32 S1 Wheel and Tiller Pilots Commissioning Guide
T o tempo rarily change the respo nse level:
1. press
1
and
+1
or
resp
to access the
RESPONSE
screen
2. use the
1
or
+1
key to adjust the setting
3. press
disp
to confir m the change
Adjusting the rudder gain
Boats can v ary widely in th eir response to helm, and b y adjusting th e rudder gain
you c an change the SmartPilo t’s steering characteristics. Rudder gain is a
measure of ho w much helm the SmartPilot applies to correct course errors –
high er sett ings m ean mo re rudd er i s appli ed.
Complete the following test to determine whether the rudder gain is set correctly:
1. Set
RESPONSE
to level 2 (see above)
2. Sail your boat at cruising speed in clear water:
• you will find it easier to recognize the steering response in calm sea condi
tions where w ave action does not mask steering performance
3. Press
auto
to enter Auto mo de, then alt er course by 40°:
• if the rudder g ain is adjusted correctl y , the 40° course chan ge should
result in a crisp turn followed by an o vershoot of no more than 5°
• if the rudder gain setting is too high, the 40° course change will result in a
distinct overshoot of more than 5° and there may be a distinct ‘S’ in the
course
(A)
Correct this o versteer by
reducing
the rudder g ain setting
• if the rudder g ain is too low , the boat ’s performance will be sluggish – it
will tak e a long time to mak e the 40° turn and there will be no
overshoot
(B)
Correct this u ndersteer by
increasing
the rudder g ain setting.
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