It’s a fair question as the wheelpilot works fine in gentle conditions.
I generally sail singlehanded and sometimes in rough or breezy conditions it 
unlatches or partially unlatches itself.  This has been quite a surprise a few 
times, not always a safe one.    Have read that many owners rig a bungee cord 
to hold the latch closed.  
I realize it can be adjusted though the plastic bits and means of adjustment 
seem really Marginal to me.   maybe I haven’t spent enough time playing with it.
I don’t like the motor noise.  (Lol)
I’m hoping the drive will be faster, which would help a bit off the wind in 
rougher conditions, which is also when it unlatches.  Again to be fair I 
sometimes carry quite a bit of sail, part of the fun for me.
I guess in the end it doesn’t seem as bulletproof or effective  as the other 
work or upgrades I’ve done, (which, to your point, come at a price) and I don’t 
quite trust it.  
It it fails and I’m solo that would be a real nuisance for me, and I’m 
progressing through longer passages in more challenging conditions as I learn.
I welcome any comments or suggestions.
Dave

Sent from my iPad

> On Oct 12, 2019, at 6:13 PM, Paul Fountain <p...@seasource.ca> wrote:
> 
> Dave,
> 
> Interested why you feel the current unit needs to be replaced. We put the ray 
> system you have on Perception our 33-ll 3 years ago when we upgraded our 
> electronics so far it’s performed as well as the Navico wheel pilot it 
> replaced, and as Dennis has said they work well! With our short season I 
> could not justify the expense and effort to put in the octopus unit, which I 
> really wanted to use.
> 
> Used the saved funds towards the rest of the electronics upgrade. 
> 
> Paul
> From: CnC-List <cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com> on behalf of Dave S via 
> CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com>
> Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2019 11:13:56 AM
> To: C&c Stus List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com>
> Cc: Dave S <syerd...@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Stus-List Raymarine to octopus drive upgrade - UPDATE
>  
> Had an exchange (after some effort) with the folks at octopus drives and 
> here’s the result:
> 
> 
> 
>>> 
>>>  
>>> The boat is a 1985 C&c 33 mkii, and it displaces around 10,000 lbs.  it is 
>>> currently fitted with a 2015 Raymarine ev100 wheelpilot system.  This 
>>> system includes a control unit - the acu-100 - which can provide 7A of 
>>> current to a drive unit.  the acu-100 has provision for a rudder position 
>>> sensor, but one is not currently installed.   It does not have electrical 
>>> connections for a clutch.
>>> I am not happy with the wheel drive for a variety of reasons and would like 
>>> to install a below-deck linear drive. 
>>> Unfortunately, Most larger and especially hydraulic drives require more 
>>> than the 7A current available from the ev-100, meaning I would have to 
>>> upgrade to a larger unit (acu) in addition to acquiring the drive itself 
>>> and hardware.
>>>  
>>> It appears however that the octopus RS drive is designed more or less for 
>>> this sort of application, though I do have some questions and have been 
>>> unable to find consistent application information.
>>>  
>>> -Is this drive compatible with the Raymarine system described above?
>>> No it is not, I believe the EV100 does not have a solenoid/clutch output.. 
>>> though the 7A max is no problem the EV200 would be the minimum requirement
>>> -how does the clutch engage/disengage electrically?  Would assume 12v 
>>> either engages or disengages the clutch, and this could be accomplished 
>>> with a switch if necessary.
>>> Engaged and disengaged by the ECU  
>>> Is it even necessary given the “joggle the wheel” clutch disengagement 
>>> feature of the RS drive?  (You could have the clutch engaged by the motor 
>>> voltage, then disengage manually in the absence of that voltage, if I 
>>> understand correctly)
>>> It still requires a joggle of the wheel to disengage the pin activated by 
>>> the solenoid
>>> - is this the drive your experts would recommend for this application?   Is 
>>> there a better option?
>>> This is the preferred drive for smaller displacement sailboats due to its 
>>> lower amp draw and less wheel resistance compared to the hydraulic linear 
>>> drives
>>> -Any other advice?
>>> Upgrade to a EV200 or any other pilot with clutch/solenoid output
>>> 
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