ComNav Commander P2 & P2VS Installation & Operation Setting Up
Document PN 29010074 V4.1 - 103 -
Sea Trials
Sea Trials allow you to test out the basic functions of the autopilot under way, and to
fine-tune the steering parameters for best performance. The goal is to achieve accurate
Course-keeping, and smooth, rapid changes of Heading – without excessive movements of
the boat’s rudder.
Note: before you begin Sea Trials, it is a good idea to review how you steer a boat
by hand … and how that compares to what the Commander P2 does when
steering the boat. Please re-read the How Autopilots Work chapter, page 18.
During Sea Trials, you will test the default Steering Parameters of the P2, on
your
boat, and
if necessary, make adjustments.
When the Steering Parameters are properly adjusted & fine-tuned for your boat, the autopilot
will do the same as you would … let the boat “work with the seas”, yet still maintain as
straight a Track as possible in the current sea conditions, on the desired Heading or Course.
Sea Trial Procedure
The initial Sea Trials should be done in relatively calm conditions.
Note: to do Sea Trials, you must be familiar with operation of the autopilot in AUTO
mode (see page 123), and with the Auto menu.
Sea Trials on a P2, or a P2VS with an RFU fitted, are slightly different that on a P2VS without
an RFU; the places where this is so are indicated below.
Adjust Rudder Gain & Counter Rudder for Hi Speed
1) Bring the boat up to a speed where the boat’s rudder (or steerable-thrust system, such as
an outboard or I/O leg), provides sufficient steerageway that it has accurate, firm control
of the boat’s direction of travel.
Typically, this will be less than your normal “cruising speed”, perhaps by quite a lot. For
many boats, this will be around 7 Knots.
2) Bring up the Auto menu, highlight “Parameter Set” and select “Hi”.
3) If ALC is set to “On”, highlight it and set it to “Off”.
4) Start with “Rudder Gain” & “Counter Rudder” set to the factory defaults (for Hi): 5 & 3.
•
On a P2VS without an RFU, start with Counter Rudder set to 0.
5) Highlight “Seastate” and set it to 1.
6) Highlight “Turn Rate”. Select a setting that is approximately ¾ of your boat’s comfortable
turning rate
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at normal cruising speed.
7) Exit the Auto menu.
8) Switch to
AUTO
mode. The autopilot will automatically take the current boat Heading
and use that as the Course to Steer.
•
On a P2VS without an RFU, you should always manually steer a steady, straight
Heading (in
STANDBY
mode) for at least 10 seconds – or longer, until you don’t
have to continue to move the wheel/tiller to maintain a straight Track – before
switching into
POWER STEER
,
AUTO
or
NAV
modes. The rudder
must
be at the
dead-ahead position when you switch modes.
9) Run for about 5 minutes. If the boat “esses” back and forth more than about 3 degrees,
bring up the Auto menu and reduce the Rudder Gain setting by 1 step, and test again.
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If you need to measure it: time a complete circle while the vessel is turning at a rate that seems ‘comfortable’, at the
normal cruising speed. ‘Comfortable turning rate’ is 360° divided by the number of seconds it took to complete the circle.
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