Printable View
Guys,
I'm looking to upgrade my MinnKota 55LB PDV2 with the I Pilot. I currently have the Co-Pilot and love it but I really like the thought of having spotlock with the I Pilot. For those of you who have the I Pilot what are the pros and cons of the unit? Thanks for any information you can give me.
Thanks,
Lynn
I don't know much about them, I have a riptide PD2 myself. Canepole said a while back that once you do the upgrade that there was no more foot pedal. I use mine now and then and will prob hold off on the upgrade til the bank account recovers and I can move into a terrova. That won't be next week.rotfl
i have a 80 lb terrova with i pilot the record a track and auto pilot work great, but if you are going to get one because of the spot lock feature i would think twice about it. im not real impressed with it it is ok if you are just trying to hold your boat in a general area but it wont hold in a 5 foot circle like they claim, mine is more like a 30 ft. circle and i got mine last june.
Ok thanks!! That is what I love about this site good feedback before we pull the trigger on something.
Thanks,
Lynn
you should look at the trolling motor/electronics thread. they have tons of discussion on it there.
slow trolling +
pulling cranks+
long linging jigs+
spot lock -
Most of the time I love the I piolit, mine is on the terrova.
the spot lock I really like, it does not always work as they say it does, but I like it most of the time, lots of times I will be trolling past a big school of fish and I will hit the spot lock and take my foot off the controll and the spot lock will take me back to the spot of the big school, once there I just fine tune the area I want to stay in for a bit, same thing with slow trolling If I get a bite I hit spot lock and it holds me in the area till I get it all checked out... on a scale of 1 to 10 I give the spot lock a 8
i wouldn't buy it just for the spot lock either, i love mine for the gps speed reading and infinite speed adjustability and advanced auto pilot is nice, the terrova ipilot is the best thing i have bought for fishing since hooks!
I like mine but spot lock is the last of its features that I would buy it for. It struggles in the wind and on my lake the wind can get rough. To combat I nose into the wind, go pass the spot, stop the motor till i stop, then hit the lock. I them fish from the ream of the boat.
Ok thanks guys
look in the electronic forum for the IP thread, you'll see several pros/cons on it. I have one, and it works fine/great for me longlining, I don't use the spot lock that much, it's nice to have while I'm retying or looking for something or another lure. It does not hold your boat in a 5' circle/spot like some say but keeps you close to the spot. If you fish brush piles, several people love it and several hate it.
I took off my 55# 12 volt Power Drive V2 and bought a 80# 24 volt Terrova I-PILOT and I have really enjoyed it. Still experimenting with all the technology but I agree with all the comments above!
Does your TM have autopilot? Or, just copilot?Quote:
Originally Posted by crappie4me2
Just Co PilotQuote:
Originally Posted by Cane Pole
I got a new circuit I wanna try out to give foot pedal capability to this model (no autopilot) of MK with Ipilot installed (no autopilot model). Cheap labor. I expect the cost to be 50 bucks for the new box. Will not harm I pilot. You have to modify TM control wires (which I will do fer ya since you such a fine feller). Ideal situation for those TMs which are out of warranty, but still working just fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by crappie4me2
CP, I sent you a PM.
We discussed Spot Lock extensively in this recent thread. If there's any way to move up from PD2 to Terrova, do it. It's a tougher motor and it can handle both the foot pedal and handheld remote at the same time. Another way to look at this dual control is that you can keep on fishing and get home with the other control if your preferred one craps out. If you can find a close-out price on a 2011 model, grab that and save a few hundred dollars compared with the pricetag of the "new & improved" Terrova/iPilot. The improvements aren't worth the extra cost.
Thanks Corker that is a good read!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Corker
I thought the foot pedal when operated, disengaged the I pilot and visa verse.?????????Quote:
Originally Posted by Corker
The only thing I despise about the terrova is that klutz foot pedal. Others here share this opinion too.
I rarely use the foot pedal, but agree that it takes up a lot of space. Veteran cable-controlled TM users may find that a tough transition.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cane Pole
Yes, one control unit disengages the other--but only until the next control instruction is sent to the motor by one unit or the other. When I said "it can handle both the foot pedal and handheld remote at the same time", I meant that both are available for use at any time. Obviously, the motor can't serve two masters at the same moment--it's like having a dual helm. An example of dual control would be the guy in the front seat using the pedal & the back-seater taking over with the handheld when his partner is handling a fish, baiting up, retying a jig, etc. Transfers of control back & forth happen automatically.
Another variation is to stow the pedal and equip both fishermen with handheld remotes. Doodlum & I have done this on both of out boats & it works fine. The Terrova has a "learn" button. When I ride with him, the first thing I do is hold my remote near his motor. As soon as he pushes the "learn" button, his motor logs me on as an authorized user and gives me the same control that he has.
Never thought about using the handheld that way. Next time billbob shows up, I gonna mess with hm a little. ha
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cane Pole
Tom, don't do it..:yikes