66 ST7001+ Autopilot Control Unit - Owner’s Handbook
6 Commissioning the Autopilot
4. Start turning the boat in slow circles (with the boat’s speed below
2 knots). You will need to complete at least two circles, taking at
least 2 minutes to complete each 360°:
• the display will show a
TOO FAST message if you turn the boat
too quickly for the course computer to correct the compass –
if you see this message apply less helm to turn in a larger circle
Note: If necessary, you can quit the correction process by pressing
the
standby or disp. If you then want to repeat the deviation
correction, return to the
SWING COMPASS screen.
5. Continue slowly turning the boat until the control unit beeps and
displays the
DEVIATION screen to indicate that the autopilot has
completed the deviation correction.
This screen shows the maximum deviation encountered over
360° (not as an east/west value).
Note: If the deviation figure exceeds 15° or the display shows no
deviation value, the compass is being affected by ferrous objects on
your boat. You should move the compass to a better location. Higher
deviation figures are acceptable on steel boats.
Aligning the compass heading
1. Once the deviation is displayed, press the disp key to move onto
the Heading Alignment screen (
ALIGN HDG).
2. Manually steer the boat on a steady course at a speed which
enables you to hold that course.
3. If you have a GPS connected to your autopilot:
• increase the boat speed to more than 3 knots
• press the
auto key: the autopilot will then set the heading to
agree with the COG (course over ground) heading received
from the GPS
• because many factors can cause a difference between heading
and COG (such as tides and leeway affecting the boat) you
must then fine-tune the heading alignment so it matches the
boat’s steering compass or a known transit bearing
4. Use
-1, +1, -10 and +10 to adjust the displayed heading until it
matches boat’s steering compass or a known transit bearing.
5. Press and hold
standby for 2 seconds to exit Seatrial Calibration
and save the new compass settings.