Navico Autopilot

[lenhubbard]

I have a lightly used Navico 6600 quadranat mounted autopilot on a 16,000 pound race boat. In the last year it initially works well, then suddenly veers to starboard. Simrad bought Navico and does not support their products. Although it looks like they took the parts off the market, there must be someone out there who knows someone who could diagnose the problem and perhaps fix it. Any suggestions appreciated.

[mfair]

Could be a slipping belt (if it has a belt) or a malfunctioning fluxgate compas.
to check the compass, remove all magnetic metals from vicinity of compass or see what happens if you place a couple of pounds of iron to one side of the compass. it no reaction then it could be the compass.

[tdw]

Originally Posted by lenhubbard

I have a lightly used Navico 6600 quadranat mounted autopilot on a 16,000 pound race boat. In the last year it initially works well, then suddenly veers to starboard. Simrad bought Navico and does not support their products. Although it looks like they took the parts off the market, there must be someone out there who knows someone who could diagnose the problem and perhaps fix it. Any suggestions appreciated.

We have a Navico DS5000 with the same problem. It's the belt slipping on ours that is causing the grief. Over the years the wheel simply wears so smooth that the belt will not grip. I've tried everything I can think of with no success, certainly cannot find a new wheel.

Last possibility , so I'm told, is to take an old belt and glue it on the wheel in three-four inch strips. This gives your main belt something to grip onto. I'm going to give it a bash.

Failing that I'll see if soaking the entire unit in salt water does anything.

[RXBOT]

It should be a simple job to them to knurl it so it grips better.

[tdw]

Originally Posted by RXBOT

It should be a simple job to them to knurl it so it grips better.

That sound s like a good idea. Maybe try that first.

[djodenda]

Did you have the problem immediately after pressing one of the buttons on the control panel? If so, it might be a stuck button. Sometimes they stick, and command the helm to go hard over...

[sailboy21]

My navico would run hard stbd when moisture would build up in the controller. I nursed it along for 2 years until it put me in a crash jibe, 3AM, in a gale off the Oregon coast... Still more reliable than the S1 I replaced it with.

[Sabreman]

I've been debating for some time about Navico vs. Autohelm for a wheel pilot. I think that I just settled my internal debate. Sorry to hear about your collective troubles.