T&T: Robertson AP200DL Auto Pilot

[Milt Baker]

What was the AP doing when the fuses blew?  Big seas and working hard or small seas and hardly working?  That makes a difference!

A handful of ideas:

--Does your rudder turn easily with the autopilot turned off and disengaged?  If not, perhaps the problem may be with your steering system rather than with autopilot.  Even the best autopilots can have a problem trying to drive a steering system that requires great effort to move the rudder.  Too much effort required from the AP can blow a fuse.

--The Raymarine autopilot on my previous boat, a Grand Banks 42, began blowing fuses.  At first it was couple of weeks between blown fuses then we began blowing them more and more often.  Suspecting the problem might be with the "exposed" autopilot head on the flying bridge, I disconnected the wires from that unit to the main autopilot computer and, voila!, the problem disappeared, leaving me with a working autopilot (using the lower station head only) for the rest of the trip.  When the trip was over, I removed the offending AP head and sent it off to Raymarine for repair.  No surprise: they found one of the seals had failed allowing water intrusion and which caused an intermittent short circuit.  SO, if you have an upper station AP, try disconnecting it.  If that solves the problem, you know what to do!

--Something else to check: turn off the AP, then go to the power connections (12 VDC in), remove both the positive and negative wires at both the breaker/battery end of the wire and the autopilot end (if that's do-able), and satisy yourself that all four ends are clean and uncorroded.  If not, resistance coming from the dirty connections could be the culprit.  Replace them or clean 'em up with a wire brush and some Corrosion Block, then reinstall.

Lots of other places to look, but you may get lucky and find it's one of these.  If not, it may be time to call an electronics tech, preferably one who has experience with Robertson AP200s.  For a recommendation in your area, call Simrad (Robertson) SE sales manager Randy Morris at 954-494-9663 and ask his help.  Randy is a very knowledgeable guy and may have further recommendations.

I have Simrads on my present boat and have found the company very responsive.  I LOVE my Simrad AP26 autopilots!

Good luck,

--Milt Baker, Nordhavn 47 Bluewater

Brenda & Todd wrote:

Headed across from Destin to Panama City and have now blown 2 - 7.5amp  fuses 
on this autopilot.  Any suggestions or ideas as to where I look  next?