My Home Made Autopilot

[garrymny]

My Home Made Autopilot

I built an autopilot for my old boat, using an Arduino Board as the brain. It uses an electric linear actuator. I attached a Power Point Presentation of the entire project.

 

It provides heading mode, and knob steering mode. You can also add GPS steering. I also installed a Joystick Controller.

 

UPDATE; Added a PDF copy of the powerpoint presentation. For those who had trouble viewing the pptx.

I will also put a video on youtube with a link later. the video was too big to load here.

 

Link to video on YouTube:

 

 

Autopilot for a Boat.pptx

Autopilot for a Boat.pdf

Edited March 3, 2017 by garrymny

[bandrus1]

I use a bunji chord 

[bobby416n]

41 minutes ago, garrymny said:

My Home Made Autopilot I built an autopilot for my old boat, using an Arduino Board as the brain. It uses an electric linear actuator. I attached a Power Point Presentation of the entire project.
 
It provides heading mode, and knob steering mode. You can also add GPS steering. I also installed a Joystick Controller.
Autopilot for a Boat.pptx

 

Your power point link doesn't seem to work. It gives a 400 bad request message

Sent from my SM-G920V using Lake Ontario United mobile app
 

 

Edited March 3, 2017 by bobby416n
Disregard! It did open up after several attempts

[jigstick]

would love to see the instructions and install. what type of steering system does your boat have.

[fisherdude]

46 minutes ago, bandrus1 said:

I use a bunji chord 

x2( captain bungee look out he no steer so good )

[Xxx]

I love the idea you used your own Intell. To creat such an ingenious tool to create your own auto steer unit. There's no blueprint, this is trial & error as you go. There was a lot thought that went into this. This is right up my alley. This is defiantly thinking outside the box. Would be interesting to know what the amp draw is when it's moving the entire shibang under a load and what type of battery life it inhaled while out on the water? Hopefully you get the timely battery life you are hoping for??  . Best of luck and congrats if she pans out for you!!! PAP 

[garrymny]

The instructions are pretty well detailed in the presentation and I will upload a PDF of the Autpiot Documentation provided to me my Jack Edwards.

 

Amperage draw? motor draws 10 amps at full load. The force required to drive the motor is not a full load for this actuator. If I remember correctly, my test indicated about 20 lbs force required.  The motor is rated at 100 lbs dynamic force. The arduino stuff draws very little. Less than an amp. I have two marine batteries connected in parallel. I hope it will be enough, as my kicker motor has no charging system.  

[Xxx]

That's fantastic!! I wish you the best. Thanks for posting!! PAP.  My dad always told me, if you don't use your head to its potential then you might as well be an ass on both ends!!  .

Edited March 3, 2017 by pap

[zadvorney]

Absolutely Slamming!!!  

[Jeremy Goodison]

That's awesome...... You got serious skills

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[flybuster]

Awesome job! This is my homemade autopilot his name is Austin he still has a 50% failure rate but I'm working on a update!! Just kidding but seriously nice job


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[Sk8man]

Keep at it ....inventing is an arduous process but it looks as though you're on the right trail.

[garrymny]

The Arduino is an Open source electronic board. The board is $56.  People all over the world develop projects and share them freely. It has its own software language. It is capable of doing almost anything. This Guy named Jack Edwards wrote the software code to make it into an autopilot for his 40 foot sailboat. I used his plans, and his code. The only thing different from his setup is the linear actuator motor I use is different than his steering unit which is electro hydraulic.

[fjs5252]

The fact that you did that all yourself is so cool. I wish I were that handy. 

Keep us posted on how it goes as you refine it.