HA! (ST3000 Autohelm)

deniseO30 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-23-2007

Last year it worked on my oday30 but the rig to hold the motor was so obtrusive, we removed it out of safety for our toes and ankles

Today and yesterday I got creative and put a block of Mahogany (2"X12"X2.5 high) on the floor under the wheel to use a foot rest/mount for the Old time ST3000 motor and it worked out very well! It's not able to interface with any new chartplotters that I know of but heck I can at least duck down in the cabin real quick for "necessary" reasons

and if i get down to the Bay (Chesepeake) next month it will great to have working too!

Maybe some of you "wiz kids" know a way to interface this old autohelm with a gps? I have a Lowrance H20 hand held.

fairwinds!
Denise

PBzeer · #2 (**permalink**) 08-23-2007

I wouldn't worry about interfacing it with the gps. I can connect mine, but haven't bothered, nor do I see any real need to.

sailingdog · #3 (**permalink**) 08-23-2007

Does the ST3000 have an NMEA 0183 input port??? While I agree with John, if your Lowrance H20 has an NMEA 0183 serial port output and the ST3000 has an NMEA input... then it should be reasonably easy to do it.

deniseO30 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-23-2007

nema... interface??? I think the old original booklet for the ST3000 is on the boat. I'll dig it out.

I was looking at raymarine's site and the ST100 wireless remote lists the 3000as one of the AutoPilots it works with. It's about $400 lil less on Ebay.

Also I think it's all about something called seatalk. I think many chartplotters talk the talk I mean sea the talk.. walk the talk?

thanks all

Denise

sailingdog · #5 (**permalink**) 08-23-2007

Denise-

SeaTalk is Raymarine's own proprietary communications protocol, and only Raymarine chartplotters understand it.

NMEA 0183 is the old inter-vendor communications standard. It stands for National Marine Electronics Association. I believe it was developed in 1983... but I could be wrong. It is a serial protocol, which requires three wires for bi-directional communications.

As for the ST100, I have the SmartController... very nice...and very useful.

deniseO30 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-25-2007

Ok.. i did some reading.. seems the ST3000 does have Nema 0183, and my lowrance H20 does too! The ST100 remote sounds like something I must have LOL Unless someone out there has a old wired remote? But again.. just haveing the pilot handling the wheel for a few mins is a great help when solo.
thanks all!

deniseO30 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-27-2007

Since the post was about autopilot and not relationships I choose to not argue the obvious. thanks anyway Rick.