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How cool would it be if Minn Kota made the I-pilot interface with your Depth finder/GPS units?
I think this will be the next generation.
In my mind it is not a large step. Hbirds already interface with handhelds and MK trolling motors already have GPS logic.
I emailed them about this very thing a few months back. They replied that they had no plans to develope anything at this time. I figure I gave em the idea now they will get rich off it.
On it's face, it sounds cool, but then again, what point would it be? Have the MK stick to a certain depth? Yeah, but it's loose it's way a bunch. I could see it being helpful to have the MK go to a certain waypoint if you have a particular brushpile marked, but then again, the input device is missing and would probably be a heck of an interface with the H'bird/Low. In addition, they'd have some other device that costs a gajillion dollars to charge us for, plus the cable adapters that cost 27 cents to produce that they could sell us for 30 bucks.....for the H'bird one and $30 for the Lowrance one unless you have the version 2.6 which takes the other one that is $38 and doesn't work one Tuesdays between 1 and 3:30 on new moons.
Oh, who am I kidding....if they make it, I'll buy it.
Wannabe...
We know u will!!
I would think the cool part would be the ability to save 1000 different tracks. You would pull up to your favorite area push go and follow track. By the time you got your poles situated you would be trolling your favorite ledge or area. Today the I pilot only saves three tracks.
The other would be waypoints just press goto on any of the up to 3000 waypoints on the gps after you got to the general area and then press hold position. Today the hold position feature is only usable after you get on the spot and you can only save a handful of waypoints on the i-pilot.
They better be thinking cause I bet motor guide is hurting for a cool new feature to sell.
Yeah yeah, but you need some sort of visible interface to be able to look at a list of tracks and waypoints, plus an input device for the TM. What I'm saying is the interface between the FF and TM is gonna be a DD to engineer, plus it'll cost an arm and a laiyg. As opposed to the cheap 1500 trolling motor and the 3,000 FF. Sheesh, this keeps going and the TM and electronics are gonna cost more than the boat and next thing you know H'bird and Lowrance will have their own consumer finance department like GMAC or Ford Motor Credit, then we'll all have to bail them out too.
Wannabe...
My bet is: As soon as sales start declining on I-Pilots (everybody
who's gonna buy one has), this will be the next step, or wave of
budget plundering if you will. Not that I blame them, but it sure does
make me slow to jump on the bandwagon with new stuff.
I've about done decided that if a new product is really good, either it'll
still be around in a few years, or even in an updated version.
I'm BAAAAALKING on 'em for awhile till I see about three years new
marine catalogs come out with no (really) new products :p
Yeah, good luck with that. Thankfully, my fiscally conservative computing device, also known as Is, has kept me from getting bit too often.
Where you been J? I left you a serious question on the other, other, other topics board.
Wannabe...