View Full Version : Minn-Kota I Pilot TestDrive
FEDER
08-07-2009, 10:53 AM
I had the opportunity yesterday to spend about 2.5 hours on the water testing out the new I Pilot from Minn-Kota with Mark Courts, Scott Fairbairn and Minn-Kota Tech people. This new wireless GPS trolling system i expect will be added onto every Terrova and V-2 system both new and older units by the owners once they are able to run this system. We laid a track down and the unit follows it to a tee. The Spot-Lock at least for me will mean no anchor in the boat any more. The additional Advanced AutoPilot and Cruise control are very very nice to say the least, just think follow your track and maintain the speed you want without doing anything.
Once you have been able to see how this new system works i think you will probably say as i feel MINN-Kota hit a home run with this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This system will give you more hands free and foot free worries while on the water.
It appears that for a conversion on a Terrova will take you less than 4 minutes and about 25 minutes on a V-2 unit.
The unit will be retail by this fall.
I will for sure be running this system this coming year in my 2010 Ranger 618T and will be open for TestDrives on the I Pilot.
Please any questions please give me a call 1-218-255-3535
George Feder
K Gonefishin
08-07-2009, 11:41 AM
Thanks for the feedback, I'll be buying one as soon as they hit the streats, and just when we thought a Terrova was the best thing since sliced bread, now it has turkey, cheese and mayo!!!
drbrand
08-07-2009, 12:20 PM
Can you please explain the advanced auto pilot feature? Do you need an autopilot trolling motor or does it give a standard motor the capability of autopilot (holding a directional heading)? One person stated that the standard autopilot motor uses a compass and this add-on will use gps tracking for a directional heading. If the ipilot's advanced autopilot function works on it is own with gps tracking, is it as accurate?
walleyefreak
08-07-2009, 01:01 PM
Thanks for the feedback on your test drive. I have been foaming at the mouth for this thing since I saw the video from the ICAST show.
I'm green with envy that you got a test drive in one!
Now I just need to figure out how to order one, get it delivered, and put it on the boat without the wife finding out....:muahaha:
Can you please explain the advanced auto pilot feature? Do you need an autopilot trolling motor or does it give a standard motor the capability of autopilot (holding a directional heading)? One person stated that the standard autopilot motor uses a compass and this add-on will use gps tracking for a directional heading. If the ipilot's advanced autopilot function works on it is own with gps tracking, is it as accurate?
I posted on the other “I-pilot” thread about the auto pilot feature, but I thought I would post this here to answer this question.
I sent a note to the engineer that I worked with seeking clarification about the auto pilot and the advance auto pilot. I asked him to clarify what motors it would be compatible with.
Here is the response I received,
"Feel free to post the following:
i-Pilot is self contained with its own compass, GPS receiver and wireless remote communications. It can be installed on any V2 or Terrova motor regardless of what options it came with. "
It appears that it will be backwards compatible with all V2 and Terrova motors.
I hope that helps clear up some of the confusion.
drbrand
08-07-2009, 02:46 PM
That does clear it up. Thank you very much.
I posted on the other “I-pilot” thread about the auto pilot feature, but I thought I would post this here to answer this question.
I sent a note to the engineer that I worked with seeking clarification about the auto pilot and the advance auto pilot. I asked him to clarify what motors it would be compatible with.
Here is the response I received,
"Feel free to post the following:
i-Pilot is self contained with its own compass, GPS receiver and wireless remote communications. It can be installed on any V2 or Terrova motor regardless of what options it came with. "
It appears that it will be backwards compatible with all V2 and Terrova motors.
I hope that helps clear up some of the confusion.
luveyes
08-08-2009, 12:15 PM
Any idea on the retail price to be fit to a 101 Terrova??
FEDER
08-08-2009, 03:52 PM
The way i understand is $399.00
George Feder
big_crappie
08-10-2009, 09:39 PM
Is this like what the pinpoint system was supposed to do but failed at?
rockmike
08-11-2009, 06:12 AM
Can you still use the foot control to set your speed? The speed increments on the copilot are often too broad.
Can you still use the foot control to set your speed? The speed increments on the copilot are often too broad.
The beta version that I tested had twice as many speed settings as the standard co-pilot. i.e. .5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 ect.
I don't know if you can use the foot pedal to set the speed when running, but you can set the speed with the foot control and then switch over the remote. When you do this, the unit is supossed to stay the same speed as what you had it set at.
Is this like what the pinpoint system was supposed to do but failed at?
The pinpoint system used sonar readings and depth to control where it took you and often times became confused when a channel shifted or depth of channel changed dramaticly or most often really got confused when the wind came up and created sizable waves that lifted and dropped the bow which made the motor start searching for the depth it was supposed to track...It was a good concept and the system worked well if the conditions were ideal but if the conditions weren't stable or the channel or break it was following made quick changes, well then not so much!!
The I-Pilot system will be using GPS coord's and compass readings to guide it so it really isn't even conceptually the same and should be much more reliable and won't need stable water conditions or consistent bottom features to make it work. From what I have learned from the reps, it will be an exciting add-on feature that will take an already great product and somehow make it even better..Price will be right around $400 as already stated and should be available by late fall.
Johnnie Candle
08-11-2009, 10:38 AM
It is my understanding thatthe Cruise Control will be GPS based as well in .10 increments.
How awesome is that?!?!?!
Can I contact you off site with some questions about some other equipment?
thanks, RJ
rockmike
08-11-2009, 11:32 AM
The beta version that I tested had twice as many speed settings as the standard co-pilot. i.e. .5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 ect.
I don't know if you can use the foot pedal to set the speed when running, but you can set the speed with the foot control and then switch over the remote. When you do this, the unit is supossed to stay the same speed as what you had it set at.
I hope the production model is the same. That has been my only complaint with the Copilot system.
I hope the production model is the same. That has been my only complaint with the Copilot system.
They are shipping me a preproduction model with some additional software changes. It is supossed to ship tomorrow.
I will be testing it over the next few weeks. I will try and report back and answer questions.
Please be patient as I will be on the water most of the time between now and the begining of October. :)
cast_and_blast
08-11-2009, 01:56 PM
They are shipping me a preproduction model with some additional software changes. It is supossed to ship tomorrow.
I will be testing it over the next few weeks. I will try and report back and answer questions.
Please be patient as I will be on the water most of the time between now and the begining of October. :)
JAK -
Get me one too - gotta try it out on Lund and Ranger. :)
Scott
Johnnie Candle
08-12-2009, 05:43 AM
RDJ,
Contact me anytime. PM or e-mail either one.
micropterus
08-14-2009, 07:21 AM
And I was worried about where I would spend my fishing money.:banghead::banghead:
They are shipping me a preproduction model with some additional software changes. It is supossed to ship tomorrow.
I will be testing it over the next few weeks. I will try and report back and answer questions.
Please be patient as I will be on the water most of the time between now and the begining of October. :)
We had a misunderstanding about the ship date. I thought it was shipping Wednesday the 12th when in fact it is Wednesday the 19th. After speaking with the engineer, it sounds like I may get several versions over several weeks with different software revisions as they are in the process of fine tuning it before going to production.
Like I said on the other i-Pilot thread ...this appears to be a very good "tool" to put in the fisherman's toolbox and use when appropriate. I was very impressed with some of the features that I tested last year.
I will report back once I gather some additional information.
Triton HWA
08-18-2009, 06:35 PM
Thanks for the info, I give credit to fishing success to my Terrova and my only complaint was perfection speed control. YOu bet my dealer gets a call and I have one on order as soon as they come out. Thanks for all the great information in real world application.
VernH
08-19-2009, 07:40 AM
JAK
Please send me a private email. (you may have to register.) I have a technical question for you to ask your engineer friend.
Vern
JAK
Please send me a private email. (you may have to register.) I have a technical question for you to ask your engineer friend.
Vern
Vern,
You did it!!!! You "forced" me to register. :) After many years of reading and posting I finally did it.
You have a message, I'll see what I can do.
DrData
08-21-2009, 11:44 AM
RE:
"i expect will be added onto every Terrova and V-2 system both new and older units by the owners once they are able to run this system."
I need to upgrade my bow mount and was wondering if I should wait for an integrated unit or purchase one now without the autopilot and add on over the winter ... I am not seeing any press releases that disclose how this will impact the product offerings yet...
If I purchased one with an auto pilot what do I do with that head?
VernH
08-21-2009, 12:26 PM
Vern,
You did it!!!! You "forced" me to register. :) After many years of reading and posting I finally did it.
You have a message, I'll see what I can do.
I bet I've registered here about 4 times over the past 10-15 years. Too lazy to write the info down most of the time. This time I finally did. If I'd used the same name all those years I wouldn't be a "Minnow."
Vern
P.S. I really didn't have a question...just wanted you to register....:bowdown:
I am finally getting around to posting an update to my Terrova i-Pilot testing. I know there has been a lot of information already given here. I will say that Jason has done a good job of gathering information and putting it a usable format on his website.
I ran into some problems with my i-Pilot both last year and this fall. Many of them were identified and corrected soon after they were discovered. I must say that Minnkota has been very receptive to the input I have given about issues that I discovered.
However, I had one nagging problem with the “Legacy” version of the auto pilot. I found that when using the foot control to position the boat that the motor would make both “over-steering” and” under-steering” corrections once I released the foot pedal. At times it was so bad that it made the motor nearly impossible to use with the auto pilot on.
The corrections ranged from 20- 90 degrees of motor steering. It got so that it would take me 4-5 tries to finally get the motor pointing in the right direction. To make matters worse, I reported this to the engineers and they could not duplicate the problem. They sent me numerous updated versions of the i-Pilot and all experienced the same problem. I know Minnkota believed me, but they could not get any of theirs to duplicate this problem. We began to wonder if it was a rigging issue on my boat. I even sent them a video of the problem that I was experiencing.
Trying to isolate all of the variables is/was a difficult task. I finally stumbled on a difference when using the remote to steer and when using the foot control to steer. Between us, we discovered what was happening. At that point Minnkota was able to duplicate the problem. They subsequently sent me another version of the i-Pilot with a new version of the software which seems to have corrected the problem.
I will say that I have not water tested it yet, but I tested it on the trailer and it worked very well. (Note: At the end of my testing I was testing all of these on the trailer as I could duplicate the problem on a regular basis. The newest beta version has corrected this problem.)
All in all the i-Pilot will be a very good addition for those that use their co-pilot on a regular basis. It offers more control and additional functions that will also be appreciated by those that only use it occasionally. It is a good tool for the toolbox that can and should be used when needed and/or appropriate.
I found that I liked the spot lock for positioning while jigging for fish and or when going to net a fish. I also liked the spot lock recall to get back to the “spot-on-the-spot”. I liked the cruise control for pulling spinners; I found it did a decent job of maintaining the set speed. (I found it stayed within + or - .01mph of the set speed on the days that I tried it)
I did not use the track record for my style of fishing; however I see where it could hold promise for trollers and casters. Especially, along a shoreline or break line that holds fish!
I want to say thanks to the people at Minnkota that I worked with during this process. They were always willing to listen to what I had to say. They addressed the problems I identified in a timely manner. If it seems like I was a bit frustrated with the one issue, I was. However I was not frustrated with Minnkota rather I was frustrated that originally they could not duplicate the problem. I also shared my above experience because I wanted everyone to know that introducing a new product takes a lot of commitment on the part of the manufacturer. Minnkota has shown me that they are up to the task. This commitment shows me that they want to release a product that is as trouble free as they possibly can. Kudu’s to them!
I believe that Minnkota’s response to the problems encountered will be reflected by the great end product that ultimately has been released to us anglers.
Now …if only the water was soft, I could go out and do some more fishing! :cheers:
Andre
12-24-2009, 02:55 PM
Can you tell me that if I use the advanced autopilot the motor will follow a track and the speed will be maintain even if the wind increase?
From Minn Kota website it's not very clear; it is suggested that you have to increase the speed manually if the conditions change; so if it's the case it's working as the old model autopilot at least for that way.
Am I righ or wrong?
phowler
12-25-2009, 08:23 PM
Can you tell me that if I use the advanced autopilot the motor will follow a track and the speed will be maintain even if the wind increase?
From Minn Kota website it's not very clear; it is suggested that you have to increase the speed manually if the conditions change; so if it's the case it's working as the old model autopilot at least for that way.
Am I righ or wrong?
It is my understanding that when the unit is set on cruise control track & speed will be automatically maintained.
Search for post by Jason Halfen, lots of good info. regarding I-Pilot.
The pinpoint system used sonar readings and depth to control where it took you and often times became confused when a channel shifted or depth of channel changed dramaticly or most often really got confused when the wind came up and created sizable waves that lifted and dropped the bow which made the motor start searching for the depth it was supposed to track...It was a good concept and the system worked well if the conditions were ideal but if the conditions weren't stable or the channel or break it was following made quick changes, well then not so much!!
The I-Pilot system will be using GPS coord's and compass readings to guide it so it really isn't even conceptually the same and should be much more reliable and won't need stable water conditions or consistent bottom features to make it work. From what I have learned from the reps, it will be an exciting add-on feature that will take an already great product and somehow make it even better..Price will be right around $400 as already stated and should be available by late fall.
Still running my original Pinpoint - 10 years old and going strong.
Yes, there are limitations in rough weather, but the system works well most of the time. Contour tracking is THE killer feature for the places I fish.
Bought up by Motorguide and incorporated in PTS models. Now discontinued I think?
That I-Pilot has got me thinking about Minn Kota as a replacement though. I particularly like the idea of an 'electronic anchor'. Can see the boat holding into the wind off a rock point, motor at front quietly doing its job, me at the back casting.
If Minn Kota could introduce contour tracking as well that would be just about the perfect motor for all occasions!
kelwood
02-11-2010, 06:50 PM
DrData, The head of the trolling motor stays on. You take four screws out, top half of head comes off. You then unplug compass assembly and the new i-Pilot harness plugs in, put the head back together and you,re done. Hardest part for me was getting connections apart. Ten minutes will gitter done.
Jettn Jim
03-01-2010, 09:50 PM
Happy Birthday to me!!! lve gotta get this option on my Terrova (the best electric motor lve ever had)...This truly ups the Ante...l use mine to electro-anchor now as it is. The i-pilot will be the bees knees...Suuuweeet:cheers:
eyecatcher01
03-01-2010, 10:01 PM
i wonder how long until they have the ipilot linked to their humminbird units! i know it is coming and why i will be going with a bird when i upgrade my electronics. there would be some very cool features that could be incorporated between the ipilot and si units.
Hawker
03-02-2010, 05:17 AM
i wonder how long until they have the ipilot linked to their humminbird units! i know it is coming and why i will be going with a bird when i upgrade my electronics. there would be some very cool features that could be incorporated between the ipilot and si units.
I mentioned that very possibility to Jason in another post not too long ago as well. I don't know, color me somewhat possibly naive, but I kind of feel that once they come out with the possible option such as you mentioned that they will have it so that it will work with other brands as well, somewhat like their universal transducer (US2), but who knows!! I totally agree, it would open up some very cool and useful features by linking the electronics into the iPilot. When that happens it honestly will revolutionize the way many people locate structure and fish it. I can't wait!
chitterchad
03-02-2010, 05:34 AM
I got my I- Pilot last week off lay-a-way from a local sporting goods, put it on been reading the manual and thinking spring!
I'm also looking forward to I-Pilot linked to their humminbird units or others, thought I don't have HB I would buy one to link to my Terrova.:smirk:
nervous knotter
03-02-2010, 05:42 AM
Does the new Terrova with Ipilot built in ,include the foot control and the Remote control? Do you need to buy the remote separate? The Cabela's page doesn't show it included. Thanks
chitterchad
03-02-2010, 05:55 AM
Does the new Terrova with Ipilot built in ,include the foot control and the Remote control? Do you need to buy the remote separate? The Cabela's page doesn't show it included. Thanks
I just looked a Cabela's at and it said this.
Terrova™ 101 Universal Sonar 2 Bow-Mount Trolling Motor with i-Pilot and Foot Pedal Item:IA-021055
I'm not sure if you are looking at 101# but the 80# comes the same way.
Hawker
03-02-2010, 05:55 AM
Does the new Terrova with Ipilot built in ,include the foot control and the Remote control? Do you need to buy the remote separate? The Cabela's page doesn't show it included. Thanks
YES it does! Before I ordered mine and got it, I also noticed the very same thing so I called Minn Kota customer service to check. The Terrova with iPilot built in from the factory includes the hand held remote "and" the foot control. When mine came, it was 100% complete, ready to install, connect to your plug or hard wire and run!! Works great!
chitterchad
03-02-2010, 06:01 AM
I did a search on Cabela's Terrova I-Pilot, the page that comes up shows the ones your looking for.
Here's a link to that page.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/common/search/search-results1.jsp;jsessionid=F3MENSXE0G3DPLAQBBKSCO3MCA EFAIWE?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&selectedPerPage=&hasJS=true&_D%3AhasJS=+&_D%3Asort=+&sort=all&Ntt=terrova+i+polit&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1
nervous knotter
03-02-2010, 06:04 AM
Thanks Hawker,
The Minnkota site is not clear on this either. It doesn't mention the remote included on the factory installed Ipilot.
yack123
03-03-2010, 06:13 AM
Everyone that has an i pilot seems to have a Terrova. I have a power drive. I know you can not use the foot pedal when i pilot is installed on a terrova, Is it still worth getting it on the power drive. It seems like a great feature, but i don't know if no foot pedal would be okay.
chitterchad
03-03-2010, 06:25 AM
I wouldn't be with out my foot pedal on the Detroit River or anyother, I jig with 2 rods most of the time and the I-Pilot remote would be a pain in this fishing situation, but I'm also glad I have the I-Pilot to try on rivers this season.:) You can still use the foot pedal on the Terrova with the I-Pilot buy, not the PowerDrive.
Hawker
03-03-2010, 06:30 AM
Everyone that has an i pilot seems to have a Terrova. I have a power drive. I know you can not use the foot pedal when i pilot is installed on a terrova, Is it still worth getting it on the power drive. It seems like a great feature, but i don't know if no foot pedal would be okay.
Correction! Yes, you can use the foot pedal with the Terrova that has the iPilot, it is the PD V2 that you are unable to use the foot pedal with. Considering all you can do with the iPilot remote, barring a dead battery in the remote I can't see that it will be much of an inconvience in not having the use of a foot pedal. I have the Terrova with iPilot and the foot pedal, but foot pedal is stored in the boat only for emergency use or unless I ever come into an unforseen situation that it's needed.
Make sure you have the V2 model of the Power Drive because the iPilot won't work on the standard Power Drive models.
yack123
03-03-2010, 08:03 AM
Sorry I did mean that the foot pedal on the terrova would still work with the ipilot. I was rushing to get to work on time. I only had the PD V2 for maybe 2 fishing trips last year so I don't know if I would really miss the foot pedal since I am not that used to using it. I really think all the other features may just out weigh the no foot pedal thing.