Auto pilot using existing Intelisteer hydraulic pump

[Pish On Fishing]

I am thinking of adding auto pilot to my existing intelisteer hydraulic steering. Is my existing drive unit work with Navico nac-1 computer? What is the most cost-effective way of adding auto pilot to my existing set up? Thanks.

 

[salmonkiller01]

It should work. I just installed my raymarine auto pilot and the raymarine has 2 wires , positive and negative. Computer reverses polarity if it works same as raymarine

 

[Pish On Fishing]

It should work. I just installed my raymarine auto pilot and the raymarine has 2 wires , positive and negative. Computer reverses polarity if it works same as raymarine

Thanks

 

[ship happens]

I am thinking of adding auto pilot to my existing intelisteer hydraulic steering. Is my existing drive unit work with Navico nac-1 computer? What is the most cost-effective way of adding auto pilot to my existing set up? Thanks.

Which intellisteer control do you have?

 

[Pish On Fishing]

Which intellisteer control do you have?

I have the type H i bought new last year

 

[ship happens]

I have the type H i bought new last year

So it's the Grey relay box, and the Grey handheld remotes?

That one you can keep on the system. The previous model with the yellow remotes you cannot.

 

[Pish On Fishing]

So it's the Grey relay box, and the Grey handheld remotes?

That one you can keep on the system. The previous model with the yellow remotes you cannot.

yes! So I can keep my existing set up and just add nac-1 and wire the 12vdc output from nac-1 in parallel with my existing drive. And I think the Intelisteer relay box has some sort of a dedicated relay that activates whenever I turn on the remote? I am thinking of using that to bypass my autopilot. So basically when my autopilot is active and I want to steer the boat with my intelisteer remote, All I have to do is press the red button on my intellisteer remote, autopilot will disengage and I can steer the boat with my Intelisteer remote.

 

[ship happens]

yes! So I can keep my existing set up and just add nac-1 and wire the 12vdc output from nac-1 in parallel with my existing drive. And I think the Intelisteer relay box has some sort of a dedicated relay that activates whenever I turn on the remote? I am thinking of using that to bypass my autopilot. So basically when my autopilot is active and I want to steer the boat with my intelisteer remote, All I have to do is press the red button on my intellisteer remote, autopilot will disengage and I can steer the boat with my Intelisteer remote.

The Grey (newstyle) box was designed better. Even though it's still an absolute piece of **** imo. Won't even get into that. However the old one used a transistor for the voltage switching and would light up the motor output wires at ground when turned on. Then would switch one wire to 12v for on a button press and visa versa. So it was not intergratable. The new style box is different. The wires are at rest when there are no button press. So yeah you can just parellel anther device with that device and the hydraulic pump will get flip flop voltage from either device. If that makes sense.

 

[pescador]

yes! So I can keep my existing set up and just add nac-1 and wire the 12vdc output from nac-1 in parallel with my existing drive. And I think the Intelisteer relay box has some sort of a dedicated relay that activates whenever I turn on the remote? I am thinking of using that to bypass my autopilot. So basically when my autopilot is active and I want to steer the boat with my intelisteer remote, All I have to do is press the red button on my intellisteer remote, autopilot will disengage and I can steer the boat with my Intelisteer remote.

post a pix when you have it done pls..

 

[ship happens]

Good thing a member pmed me and asked me a question regarding a similar question, because I forgot to mention that if you do this you can't press the button on the intellisteer with the auto pilot running. If the auto pilot is sending voltage to the pump for a split second and you hit that button the other direction, somthing with blow. More than likely the transistor inside of the intellisteer. At that point you have to add 4 more relays to interrupt the circuit. Hope that makes sense

 

[Pish On Fishing]

Good thing a member pmed me and asked me a question regarding a similar question, because I forgot to mention that if you do this you can't press the button on the intellisteer with the auto pilot running. If the auto pilot is sending voltage to the pump for a split second and you hit that button the other direction, somthing with blow. More than likely the transistor inside of the intellisteer. At that point you have to add 4 more relays to interrupt the circuit. Hope that makes sense

relays or diodes will prevent this from happening. At this point I am thinking if it still make sense to keep the intelisteer or just get the lowrance autopilot nac-1 package with BT1 remote. Make it simple

 

[JamMe]

relays or diodes will prevent this from happening. At this point I am thinking if it still make sense to keep the intelisteer or just get the lowrance autopilot nac-1 package with BT1 remote. Make it simple

If the intelisteer works satisfactorily, why spend the extra money?

 

[Pish On Fishing]

If the intelisteer works satisfactorily, why spend the extra money?

Intelisteer works fine for left and right turns only. If you want to follow a route or heading then you need autopilot

 

[ship happens]

relays or diodes will prevent this from happening. At this point I am thinking if it still make sense to keep the intelisteer or just get the lowrance autopilot nac-1 package with BT1 remote. Make it simple

Diodes won't help in a reversing pump wire config.

 

[Pish On Fishing]

Diodes won't help in a reversing pump wire config.

You are right. back to relays then

 

[ship happens]

You are right. back to relays then

If your the kind of operator who has to have a mechanical switch in the back of the boat ( I know of several), then you'll need one of my old school relay boards that I used to build. This was way before auto pilots became what they are today. Or you can just build one yourself if your somewhat electronic or electrically enclined. Just marinise everything.

With these auto pilots, it's really been in the last 5/6 year they really started to become integrated within the software of the devices fully and offering wireless options for remote controls that are well designed. Tech gets better and smaller and chips become less expensive. It's kind of the way of technology and computing. With wifi and Bluetooth getting better and more stable, along with the chips themselves getting cheap enough to where they are starting to land in consumer grade marine devices. Guess what I'm saying is now there's almost no need for guys to want a hard button. Those remotes do it all for you and make it easy. But if you have to have that hard button then your only option is to build a relay board with inputs for both devices and a motor output. Hope that helps

 

[pescador]

Any update on this project? Thinking about doing the same thing.

 

[Pish On Fishing]

Any update on this project? Thinking about doing the same thing.

I decided to go full Lowrance auto pilot. I removed the whole Intelisteer setup. Its possible to use the existing drive and remote but it is not simple. Check ship happen's reply above

 

[pescador]

I decided to go full Lowrance auto pilot. I removed the whole Intelisteer setup. Its possible to use the existing drive and remote but it is not simple. Check ship happen's reply above

Thanks for setting this straight. I thought it might be more completed using the Intellisteer pump. Good to know.