garrymny

My Home Made Autopilot

I built an autopilot for my old boat, using an Arduino Board as the brain. It uses an electric linear actuator. I attached a Power Point Presentation of the entire project.

It provides heading mode, and knob steering mode. You can also add GPS steering. I also installed a Joystick Controller.

UPDATE; Added a PDF copy of the powerpoint presentation. For those who had trouble viewing the pptx.

I will also put a video on youtube with a link later. the video was too big to load here.

Link to video on YouTube:

Autopilot for a Boat.pptx

Autopilot for a Boat.pdf

Well, when my friend told me what he saw down there, my first thought was actually similar to rolmops; that the fish are going to die anyways and if these people are eating them, then maybe its not so bad. But then I got to thinking about the lawlessness,and how the law doesn't matter anymore in this country. Plus, we are told there is natural reproduction, so it should be enforced. For now, the law is  what  it is and should be enforced. If they see the need, or there is a benefit to change it on certain tribs where there is no natural reproduction, then they should do so. Are these folks contributing anything  to support of the fishery, who knows? I know they have found that the rotting fish are beneficial to the environment, on a documentary I saw on salmon.

   My friend fished the Genesee River at Rochester at the waterfall. He said there were Chinese Men scooping up the Salmon with a huge net, and also billy clubbing them. Also, Russians and Others snagging them and having their buddies and kids haul loads of them up the trail, only to return time and again for more. ILLEGAL activity wide open and no DEC around. If this is where our future small fry have to come from, natural reproduction, we are losing allot of them.      I emailed DEC, but if any of you know any deputies, tell them about this. Oh, I suggest they don't come solso, from what I understand it is a rough crowd.  

Launched at Fort Niagara yesterday. The South Ramp is closed. The North Ramp is so shallow it is difficult to launch. My motor hit bottom.  Fished about an hour and a half on the channel drifting onto the bar. drop shotting with plastics. Caught nothing then had to leave due to family issue. 

I was going to do the same thing, and connect it to my lowrance elite 4 chirp. Decided against it for the reasons stated above....I did get a fish hawk TD though. 

already paid for my seat.

Is drop shotting with plastic jigs "targeting" lake trout? How do I know what will bite? Can't I catch brown trout,or even steelhead with that method?  I have fished LO all summer. Have not caught a lake trout yet. Only salmon and steelhead.  But I have not jigged much. I honestly believe the idea is that if you catch a fish that is not in season, you release it.

I took one popular model back after buying the upgrade kit because I saw yellow birds cheaper and included the flag already. I like them better all around.

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I took the

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So taking my buddy from Idaho to the Niagara bar after thanksgiving is not an option? I thought we would take a break from deer hunting. ???

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Was at the bar last Sunday. Screen loaded with fish. Only caught two small ones. I think they quit biting completely.

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Ok, so even if the season closes, you can still catch and release correct????

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The biggest problem I had with the Jack Edwards-home built autopilot was getting the software to load into the arduino folder that is created when you download the free arduino program. You have to get the AP software and his libraries into the correct spot so it will load.   On his dropbox is a   The rest was easy. 

 the autopilot documentation and he has direct links to everything you need to buy to make it work. I did not get the arduino frame (breakout board) I just wired it direct to the arduino  board.

Yep it's the jack Edwards plans, and I just loaded his software and changed a few user settings. Actually, his wiring drawing is very easy to follow. No geniuses required!

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Well, seems to be some disagreement as to the status of the lake as far as fishing success. It was my first year. Here is my impression: In July we did pretty decent for newbies. Caught some nice  steelhead and some salmon, but no mature salmon. In August- NOTHING. Totally changed lake. Now, years ago I lived in Florida and fished the Gulf of Mexico.  GREAT fishing. Have not found any freshwater fishing yet that comes close to the saltwater fishing we had out of Destin Florida in early 90's. Wouldlove to go back.......not to live, but to fish!   

I just built one using an arduino board. I used the Jack Thompson plans and computer code  that you can find on you- tube. He built it for his sailboat. I am almost ready to try it on the water. I have about $300--$350 in it, and that includes the 12 volt linear actuator motor from fergilli automation, used to steer the kicker motor/main outboard.  The motor costs about $140. So, if you are a do it yourselfer, or don;t want to spend thousands, you can try it.

I was going to ask the same question. This is my first year on Lake Ontario Salmon Fishing. I have also seen or read  where you can fish the Niagara Bar through November and December, so maybe that is an option? Put the boat in at Niagara Park? My buddy is coming from Idaho to deer hunt and I would like to take him fishing too. I am interested in the walleye on erie too, as I actually live closer to lake erie small boat harbor. We went to erie 7 times this summer, from Catt Creek, Sturgeon Point, and Small Boat Harbor. NO LUCK AT ALL!!!   So I shifted to LO and got some salmon and steelhead.

hmm, so maybe it was a temp change at that depth.

My last 3 trips out of Olcott have produced nothing. Fished from 100 FOW to 450 FOW.

I fished in the deepest water I ever fished today, 450 feet or so. Difficult because my Lowrance elite 4X Chirp acted quite different in the deeper water. I had to change the setting to "Deep Water" setting. I saw a dark band of something down about 90-100 feet. It actually looked like it was the bottom, it was so thick, actually extending all the way to bottom.  Was this a thermocline? Any ideas? I know I should have taken a picture, sorry. There was also a fuzzy thin line at 20-30'. Definitely not my DR balls, they were down at 65 and 80-90. Just allot of different looking stuff on the screen today. Very few fish I might add.

My elite 4 x chirp seems to be fine as far a s a FF. I just got a fish hawk TD. Today, I built and installed electric steering and electric throttle control for my kicker motor. They want $300 for each of those systems, so I think I saved quite a bit by doing it myself. Should make it easier.

Well, I bought one, and only used it once. Dropped it down reeled it up, and it gave readings every 5 feet as advertised. I know that's not much value added to the thread, but I did think it would be useful, to have as a starting point. I also picked up a MAC-JAC analog temp gauge. Old fashioned. The gauge is mounted to the center of a spool, on which is 150 feet of wire, and on the end of this wire is a temp bulb. I put downrigger wire on it, all along the electric wire, and I will attach it to an 8 lb ball. I made a bracket for it, and it will basically work just like a downrigger, but it will be just for temperature. It takes a 9 volt battery, and you push a button to read the temp. I got it at Capt Bobs in Clarence. He has another one too. I paid $45. Have not tried it yet, and I will calibrate it in a jar of cold water before I use it.  There is a calibration pot on it. I thought for$ 45 I would try it. The benfit over the Fish Hawk TD is that I can read temp in real time as I troll along, just like a Fish Hawk.

I'm going to rig up the downrigger cable angle indicator so when I catch fish I can look and see what the angle is. I also plan to rig microswitches to trigger an electric servo to control the throttle and maintain speed such that the angle is roughly 45 degrees.  It can be fine tuned if I find a different cable angle is better.

I did Same thing made my own. I used chain link fence top rail for my mast. Cut off a 3 inch piece. Weld to a mounting plate. Attach to boat. Take the other piece, mine is 6 feet tall, and slide the swaged end into the base plate. Removable mast. I just drilled a hole through and put a hitch pin in it. I used toilet flange for my line spools. One plastic one with the stainless ring, glued together. The stainless ring rotates.

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Ok I'm in the same boat. No money for a fish hawk. Check out the luhrJensen trolling speed indicator that uses a 1 lb ball on a string. I plan to make one using their concept but I will attach it to my down rigger boom and use the cable angle to swing an indicator needle like they do.

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