Shop autopilot controllers at West Marine.
For anyone who has ever experienced the tedium of an extended period at the helm of his or her boat, the benefits of autopilots are clear. Rather than getting tired like their human counterparts, autopilots have an infinite attention span and because they steer so accurately, they save fuel and get us to our destinations faster. And of course, when boating shorthanded, they also free the helmsperson to move about the boat and attend to tasks other than steering, like checking a chart, coiling lines, baiting a hook or grabbing a fishing rod to reel in a fish.
Regardless of the type of autopilot (tiller steer, wheel steer, above deck, below deck) every autopilot requires a user interface in the form of an autopilot controller which provides instantaneous autopilot control at the touch of a button. West Marine offers three types of autopilot controllers: bulkhead mount, handheld wired and handheld wireless. In addition to these three options, you can also control your autopilot with a compatible multi-function display.
Bulkhead Mount Autopilot Controllers
Bulkhead- or dash-mounted autopilot control heads include Simrad’s AP44 Autopilot Controller, Simrad’s AP48 Autopilot Controller, Raymarine’s p70s Autopilot Control Head, Raymarine’s p70Rs Autopilot Control Head and Garmin’s GHC 50 Marine Autopilot Instrument. When creating your autopilot control system, multiple control heads can be located in different parts of your boat.
Handheld Wired and Wireless Autopilot Controllers
In addition to a dash- or bulkhead-mounted control heads, you can also control your autopilot with a wired or wireless autopilot controller. Handheld wireless controllers like Simrad’s WR10 Bluetooth Wireless Autopilot Controller (sold with their BT-1 Base Station) provide the ultimate in convenience.
Autopilot Control from a Multi-Function Display
You can also control your autopilot with a GPS and compatible multi-function display. In addition to providing control of your autopilot, a multi-function display can also provide you with your position on a nautical chart, depth information, radar imagery and other information for enhanced situational awareness.