TR 1 Auto pilot

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The Black Pearl II

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Would like to know some TR 1 users- I am having a terrible time getting my TR 1 to have the correct heading.

First- my boat is a 360, I have (2) Navnet VX2, with radar etc and using CMAP. I also have a VHF that gets the GPS and Furno RD-30 for shallow water depth and which I have the TR 1 compass heading feeding to.

the heading from the TR 1 shows as much as a 10 degree difference from the GPS and compass. the company who did the install has been over 4 times. now the latest bug is the GPS does not come up, or comes up in an hour or two!

we rewired per the TR 1 recommendation, then replace the compass and have relocated the compass, they can’t seem to get it to work property. Spoke to TR 1 they have all kinds of suggestions but none seem to work.

Anyone have a similar experience? Is it the install or hardware? Does TR not work with Furno?
 
Just a idea...

The RD30 is a WONDERFUL device. I have 2 flush mounted next to my 1933 Navnet. OTOH: The install manual is somewhere between confusing and completely WRONG.

I cannot say if the problem I had is related to yours but let me say it is possible to connect RD30s in such a way that they create a feedback loop of NMEA data. My temp (coming from the Navnet via NMEA) was reading 68 or so degrees on the RD30 even as I entered warm water and the Navnet was reading correctly. The installer was baffled as well. His instructions to fix were also incorrect.

After experiementation I solved the problem which was that the RD30 was feeding the same NMEA data back on the wire causing a loop. The same value was infinitely repeating. I'll need to go back to the manual to recall exactly how it was setup but the key is how the ports are configured. In my case a NMEA sentence was output on the same port it was received on. The correct answer for me was that NO sentence should be output.

This may be totally unrelated to your issue but the mention of the RD got my attention. It has the ability to combine NMEA data from 2 ports and has to be configured correctly.
 
TR-1 Problems

I have had a TR-1 Gladiator since mid-April of this year...no problems to speak of but I have heard that the installer has a lot to do with the success of the unit particularly when interfacing with multiple units. I would give Megabytes advice great merit since I believe he has much more that a passing relationship with electronic hardware and software.
 
I set the pages for displays that are most useful for my needs. As best I can recall:

Depth
Depth/Temp
Position
Highway
Power
Time

I have one configured for position in TDs while the other in L/L. By using these I rarely need data boxes on the Navnet so I have full screen radar, FF, plotter as needed. The RD30s are great for instant data in large numerals. I use the power display as a battery meter when at dock or anchor. The voltage gives a very good indication of charge state and let's me know when I need to fire up the engines or the battery charger (generally when the voltage drops to 12.2).
 
I have the TR1 and use it with the Navnet VX2 sytem. If I recall I am not using the compass from the TR1 but purchased another box from Furuno for this heading info since I have ARP and wanted to ensure proper heading info.

Anyway, this may be a dumb question but I am assuming you calibrated your TR1? I seem to remember their is a calibration for a North heading. Just an idea... Don
 
TR 1

is that not interesting we have the same boat, and looks like the same electronics. I am using the TR 1 for heading and that has been the issue all along. We have recalibrated, replaced the compass and finally we relocated it. it seemed to be too close to the bath door magnet, causing interference. What is ARB? Anyway, it seems that we have gotten the heading to work, now the navnet’s don’t get the GPS info for about 1 ½ hr? they are supposed to come over next week and see if they can fix it. what charts are you using? CMAP or Navionics? I am running CMAP.

MIke
 
I am using CMAP charts. ARP allows me to track a vessel with my radar. I can get the heading and speed of another vessel. Can come in handy for collision avoidance.

Good luck on getting you issues resolved. I installed most of my electronics and have been lucky with really no problems. I did have a bad VXII 10" display right out of the box. It was not communicating thru the either net port. Had that unit replaced and have been working well since... Don
 
I have been using a TR-1 with Navnet units for 6 years with no problems. I currently use the TR-1 on my 305 Express and it's hooked up to a Navnet Vx2 unit running C-Map. Several questions:

Did you have your ships compass calibrated after install of all the electronics?

Did you do the initial compass setting of the TR-1. This is where you make circles while the compass finds it's bearings etc?

For starters the TR-1 compass will provide the appropriate heading info to your Navnet for steering autopilot and radar overlay. You don't need any other electronic compass for this task.

The GPS not coming up on your Navnet should have nothing to do with your TR-1. Unless you've got your ports configured backwards and wired backwards. I would take the time to really look at your ports and how they're wired on the back of the Navnet unit.

You also need to make sure your ports configured to output the right data to the network. IE: if you have the TR-1 outputting magnetic but you have your data ports set to output true north then you will always have a disparity.

The port wiring and configurations are what causes the bulk of these types of problems. You would be amazed at how many people that seel and install this equipment that don't know how to make them talk to each other on the same channel.

As for the TR-1 I wouldn't use any other kind of Autopilot anymore and I've used many of the others in the past. Have been using TR-1 since 1994 or 95 and love them.

The Black Pearl II said:
Would like to know some TR 1 users- I am having a terrible time getting my TR 1 to have the correct heading.

First- my boat is a 360, I have (2) Navnet VX2, with radar etc and using CMAP. I also have a VHF that gets the GPS and Furno RD-30 for shallow water depth and which I have the TR 1 compass heading feeding to.

the heading from the TR 1 shows as much as a 10 degree difference from the GPS and compass. the company who did the install has been over 4 times. now the latest bug is the GPS does not come up, or comes up in an hour or two!

we rewired per the TR 1 recommendation, then replace the compass and have relocated the compass, they can’t seem to get it to work property. Spoke to TR 1 they have all kinds of suggestions but none seem to work.

Anyone have a similar experience? Is it the install or hardware? Does TR not work with Furno?
Click to expand...
 
TR1

Thanks for the feedback. The installing company is heading (4th trip) over on Monday, to see if they can get it right. we did swing the compass and all that stuff many times, been on the phone with TR1, re-wired from port 2 to port 3 on the navnet. Finally we relocated the compass and now the heading seems to be fine, there was a magnet behind the door and it must have been interfering with it. but my GPS take about 2 ½ hrs before it comes on, this is new since they rewired the system to port 3. Weirdest thing I have seen. I do think you are correct on the ports/wiring etc. we'll see if they can get it right.

the latest issues is the auto pilot wants to cycle back and forth, just like an auto tune. so i re-auto tuned it, and it still goes back and forth. I am assuming this is also related to the GPS and wiring but who knows. The pump is just grinding back and forth.

To be honest, everyone talks about this pilot as the best thing since slice bread, but I have not experienced this. heck all I want to do is go straight or to a point. It has not been correct since we installed it in March. The dealer is disgusted with the time they have spent on it, and I am not to happy with the time I have put in.

Regardless, I do appreciate your input, and we are going to keep working on it till it fixed.

I’ll keep you posted
 
While I have no first hand knowledge, I have read TONS of praise for the TR1 and little or no negative feedback. If your dealer is having troubles getting it correctly configured have they involved TR1 customer service. I have read postings on THT from TR1 factory reps that claim customer satisfaction is guaranteed. They should help get this resolved.

I also agree with HH: the GPS getting a fix should have nothing to do with the NMEA connection to the TR1. I would isolate one element at a time to ensure each is working correctly. Does the Navnet work OK with no port connections? Are the sentences sent out on the ports correct? I would attack this by isolation. (I am not an installer but have debugged and troubleshot hardware and software problems for years). Isolating the problem can save hours of frustration when multiple systems are involved.
 
Re: TR1

The Black Pearl II said:
Thanks for the feedback. The installing company is heading (4th trip) over on Monday, to see if they can get it right. we did swing the compass and all that stuff many times, been on the phone with TR1, re-wired from port 2 to port 3 on the navnet. Finally we relocated the compass and now the heading seems to be fine, there was a magnet behind the door and it must have been interfering with it. but my GPS take about 2 ½ hrs before it comes on, this is new since they rewired the system to port 3. Weirdest thing I have seen. I do think you are correct on the ports/wiring etc. we'll see if they can get it right.

the latest issues is the auto pilot wants to cycle back and forth, just like an auto tune. so i re-auto tuned it, and it still goes back and forth. I am assuming this is also related to the GPS and wiring but who knows. The pump is just grinding back and forth.

To be honest, everyone talks about this pilot as the best thing since slice bread, but I have not experienced this. heck all I want to do is go straight or to a point. It has not been correct since we installed it in March. The dealer is disgusted with the time they have spent on it, and I am not to happy with the time I have put in.

Regardless, I do appreciate your input, and we are going to keep working on it till it fixed.

I’ll keep you posted
Click to expand...

Black Pearl, as I stated earlier I think you got folks who installed the equipment who know nothing about it talking to each other. It's amazing how many dealer's sell this stuff and don't know how to network them properly.Here's how my equipment is installed and networked and I have no problems with the Navnet, GPS or TR-1.

Your GPS antenna should be hooked to Port 1 on the Navnet.
NEMA data to everything but the autopilot should be wired to Port 2.
The TR-1 NEMA out wires should be wired to Port 3 (black and white wires not the yellow and green).
The TR-1 NEMA in wires are hooked to port 4.

Network is hooked to hub which feeds my other network equipment.

When the TR-1 is moving back and forth, it's called "hunting" which means it's not getting the proper signal so it's looking for where to go. If you have a good NEMA signal to the TR-1 then the GPS light should stay lit when you push it. If it blinks or goes out then your not getting the right heading data to your Autopilot. Here again you need to make sure that your outputting the correct sentences. I have my list of sentences that each port has programmed in my boat. I will go there tomorrow and get them and post here.

And again the TR-1 has nothing to do with how long it takes your GPS to get a signal.


All I can tell you is that if everything is hooked up right your system will perform with incredible ease.
 
tr 1

Thank you to all for your assistance. The GPS issues was not related to the autopilot at all, we had a bad wire in the box that was dropping the signal.

They were not able to figure out what the issues is with the auto pilot. The current problem is it want to ‘walk’ back and forth. We did a factory re-set, re-spun the compass, set north, and an auto tune. Even with TR 1 on the phone, they were not able to diagnose the problem. When you hit auto or put in a way point, it just pushes the motors back and forth (as if it is doing a auto tune). What is interesting is that it worked fine in auto mode before, just started this issue. To cold now, had to winterize the boat, now will have to wait till the spring to get it resolved.
 
I'm not that familiar with the TR1, but on my furuno you can set the tracking to course or off-track. In course, the unit makes adjustments for wind and current. As a result, the heading may (will) change over time - but you will always be headed to the target. In off-track, the pilot will return you to the originally plotted course line as current and wind push you off of it. The setup menu has parameters concerning how far you want to be off the track line before you begin correction and, also, how fast you want to make the change. In the off-track mode things get pretty crazy if the settings are not just so. The boat can oversteer, you shoot through the track on the other side and then it reacts just the opposite. If you look at your wake, it looks like a crazy sine wave that can be diminished or exxagerated over time.
If the TR1 has a track line feature and you're using it, I'd check the steering parameters you have input. Slow down the steering rate and expand the correction distance. Just a thought.
 
TR auto pilot

for those of you following this, i did send an email to TR 1- they got back to me and have set up a time to come and check the installation of the system. they also spoke with the electronic's company whom did the install and keep them in the loop. they said they have seen this issue on other 360 grady express. will keep you posted on my progress.
 
Hi,
I realize I'm really late to the game on this one, but Hoghunter hit the issue I'm having right on the head. I've tried a PM but this post is so old I don't know if the contact info is still valid, did anyone by chance see the port assignment and sentence info offered on below quoted post? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Hoghunter said:
Your GPS antenna should be hooked to Port 1 on the Navnet.
NEMA data to everything but the autopilot should be wired to Port 2.
The TR-1 NEMA out wires should be wired to Port 3 (black and white wires not the yellow and green).
The TR-1 NEMA in wires are hooked to port 4.

Network is hooked to hub which feeds my other network equipment.

When the TR-1 is moving back and forth, it's called "hunting" which means it's not getting the proper signal so it's looking for where to go. If you have a good NEMA signal to the TR-1 then the GPS light should stay lit when you push it. If it blinks or goes out then your not getting the right heading data to your Autopilot. Here again you need to make sure that your outputting the correct sentences. I have my list of sentences that each port has programmed in my boat. I will go there tomorrow and get them and post here.
Click to expand...
 
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