Ipilot cruise control?? How accurate should it be

[breamonfly]

Hi there everyone,

just bought a new 80 riptide ipilot to replace broken (again!) Old RT80. To put on 435 hornet.

Only just fitted it and was very excited to get out and use for some bream fishing on the swan .

Fishing softies into a slight breeze, I wanted to just glide along onto the wind at 0.2-0.3 mph.

But the ipilot wasn't having it, slowing to standstill, and going backwards sometimes and then zooming off up to 1.2 mph the next minute.

Even happened with no wind at all.

GPS had 4 bars and the speedo on ipilot was accurate, i.e it would read correctly at lets say 1.0 mph and still keep the "foot down" when cruise set at 0.2.

Must say it was a real let down as trying to fishing when you suddenly zoom forward then drift backwards was difficult.

I have looked on some forums and other people seem to get accurate trolling down to 0.1-0.2 mph .

Do you think mine is broken??

Cheers for any advice

Andy

[Cheyne_jones]

Something is not right there mate!

Mine is spot on. I can set a course, set the speed in 0.1mph increments and its perfect, can be a drama in high wind or current situations, but as long as you are heading into the wind and current where possible it has no dramas.

I would be having a chat to the place where you bought it from mate.

[breamonfly]

cheers I will,

[T.N.A.M]

Sounds like your having some slight problems
I have been using a mates ipilot and he bought it from new
18 months ago and its worked great up until yesterday
when the curcuit board fried itself and wouldnt respond to the control.
For a while we couldnt shut it down while it was in rabbit speed
then it just S#*# its self after a while.
My mates ipilot is already weeping rust down the shaft from
the none stainless ceils...not good i still dont know why they
design a electric that costs a arm and a leg and its not built to last in salt water without rusting.
Lucky for my mate he has 3 years warrenty and blakes marine will be fixing the problem we hope.
Ill be sitting back and watching how this unfolds until i decide to purchase
one yet.
Appart from that it has been very accurate in speed control also
at anchor holding the spot..i have been impressed up until now.

j

[forsterfisho]

Hi guys,

How'd you go with your problem's with the Ipilot? was it an easy fix? I'd be interested to hear any feed back that you may have, as I'm about to purchase one myself.

Cheers
Dion.

[ecofreak]

Originally Posted by forsterfisho

Hi guys,

How'd you go with your problem's with the Ipilot? was it an easy fix? I'd be interested to hear any feed back that you may have, as I'm about to purchase one myself.

Cheers
Dion.

Same as me!!

[Dango]

I have the exact same issue, the ipilot won't hold a constant speed and is erratic like you mentioned above.

Will be interested to see how you go, hopefully it is an easy fix.

[forsterfisho]

Bump

Any ideas or suggestions on how this is/was rectified?

Forgot all about it when I was at the boat shop the other day