Garmin COMPACT REACTOR 40 User manual
COMPACT REACTOR™40 HYDRAULIC
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
Important Safety Information
WARNING
See the Important Safety and Product Information guide in the product box for product warnings and other
important information.
To avoid possible personal injury and damage to your boat, the autopilot system should be installed by a
qualified marine installer. Specific knowledge of marine steering and electrical systems is required for proper
installation.
You are responsible for the safe and prudent operation of your vessel. The autopilot is a tool that enhances your
capability to operate your boat. It does not relieve you of the responsibility of safely operating your boat. Avoid
navigational hazards and never leave the helm unattended.
Always be prepared to promptly regain manual control of your boat.
Learn to operate the autopilot on calm and hazard-free open water.
Use caution when operating the autopilot near hazards in the water, such as docks, pilings, and other boats.
CAUTION
Failure to install and maintain this equipment in accordance with these instructions could result in damage or
injury.
When in use, beware of hot surfaces on the heat-sink, motor, and solenoid components.
When in use, beware the risk of entrapment or pinching from moving parts.
Installation Preparation
The autopilot system consists of multiple components. You should familiarize yourself with all of the
component mounting and connection considerations before beginning installation. You must know how the
components operate together in order to correctly plan the installation on your boat.
You can consult the layout diagrams to help understand the mounting and connection considerations.
You should lay out all of the components on the boat as you plan the installation to make sure your cables will
reach each component. If needed, extension cables (sold separately) for various components are available from
your Garmin® dealer or from garmin.com.
You should record the serial number of each component for registration and warranty purposes.
GUID-E60BF24E-0510-46B3-8BEC-D55273E88F18 v3May 2022
Tools and Supplies Needed
• Safety glasses
• Drill and drill bits
• Wrenches
• Jigsaw or a rotary cutting tool (for installing an optional helm control)
• Wire cutters/strippers
• Phillips and flat screwdrivers
• Cable ties
• Solder and water-tight heat shrink tubing or water-tight, heat-shrink, butt-splice connectors
• Dielectric grease
• Marine sealant
• Marine corrosion inhibitor spray
• Portable or handheld compass (to test for magnetic interference)
• Hydraulic hose with machine-crimped or field-replaceable fittings that have a minimum rating of 1000psi
• Hydraulic T-fittings
• Hydraulic fluid
• Thread sealant
• Hydraulic bleeding equipment
NOTE: Mounting screws are provided for the main components of the autopilot system. If the provided screws
are not appropriate for the mounting surface, you must provide the correct types of screws.
Power and Data Layout
WARNING
When connecting the power cable, do not remove the in-line fuse holder. To prevent the possibility of injury or
product damage caused by fire or overheating, the appropriate fuse must be in place as indicated in the product
specifications. In addition, connecting the power cable without the appropriate fuse in place voids the product
warranty.
2
3
Item Description Important Considerations
Helm control
(or compatible
Garmin chart
plotter)
A dedicated helm control is not included in all autopilot packages. If you install the
autopilot without a dedicated helm control, the autopilot CCU must be connected
to the same NMEA 2000® network as a compatible Garmin chartplotter to configure
and control the autopilot system.
NMEA 2000
power cable
You should install this cable only if you are building a NMEA 2000 network. Do not
install this cable if there is an existing NMEA 2000 network on your boat.
You must connect the NMEA 2000 power cable to a 9 to 16Vdc power source.
NMEA 2000
network
You must connect the helm control or compatible Garmin chartplotter and the CCU
to a NMEA 2000 network using the included T-connectors (NMEA 2000 Connection
Considerations, page8).
If there is not an existing NMEA 2000 network on your boat, you can build one using
the supplied cables and connectors (Building a Basic NMEA 2000 Network for the
Autopilot System, page17).
ECU The ECU must be located within 0.5m (19in.) of the pump.
The cables connecting the ECU to the pump cannot be extended.
CCU
You can mount the CCU in a non-submerged location near the center of the boat, in
any orientation (CCU Mounting and Connection Considerations, page7).
Mount the CCU away from sources of magnetic interference.
ECU power cable You must connect the ECU to a 12 to 24Vdc power source. To extend this cable, use
the correct wire gauge (Power Cable Extensions, page12).
CCU cable
To extend this cable to reach the ECU, you may need to use cable extensions (sold
separately) (CCU Mounting and Connection Considerations, page7).
You must connect this cable to the alarm and the Shadow Drive™ sensor.
Pump The pump must be located within 0.5m (19in.) of the ECU.
The cables connecting the pump to the ECU cannot be extended.
Alarm The alarm provides audible alerts from the autopilot system, and you should install it
near the primary helm station (Installing the Alarm, page16).
Shadow Drive
sensor (optional)
Autopilot switch
(not included)
You must install the Shadow Drive sensor properly in the hydraulic steering line, and
connect it to the CCU cable (Installing the Shadow Drive Sensor, page16).
If your autopilot package does not include a Shadow Drive sensor, you should install
a manual Single Pole Single Throw (SPST) switch (not included) to disable the
autopilot if necessary.
4
Component Layout
Single-Helm Layout
NOTE: This diagram is for planning purposes only. If needed, specific connection diagrams are included in the
detailed installation instructions for each component.
Hydraulic connections are not shown in this diagram.
Item Description Important Considerations
Helm control
A dedicated helm control is not included in all autopilot packages. If you install the
autopilot without a dedicated helm control, the autopilot CCU must be connected to
the same NMEA 2000 network as a compatible Garmin chartplotter to configure and
control the autopilot system.
Pump
ECU
12 to 24Vdc
battery
You must connect the ECU to a 12 to 24Vdc power source. To extend this cable, use
the correct wire gauge (Power Cable Extensions, page12).
You must connect the NMEA 2000 power cable to a 9 to 16Vdc power source.
CCU
You can mount the CCU in a non-submerged location near the center of the boat, in
any orientation (CCU Mounting and Connection Considerations, page7).
Mount the CCU away from sources of magnetic interference.
NMEA 2000
network
You must connect the helm control or compatible Garmin chartplotter and the CCU
to a NMEA 2000 network using the included T-connectors (NMEA 2000 Connection
Considerations, page8).
If there is not an existing NMEA 2000 network on your boat, you can build one using
the supplied cables and connectors (Building a Basic NMEA 2000 Network for the
Autopilot System, page17).
5
Dual-Helm Layout Guidelines
NOTE: This diagram is for planning purposes only. If needed, specific connection diagrams are included in the
detailed installation instructions for each component.
Hydraulic connections are not shown in this diagram.
Item Description Important Considerations
Helm control
A dedicated helm control is not included in all autopilot packages. If you install the
autopilot without a dedicated helm control, the autopilot CCU must be connected to
the same NMEA 2000 network as a compatible Garmin chartplotter to configure and
control the autopilot system.
12 to 24Vdc
battery
You must connect the ECU to a 12 to 24Vdc power source. To extend this cable, use
the correct wire gauge (Power Cable Extensions, page12).
You must connect the NMEA 2000 power cable to a 9 to 16Vdc power source.
Pump
ECU
NMEA 2000
network
You must connect the helm control or compatible Garmin chartplotter and the CCU
to a NMEA 2000 network using the included T-connectors (NMEA 2000 Connection
Considerations, page8).
If there is not an existing NMEA 2000 network on your boat, you can build one using
the supplied cables and connectors (Building a Basic NMEA 2000 Network for the
Autopilot System, page17).
CCU
You can mount the CCU in a non-submerged location near the center of the boat, in
any orientation (CCU Mounting and Connection Considerations, page7).
Mount the CCU away from sources of magnetic interference.
Mounting and Connection Considerations
The autopilot components connect to each other and to power using the included cables. Ensure that the
correct cables reach each component and that each component is in an acceptable location before mounting or
wiring any components.
6
CCU Mounting and Connection Considerations
• The CCU is the primary sensor of the Compact Reactor 40 Hydraulic autopilot system. For best performance,
observe these considerations when selecting a mounting location.
◦A handheld compass should be used to test for magnetic interference in the area where the CCU is to be
mounted(Testing a Location for Magnetic Interference, page7).
◦The CCU should be mounted on a rigid surface for best performance.
• Mounting screws are provided with the CCU. If you use mounting hardware other than the provided screws,
the hardware must be quality stainless or brass material to avoid magnetic interference with the CCU.
Test any mounting hardware with a handheld compass to make sure no magnetic fields are present in the
hardware.
• The CCU cable connects the CCU to the ECU and is 5m (16ft.) long.
◦If the CCU cannot be mounted within 5m (16ft.) of the ECU, extension cables are available from your local
Garmin dealer or at garmin.com.
◦This cable must not be cut.
Finding the Best Mounting Location
1Create a list of all suitable mounting locations for the CCU.
Suitable mounting locations should not be within 60cm (2ft.) of the following:
• Iron
• Magnets
• High-current wires
• Intermittently-running pumps, such as head pumps and live well pumps
A large magnet, such as a subwoofer-speaker magnet, should be no closer than 1.5m (5ft.) to any of the
mounting locations.
2Locate the center of rotation of the boat, and measure the distance between the center of rotation and each
of the suitable mounting locations you listed in step 1.
3Select the location closest to the center of rotation.
If more than one location is approximately the same distance from the center of rotation, you should select
the location that best meets these considerations.
• The best location is closest to the centerline of the boat.
• The best location is lower in the boat.
• The best location is slightly forward in the boat.
Testing a Location for Magnetic Interference
You can use a handheld compass to test a mounting location for magnetic interference.
1Hold a handheld compass in the CCU mounting location.
2Move the compass six inches to the left of the location, then six inches to the right, observe the needle, and
select an action:
• If the compass needle moves more than three degrees during this step, magnetic interference is present.
Select a new mounting location and repeat the test.
• If the compass needle does not move, or moves less than three degrees, proceed to the next step.
3Repeat this process while moving the compass above and below the mounting location.
4Repeat this process while moving the compass in front of and behind the mounting location.
7
ECU Mounting and Connection Considerations
• The ECU can be mounted on a flat surface, facing any direction.
• Mounting screws are included with the ECU, but you may need to provide different screws if the supplied
screws are not suitable for the mounting surface.
• The ECU must be mounted within 0.5m (19in.) of the pump.
◦The cables connecting the ECU to the pump cannot be extended.
• The ECU must be mounted in a location where it will not be submerged or exposed to wash down.
• The ECU power cable connects to the boat battery, and it can be extended if needed (Power Cable Extensions,
page12).
Pump Mounting Considerations
Consult the hydraulic-layout diagrams in these instructions to help determine the pump-installation location
(Hydraulic Layouts, page9).
• The pump must be mounted at a location to which you can extend the hydraulic steering lines of the boat.
• The pump should be mounted horizontally if possible.
• If the pump must be mounted vertically, with the hydraulic connections facing upward.
Shadow Drive Sensor Mounting Considerations
NOTE: The Shadow Drive sensor is a device you install in the hydraulic steering lines of your boat. It detects
when you manually take control of the helm and suspends autopilot control of the boat.
• The Shadow Drive sensor must be mounted horizontally and as level as possible, with cable ties firmly
securing it in place.
• The Shadow Drive sensor must be mounted at least 305mm (12in.) away from magnetic materials or
devices, such as speakers or electric motors.
• The Shadow Drive sensor should be mounted closer to the helm than to the pump.
• The Shadow Drive sensor should be mounted lower than the lowest helm, but higher than the pump.
• The Shadow Drive sensor must not be connected directly to the fitting at the back of the helm. There must be
a length of hose between the fitting at the helm and the Shadow Drive sensor.
• The Shadow Drive sensor must not be connected directly to a hydraulic T-connector in the hydraulic line.
There must be a length of hose between a T-connector and the Shadow Drive sensor.
• In a single-helm installation, there must not be a T-connector between the helm and the Shadow Drive sensor.
• In a dual-helm installation, the Shadow Drive sensor should be installed between the pump and the hydraulic
T-connector that leads to the upper and lower helm, closer to the T-connector than to the pump.
• The Shadow Drive sensor must be installed in either the starboard steering line or the port steering line.
The Shadow Drive sensor must not be installed in either the return line or the high-pressure line, if applicable.
Alarm Mounting and Connection Considerations
• The alarm should be mounted near the primary helm station.
• The alarm can be mounted under the dashboard.
• If needed, the alarm wires can be extended with 28 AWG (0.08 mm2) wire.
NMEA 2000 Connection Considerations
• The CCU and the helm control must connect to a NMEA 2000 network.
• If your boat does not already have a NMEA 2000 network, one can be built using the included NMEA 2000
cables and connectors (Building a Basic NMEA 2000 Network for the Autopilot System, page17).
• To use the advanced features of the autopilot, optional NMEA 2000 devices, such as a wind sensor, a
water-speed sensor, or a GPS device, can be connected to the NMEA 2000 network.
8
Hydraulic Layouts
NOTICE
If the steering system in your boat does not match any of the hydraulic layouts in this manual and you are
unsure how to install the pump, contact Garmin Product Support.
Before you start the pump installation, identify the type of hydraulic steering system in your boat. Each boat is
different, and you must consider certain aspects of the existing hydraulic layout before deciding where to mount
the pump.
Before you start the pump installation, you should throughly review the hydraulic considerations for important
information on hydraulic hose and fitting types, installation methods, and thread-sealant information.
Important Considerations
• The three hydraulic ports on the pump are 1/4 in. NPT.
• You should use T-connectors (not included) to connect the hydraulic lines to the pump.
• To allow for easy pump isolation and removal, you should install shut-off valves (not included) in the
hydraulic lines between the pump manifold and T-connectors.
• An appropriate thread sealant should be used on all pipe threads in the hydraulic system.
Single-Helm Layout
9
Shadow Drive sensor
Starboard line
Return line
Shut-off valves
Port line
Pump
Helm
Steering cylinder
Dual-Helm Layout
10
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