AutoPilot anyone?

[inaforty]

Skunk, Do you know if Garmin would also need a flux compass along with the auto pilot?
Just installed 2 Garmin 1040xs.

[SkunkBoat]

Originally Posted by inaforty

Skunk, Do you know if Garmin would also need a flux compass along with the auto pilot?
Just installed 2 Garmin 1040xs.

Nice layout!

The Garmin kits come with a 9 axis heading detector.

The Reactor 40 is what Im considering. There are variations.
The "Compact" Reactor is about $1500 but the consensus is that the pump is not adequate for very slow speeds (trolling).

There are kits with a better pump and a new kit with a "Smart Pump" which increases the reaction and control at trolling speeds.
This bumps it up to $2400 or more...

I believe there is a possibility of saving money by using "a compatible Garmin display" and not buying a GSD20 display/control as part of a kit.

They are very vague on details....


I actually started considering getting Joystick control as part of a repower because that gets you autopilot, auto-hold over a spot, and joystick and drive by wire steering... that would be throwing $2400+ toward that instead...


That'll add $10k-$15k to a $36-$40K repower

I don't know if I can afford this beast....V20 is looking better all the time

[inaforty]

Thanks for the info Skunk.

I hear about the cost of running twins and fuel burn.

We just did the exhaust kits on our motors.
Just a click over 5k.
Exhaust kits,water pumps,thermostats,zincs,VST filters.

Looking at possibly semi retiring in 8 years (fingers crossed).
The V 20 is looking better when all the numbers are put on paper.

We would love to keep the big boat but they eat up a ton
of $$$.

[Destroyer]

I downgraded from my larger boat as retirement kept getting nearer. Never looked back. Love the V's. I save $$$ on slip fees and etc. I do miss the larger boat on occasion, but the V suits me better overall.

[SkunkBoat]

Just pulled the trigger! Went with top o' the line...

Its the Garmin Reactor 40 with Smart Pump and Shadow drive 010-00705-69 pn has the Smart Pump(not v2), GHC-20, CCU, Shadow drive, and a shipload of cables.

found it for $3011.50 on HodgesMarine.com. Then I went to West marine and got price match. (WM wanted $4099!!!) So I get WM points and I bought their protection plan for $200 which lets me deal with WM instead of Garmin if there is a problem. Normally I don't like protection plans but their plans extend the "just bring it back and get another one" time. I won't even be in the water within the normal 30 days.

[Phoenix_MD]

I installed a reactor kit in this twin 150 catamaran. It was very nice.

No, a power assist pump is not needed - autopilot pump connects to the hydraulic system after the helm pump. CCU axis rate sensor is included as part of the kit.

The reactor does not need the dedicated control display - any compatible NMEA 2000 plotter / MFD will work. This cat had a Garmin 740s plotter prior to all the upgrades and both that, the 8612, and the autopilot control display could command the system equally.

[Dschaffer]

Originally Posted by SkunkBoat

Just pulled the trigger! Went with top o' the line...

Its the Garmin Reactor 40 with Smart Pump and Shadow drive 010-00705-69 pn has the Smart Pump(not v2), GHC-20, CCU, Shadow drive, and a shipload of cables.

found it for $3011.50 on HodgesMarine.com. Then I went to West marine and got price match. (WM wanted $4099!!!) So I get WM points and I bought their protection plan for $200 which lets me deal with WM instead of Garmin if there is a problem. Normally I don't like protection plans but their plans extend the "just bring it back and get another one" time. I won't even be in the water within the normal 30 days.

Would this system work with an I/O with manual cable steering? I have a kicker motor I troll with and have thought about putting the Garmin reactor 40 on that but I like the idea of having it on the main motor instead.

[spareparts]

Originally Posted by Dschaffer

Would this system work with an I/O with manual cable steering? I have a kicker motor I troll with and have thought about putting the Garmin reactor 40 on that but I like the idea of having it on the main motor instead.

you'll have to go with an auto helm type setup for cable steering

[SkunkBoat]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

I downgraded from my larger boat as retirement kept getting nearer. Never looked back. Love the V's. I save $$$ on slip fees and etc. I do miss the larger boat on occasion, but the V suits me better overall.

I'm going bigger as retirement gets closer because I don't want to be sitting in front of the TV in 10 years, watching Jeopardy, seeing my name as an answer and responding "Who is the loser who never stepped up and lived the dream?