Picopilot and boat

[max911]

Hi.
I know this is Aircraft section and my post is going to be a little bit off topic (sorry).
I'm building 55" boat model and I'm planning to mount a camera on it. I will control this model from the beach. Since I dont want to loose my boat, I'm thinking about installing Picopilot (i heard this unit is capable of doing this) or other device that will bring my boat safely to shore when radio signal goes wrong.
Is this possible to achieve?
Thnx for any advices
sn4il

[kd7ost]

Hi.
I know this is Aircraft section and my post is going to be a little bit off topic (sorry).
I'm building 55" boat model and I'm planning to mount a camera on it. I will control this model from the beach. Since I dont want to loose my boat, I'm thinking about installing Picopilot (i heard this unit is capable of doing this) or other device that will bring my boat safely to shore when radio signal goes wrong.
Is this possible to achieve?
Thnx for any advices
sn4il

Yes it will work. I would talk to UNAV about using the Pico Pilot Nav-A or the Pico Pilot Nav-R version. They cost the same but the A version is designed to work using some rate sensors. In a plane this is fine but I don't know what they might do in a rocking boat. The R version has the rate sensors disabled and that might be the best solution for something rocking in waves. It will simply steer your rudder to the waypoint and ignore any other motion.

There is also a device called the RCAP that coupled with a small handheld GPS will do the same thing. It's a little bigger but much less expensive. Either unit will work just fine. It uses no rate sensors at all.

Dan

[kd7ost]

I should have left links.

The RCAP2 can be purchased here. There is a whole thread on it's upgrade. The unit will do what you want just fine but you must couple it to a GPS unit with a serial out that has NMEA 0183. Don't worry, that's a standard. We use Garmin geko and eTrex units quite commonly but others will work fine too. (Don't get the garmin geko 101) no serial out. You need to know how to use the GPS and select a waypoint. It will only do what you tell it to. It's not an automatic function.

http://scalerobotics.com/store/catalog/

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=484568

You knew of the Pico unit so I'm sure you have that information.

Dan