[C320-list] ST 4000 autohelm problem

[crashley at gte.net]

Same here. I ran a separate power feed from a new circuit breaker.

CRA
Rosebud #882

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kirk McCullough" <kirk.mccullough at telus.net>
To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 9:34 AM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] ST 4000 autohelm problem


> 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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>>
>
>