upgrade digitroll 2?

[ironman]

I recently got my hands on a digitroll 2, is there any upgrade that cannon can do to the computer so it will have the option to follow the bottom like the digitroll 4.

[Mr T]

Ironman,
I don't know for sure but I can say that you are probably out of luck to upgrade. Cannon it not the easiest company to work with. A few years ago I bought a pair of Unitroll HP's manual downriggers. The big pitch on the side of the box was that you could upgrade to electric's just by adding a motor (done at the Cannon factory). When I got ready to do it I called Cannon and found out that it was cheaper to buy brand new electric downriggers than add a motor to my unitroll's. Any way you cut it I feel it's false advertising. Although, I like my Unitroll's alot, I had a Cannon big board mast that was such a piece of junk that I couldn't believe Cannon put their name on it. The mast would slip out of it's base and spin. The nuts fell off the mast reels constantly and would fall overboard. When I complained to Cannon they sent me some "improved" replacement parts to fix it. But the "fix" was not thought through well and was truly Mickey Mouse. Like I said, Cannon is not an easy company to work with. They don't stand behind their products in my opinion.

[Boatnut]

Mr. T,
I was hoping to do the same. Upgrade my manual uni-trolls to electrics. here was there response when I emailed them.

Good question! However, the unitroll frames cannot be retro fitted with any
current Mag 10 or Mini Mag motor. And, it is not economically feasible
because the parts that require upgrade have a total retail value close to
the Mini Mag. It would be less expensive to sell your manual downriggers
and purchase electrics.

Oh well....It was a nice thought anyways!
Mike(boatnut)

[Mr T]

Boatnut,
Looks like they told you the same thing they did me.The Unitroll is a fine manual downrigger,my only problem with them is that they ADVERTISE upgrading it to an electric just by adding a motor. Sounds like a pitch that seems practical and less expensive than buying new. Not so!I guess that makes me a sucker because I believed them. I just wish they wouldn't advertise it as a good alternative because they know it's not. Why lie to your customers? It's not good business. I guess Boatnut you and I will just have to keep on reeling those 10 pound weights up and down and blaming Cannon for our sore shoulders.

[Gunga Din]

I looked into this a few years ago before I bought my Mag20 downriggers (before they discontinued them). The older Digitrolls were real finicky, with one being a master and the other being a slave, and they had to be configured just right. I bagged the idea and bought the Mag20's. Then I added the dual rod holders and swivel bases and felt like I was getting reamed. I really like the Cannon downriggers, but they sure stick you for parts.

Next time I'm going to look at another company with a different philosophy towards its customers.

[Mr T]

Gunga Din,
I have looked at Big Jon downriggers and really like how they are put together. Only problem is that they don't make a bottom tracking downrigger. Now if you live and fish somewhere that has lakes with flat bottoms and little contour, you really don't need it. To my knowledge, Cannon is the only outfit that makes bottom tracking downriggers. It's really too bad because they could sure use some competiton. Cannon charges premium prices. Look at thier Bottomline sonars. The top end ones go for well over a grand. You know anyone else who makes bottom tracking downriggers?
Mr T

[Peter Crownower]

I've had Cannon, Big Jon and Walker downriggers.
I' like my Walker's the best of them all,as they always give the most features for the best price,(swivels, and double rod holders standard) and the service from that company is always top notch.Walker always has upgradeable downriggers, as I've added temperature sense to one of mine.
They also seem to be advancing faster than any other company with new products like Strike Vision in the downrigger, so I'm betting they will be out of the gate before Big Jon.I'm going to get the strike vision put on one of my other Walkers, and get the new high spped motors put in them too.

[Gunga Din]

If you have to have the bottom trackers, Cannon is only way. I have a friend with them on his boat (I live in Utah, and with western reservoirs nothing is flat) and he does great fishing for bottom hugging Lake Trout at Flaming Gorge. He has the latest models, but without the Bottom Line graph, so he controls them from each downrigger.

With my Mag20s, I have to have one person driving and another person on the downriggers flipping the swith up and down. But then, I paid about $1000 less than he did.

Good luck.