Review on Raymarine T70154 Pilot Ev 100 Power by Austin Olson

The system works well for trolling and sea fishing. I have this installed on a Robalo R207 dual console with a single Yamaha F150XB outboard and Seastar hydraulic steering. Here's what I would like to know BEFORE installing. I hope I can save someone time and frustration: 1. The Dometic Seastar ORB Installation Kit, HF6007 contains ALMOST everything you need to install this system. As of this writing, it's available from Revain for $141.76. The compression fit works quite well. As long as you can position the pump close to the rudder, you're fine. Remember that you need to run 3 lines to the helm station (port, starboard and return) for the autopilot pump to work properly. 25 feet sounds like a lot of tubing until you split it into 3 pieces and start wrapping it around bulkheads. I say almost everything because you will also need item 2 on this list. Loctite 545 Pneumatic/Hydraulic Thread Sealant is your friend. In theory, this shouldn't be necessary; However, I have found that ¼" NPT fittings and 3/8" BSPP fittings leak after installation. I could save a lot of time if I apply this in advance. Be careful - DO NOT APPLY LOCTITE TO THE FIRST THREADS AS IT MAY CONTAMINATE THE PUMP3. The course computer MUST be installed away from all electronic/magnetic devices. I had to move it several times until I found a spot that gave good readability. On my Axiom MFD I now have a spread of up to +/- 3 degrees (I had +/- 38 degrees on my first try).4. At planing speed, the system seems to wander around a bit before eventually throwing an error message that it's off course. I'm still experimenting with the settings to see if this can be fixed. I will update my rating if I can solve this problem.5. Make sure you measure the time it takes for the pump to move the motor to the locked position and use that time as your hard time. You can do this by simply applying 12 volts directly to the hydraulic pump wires. Use this to properly calibrate your Setup6. Raymarine Axiom units only have NMEA2000, but this kit requires SeaTalk NG. Be sure to purchase the appropriate adapter/cable for your installation7. Some documents state that the Propulsion Control Unit (ACU) provides power to the SeaTalk NG bus. That's not the case. The supplied power cord is required for SeaTalk NG operation. Overall it was a great learning experience and the system works well.