Autopilot question.

rolmops

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I have a Garmin Echomap uhd93sv and a Garmin reactor 40 auto pilot,they are connected through MNEA 2000. Does this mean that I can mark a spot on my navigation screen and the auto pilot will take me there? I am painfully aware of my lack of electronical savvy and the result is that I often under use the capabilities of my electronics. Thank you for your advice.
 

dingbat

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I have a Garmin Echomap uhd93sv and a Garmin reactor 40 auto pilot,they are connected through MNEA 2000. Does this mean that I can mark a spot on my navigation screen and the auto pilot will take me there?
Generally speaking, yes
 

Scott Danforth

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and generally, you want to navigate to a spot just a bit out of your destination. auto pilot goes by line-of-site. so if there is a jetty or break-wall in between where you are and the destination, that instant stop becomes painful.
 

dingbat

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auto pilot goes by line-of-site.
Never heard of such a thing.

I believe what you mean is that you can't just punch in a way point and go. You need to build a course way points or utilize the auto-routing feature of chart plotter if so equipped.
 

Scott Danforth

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Plenty of accidents where someone uses a channel marker as a way point. Also, childhood home town had two boats hit the breakwater because the boat owners had new autopilot and just punched in the marina and not plot a course
 

rolmops

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That sounds like a lot of learning. It was never my intention to to set a course for port. It is an auto pilot for a kicker , not a main engine. I am thinking in terms of returning to a freshly marked spot where I caught a fish
 

Bondo

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That sounds like a lot of learning. It was never my intention to to set a course for port. It is an auto pilot for a kicker , not a main engine. I am thinking in terms of returning to a freshly marked spot where I caught a fish
Ayuh,..... If this is on yer starcraft fishing boat, it'll work Ok for running out the yer fishing area,.....
If you expect it to work while trolling, yer gonna be seriously disappointed,.....

I had a Sportpilolt II on mine,..... With all the extras, compass, rudder transducer, all hooked to Gps,....
It would track Ok going downwind, but only going downwind,....
Upwind, or crosswind, it couldn't keep up, getting blown off course, causing it to get confused, 'n shutting down,......
Run a 5mph or faster, it worked Ok, faster was better,.....
 

rolmops

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What you describe sounds like having to point the nose at 270 degrees to run at 250 degrees. That is easy when you are not dragging trolling gear, or copper. Oh well, maybe the water I may run through holds its own surprises.
 

cyclops222

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A safe ...Do it all ... Under all conditions ? Requires the operator to KNOW everything about the autopilot system. Not just a few conditions he wants to use.
You ... MUST KNOW.... when the system is doing something dangerous.
Why my boats have a fish finder with alarms and a V H F radio. I have memorized all fishing area old hazards. Yo can NOT BLAME any electronics for LOW WATER LEVELS !!!! You are supposed to adjust each day if needed. GPS does not react to changes in conditions.
 

rolmops

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A safe ...Do it all ... Under all conditions ? Requires the operator to KNOW everything about the autopilot system. Not just a few conditions he wants to use.
You ... MUST KNOW.... when the system is doing something dangerous.
Why my boats have a fish finder with alarms and a V H F radio. I have memorized all fishing area old hazards. Yo can NOT BLAME any electronics for LOW WATER LEVELS !!!! You are supposed to adjust each day if needed. GPS does not react to changes in conditions.
That is all very true. In my case, the only water I fish is anywhere between 80 and 600 feet deep, with charter boats whose captains believe that the water is theirs and theirs only and their spreads 100 feet wide and up to 600 feet long. That makes auto pilot nice to work with but not something to trust. The only trustworthy thing is constant 360 degree observation and the firm believe that most other boats around you are have their eyes in spots where the sun does not shine. Bondo and I shared the same water and he will probably agree with me.
 
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