2020-01-30, 01:55 PM
(2020-01-29, 10:25 PM)nick.k Wrote: Hello Andreas very interested to come across this thread, thank you.
I have a 74 Nicholson 48 with a Nico autopilot. A similar setup to yours looking at the photos. The motor and gear unit is fine but something is wrong with the control. Reading through correspondence from previous owners in the boat file the autopilot never really worked satisfactorily so rather than try to fix forty year old electronics the option to build a new control unit sounds good!
On my Nico motor unit the rudder angle feedback and the travel limit switches are mounted on a unit driven by a worm screw attached to the primary socket. This part seems to be a well known weakness of the Nico.
You mentioned "There are two Reed-Contacts (Normaly Open) to tel the limits of the stearing." are these the existing switches on the motor unit or did you make up a new assembly? Does the pilot have a rudder angle sensor or it's not necessary?
Did we meet in Xabia in November last year?
Nick
Hi Nick,
nice to hear from you and yes we met in November, I remeber you were on the way north ....
The NECO drive ist a masterpeace as your boat is as well. The E-Motor is a Wound-Compound-DC-Motor (Googele it !) and has a series Coil and a Shunt Coil. This gives the drive some nice charateristict but require special atention when it comes to drive it by an controler. Mine was modified as it was already with the second electronic from Roberston/Simrad. The drive also has an Clutch and is geared down so it has gear oil.
My drive has no end of travel switches so the housing you are speaking in mine is emty.
I use end of travel switches at the rudder-schaft ....
For now I don´t use an rudder-angle sensor but you can use one (you don´t need)
Both right now are just to prevent drive-action when at limit ....
Maybe an an further version of the software they might use the Rudder-Angel for performance of stering or for autolearning.
The Pypilot/Tinypilot is a great project, but not "plug and play" !!!!
If you want to start, you can buy a readdy asembled Tynipilot and Motrocontroler from Sean at "www.pypilot.org" or you
buy an Raspberry Pi3b+, an IMU (Compass/Pitch/Roll) and an Ardino and some LED to make it work.
Once you through that you loock for an Motorcontroler (I have the Pololu G2) To connect the Drive to the electronic.
Take care if you have a 12/24V drive when it comes to the Motorcontroler ...
In all this will be about 150€ and a lot of learning, fun, headdache .....
Or you buy a ready Autopilot electronic to attach to your drive (wich might still need some modifications)
You can run the pypilot alone or in Openplotter.
I use Openplotter and Pypilot/Tinypilot on two diferent Rasperry Pi.
For controling it you can use the OpenCPN-Plugin, the webapp(mobilphone) or make an display with buttens or all together.
Good fun and save sailing
Andreas