My Furuno FAP-50 which is original from when the boat was built in 1987 started flaking out last season. The heading will suddenly jump 20 or 30 degrees and the boat will try to correct and make a very sharp turn. Do the magnetic compasses need any maintenance? Any thoughts on what I should look at.
FAP-50 issue
- Thread starter MYVision
- Start date
There isn't any maintenance that can be done on the magnetic compass. You can check the physical wire connections to ensure there's no corrosion and/or they are well connected at the terminals. In STB mode, slowly turn the boat 360 degrees and watch the heading being displayed on the autopilot. If it jumps or goes missing, then normally the magnetic compass would need replacing. Since this product is so old, I would recommend just replacing the system.
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