Okay, I probably should quit...A

When you are over 70, things that were easy 25 years ago become very difficult. For example, just to get into my boat from a dock is a problem. I have to sit on the dock and then crawl into the boat

Then there is the trolling motor. I have a Minn Kota Power Volt with the copilot remote. It takes a major effort to deploy the thing but pulling it up and stowing it is not only hard for me, it is dangerous. I have to crawl on hands and knees and try to lift the shaft vertically enough to tilt it back. After that the only way to stow the motor is to use my cane to pull it up on the mount.

So be it, if that is what it takes to be able just to get on the water, by golly I'll do it!

But here is the question...

I just saw a You Tube video of the Minn Kota Ulterra... Wow! That trolling motor would solve a lot of my problems and let me stay on the lake and fish for little while longer.

Does this thing actually work in the real world???

Does anybody here have one???

What problems are there with the product???

Even the refurbbed ones are worth almost as much as my boat, so any help or advice is appreciated.

Welcome to the site! Go to the electronics forum and do some reading over there. Some of those guys are fabricating their own TM deployment systems.

They had a couple bugs to work out in the beginning but I believe they have it all worked out now. It would not bother me a bit to put one on my boat. If I decide to go to the remote steering for trolling it will be the Ulterra from Minn Kota.

I don't know what kind of boat you have but I installed a grab bar on my trihull and on the pontoon also. It helped me a lot. I used a chain link fence coupling to bolt to the seat on the trihull and to the rail on the toon and then a piece of the fence top rail to stick in the coupling. I have the same trouble lifting the troll motor on the trihull. That is the reason I mainly use the toon. I mounted the trolling motor through the deck beside the seat so I just have to lift it up vertically.
Those Ultera's are the ticket if you can afford one.

Lotta bucks for a trolling motor.
Nice though.

I have a Power Drive V2 on my boat, with iPilot. Who ever designed the mechanism for this motor ought to to beat with it. The Terrove is better and the Ulterra is the ultimate.

also check out the Motor Guide Mi5 motors.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by warhawk

I have a Power Drive V2 on my boat, with iPilot. Who ever designed the mechanism for this motor ought to to beat with it. The Terrove is better and the Ulterra is the ultimate.

also check out the Motor Guide Mi5 motors.

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I got a Power Drive on my boat and I'm going to change it out just for that reason, real pain to get in the water.

Sounds to me that you need to find a young man to share all your wisdom with. And since he is along he can do the work while you fish and educate him!
That ulterra looks great, a few friends of mine have them and really like them

mine works great

Money would be well spent if it keeps you doing something dearly love.
My buddy had old Genesis MK model installed on his boat and it selph deploys nicely!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hank,J

When you are over 70, things that were easy 25 years ago become very difficult. For example, just to get into my boat from a dock is a problem. I have to sit on the dock and then crawl into the boat

Then there is the trolling motor. I have a Minn Kota Power Volt with the copilot remote. It takes a major effort to deploy the thing but pulling it up and stowing it is not only hard for me, it is dangerous. I have to crawl on hands and knees and try to lift the shaft vertically enough to tilt it back. After that the only way to stow the motor is to use my cane to pull it up on the mount.

So be it, if that is what it takes to be able just to get on the water, by golly I'll do it!

But here is the question...

I just saw a You Tube video of the Minn Kota Ulterra... Wow! That trolling motor would solve a lot of my problems and let me stay on the lake and fish for little while longer.

Does this thing actually work in the real world???

Does anybody here have one???

What problems are there with the product???

Even the refurbbed ones are worth almost as much as my boat, so any help or advice is appreciated.

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Hank I understand your problems, I have the same problems. I just ordered a new boat because of them problems. The new boat will have the Terrove motor. from what I read the Terrove is easier to stow.
The new boat SHOULD help me getting around in the boat. Even if I have to mount a rail inside the boat. Going from a 48" floor to a 67" floor. From a mod. V to bass boat type hull with more storage so will not have anything in the floor of the boat. I looked at stick steer boats for this reason. Going to use one of the 3 seat bases for a holding post for getting to my front seat. Going to mount 2 more seat bases on rear to do the same thing. Along with a foot stool should make it easier getting in and out of the boat. A lot of thought have gone into this.

Hank what part of MO do you live and fish? Have a good day.

IMHO the Minn Kota power drive is a POS. Hard to deploy, stow, and the loss of the foot control when Ipilot is added makes it non-usable when casting and reeling. The Terrova ain't perfect, it is easier to deploy, stow, and the addition of the foot pedal capability lets me fish with either the remote or foot pedal when "I" choose. You can also add a H-Bird transducer to it and run the cable up the slot in the carbon fiber stem with a little work. I do not like the "constant button" on the foot pedal, if you have that thing set on ten and are using the remote and step on the constant by accident you will prolly go out the boat!!!!

The Ulterra Saga continues. Got the motor and installed it (which turned out to be a problem). Once that was done, it tried to deploy but stopped at 45 degrees. I kept messing with it and got it to stow but nothing else. The Customer Service people kept telling me it was most likely low voltage but the batteries load tested fine and I had 24V+ at the plug in. I had to take the motor off the boat and drive it 50 miles to the service center. They found a pinch in the power cable and replaced it and it checked out OK.

Back at home I put the motor back on the boat... and it would deploy but the ipilot remote would not recognize the motor (or vice versa). More useless calls to customer service where the answer they tried to give me was that I was doing something wrong. Bottom line back to the service center up at Mexico MO. This time I took the boat and left it for a couple of hours. Answer, the board in the head of the motor is bad and the part is on order.

That was on Wed. before Memorial day. I expected a call by the next Wed. but no joy there so I called only to find out that my circuit board was not the only one bad. In fact there was so many bad ones that when they checked the ones on hand, they were all bad. Now it is looking like it might be weeks before they can get their supplier to build new boards.

Bottom line $2,200+ a big pain, and I still don't have a working TM.

I would think under the circumstances that MinnKota would just give you a new motor.

Finally got it "fixed" on Thursday (new circuit board) and remounted on Fri. I still haven't gotten on the water yet but am shooting for Monday rain or shine...

I put a ulterra on my boat this spring, its a great motor and worth every penny it cost.

I have a MK Terrova with a Bow Mount Lift that lifts and lowers by flipping a switch. Deploy and stowe away one time.