Common Questions: Installation
- Can I install the CPT myself?
- Can the CPT be installed on a boat without a pedestal?
- Can the CPT be installed on a power boat?
- Can the CPT be installed on a steel boat?
Can I install the CPT myself?
Yes. The CPT drive box generally clamps to the pedestal with a pedestal bracket. The control box is supplied with a clamp to fit the pedestal rail or with a bulkhead bracket. If pedestal mounting is not suitable, the CPT is easily mounted to a bulkhead, or to the cockpit sole or sidewall with use of an optional L-bracket. Any needed shims are included with most installations. Most of the time, the CPT is owner installed in just a few hours.
The versatility of the CPT makes it easy to transfer from boat to boat which has made it popular with delivery skippers.
Can the CPT be installed on a boat without a pedestal?
Yes, it can easily be installed directly to a bulkhead or console without the pedestal mount. We offer an optional L-bracket for mounting on the cockpit sole or sidewall.
Can the CPT be installed on a power boat?
Yes. Typical installations have been made on cabin cruisers, trawlers, and fishing vessels.
Can the CPT be installed on a steel boat?
Every steel boat is different, but we generally recommend against trying to install the CPT on a steel vessel if the control box cannot be mounted more than 6 ft from the nearest steel. See “Checking for magnetic interference” for more information or email us for information on performing a magnetic survey.
The CPT control box must be mounted in an area that is free from magnetic interference, and should also be mounted within easy reaching distance of the boat’s wheel. The heading sensor is integrated into the control box, and cannot be removed and moved separately to a non-magnetic part of the vessel.
A general rule of thumb is that the control box must be mounted more than 6 ft from steel plates. The CPT has been installed on a few steel vessels, mounted from an aluminum or wooden pilothouse ceiling, but a careful magnetic survey must be done before ordering or installing. When conducting a magnetic survey, a handheld magnetic compass needle should not deflect more than 5-degrees from the boat’s heading when compared with a measurement taken at the dock and away from any magnetic interference.
The magnetic fields on a steel boat affect the heading response of autopilot, it is more than just an accuracy issue. On some headings the magnetic interference can attract and hang the sensor, while on other headings the interference may repel the sensor from the boat’s actual heading.
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