's via compass heading.  On the rare occasion that the wind is fairly consistent, the track wind angle feature works well.  The unit is set to "sail," and I do have a rudder position sensor.  The EV-100 holds well in most all wind and sea conditions....unlike the 4000+ unit it replaced.  I have not found any turn limitations in several seasons with the unit - a 1/8 turn limit seems tight.  I agree that weather helm can be an issue, but I am one of those that enjoy "tweaking"  sails so it has not been a big concern.  During times that I am a little lazy, you can feel the unit start to struggle which gives you motivation to make some changes.  I will post settings when the Spring launch occurs....only 3 short months away!

[rmbrown]

You guys rock... and I can totally understand not having those settings memorized!  I look forward to hearing from you happy evolution owners then... hopefully at least one without an RPS... otherwise I'll be going shopping for one. :)

[Bill Shreeves]

Glad to see many have had good success with the EV-100.  I replaced my ST4000 with an EV-100 & rudder sensor last summer.   The
ST-4000 wouldn't hold a heading because of a problem with the compass and I couldn't trust it.

Unfortunately, the new EV-100 wheel drive clutch would not disengage, no matter what I did, while under sail late last summer.  Long story short, I had to force the wheel to make my way around some debris then get the sails down.  While under engine  power, I wound up having to lock the wheel, remove the it then the wheel drive and re-install the wheel.   Rather discomforting to me being under power with no wheel.  Fortunately, I had plenty of depth and space.  Afterward, back at the slip, I was unable to find a cause for it not to release after disassembly.  The clutch tension was at the default half-way point so, I decided to reduce all the way, re-install and use it very cautiously during the last couple of weekends of the season.   It seemed OK however, on my final trip of the season, it locked again.  I had someone with me to manage the wheel while I got out my hex key and managed to completely loosen the clutch while chasing the wheel while the pilot was making adjustments to manage our course in demanding wind and seas.  Yeah, pretty salty language while dealing with that!

Anyway, I  contacted Raymarine and arranged to send it back.  They responded with a non-specific problem found with the wheel drive and sent me a new one.  Hoping the next one is more reliable this Spring after commissioning.

I never considered the possibility that the very simple clutch mechanism would ever seize but, it did twice making steering quite difficult.   I'll take the second time on the chin knowing I probably should've returned immediately.  Honestly, not sure how long it'll take for me to trust it.  Its a drag knowing they ain't cheap and the rudder sensor install was a PITA.  We'll see.


-Bill