Simrad Autopilot Compass
6 20220653 / Rev. C
2 COMPASS TYPES
2.1 Magnetic compass
The conventional liquid filled magnetic compass with external
gimbals is the typical autopilot compass for smaller fishing boats
and work boats up to approx. 70ft.
The compass card is supported by the fluid and provided it is
compensated by qualified personnel, it is a fairly stable and very
reliable heading reference for the autopilot, even in rough seas.
This compass type may also be used on sail- and motor yachts
with good result.
It gives most often a better autopilot steering performance on
steel boats - providing it can be properly compensated - than a
fluxgate compass.
Be aware that so called spherical compasses, most often found in
the pedestal of sail boats, can not be used as autopilot compass
because of the missing external gimbals.
In order to electrically detect heading change from the compass
that the autopilot can use, a course detector (pick-up coil) is
needed.
This course detector is normally mounted to the bottom of the
compass and as the compass is turning (relative to the compass
card) the changing field from the magnet in the compass card
will induce a varying signal in the detector.
2.2 Fluxgate compass
Different from the course detector that picks up the magnetic
field from the compass card magnet, the fluxgate compass picks
up the Earth’s magnetic field directly.
To Next Page
Loading...
