Systems Without Drives

Autopilot Systems Without Drives - Control Units & Computers

Autopilot control units and computers for upgrading existing steering systems. Our collection features autopilot brains from Raymarine, Simrad, Garmin, and Furuno that work with your existing drive units.

Upgrade Your Autopilot: Part of our Autopilots collection. Pair with existing hydraulic pumps or linear drives. Add new control heads and mounting hardware. Integrate with GPS chartplotters via NMEA 2000.
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Reusing an existing autopilot drive

These control units and course computers let you replace an ageing autopilot brain without touching the hydraulic pump or linear drive already fitted, usually the most expensive and labour-intensive part of the system to change. The main thing to check before ordering is current draw: a new course computer needs to be rated for the drive's actual load, and a mismatch here is the most common reason an otherwise sound upgrade underperforms.

A new control head also needs a data path to the rest of the boat, typically NMEA 2000, to pull in GPS position, heading and rudder angle from existing sensors rather than duplicating them. Where the existing drive is hydraulic, confirm the new computer supports the same pump type and flow rate; not every combination across brands is a straightforward swap, so check compatibility before removing the old unit.