LM 32 Robertson cruise Autopilot manual

[eduardospain]

Dear friends and colleagues

We bought an LM32 in May. We managed to get the autopilot to work for a few months but it has gone nuts now. We have no idea of how to get it back to work, mainly because we don´t have the instruction manual. It is all try this and that and see what it does. We had 4 hours of that yesterday. I reckon it is the original autopilot installed at the factory in 1980. Robertson cruise autopilot. I include a picture.

We have a 2 year old boy and the autopilot is a great help to his mother and me as you can imagine.

Where do you think we can find a manual for this? Can you give advice please? 

Regards from Motril-Granada (Spain)

[jandane]

Hi. Please give me some numbers of the Robertson autopilot. Type number or model number. I think to recall, that the firm was overtaken by Simrad some years ago. Originally Robertson was from Egernsund, Norway and made autopilots. I do have a manual for a Robertson AP-30 you can have, but I guess yours is a little newer.

[eduardospain]

Many thanks for your answer. Unfortunately it doesnot say anything about model or cannot find any serial number. I have seen an advert of the autopilot in a magazine (Tachting) in 1982, here is the link
books.google.es/books?id=Ldu9gmszuI8C&pg=PA60&lpg=PA60&dq=robertson+cruise+autopilot+norway+kongsberg&source=bl&ots=em5hotQDkj&sig=JGxlu204dBrziHxCp5aL8pKtg2I&hl=es&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiS9YfjlILPAhUCchQKHZtGCO8Q6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=robertson%20cruise%20autopilot%20norway%20kongsberg&f=false

It could be older than the AP-30.

It is difficult to find. I thank you very much for your help Jandane

Best wishes, Eduardo

[eduardospain]

Another advert

books.google.es/books?id=ZPI1AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA39&lpg=RA1-PA39&dq=robertson+cruise+autopilot+remote+control&source=bl&ots=TSNEN9WoS3&sig=1qQ01DsV_OoFSDKbaN9Xj_dBgTI&hl=es&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi8n4HWloLPAhWFvxQKHX9EDnQQ6AEIKjAC#v=onepage&q=robertson%20cruise%20autopilot%20remote%20control&f=false

[jandane]

How about to try to take som pictures and send it to Simrad technical support?

[Morten from Denmark]

Hi Eduardo.

I have the manual to the Robertson Cruise. If you send me your email Ill mail it to you. Would like to post the manual here but I dont know how to upload the pdf.

Du you have a number or name on the Course detector placed under the compas? I need a course detector to my system..

Ok Have a nice day. All the best Morten from Copenhagen

[Morten from Denmark]

Here is the manual to Robertson Cruise Autopilot from 1981 commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robertson_Cruise_manual.pdf

[chrismunson]

Dear Eduardo,

Try these remedies:

1 One thing to check is the location of the autopilot magnetic sensor - this is a wired black box that contains a flux gate compass that is essential to the autopilot knowing where north is, assuming this is like my Autohelm. Usually this is located low and near midships. It has a wired connection, check both ends for connectivity.

2 Also pull and clean all connections, and make sure you have full voltage to the control and the servo motor.

3 NO metallic gear, beer cans, tools, chain, anchors, laptops, etc. may be within 20 inches or so of the box, or the heading reading may be completely off. Move gear around and see if the heading reading changes while stationary.

4 No major wiring or equipment may be nearby also. Try turning circuits on and off while observing the Pilots heading readout. If it changes, that's one problem solved.

5 If the box is near the keel, relocate it.

6 There can be no slop in the connection from the wheel and autopilot drive to the rudder shaft. NONE. Any slack, looseness, enlarged connection holes, etc. will degrade response as the autopilot is hunting for the rudder. Hint: If you can turn the wheel more than a couple of degrees with no corresponding rudder movement, fix that first, or don't bother.

6 Autopilots don't perform well if the sail plan is not balanced underway, and when running downwind with any kind of sea.

7 Try neutral settings of all autopilot controls, then slowly test variations of sensitivity and amount of rudder swing per command. Often these are way off in attempts to make the thing work. Do a factory reset and try again.

7 Lastly, if the instrument is more than 5 years old and the above remedies fail, get a new one. If yours is from the 80s, it's a miracle it does anything.

8 Finally, it's common for folk to expect way too much out of an autopilot, especially under sail. If the autopilot performs satisfactory under power in calm seas, then the problem lies with the master's skills at balanced sail trim. No insult meant here. Our push button world conditions us to expect our gizmos to work perfectly. This is probably one reason why we sail: to turn off all the noise! I hope this is helpful.

My 1984 LM32 is on its second Autohelm. When I need a new one, it will be a B&G. Virtually every remedy above has been tried and proven on my boat. It only took me 15 years and 2 autopilots to get it right! You'll do better.

[Morten from Denmark]

Here's a link for ROBERTSON CRUISE AUTOPILOT manual baatplassen.no/i/topic/116192-autopilot-robertson-ap/?do=findComment&comment=2121201