[C320-list] ST 4000 autohelm problem

[Kirk McCullough]

When I installed my ST4000+ a number of years ago, I ran a dedicated power 
line from the electrical panel, and installed a breaker dedicated to the AP 
in the panel. I used 12 GA wire.

Kirk

#!24
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Heyman" <bruceheyman at cox.net>
To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 6:51 AM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] ST 4000 autohelm problem


> The stepper motor that they use for the Auto helm draws a lot of current.
> Depending on the quality of your connections and the dimension of your 
> wires
> this will cause a voltage drop.  Once you get down to about 10 volts most
> GPS I've seen will reset.  Same with the instruments.  I'm pretty sure 
> that
> the manual recommends an isolated 12v feed for the motor.
> Put a DVM on the 12v feeding the GPS and watch what happens when you 
> switch
> on the auto helm and the stepper motor turns on.
> Bruce
> Somerset #671 SoCal
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Gene Musante
> Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2008 4:05 AM
> To: Catalina, 320 intl
> Subject: [C320-list] ST 4000 autohelm problem
>
> Hi,
>
> I mounted up my boat's wheel for the season and connected the servo motor 
> to
> it's electrical connection on the pedistal.  When I switched the power on,
> my power kept switching off and on at about a 1 second frequency on the
> autohelm display and my tri-data display.  My GPS, which is connected to 
> the
> same power feed was having the same problem.  I disconnected the servo 
> motor
> electrical connector, and the power came on and stayed on.
>
> My hunch is that the servo motor may be defective, but it was working fine
> in the fall before I dismounted the wheel, which I store inside the boat. 
> I
> am going to dismount the wheel and re-assemble the whole works to see if
> this could have been caused by a mechanical problem.  I forgot that the
> wheel lock was on when I first switched on the power which may have caused
> the problem initially.
>
> Has anybody seen this problem on their boat?Gene Musante  617-755-0680
> gmusante at msn.comAFFINITY Hull #68
>
>
>
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