Raymarine EV100 install input

[Patches]

After 32+ years of faithful service, and rebuilding/replacement of many parts, I'm retiring my original Autohelm 4000.  I caught the EV100s on sale at Defender for a great Black Friday price and will be installing one this winter.

I've got a 1990 Mark 1.25.  Any recommendations/tips for placement of the various components?  Where did you end up placing:

1. the Sensor Core

2.  the Control Box

Thanks!

Patches

[Jim Hardesty]

After 5 seasons with the EV 100 still happy with it.  Lots posted here search "evolution" and "EV100"  Here is my short write up.  Can use the existing wire to the wheel pilot drive.  All you need is power to the control head.  Need to buy additional special wires if you want to hook up to other imputs ie. windvane.  Mine worked much better with a rudder position sensor.  That was much more work to install.  I feel it was worth the additional work.

https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,9569.msg72152.html#msg72152

Jim

[mark_53]

Mine was an MK1.  Both the sensor core and the control box should not need much attention once working.  I chose to install behind the aft bulkhead.  Sensor on the ceiling, control box on the outside of the aft locker.

[waughoo]

I put in an evolution autopilot on my boat last winter.  Chose to install the rudder position sensor which went on the port side of the rudder post upside down on a block I epoxied to the underside of the cockpit sole.  The brain box ended up behind the aft bulkhead on a wood panel epoxies to the port side of the aft hanging locker.  The sensor core is located under the sink inside the locker where the hot water tank is.  I epoxied a block to the 45° spot on the hull liner and mounted it to that.  The indication was that the sensor core works best at the center of all the axis of motion and as close to the waterline as possible.  That spot seemed to be the best.

[Noah]

Alex— Do you have any issues with magnetic interference with the location of you sensor core? Seems to me that there is a lot of metal under the galley sink area. 

[waughoo]

Noah,

I checked it before hand with the iNstall app from gameco and it was within allowable levels.  The metal of the hot water tank is all non ferrous.

[Patches]

Thank you for the replies!

A few seasons ago I did a makeover of the area underneath the galley sink, so Alex's solutions are certainly possibly.  The hot water tank no longer lives under there, but I have backfilled that acquired space with a freshwater manifold for the ship's water and a filtration system. The platform where the old water heater sat is now a dishpan which is screwed in place and holds various cleaning supplies--much like what is found under kitchen sinks at home.  I have a large opening and a couple of hinged doors where the drawer used to be.  So I will see what the possibilities for the sensor core look like in that same corner which Alex used.  May not work because I also rotated the old 12" X 12" access door to the water heater 90 degrees and installed a "tilt out" trash bin.

Otherwise mounting both in the aft cabin might be the easiest. 

Patches

[LogoFreak]

Hi Patches,

Curious as to where your hot water heater ended up?

[waughoo]

Patches... the sensor core is completely above the hot water tank access door.  I wanted it to be clear of the door when I installed it. 

I also would like to know where the h2o tank ended up.

[Patches]

Antoni:

New water heater is mounted low in the wet locker between the head and chart table.  It is an Isotemp cylindrical-type heater.  For me, completely worth getting it out from under the galley sink where I now have better storage and access for my water filtration system, other plumping, and wires from the new battery bank to the engine.  Plus, anodes are very easy to replace on the new water heater.

I still have access for a shelf (or two) above the water heater--or a slide out drawer--if I ever get around to that...

[Patches]

Mark_53:

Do you mean you installed both behind the removable panel separating the the aft cabin from the aft water tank/rudder post area?  That would be a piece of cake since I have removed my aft water tank (maybe permanently) and the panel is removed for my transmission replacement.

Patches

[mark_53]

Yes, where the aft water tank is (was). The sensor and controller on the ceiling.  As I recall there were factory installed 2"x4"'s for the quadrant I mounted them to. A buss for all connections to power and SeaTalk on the exterior aft cabin locker.  As I recall, the quadrant was a nonferrous metal.

[oldcatsailor]

All component s went in the cabinet aft cabin next to the water tank, and the controller where the 4000 was stb.on the side just aft of the wheel.1990 1.5 sea talk yellow wire and grd. to nema 2000

[KeelsonGraham]

Sensor core in the forecabin on the port side shelf. Brain box in the cabinet by the chart table. Very happy with these locations. The rudder sensor is mounted upside down onto the underside of the cockpit floor.

Overall, this arrangement made a very significant improvement to the performance of the wheel pilot,especially in  heavy following seas. But the wheel pilot itself is the weak link.

I'm getting a man in to install the ram. I'll have two outputs from the brain box, selectable via a switch. This lets me keep the wheel drive as a backup system.

[waughoo]

Graham,

Keep us posted on the ram install.  I am very interested to see your installation location.  Also, the selector switch for the drives is a VERY clever solution!!