Raymarine Auto Pilot on the fritz

Carpediem44DB

Carpediem44DB

Well-Known Member
Aug 18, 2015
3,230
Sanfransico Bay area
Boat Info
2000 Carver 506
2006 44 DB Sedan Bridge
Engines
Volvo TAMD 74 P
I have a Raymarine auto pilot on the 506 on a NEMA 2000 backbone. The display shows NO Pilot and has no values showing for heading or the tiller position. The associated 127e display shows NO Pilot in the icon bar at the bottom of the screen as well. I checked all of the connections, The lights on the ACU 200 light up and all both fuses are good. Any ideas? Do I need to replace or send in for repair the ACU 200? I unplugged the rudder position cable from the ACU and I get an alarm and lost rudder position message so it is seeing that transducer (which I just changed btw because initially I just lost rudder indicating)
Anyone encounter similar issues with their unit?
Also does anyone have a removed know working unit left from a Garmin upgrade?
Thanks Carpe Diem
 
Carpediem44DB said:
I have a Raymarine auto pilot on the 506 on a NEMA 2000 backbone. The display shows NO Pilot and has no values showing for heading or the tiller position. The associated 127e display shows NO Pilot in the icon bar at the bottom of the screen as well. I checked all of the connections, The lights on the ACU 200 light up and all both fuses are good. Any ideas? Do I need to replace or send in for repair the ACU 200? I unplugged the rudder position cable from the ACU and I get an alarm and lost rudder position message so it is seeing that transducer (which I just changed btw because initially I just lost rudder indicating)
Anyone encounter similar issues with their unit?
Also does anyone have a removed know working unit left from a Garmin upgrade?
Thanks Carpe Diem
Click to expand...
Rusty I have my old E120 if you can use that it’s yours
 
Thanks Robert, I have been in your shoes when I updated my 44 panel, I found a dock neighbor that was able to make use of my E120. I am good on displays, I think I need an auto pilot ACU though. I took the 506 for a shake down run today, first run since the middle of Feb. Felt great to get that condo out on the river! What a slug though, man do I miss my 44DB:rolleyes:
 
Since you have a new transducer, maybe a recommisioning is in order? Worth a try...dockside setup and a couple circles/figure 8's...
 
What control head are you using with the ACU-200 and does that see the 200?
 
I have older Raymarine stuff and sometimes it stops communicating. I have found that I needed to shut off the 12 volt system at the battery switches. Then simply turn them back on and restart the units and they started communicating again.
 
Steve S said:
I have older Raymarine stuff and sometimes it stops communicating. I have found that I needed to shut off the 12 volt system at the battery switches. Then simply turn them back on and restart the units and they started communicating again.
Click to expand...
I will give that a try, thanks!
 
Carpediem44DB said:
I am pretty sure it is a P70 panel display/control head and it has no data displayed, only a 'no pilot' message
Click to expand...

I have an SPx CC and not the 200, but it has a 2A fuse for the N2K bus. Try removing the cover where the connections are and see if there is a fuse there. I am traveling right now so iNet is sketchy. When I get back to port I will look up the schematic for you.
 
The ACU 200 has a fuse at the SeaTalk cable port which checks good. I’ll try cycling the power to the helm. I’ve been wanting to explore exactly what batteries do what on this boat anyway. I have been leaving the engine batteries off but have not verified if that shuts down the entire helm power or not.
 
I've got a Raymarine computer and control head I've been sitting on since changing over to Garmin. You are welcome to them for shipping. I think they are S5G and P7000's but need to look. If interested, let me know and I will dig them out and provide specs.
 
alnav said:
I've got a Raymarine computer and control head I've been sitting on since changing over to Garmin. You are welcome to them for shipping. I think they are S5G and P7000's but need to look. If interested, let me know and I will dig them out and provide specs.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I’ll let you know!
I’ll PM you
 
Well I tried the old hard reboot to no satisfaction. The display is a P70r display and it is seeing the ACU200 and the e127 MFD. At least that’s what the find device page displays.
I found a leg of my STKGN backbone disconnected( I believe it was hooked up to my simrad VHF that is removed now. I removed the T that provided that open cable a space on the system so now every cable has a termination. Was hoping that would fix it. The P70r is getting depth data just no pilot so it seems like the ACU must be the problem?
I’ll ask the Raymarine techs and see where that goes.
 
The SPX course computer is connected to the E series display via Seatalk NG (NMEA2000) right?
Then the SPX course computer is connected to the head and GPS antenna via Seatalk 1 (a different network). The Seatalk 1 network is three wires.
If the head is powering up and displaying then the SPX is providing power to it.
Check the Seatalk 1 connections in the course computer and also the plug that goes in the back of the head.
If I remember correctly if a GPS signal is lost and provided on the Seatalk 1 network the computer will fail to operate and quite possibly give you the msg you are getting.
 
Tom, I see a display and an ACU 200 which I assume is the course computer.
The ACU has Seatalk NG cable white and black to a T connector that connects to blue and black cables. One end to a five port connection block the other to another T. From the second T connector a white and black cable runs to the P70r display the other end of the T runs another 70i display thru another T.
No markings on these cables to tell if they are Seatalk NG or Seatalk 1. It appears that my system is all SeatalkNG.
Both MFDs have Seatalk NG labels for the network cables.
 
Carpediem44DB said:
Tom, I see a display and an ACU 200 which I assume is the course computer.
The ACU has Seatalk NG cable white and black to a T connector that connects to blue and black cables. One end to a five port connection block the other to another T. From the second T connector a white and black cable runs to the P70r display the other end of the T runs another 70i display thru another T.
No markings on these cables to tell if they are Seatalk NG or Seatalk 1. It appears that my system is all SeatalkNG.
Both MFDs have Seatalk NG labels for the network cables.
Click to expand...

The blue and black cables are SeaTalkNG back bone cables. The white and black are drop cables the should only go from the center of a tee to a device. The blue and black back bone cables should connect only to the ends of the tee as if they run through the tee and not to any devices. The ACU-200's tee should be connected to the P70r's tee via the blue and black cable(s), other tee's can be in between them but they just need to be in the same run of back bone cables. Those cables are SeaTalkNG.

Also in the below PDF page 84 there is a 3amp fuse for the SeaTalkNG along with a power switch on the main board. Do not turn the power switch on unless that is the only thing powering the NG bus. There is also a 20A fuse for the ACU itself.

https://raymarine.app.box.com/s/yvydbcnc0rgsjdnftjjm/file/119763483197
 
Carpediem44DB said:
Tom, I see a display and an ACU 200 which I assume is the course computer.
The ACU has Seatalk NG cable white and black to a T connector that connects to blue and black cables. One end to a five port connection block the other to another T. From the second T connector a white and black cable runs to the P70r display the other end of the T runs another 70i display thru another T.
No markings on these cables to tell if they are Seatalk NG or Seatalk 1. It appears that my system is all SeatalkNG.
Both MFDs have Seatalk NG labels for the network cables.
Click to expand...
More recent equipment than I had. Seems all NG. I did read that if you lose your compass, rudder, or heading sensor the error message will display. I found the manual online.
 
SKybolt said:
The blue and black cables are SeaTalkNG back bone cables. The white and black are drop cables the should only go from the center of a tee to a device. The blue and black back bone cables should connect only to the ends of the tee as if they run through the tee and not to any devices. The ACU-200's tee should be connected to the P70r's tee via the blue and black cable(s), other tee's can be in between them but they just need to be in the same run of back bone cables. Those cables are SeaTalkNG.

Also in the below PDF page 84 there is a 3amp fuse for the SeaTalkNG along with a power switch on the main board. Do not turn the power switch on unless that is the only thing powering the NG bus. There is also a 20A fuse for the ACU itself.

https://raymarine.app.box.com/s/yvydbcnc0rgsjdnftjjm/file/119763483197
Click to expand...
Thanks @SKybolt, I do have the Seatalk NG power switch on and there is another 12 volt power cable wired to the backbone. I viewed your post after I left the boat today so I did not have an opportunity to turn one of them off and see if it made a difference. I found the reference to the power connection to the ACU with the warning to only have one power source connected. The manual does not elude to the consequences of having the additional power supply connected. Also in the trouble shooting guide I saw no mention of a NO Pilot message. Thanks much for the link to the manual. I will continue to work the issue.
 
Rusty - having two power sources on a network is a big no no. Either have the independent power supply and turn off the NG switch on the course computer or use the course computer power feature but never both without a blocker. If your NG network is large then a strategically located power source is needed but for a couple of devices then the SPX power can be used.
 
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