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Poor Power Connections and Voltage Drop
Just checking for 12v at the line is not adequate; voltage drop will only show while pilot motor runs and draws
current. The small drive pulley may barely turn or vibrate with excessive voltage drop in power line. With the
belt removed you should not be able to stop the small drive pulley with your hand. Also, if 12V power is
interrupted, the CPT will not hold a heading during the 60 second warm-up. Loose power connections can
cause the unit to intermittently turn off and power-up again, initiating recurring warm-up and heading loss.
HF Radios, Iron Objects, Magnetic Interference
Winch handles, screw drivers, knives, cell phones, ship’s compass and other objects with steel/iron parts can
alter the sensor heading if placed too close to the control box. Ham radios and SSB radios should be properly
choked and grounded, and be used at 50% transmit power to limit effects and stress on all electronics onboard.
Generally, SSB transmissions will not immediately affect the CPT, but long transmission times may gradually
affect the heading, and also cause a noticeable magnetic field on the ship’s compass. If SSB interference can’t
be lessened, it is recommended that the CPT remain off or on Standby mode during SSB transmissions.
Magnetic interference may lengthen the warm-up time for the sensor, lengthen the time taken to settle on a
new heading, or if strong enough, completely prevent it from settling on a heading.
With steel vessels, the control box must be at least 6 feet from steel. With mild magnetic interference, the pilot
may operate fine on some headings but not others, depending on the control box mounting location. A few
older steering systems in fiberglass or wood boats may have magnetized parts in the pedestal, worm-drive or
parts of the steering system or engine controls. Refer to the section “How to check for magnetic interference”
in the CPT Installation Manual for more information.
Basic Circuit Function Test
To check basic circuit function, remove belt and engage clutch. Keep the vessel on a consistent heading during
this test or at the dock. Flip control box to Standby, set Rudder to 5 and Deadband to 1. After a minimum 60
second warm-up, toggle to Hold-heading. The small drive pulley should be staitonary for a brief time, and will
begin to make a small correction every 10 seconds. Push the 10° port button once and the clutch should turn
to port and then make momentary corrections to port. Push the 10° starboard button once and the clutch
should rotate back to starboard and stop. Slightly rotating the control box box itself should bring the same
results. When left on Hold Heading when the boat is stationary , it is normal for the pilot to make a small
correction periodically once every 10 seconds; making corrections once every second after 60-second warm-
up indicates a magnetic field too close to the control box.
Reversed Power Wire
The CPT will not operate at all if the polarity of the power wires are reversed. The red wire must connect to
+12V, the black wire to ground / battery negative.
Splicing Cable to Control Box
The control cable is an unshielded jacketed cable with six 24ga color-coded wires. An extension cable is
available to easily extend the length of the control cable without cutting the cable. Damage resulting from
cross-connecting wires during splicing or routing is not covered under the warranty.
Be sure the power wires
are completely disconnected from the battery or 12 volt source before cutting the control cable or damage
will result.
