VDO style Rudder Angle sender for Alpha One

[gergAlicious]

Has anyone here adapted a sender like the one pictured below to an Alpha One?

 

[JoLin]

Gen 1 or Gen 2? I did it on my current boat (Gen 2's) using a Chinese knockoff of the VDO. I used this as the basic guide...

http://www.boat-project.com/electra/rudder.htm

The sender is mounted to the transom using a starboard mounting base on a piece of aluminum angle, to keep the sender horizontal. There's a piece of starboard attached to the steering actuator using a stainless u-bolt. .The tiller arm and steering actuator are tied together with the ball link assembly. I paid close attention to angles to keep things straight, and also adjusted the tiller arm so that it was as long as the back-and-forth "swing" of the steering actuator. Paying attention to that length insures that the rudder position gauge is accurate. Direct correlation between where the drives are pointed, and where the gauge says they're pointed. Works great, but it took a lot of work to fabricate.

If I didn't have a special condition with my steering setup (too long to explain), I would have used a Davis Rudder Position Indicator- $25.00 and no hassle. Just doesn't work for me. Check it out.

My .02

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... Sorta,...... My ole tin fishin' barge has a Raymarine auto-pilot, that I added All the sensors for it, tryin' to get it to "Hold course",....
Never did get it to troll, unless down-wind, or at speeds above 'bout 5 mph,.....

Anyways, the tiller sensor I screwed to the transom where it had to be, 'n tried it,.....
The plastic lever is retained by an o-ring, 'n due to the angles, it'd walk outa the housin', causin' major problems,... as in broken,......
I put it back together, 'n made a wire bail, which I screwed into the transom, each side of the housin',.....
The plastic arm hooked to the tiller arm, swings freely, the wire bail keeps it from slidin' out,.....

 

[gergAlicious]

Thanks! I did see that guide, and I do like a challenge.

I have NO idea if I am Gen 1 or 2. I can tell you it is a 2004 model. Would the serial number help identify that?

Think I saw a sticky or FAQ here that will help me identify.

Any pics of your work?

 

[JoLin]

Serial number always helps, but in this case you have a Gen 2. They've been Gen 2's since about 1992 (maybe late 1991).

I like a challenge, too... but this turned into a pretty big project. I undertook it ONLY because the $25.00 thingy doesn't work on my boat. Sorry, no pics.

My .02

 

[superbenk]

Is that $25 thing just a piece of plastic with a line on it that you stick on the steering wheel? Am I missing something? If that’s all it is then I have a couple questions... 1) how does it account for multiple turns of the wheel from center to full stop? 2) How is this any better than just making a mark on the steering wheel? 3) Why on earth is it $30???

 

[H20Rat]

There is quite a bit of stuff going on inside the davis thingy, it is a gear driven weight basically.. The one problem is if your steering wheel is flat, it simply won't work, needs the internal weight to hang down to drive the gears when you turn it. (and also keep the display pointed the right way)

 

[superbenk]

Ah! That’s a whole lot more interesting then. Thanks!

 

[gergAlicious]

It is pretty cool!!!

Sure wish I could find movement anywhere else to grab the motion from. A shame the second stub connector at the rear of the Teleflex unit under the cowl can’t be used. Full sweep, lock to lock knowing where center is should give what is needed for the sender.