Garmin TR-1 vs Reactor 40 ???

[Scalloper 1]

I have had the TR-1 for 4 years now and other then the remote I have now had any issues. As many of you know Garmin no longer supports the TR-1 so the new option seems to be the Reactor 40. Do any of you have this unit and if so how do you like it? I know a guy that has had both and likes the Reactor but he has broke a piece that steers the motor 2-3 times in a year. I believe he said the part was made out of nylon and he ended up machining one out of brass.

Any of you had this issue?

[mmdrevo]

I just purchased the Garmin reactor 40 Kicker auto pilot. I did read some reviews and did research before pulling the trigger on this expensive upgrade. Some other things that I came across is the concern with the actuator arm becoming unthreaded. This seems like it’s mitigated by red loctite. Also, when mounting the CCU and ECU (should you choose to tackle this job on your own) it’s a good idea to install vibration dampeners. They are simply rubber grommets that will go between the ECU / CCU and the area of the boat you plan on mounting it to. The NMEA 2000 network that you will build when installing also has a few things you should be aware of. If you are buying just the reactor 40 unit and will be using your Garmin unit to interface you will need to purchase a NMEA T connector as well as a drop cable (I purchased off of amazon). If you purchase the package that comes with either the GHC 20 or the GHC 50 display Garmin will include the necessary cable and T connector to interface. 

 

With all the above being said, I have not even received the unit yet. It will be here today at some point. I will be installing it on a 2022 Mercury 9.9 pro kicker. I hope that it wont be to tall of a task lol. I usually do all of my own work unless it’s out of my wheelhouse mechanically, technically and of course with respect to the tools I have on hand. 

 

Mike

[tinfin]

Good info. Thx for sharing, Good luck with install-