Thread: if you could do it over, would you buy it again?

MK- The short answer to your question is: yes, I already did buy another Terrova/i-P!

You only asked one question, but you really need the answers to three:
1) how does i-Pilot compare with other automatic navigation systems?
2) is Terrova worth the difference in cost compared with PD2?
3) compared with traditional TMs, does the sum of the first two choices add up to a great enough value to warrant the price tag?

I moved up to Terrova/i-P from an original PD with Copilot. Copilot is good, but i-P has several more capabilities. I don't use all of them all of the time, but in the appropriate situation they're all outstanding. My decision to go with a 24v Terrova was heavily influenced by my repair man. For someone who fishes a lot, he explained, you need a TM that's tough. He pulled out the cases from a few junk motors and showed me the heavy construction of Terrova compared with cheaper motors. He said the cheaper motors will show up at his door several times while the heavy duty Terrovas are still out fishing.

My original motor started making noises after 188 trouble-free trips. Knowing that day would come, I had already bought another of the exact same motor so I could pull the old one off, take it to the shop for repair, and drop the new motor in place. Unless the repair is prohibitively expensive, the old motor will serve as the backup. Based on the time from installation until the first trip to the shop, that motor cost $6.70 per trip! That's less than the cost of bait and a launch fee.

Almost exclusively, I fish TMO lakes. That means the Terrova has to stand in for a gas motor & get me to/from the fishing spots as fast as possible. When I reach the destination, it must then run and position the boat so I can fish (mostly floating corks with minnows.) Terrova/i-P does both jobs better than any motor I ever owned. I use the Spot Lock feature in some situations, but not all. You have to recognize that GPS-driven positioning systems have limited value if you shoot docks or vertical jig down into BPs. For other fishing situations, nothing beats i-P.

Those who do a lot of longline trolling absolutely love the i-P's features. Spider-riggers and cork pullers also get good value from some of the i-P features. For dock shooters and precision vertical jiggers, i-P seems to be a toss up.

Given the trouble you're having with legs & arms, i-P may breathe new life into your fishing schedule--it runs the boat so you can fish. If at all possible, ride with an experienced i-P owner before making a decision. I think you'll be sold when you see what i-P can do.

US2
This feature was bundled with my motors, but after buying the expensive cable to hook it to a HB-575, I realized that US2 does not support Quadrascan. Normal sonar worked, but not the wide scan. Same thing with side scan. If you have or plan to add a sidescan unit, forget US2--you'll have to mount the transducer under the motor and run a wire outside the shaft.

I like mine but wish I had the Terrova. There are certain situations that I would like to have the foot pedal. I have the PDv2 and it is a pain to get in the water. If iI had it to do again I would get the terrova.

I have i pilot on a Rip Tide SP (Power Drive) and would buy it again, and again , and again. Although, I will be upgrading to I Pilot Link as soon as it is available.

To those folks that say the i pilot will let you drift 18', 1 of 2 things is going on. First, it is broken/defective and needs to be serviced. Second, you are not getting 4 signal bars for the GPS, this may be due to issue 1 or something blocking the signal. The 5' hold is only with 4 bars (mine normally is around 2'), with each bar less than 4 the hold radius increases by 5'-8' in my experience. This is not to hijack the OP's post but to make sure he understands how i pilot works.

I prefer the Power Drive because when stowed and not unplugged the GPS stays spooled up. This means that when I move to a new spot with outboard and drop TM I instantly have all gps functions and do not have to wait for gps to get a lock. The Terrova has a built in switch that disconnects power to the GPS when stowed. I have no need for foot pedal though and power drive does not offer that from the factory with i pilot.

carolina jim ,you have some good points ,however ALL GPS have a verring range,if you turn it on setting on the bank it will move some ,I have a lowrance,a HB, and setting on bank they will move. I also tested spotlock on land on trailer with truck and move truck till motor started turning then measured where it stop ,then did it going the other direction and when you add all tha up waS NEAR 40 FEET,THEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACOUNT THAT THE BOAT IS STILL GOING TO MOVE A LITTLE AFTER PROPELLER STOIP TURNING. the problem most have is on water they do not relize how far the boat moves but I challedge some of you to try it, the guy said he fish brush much so my point was to get in a boat with someone who has one and drop a marker over brush and site the marker with object on land and jig in brush and see if line stays straight down for that is the way to keep from hanging much

Genec, you are right in open water it is very hard to tell how far you move. Also, my HB 998 and Eagle SMap 350 both show more drift over time than I get on spot lock. I fish a lot of creeks and small rivers with a lot of reference points to determine movement. First week of Nov, I spot locked next to my buddy that was on anchor in the river and we were talking face to face and the drift was no more that 2'. I experience this good of hold most of the time with 4 gps bars showing. I have also experienced 15' or so of drifting, and I always check my GPS signal when this happens and it is never 4 bars. This has occurred even after holding very well in one spot, sometime the gps signal lowers for one reason or another (atmospheric conditions, GPS Sat position, WAAS Sat position). For me the poor performance is always when less than 4 bars are showing. I wonder if my having the gps powered when running to spots helps it get a good position fix? Seems to me the GPS filter algo's would be tailored for low speed performance.

Again, not to hijack OP's post but make sure he gets the info he needs to make his decision. What is a little more difficult is to get it locked on a very precise point with the boat in a position you want to fish from. I determine the dominate force (wind,current,tide) acting on the boat and approach the position bow in to that force. I get to the spot going as slowly as possible stop the prop while watching the remote and when speed indicates .1 or less I hit the spot lock button twice real fast. This may take a couple of tries to get where I want it.

I pilot has an advertised 5' hold, if someone is buying it for spot lock that is all I would count on.

The question was would you buy it again, and for me the answer is a resounding yes. I'm going to spend 750.00 to upgrade to i pilot link and I have a perfectly working i pilot.

carolina jim ,I am glad you mention weather because I have notice when its windy or bad weather that my gps sometimes miss BP by a little bit,didn't know anyone else had saw that,thanks, knew it was not me, seen it happen too often, and I usually have very little to no problem

Originally Posted by mkeller

Am really considering getting a I pilot after xmas or the start of the year. I have a nitro x5 and have a minnkota edge 70 on it now. Would you buy the I pilot again or save your money? I have been having trouble with my legs and arms over the last 7 months, I like the idea of being able to use the remote. I mostly vertical jig and do some spider rigging. Thanks for the help.

Let me know when you are ready to pull the trigger on a motor mkeller and I will work you a deal....

David @ shut-up-and-fish
Your One Stop Shop

I've bought and used the Auto Pilots since they came out around 92 or so. The IPilot is the stuff. Never gonna go back to the foot control cable steer stuff. If you jig timber, or spider rig piers or pole timber, the cable drives turn as fast as you move your foot, and that's the only advantage to them. Other than that, it's IPilot all the way for me!!! If your legs are getting bad, just let your fingers do the work!!!! There is a small learning curve to convert tho.


Big River Marine
Bill Burnett
870-635-0202

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