simrad hydraulic pump pricelist

Simrad develops powerful drive units based on long experience from the rough conditions in the North Atlantic Ocean as well as the high humidity and high temperatures in Florida and other tropical areas. They drive the rudder with precision and endurance through the toughest conditions and on the longest crossings. Several models are available to fit the various types and sizes of boat and steering systems. The Simrad range of reversible hydraulic pumps is easily adaptable to the boat"s hydraulic hand steering system and allows the autopilot to have smooth and precise control.ModelVOLTSAutopilot ComputerRAM CapacityFlow Rate At 10 barMax Pressure barPWR ConsumptionBoat Length

I have a 2006 vintage Simrad AP16 Autopilot with AC20 course computer hooked up to my Raymarine C127 and C120, Raymarine Radar, and Raystar 130 GPS receiver on a Seatalkng network. I want to replace the Simrad autopilot with a Raymarine unit. The Simrad uses a Robertson RPU160 reversing hydraulic steering pump and a Simrad RF300 rudder feedback unit. The RPU160 pump has a capacity of 9.8 ci to 33.5 ci at 12V, max 10 amps. 1) Should I be looking at the EV-200 or EV-400? I"ve seen some literature that says the EV-200 will work with a Type 2 hydraulic pump and other literature that says it won"t. 2) Can I use the Robertson pump with the Raymarine ACU or do I have to replace it with a Raymarine pump? 3) Can I use the Simrad rudder feedback unit or do I need to replace that with the Raymarine rudder feedback module? Thanks for your help.

The NAC-1 is the centre of your autopilot system, containing the electronics needed to operate and interface with other key components. It has been designed for hydraulic or cable-steered boats up to nine metres (30 feet) in length, and works with Simrad displays to provide a fully integrated autopilot solution.

The NAC-1 Autopilot Computer is recommended for boats up to 9 metres (30 feet) in length. It been designed to reliably drive either the Simrad PUMP-1 reversible hydraulic pump for hydraulic-steered outboards, or the HELM-1 drive unit for cable-steered vessels.

Simrad Virtual Rudder Feedback technology eliminates the need to install a separate rudder feedback unit aboard outboard and sterndrive (inboard/outboard) boats with planing hulls. This reduces overall autopilot system cost and complexity, and is ideal where a feedback unit is impractical due to mechanical constraints.

We’ve run the new Garmin GHP10, Raymarine S1000, Simrad AP12H, and Coursemaster CM80i marine autopilots through their paces aboard our 25′ Contender test boat.

Every autopilot listed above was tested aboard our 25′ center console Contender powered by a single 250 HP outboard. This boat is equipped with Seastar hydraulic steering and each autopilot was installed according to the autopilot manufacturers’ instructions. Normally we keep an autopilot installed on our boat for at least one year to complete a full evaluation.

Garmin sent us the Garmin GHP10 autopilot system for long-term testing aboard our 25′ single-engine Contender. This Garmin autopilot is designed for boats up to approximately 70 feet in length equipped with hydraulic steering.

Several components make up the GHP10 autopilot package; they include the Garmin GHC10 control unit, Course Computer unit (CCU), Electronic Control unit (ECU), Shadow Drive™ sensor, and a hydraulic pump.

Three hydraulic pumps, a 1.2 L, 2.0 L, and 2.1 L, are available for this system. The appropriate pump is selected based on your engine setup and steering system. We are testing with the 2.0 L pump.

The first Garmin GHP10 component we installed was the pump. As recommended we found a spot on the deck below our helm station to mount the brawny well-constructed unit.

We found component installation easy and straightforward. If you can do a little planning and layout, drill a few holes, make basic wire connections, and use a wrench on some hydraulic hoses you can do this install.

Operation of the Simrad AP12H is fairly simple. With the unit turned on, the Stby/Auto LED will blink, indicating the autopilot is ready to go to work.

The Simrad AP12H is also capable of navigating to a waypoint when GPS data is available. To engage the navigation mode, first select Stby/Auto then Nav. Both associated LEDs will turn on steady to indicate lock on.

About 18 months into our evaluation, the autopilot failed to engage when selected. After conferring with Simrad support, we were able to diagnose the problem as a failed linear feedback unit. It’s a long cylindrical part that attaches to the hydraulic steering cylinder on the engine. Our guess is that the constant exposure to salt water led to an early demise. We don’t think this should have happened in such a short time and in our opinion, this part needs to be reengineered for a longer service life.

Our warranty claim for the new feedback unit did not go well. Once we confirmed the problem, Simrad asked us for the autopilot serial number to determine if it was still under warranty. The company said it was not and advised us a replacement part would cost almost $400. This seemed expensive for a single piece of a $1,400 autopilot system. So once we got over the shock of the repair cost, we began to research the situation and discovered that our unit should still be within the 2-year warranty based on our purchase date.

Simrad calculates the warranty date by adding three months to the time the unit is shipped to a retailer. In our case, the retailer actually had the unit in stock far longer. We dug out our receipt and made a copy. Simrad required it before it would honor the warranty claim. With proof in hand, Simrad agreed to ship us the part but not without making us jump through one more hoop. We had to pony up the money for the part and then wait for Simrad to credit us.

Another big issue with the Simrad AP12H is a noisy hydraulic pump. We installed the Simrad autopilot’s pump about 18 inches below our helm station and through-bolted it to the center console’s aft bulkhead. That puts it about shin high to the driver and totally contained inside the center console location that made accessing and connecting to the existing steering lines easy.

At slow speeds, the pump is loud enough to interfere with conversation and always draws comments from passengers. Even at cruising speed, the pump can be heard.

Simrad’s Phil Roberts explained why the pump is so loud. “The pump noise is related to how it pumps. This one is a piston type. We do not manufacture it. Our other autopilots use meshing gears which tend to be quieter” says Mr. Roberts.

The Simrad AP12H Autopilot performed well over the course of two years, but the noisy pump is a definite drawback. We were also disappointed in the early failure of the feedback unit and complex warranty procedure.

When we bought the Simrad AP12H, it was the least expensive autopilot we could find. Today it remains an inexpensive small boat autopilot priced around $1,400 at a variety of online marine electronics retailers.

Raymarine loaned us the Raymarine S1000 autopilot for long-term testing aboard our 25′ single-engine Contender. This Raymarine autopilot is designed for boats up to 25′ long equipped with hydraulic steering so our Contender fit the bill perfectly.

Three components make up the S1000 autopilot package, the wireless Raymarine S100 controller, the course computer, and the hydraulic pump. There is no rudder interface unit or rate gyro required for operation of this autopilot system.

Operating the Raymarine S1000 is simple. First, power is switched on to the course computer and pump, then a press of the standby pushbutton on the S100 controller turns it on and establishes the wireless connection the course computer. The system runs through an initialization process and checks for a minimum boat speed of at least three knots.

Four components make up the standard Coursemaster CM80i autopilot system: the control/display head, junction box, hydraulic pump/drive, and a fluxgate compass. Another optional component, which was included with our test system, is a rate gyro.

Another benefit of not needing a rudder interface unit is the adaptability of the pilot. Though it was designed primarily for hydraulically steered outboard powered boats between 18 and 32 feet, it can be used on boats equipped with stern drives, straight inboards, or even sailboats.