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REACTOR

 40 MECHANICAL 

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

Important Safety Information

 WARNING

See the Important Safety and Product Information guide in the product box for product warnings and other 
important information.
To avoid possible personal injury and damage to your boat, the autopilot system should be installed by a 
qualified marine installer. Specific knowledge of marine steering and electrical systems is required for proper 
installation.
You are responsible for the safe and prudent operation of your vessel. The autopilot is a tool that enhances your 
capability to operate your boat. It does not relieve you of the responsibility of safely operating your boat. Avoid 
navigational hazards and never leave the helm unattended.
Always be prepared to promptly regain manual control of your boat.
Learn to operate the autopilot on calm and hazard-free open water.
Use caution when operating the autopilot near hazards in the water, such as docks, pilings, and other boats.

 CAUTION

Failure to install and maintain this equipment in accordance with these instructions could result in damage or 
injury.
When in use, beware of hot surfaces on the heat-sink, motor, and solenoid components.
When in use, beware the risk of entrapment or pinching from moving parts.

Installation Preparation

The autopilot system consists of multiple components. You should familiarize yourself with all of the 
component mounting and connection considerations before beginning installation. You must know how the 
components operate together in order to correctly plan the installation on your boat.
You can consult the layout diagrams to help understand the mounting and connection considerations.
You should lay out all of the components on the boat as you plan the installation to make sure your cables will 
reach each component. If needed, extension cables (sold separately) for various components are available from 
your Garmin

®

 dealer or from 

garmin.com

.

You should record the serial number of each component for registration and warranty purposes.

GUID-4ECB91EB-0673-481B-84C5-473A80B7232E v3

May 2022

Summary of Contents for REACTOR 40 MECHANICAL

Page 1: ...as docks pilings and other boats CAUTION Failure to install and maintain this equipment in accordance with these instructions could result in damage or injury When in use beware of hot surfaces on th...

Page 2: ...erference NOTE Mounting screws are provided for the main components of the autopilot system If the provided screws are not appropriate for the mounting surface you must provide the correct types of sc...

Page 3: ...le to reach the ECU you may need to use cable extensions sold separately CCU Mounting and Connection Considerations page 5 You must connect this cable to the alarm and the Shadow Drive sensor NOTE The...

Page 4: ...Component Layout Single Helm Layout NOTE This diagram is for planning purposes only If needed specific connection diagrams are included in the detailed installation instructions for each component 4...

Page 5: ...uded T connectors NMEA 2000 Connection Considerations page 7 If there is not an existing NMEA 2000 network on your boat you can build one using the supplied cables and connectors Building a Basic NMEA...

Page 6: ...for magnetic interference 1 Hold a handheld compass in the CCU mounting location 2 Move the compass six inches to the left of the location then six inches to the right observe the needle and select an...

Page 7: ...th cable ties firmly securing it in place The Shadow Drive sensor must be mounted at least 305 mm 12 in away from magnetic materials or devices such as speakers or electric motors The Shadow Drive sen...

Page 8: ...CCU 1 Determine the mounting location 2 Using the CCU as a template mark the two pilot hole locations on the mounting surface 3 Using a 3 mm 1 8 in bit drill the pilot holes 4 Use the included screws...

Page 9: ...priately sized relay and control wire instead of extending the ECU power cable 1 Route the connector terminated end of the ECU power cable to the ECU but do not connect it to the ECU 2 Route the bare...

Page 10: ...ption Splice 10 AWG 5 26 mm extension wire Fuse 8 in 20 3 cm Battery 8 in 20 3 cm Up to 15 ft 4 6 m Item Description Splice 8 AWG 8 36 mm extension wire Fuse 8 in 20 3 cm Battery 8 in 20 3 cm Up to 23...

Page 11: ...ust be connected to your rudder control so the Reactor 40 Mechanical autopilot can steer your boat When you purchase a drive unit sold by Garmin it will include the correct cables connectors and instr...

Page 12: ...vided by the manufacturer of your drive unit to identify the connections on your drive unit 4 Connect the drive unit power cable not included to your drive unit based on the wire colors and functions...

Page 13: ...t on your boat 2 If your solenoid drive unit has cables connected disconnect the cables 3 Consult the documentation provided by the manufacturer of your solenoid drive unit to identify the connections...

Page 14: ...itive if present N A Auxiliary steering port positive if present N A Auxiliary steering bypass positive if present N A Auxiliary steering common if present 5 Connect the solenoid power cable to the EC...

Page 15: ...ing the CCU 1 Route the connector end of the CCU cable to the ECU and make the connection NOTICE You should apply dielectric grease to the pin holes on the cable connector to prevent corrosion especia...

Page 16: ...t included in all autopilot packages If you install the autopilot without a dedicated helm control the autopilot CCU must be connected to the same NMEA 2000 network as a compatible Garmin chartplotter...

Page 17: ...ee T connectors together side by side 2 Connect the included NMEA 2000 power cable to a 9 to 12 Vdc power source through a switch You should connect the power cable to the ignition switch of the boat...

Page 18: ...0 backbone 2 In the location where you plan to connect the CCU disconnect one side of a NMEA 2000 T connector from the network 3 If necessary connect a NMEA 2000 backbone extension cable not included...

Page 19: ...hartplotter to configure the autopilot See the included configuration guide for more information on configuring the autopilot Maintenance Corrosion Blocker NOTICE To ensure the long life of all parts...

Page 20: ...9 ft Input voltage From 11 5 to 30 Vdc Fuse 40 A blade type Main power usage 1 A not including the drive unit Alarm Specification Measurement Dimensions L diameter 29 32 1 in 23 25 mm Weight 2 4 oz 68...

Page 21: ...turn Transmit only 127245 Rudder data Transmit only 127250 Vessel heading Receive only 127245 Rudder data Receive only 127258 Magnetic variation 127488 Engine parameters Rapid update 128259 Water spee...

Page 22: ...he ECU voltage has dropped quickly below 7 0 Vdc Alarm sounds for 5 seconds The error is cleared when the ECU voltage rises above 7 3 Vdc Autopilot ECU High Temper ature The ECU temperature has risen...

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