Operation; I:p Basic Principles - Raymarine Autohelm 6000 User Manual

3.0 OPERATION

3.1 BASIC PRINCIPLES
The following description of the Autohelm
principle of operation will help you to fully
understand its controls.
Deviation from course is continuously
monitored by a sensitive fluxgate
proportional to course error at any time and thus
when the course is restored the rudder will be
The amount of rudder applied for a
given off-course error must match both the
steering characteristics of the vessel and speed
the water. A vessel with a small rudder
for example, will require more corrective helm than
a similar sized vessel with a larger rudder.
less corrective helm at planing
speeds than it will at lower displacement speeds.
When changes in vessel trim occur due to
variations in wind pressure or engine throttle
setting the course can only be maintained by the
application of permanent rudder off-set (standing
set is not applied to restore balance the vessel
6000's
will bear on to a new heading. Under these
circumstances the Autohelm
the original course is not being restored and
continues to apply additional rudder off-set in the
compass and appropriate direction until the vessel returns to the
original heading. Automatic trimming capability
ensures that the originally set course is held
irrespective of any changes in balance that may
occur during the course of a passage.
continuously monitors the pattern of applied
rudder correction and can distinguish
unnecessary repetitive corrections caused by
pitch and roll of the vessel from those necessary
to maintain the selected heading. If unnecessary
repetitive corrections continue the computer will
automatically neglect them so .that autopilot
activity and power consumption is continuously
optimised at minimum levels.
The high degree of control automation made
possible by the system's central micro computer
simplifies user control to a series of push button
operations.
6000 detects that
6000's central computer also