As a marine technician who has installed dozens of fishfinder transducers and modules, I recently worked through the official Simrad RF300 installation manual. Overall, it meets the high standard you expect from Navico (Simrad's parent company), but it has a few quirks worth noting.
Simrad RF300 Go to product viewer dialog for this item. is a high-resolution, rotary rudder feedback unit that converts mechanical rudder movement into a variable frequency digital signal for autopilot computers.
The effective radius of the RF300 arm must match the effective radius of the rudder tiller connection point. The distance from the center of the rudder stock to the transmission link pin must equal the distance from the center of the RF300 shaft to its transmission link pin.
Navigate to Settings > Autopilot > Installation > Dockside Calibration . simrad rf300 installation manual
Check for loose linkage pins or a slipping arm attachment screw.
Always seal splices with adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing to prevent corrosion from humid bilge air. Software Calibration Sequence
: Using the 4.2 mm drill bit and 5 mm tap, prepare the tiller arm for the ball joint. An important reference point: the distance (Y1) from the rudder post center to the ball joint must equal the distance (Y2) from the RF300's fulcrum to its ball joint to create a 1:1 ratio. As a marine technician who has installed dozens
You cannot simply install the unit and sail. The manual dedicates a significant section to calibration, and for good reason.
Use the provided rod to connect the RF300 transmitter arm to the rudder tiller arm.
Ensure you have the following items before starting the installation: is a high-resolution, rotary rudder feedback unit that
Once physically installed, you must configure the unit through your Simrad multifunction display (MFD) or autopilot controller. Go to product viewer dialog for this item. Simrad RF300 Rudder Feedback
Which would you like?
Once mechanically and electrically installed, the system must be calibrated through your Simrad autopilot control head (e.g., AP24, AP44, or an NSS/NSX/NSO multifunction display).
When turning hard-to-port or hard-to-starboard, the frequency should smoothly scale up or down between roughly 2500 Hz and 4300 Hz. If the frequency stays locked at zero or doesn't change when the arm rotates, the internal electronics of the RF300 are damaged and the unit needs replacement.
Which (e.g., NAC-2, NAC-3, AC12, or AC42) you are connecting the unit to.