Where is calibration data stored on legacy Raymarine AutoPilot systems?

Atalla

Active Member
Sep 1, 2020
244
Seattle
Boat Info
2007 38 Sundancer
Engines
Twin Merc 8.1 S Horizon V-Drives
Is the Dealer and Sea Trial calibration data stored on my S2 course computer or on the ST8002 head unit?

I am going to replace my ST8002 since mine is on the fritz and I'm not interested in a full Evolution upgrade. Trying to figure out if I'll just plug it in and go or if I'll have to go through the full commissioning process.

Thanks.
 
I’ve never seen that info published, but I would think you’ll need to do a full recommissioning especially if your getting a used unit that was connected to a different course computer and from a different boat.

It’s not very difficult once you get the key strokes figured out. It’s all in the manual.
 
Believe it or not, I have a brand new ST8002 to drop in. But I’m inclined to believe the course computer would be the logical place the data would be stored. But I’m applying mainstream computer software logic...I.e., it’s the “back end.” But I know marine electronics follows its own rules.
 
It’s an interesting question. I don’t know the answer for sure.

I would think that the smarts stay on the control head (maybe a little EEPROM?) as that era network wasn’t capable of transmitting much more than a few dozen parameters related to position, speed depth, and a few others. I’ve seen the list somewhere, very small. I don’t think it was ever intended to program remote units.

Plug it in! We’re about to learn something!
 
Believe it or not it is split between them. The pilot head has the calibration routines in it and course computer holds the data. This was explained to me by there tech support a few years ago.

That said I have an SPX-10 course computer, the next generation after yours. So they might have handled it differently in prior generations. But I had a similar situation in that I had an ST70 pilot head and a newer p70r pilot head to replace it with. So I tried it to see what would happen and and it needed to be re-calibrated, no surprise there, but also upon putting the original ST70 back it also needed to be re-calibrated. Apparently if the system doesn't see it's last data entry it marks the data as dirty and needs to be re-calibrated.

Now again, that's with the SPX, not sure how yours would work. But you could just swap them and see what happens. Worse case you need to do some figure eights for 15 minutes. Your pilot will still work if it needs to be calibrated.
 
Believe it or not it is split between them. The pilot head has the calibration routines in it and course computer holds the data. This was explained to me by there tech support a few years ago.

That said I have an SPX-10 course computer, the next generation after yours. So they might have handled it differently in prior generations. But I had a similar situation in that I had an ST70 pilot head and a newer p70r pilot head to replace it with. So I tried it to see what would happen and and it needed to be re-calibrated, no surprise there, but also upon putting the original ST70 back it also needed to be re-calibrated. Apparently if the system doesn't see it's last data entry it marks the data as dirty and needs to be re-calibrated.

Now again, that's with the SPX, not sure how yours would work. But you could just swap them and see what happens. Worse case you need to do some figure eights for 15 minutes. Your pilot will still work if it needs to be calibrated.
I'll get to this in the next week or two and let you know what I find out. Thanks.
 
My couse computer was a Type 100. Really old.
 
Believe it or not, I have a brand new ST8002 to drop in. But I’m inclined to believe the course computer would be the logical place the data would be stored. But I’m applying mainstream computer software logic...I.e., it’s the “back end.” But I know marine electronics follows its own rules.

Here's something else to think about, and might apply to your decision on where your going with your AP.

I have an SPX-10 course computer 10 yr old tech from Raymarine. It has SeaTalkNG, SeaTalk and nmea 0183. The head unit (originally ST70 now p70R) must be connected via SeaTalkNG, a head unit like your's must be connected via SeaTalk. But get this, Routing and GoTo, Navigate to etc. - from any MFD must be 0183. There own SeaTalk protocol doesn't support routing in these older models. That came straight from there lead tech Mark and even the department head Brian. Only there newest units support SeaTalkNG for routing etc. Goto might work from one MFD and Navigate to might work from another, but across the board support isn't there. Only in 0183, Drove me crazy to learn that.
 
Here's something else to think about, and might apply to your decision on where your going with your AP.

I have an SPX-10 course computer 10 yr old tech from Raymarine. It has SeaTalkNG, SeaTalk and nmea 0183. The head unit (originally ST70 now p70R) must be connected via SeaTalkNG, a head unit like your's must be connected via SeaTalk. But get this, Routing and GoTo, Navigate to etc. - from any MFD must be 0183. There own SeaTalk protocol doesn't support routing in these older models. That came straight from there lead tech Mark and even the department head Brian. Only there newest units support SeaTalkNG for routing etc. Goto might work from one MFD and Navigate to might work from another, but across the board support isn't there. Only in 0183, Drove me crazy to learn that.

I just bit the bullet and now almost completely on the newest Generation. Glad I did it.
 
I just bit the bullet and now almost completely on the newest Generation. Glad I did it.

Yeah and that should be awesome and function like it should. I am considering doing the same thing. I really want 0183 out of the picture for simplicity sake.
 
Yeah and that should be awesome and function like it should. I am considering doing the same thing. I really want 0183 out of the picture for simplicity sake.
I want the same, unfortunately I still halve 0183 to the VHF...
 
I bought one of these about a year ago and haven't set it up yet. At least that would release the wiring from the MFD's to run the 0183. I was planning on mounting it close to the AP. Just haven't tried it out yet and now the evolution possibilities have me on the fence whether to even bother with it or not and just move forward with the EV-1/ACU-150 upgrade.
 

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