ComNav

ComNav: Marine Navigation and Autopilot Specialists

ComNav is a Canadian marine electronics manufacturer founded in 1982 and based in Richmond, British Columbia. The company is best known for autopilot systems, and its range also includes GPS and GNSS compasses, heading sensors, Automatic Identification System (AIS) equipment and thermal imaging gear. Its systems are used aboard commercial, government and recreational vessels, and the 2001 autopilot, for example, has been specified for BC Ferries vessels and used aboard Canadian Coast Guard craft.

Why Autopilot Systems Depend on the Details

A marine autopilot is more than a control head. It is a closed loop: a heading source tells the system where the vessel is pointed, the computer compares that to your desired course, and the drive moves the rudder to correct the difference. A rudder position sensor reports the result back to the system. ComNav designs its autopilots around that complete loop, with features such as adaptive steering for changing sea conditions and speeds, automatic setup routines, and support for NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 networks. Components like remotes, cables and feedback units matter as much as the main unit, which is why the accessory side of the line is worth understanding.

Top ComNav Product Categories

Browsing ComNav radars and autopilots leads to the core of the brand: autopilot systems such as the 10040002 package with a fluxgate compass interface. A fluxgate compass supplies the heading reference the autopilot steers by, so matching it to your control head is an important step in any installation.

Steering feedback and control hardware are covered in ComNav steering parts and accessories. Here you will find items like the Medium Duty Rotary Rudder Follower, which reports the physical rudder position to the autopilot, along with full follow-up lever remotes such as the TS-202 and the 201 remote with a 40-foot cable for several ComNav autopilot models. Remotes let you adjust course away from the main helm station, which is useful on larger vessels and when docking or fishing.

For positioning and collision-avoidance gear, see ComNav navigation parts and accessories. This includes the Mariner X2 Class B AIS transceiver with built-in GPS antenna, plus interface and data cabling such as the sin/cosine interface box cable and the 15-meter NMEA 0183 cable for G1, G2 and G2B GPS compasses. Because a GPS compass can feed heading and position to autopilots, chartplotters and AIS units, the right cable length and connector type keep the whole network communicating cleanly.

Shopping Tips for ComNav Components

• Confirm the autopilot model your remote, cable or feedback unit is designed to work with before ordering.
• Check cable length against your actual routing from the helm to the compass, interface box or drive.
• Match the data protocol (NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000) to the rest of your electronics.
• Verify that rudder feedback hardware suits your steering type and linkage requirements.

With decades of experience in autopilot design, ComNav remains a practical choice for boaters who want steering and navigation equipment engineered as an integrated system.