Northstar NS3300 Pilot System Reference Manual
Contents 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1-1 Autopilot Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using this manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1-1 Operating modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1-2 Steering modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6-4 6-5 6-6 6-7 6-8 6-9 Setup > Vessel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup > Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup > Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup > Comms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup > Calibrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Congratulations on choosing the Northstar NS3300 PilotAutopilot. For maximum benefit, please read this manual carefully before installation and use. This manual describes how to use and set up the NS3300 Pilotand the associated equipment. This manual also explains how to operate the NS3300 Piloteffectively and provides troubleshooting and performance tips.
1 Introduction The NS3300 Pilot is a superior quality, high performance autopilot display head. The Northstar autopilot system has the flexibility to be used with power or sail boats. The NS3300 Pilot has dedicated performance keys and a large 3.8” Color TFT display. This provides the user with exceptionally easy to use controls. The NS3300 Pilot is part of the Northstar family of instruments for boats, which includes instruments for speed, depth, wind and repeaters.
Note regarding Jog and Follow-up mode: The user is to be aware that while in Standby (STBY) Mode, the autopilot can move the rudder at anytime that the Dodge keys or Control Dial is operated. 1-1-3 Power steering modes When the autopilot is in STBY (STANDBY) mode the helmsman must steer the boat manually. However The NS3300 Pilot has two different power steering control modes (see section 3-11). Jog: Turns the rudder left or right while the key is pressed.
2 Quickstart 2-1 Starting the autopilot system 1. Turn the autopilot system on by pressing . 2. If the autopilot is connected to multi, depth or GPS instruments, turn these on too. 3. If necessary, adjust the backlight so that the display can be easily read (press briefly and adjust using the Control Dial). 2-2 Using the autopilot to steer the boat automatically 1. Manually steer the boat to open waters before engaging the autopilot to steer the boat. 2.
2-7 Manually steering the boat from the boats helm To manually steer the boat: 1. Press the key. The autopilot is now disengaged and you have complete steering control. 2-8 Manually steering the boat using power steering To manually steer the boat using the autopilot to move the rudder: 1. Ensure the autopilot is in STBY by pressing the key. or to turn the rudder to port or starboard. Pressing Both will center the rudder 2. Press and hold 3. Release the button when the rudder is in the desired position.
3 Autopilot operation Button Function 1 ESC Step back a menu level or return to selected pilot screen 2 ENT Selects highlighted items or brings up Parameters menu when in Pilot display mode 3 Control Dial Use to scroll through menus, increment or decrement selected values, follow-up rudder control and to make course changes. 4 MENU Shows context sensitive Options menu, press twice to show the Setup menu.
3-1-1 AUTO key Press to engage AUTO mode. The autopilot is now steering the boat based on the selected steering mode. Press and hold for 2 seconds to engage H-STEER mode. 3-1-2 STBY key Press to disengage AUTO mode and set STBY mode. The autopilot is not steering the boat – the helmsman must steer the boat using the manual helm. 3-1-3 Dodge keys Press or to trigger an immediate dodge to port or starboard. Repeated presses of the same key increments dodge angle.
3-3 Turning the NS3300 Pilot off When in STBY mode: • key. A pop-up box will Press and hold the appear and start a 3 second count-down. The unit will turn off when the timer reaches 0. • Releasing the key during this time will resume normal operation. Any settings you have made are retained by the unit. • 3-4 Backlight Briefly press the key. The Backlight pop-up will appear.
Tip: It is possible to change steering modes while in AUTO mode. For example it is helpful to use Compass mode to control the boat when setting up a GPS route, then change directly to GPS mode. • To sail, tack and gybe at a set angle to the wind, choose Wind mode. Select Wind mode by pressing , choose Wind and press . Note for sailing boats: • The autopilot is not recommended for use in light, changeable or gusty winds. • Take care when running downwind to avoid an accidental gybe.
3-8-3 Changing set wind angle in wind mode To change set wind angle (SWA) in 1˚ steps, turn the Control Dial. • turn the Control Dial counter-clockwise to change course to port • turn the Control Dial clockwise to change course to starboard Example Wind Wind SWA = 40° SWA changes to 39°. Boat comes to new wind angle of 39° SWA = 40° SWA changes to 41°. Boat comes to new wind angle of 41° 3-9 Dodge A dodge is a sharp change of course, usually to avoid an obstacle.
3-9-2 Dodging in GPS mode Press to resume the earlier heading CTS changes by the dodge angle. Boat comes to new heading. The NS3300 Pilot beeps. WARNING: The NS3300 Pilot will steer back to the GPS plotted course. Make sure there are no obstacles or dangerous waters in the way. 3-9-3 Dodging in wind mode Wind SWA = 40° 3-10 Turn modes The NS3300 Pilot can follow a preprogrammed turn sequence. The autopilot has three different turn modes: Tack/Gybe: Autotacks the boat after a delay period.
3-10-1 Auto tacking in compass mode Auto tacking is intended to tack a sailing boat. The course to steer changes by the tack angle. • • press press select Tack/Gybe then press select Tack/Gybe then press to tack to port by the tack angle to tack to starboard by the tack angle. Press to initiate a tack to port or starboard. Press A The boat sails straight while the NS3300 Pilot counts down the tack delay.
3-10-2 Turns in compass mode To change course by 90˚ • press , select 90˚ turn then press • press , select 90˚ turn then press To change course by 180˚ , select 180˚ turn then press • press • press , select 180˚ turn then press to turn to port by 90˚ to turn to starboard by 90˚ to turn to port by 180˚ to turn to starboard by 180˚ Press to initiate a 90˚ or 180˚ turn to port or starboard. Warning: In Compass mode auto tack, the course to steer changes by the tack angle.
3-10-3 Auto tacking or gybing in wind mode If the set wind angle (SWA) is 90° or less, the boat tacks, if the SWA is more than 90° the boat gybes. After the tack or gybe, the SWA is the same as the SWA before the tack or gybe, but from the other side. , select Tack/Gybe then press to tack or gybe to port • press , select Tack/Gybe turn then press to tack or gybe to starboard • press Example: SWA is 40°, so the boat will tack, not gybe.
Example: SWA is 120°, so the boat will gybe. The tack angle is not set to AUTO: Press End of tack, boat is at new SWA , select Tack/Gybe then press to starboard. initiate a tack The NS3300 Pilot counts down the tack delay. To cancel the gybe at any time, press Example: SWA is 40°.
3-11 Power steering When the autopilot is in STBY mode the helmsman must steer the boat manually.
3-12-1 The alarm window The alarm window shows a list of the latest active alarms. The most severe alarms appear at the top of the list. Turn the Control Dial to stop the NS3300 Pilot from beeping. Select ‘Details’ to jump directly to the Active alarms screen. Select ‘OK’ to acknowledge the displayed alarms. 3-12-3 Alarm history The NS3300 Pilot keeps a record of alarms. The Alarm history screen shows a list of up to 18 recorded alarm events.
4 The displays Tip: Repeated pressing will cycle the menu selection and will automatically select after 1 second. 4-1 Display > Basic Press to show the Display menu, select a display option using the Control Dial and press Displays a standard autopilot display with just the essential autopilot data. Display area Basic displays Reference Manual .
4-2 Display > Pilot Displays an advanced autopilot display with essential autopilot data. Display area Pilot displays 22 Function Data Header Customizable data cells. Each display page has a separate header configuration. Default: Voltage, Current, Alarm Status (see section 5).
4-3 Display > Compass Displays a standard autopilot display with just the essential autopilot data. Display area Function Data Header Customizable data cells. Each display page has a separate header configuration. Default: Course to steer, Heading, Alarm Status (see section 5).
4-4 Display > Data The data display shows one large data cell, two smaller data cells and a data history graph. Each is these items can be configured to display a range of data types. The graph is useful for analyzing the performance of the autopilot. Display area Data display Function Big data cell Customizable data cell. Default: Rudder angle. Small data cells Customizable data cells. Default: Voltage, Pilot Status. History graph This graph plots data of a period of time.
5 Data headers Data headers are available on the Pilot and Compass screens. A data header is a customizable feature that can be used to display up to 6 different data items, such as boat speed or alarm status. The Pilot and Compass screens have separate settings for the data header. Header menu: Data Turns the data header completely on or off. Reference Manual Data setup Enters the data set-up mode. The Data header expands to display all 6 possible data cells. Some data cells may be blank.
6 Menus Many of the NS3300 Pilot features and functions are operated through menus. • To scroll through menu items, scroll through items in a list or change data use the Control Dial. Clockwise scrolls across/down or increments data. • To select a menu item press . . • To go back to the previous menu press • To accept changes press . . • To discard changes press Occasionally items in the NS3300 Pilotmenus utilize checkboxes.
6-2 Setup > Profiles Profiles are used to store a range of autopilot settings for different sea, environmental and vessel conditions. Up to 5 user profiles may be configured (see section 8-2). Profile Select the current profile to use. Edit name Use to edit the name of the currently selected profile (see section 8-2). Parameters Opens the Parameters menu (see section 8-1). Options can be selected to set autopilot operating limits: Dodge angle Sets size of the dodge angle steps in degrees.
6-5 Setup > Alarms Some of the autopilot alarms are user configurable. Alarm trigger settings can be defined to suit the boat and individual preferences as follows: Course error The alarm will sound if the vessel strays from its intended course by more than the set error. Set OFF or a value in degrees. Minimum = 1˚; maximum = 90˚ XTE Cross Track Error – The alarm will sound if the vessel strays from it’s intended track by more than the set error. Set OFF or a value in nautical miles. Minimum = 0.
6-7 Setup > Comms Use this feature when the autopilot is connected to other Northstar instruments through NavBus or any compatible NMEA instrument. NMEA mode Select NMEA port mode. Input – NMEA port can receive NMEA data Slow – NMEA port outputs heading and rudder angle once per second Fast – NMEA port outputs heading data ten times per second NavBus group Use this when a group of Northstar instruments are connected together using NavBus, to specify a group of instruments for backlighting, if required.
6-9 Setup > Simulate 30 Switches simulate mode on and off (see section 3-14).
7 Steering modes Important: • The autopilot cannot control the boat better than a helmsman. The autopilot is not intended for use in extreme weather, in adverse conditions or near other boats, dangerous waters or land. In these conditions, disengage the autopilot and steer manually. • Never leave the helm unattended, keep a watch at all times and be ready to resume steering the boat manually. • Do not try to turn the rudder by hand when the autopilot is engaged.
7-1-2 Engaging and disengaging the autopilot in compass mode Manually steer the boat to open waters. Sail straight on the intended course. For example: Heading = 45° To engage AUTO, press To engage H STEER, hold AUTO: HANDSTEER: The Pilot steers the boat automatically. Steer the boat manually. Display CTS in the info data or course error in the bar data and use these to steer by.
7-2 GPS steering mode The autopilot has three ways of steering the boat, compass, GPS and wind. To select an appropriate mode, see section 3-7. In GPS mode, the autopilot uses data from a GPS to steer the boat along a route or to a waypoint.
7-2-2 Engaging and disengaging the autopilot in GPS mode Manually steer the boat to open waters. Start the GPS navigating to a waypoint, either a waypoint on a route or a single waypoint. GPS plotted course to a waypoint BRG (direction of GPS course) XTE (distance to GPS course) To engage AUTO, press To engage HAND STEER, hold HANDSTEER: AUTO: GPS plotted course The Pilot steers the boat automatically. Steer the boat manually.
7-2-3 Arriving at waypoints If the GPS is following a route and the boat reaches an intermediate waypoint: If the Waypoint Acknowledge alarm (see section 6-5) is off, the autopilot automatically starts steering to the next waypoint in the route. If the Waypoint Acknowledge alarm is on, the autopilot shows the following alarm: The autopilot continues steering on the old course. Select OK to start steering to the next waypoint.
7-3 Wind steering mode The autopilot has three ways of steering the boat, compass, GPS and wind. To select an appropriate mode, see section 3-7. In wind mode, the autopilot steers the boat to a set angle to the wind, called SWA (set wind angle).
7-3-2 True and apparent wind speed and direction Apparent wind speed and direction are the values measured on the boat. True wind speed and direction are the values after allowing for boat speed through the air. If the boat is moving, then the apparent wind speed is different to the true wind speed and the apparent wind direction is different to the true wind direction, as shown below.
7-3-3 Engaging the autopilot in wind mode Manually steer the boat to open waters. Sail straight at the intended wind angle. The NS3300 Pilot info data can display TRUE (true wind angle) or APP (apparent wind angle) (see section 3-4) For example: Wind APP = P40° SWA = 40° To engage AUTO, press To engage HAND STEER, hold HANDSTEER: AUTO: GPS plotted course Steer the boat manually. Display CTS in the info data or course error in the bar data and use these to steer by.
7-3-4 Wind gain In GPS mode, The wind gain determines how much correction is applied to reduce any difference between the set wind angle and the actual wind angle. A high setting will cause the autopilot to be strongly affected by changes in the wind. A low setting will cause the autopilot to be very mildly affected by changes in the wind.
8 Optimizing steering performance 8-1 Steering parameters The autopilot has seven steering parameters which can be adjusted to optimize steering performance. Select the Advanced checkbox to view all parameters. These parameters can be adjusted using the Parameters menu. To adjust the parameters, go to Menu > Setup > Profiles > Parameters (see section 6-2). From the Basic, Pilot or Compass screens, press to open the Parameters menu directly.
steering, decrease counter rudder. For higher boat speeds and large GPS routes, decrease GPS gain; for lower speeds and tight GPS routes, increase GPS gain. For higher and/or more stable winds, increase wind gain; for lower and/or unstable winds, decrease wind gain. Ideally, in AUTO the autopilot should steer the boat to the course without the rudder moving too often.
8-3 Adjusting the steering parameters Problem: rudder turns too frequently This causes wear on the steering linkage and uses power. Decrease response. Reduce ratio. Reduce counter rudder gain. Problem: drifts off course to one side Increase ratio. Increase trim gain. or Increase response. Problem: boat moves too far off course closely before the rudder turns to correct the course Decrease ratio. Decrease counter rudder gain. Decrease trim gain.
Problem: after a sideways current or wind, the correction is applied too quickly or too slowly If the boat encounters a sideways force, then it will move off course sideways. The Pilot will automatically bring the boat back to the correct heading by applying a few degrees of rudder, called trim. Trim gain sets how quickly the trim is applied. Trim gain should be adjusted to trim the boat in about one minute.
9 Troubleshooting This troubleshooting guide assumes that you have read and understood this manual. It is possible in many cases to solve difficulties without having to send the unit back to the manufacturer for repair. Please follow this troubleshooting section before contacting your nearest Northstar dealer. There are no user serviceable parts. Specialized methods and testing equipment are required to ensure that the unit is reassembled correctly.
10 Specifications Electrical Supply voltage: 10.5 to 30.5 V DC. Supply current ( at 13.8 V): Without backlighting: 160 mA. With full backlighting: up to 390 mA. Other optional instruments: refer to the instrument’s operation manual. Interfaces NavBus: connection to MCU and other Northstar instruments. Standards compliance EMC compliance: USA (FCC): Part 15 Class B Europe (CE):IEC 60945:2002 Clause 9 & 10. New Zealand and Australia (C Tick): IEC 60945:2002 Clause 9.
