Navpilot 711C upgrade from Robertson AP200DL

[Sunset]

I have just started the process of upgrading my autopilot, and I'm a little confused by the wiring diagram showing how to connect to a solenoid drive. The diagram at the top of page 2-6 of the installation manual does not seem to have the details needed to match what I currently have.

The current system has a power cable running from the control unit to the 12V hydraulic motor, which runs continuously when the autopilot is on. Then there are 2 wires running from the control unit to the left and right solenoids that activate when needed to steer the boat. The existing system is working fine.

The Furuno diagram shows SOL A and SOL B wired to the 'solenoid motor' (whatever that is) and a single ground wire coming back to the ground terminal on the FAP-7002. This just doesn't seem right. There are not enough wires in the wiring diagram to account for + and - to the 12V motor, and also the signal and ground wires to activate the 2 solenoids.

The last thing I want to do is install everything and then fry something because it's not hooked up correctly.

Can you clarify how this is supposed to be wired?

 

[Melville]

You currently have a continuous running pump switching solenoids. Most likely it is a RPU-Mini 2 or an RPU-1. These pumps have to be almost 30 years old. The original J200S junction box had leads for the motor portion so when you turned on the pilot to stand-by (marked compass on the AP200DL head) it applied power to the motor. The processor unit for the 711C does not have this ability so the motor must be wired directly to a breaker switch and turned on separately. The wires from the pump solenoid will be wired into A & B in the 711C processor.

As a side thought, and I am not being a "salesman" here, but you might want to look into changing the entire pump-set. Using a newer reversing variable speed drive unit will improve the performance of the pilot. In fact, most brands today use a reversible variable speed drive to accomplish proportional control as opposed to the "bang-bang" of solenoids.

 

[Sunset]

You currently have a continuous running pump switching solenoids. Most likely it is a RPU-Mini 2 or an RPU-1. These pumps have to be almost 30 years old. The original J200S junction box had leads for the motor portion so when you turned on the pilot to stand-by (marked compass on the AP200DL head) it applied power to the motor. The processor unit for the 711C does not have this ability so the motor must be wired directly to a breaker switch and turned on separately. The wires from the pump solenoid will be wired into A & B in the 711C processor.

As a side thought, and I am not being a "salesman" here, but you might want to look into changing the entire pump-set. Using a newer reversing variable speed drive unit will improve the performance of the pilot. In fact, most brands today use a reversible variable speed drive to accomplish proportional control as opposed to the "bang-bang" of solenoids.

I am slowly figuring this out, but I'm not all the way there yet. The boat is a 1988, so 30 years old is a pretty accurate estimate. I'm checking out the Accu-Steer pumps since the Autopilot seems to interface with them well. All it needs is power from the A and B terminals? I guess it reverses by just switching the + and - back and forth? No other signal wire is necessary?

 

[Melville]

Sunset-
You are correct that the reversing pumps only have 2 wires to connect. Besides reversing direction it also varies voltage for faster or slower rudder response just like you would at the helm.