Future Updates! What Would You Like To See

[Munshaw]

Originally Posted by Crankbaiter

Since were in think tank mode here and have an unrestricted idea license.....
Here is something that makes me ponder every time I get in my boat.

On the dash I have a nice sonar/gps combo that costs close to $3 grand and it is a pretty good unit. By that I mean generally speaking it can process data and refresh a map at a sorta decent rate, it can show my location in real time and of course display the depth that is being fed to it from my transducer. But by anyones standard it is an expensive unit.

In my pocket I have a cell phone that cost less than $200 bucks. It will track my position in real time display my position in color digital imagery and talk to me as it guides me to any address I type into it. It will access the web and even play movies. Heck I can watch a hockey game in real time while I fish. It will also communicate with anyone on the planet. You know what I mean I could go on and on....

So why is all this amazing technology on my silly phone so affordable and what were asking these sonar/gps units to do so expensive?
How long before you get in your boat and put your smart phone into a "docking" cradle and run the ship that way?

Two reasons:

1) Because a BILLION people don't own fish finders (economy of scale)
2) Becasue we are willing to pay for it!

[Winnie]

Originally Posted by mike4cobra

I talked to the guys at motorguide the other day. They are already partnered with lowrance (puts the transducers in the motors) and do hold the patent on depth tracking through pinpoint. They were going to work out a ptsv replacement with gps and bottom tracking back in 2005 but the big wigs didnt think it would be worth the money. Well, now that the I-pilot is kicking their butt.... I was told to wait a few months. They said they can get around the minnkota pattent on GPS tracking by using third party hardware to do the steering (lowrance HDS). They said expect to see it in the wireless series with (unofficialy) some sort of add on to the NMEA2000 network. Imagine the possibilities of having both bottom and GPS tracking runnning off of say... your countour map. Or popping a waypoint on a rockpile 150ft off the side of the boat with stucture scan and telling to motor "go here". If it was an add on to all wireless series motors then that would be huge. Just have to see if they were blowing smoke up my......

Bringing an old thread back to the top for the new year. Has anyone heard anything further about these ideas/rumors?

[feklar]

For the same or less cost of course:

Voice commands to your sonar/gps, which also controls your trolling motor.

Wireless transmission of images to screens anywhere in the boat.

Self adjusting wireless transducers.

Heads up display for boats with windshields, displaying location, speed, depth etc.

[gillmaster0]

I want my Blackberry to plug into my 898 and enlarge/blow up a weather map with a service I am already paying for.

Gillmaster

[tugger]

1) Mainly, Lower prices, the jump in price for screen size is ridiculous. You can buy 60inch tv's or very fast computers for less than 10in. model Graphs. Total rip-off IMO, I hope they are having fun blasting us with the prices they are getting!

[KTroller]

Originally Posted by perchjerker

I did that with a few pages.

just scan them and save them to your sd card. You unit will display it.

its easier just to copy pages and tape them to the inside of the plano box I store them in though..

oops did see you were already replied to...
.

Question: Once you have the jpg images on your SD card and the card in the unit, what do you need to do to view them?

Thanks,

KT

[locomoto]

How about the Ipilot gets a make over so it can hold an sd card for virtually unlimited path storage instead of upgrading to 3 more paths every 3 years.

[perchjerker]

Originally Posted by KTroller

Question: Once you have the jpg images on your SD card and the card in the unit, what do you need to do to view them?

Thanks,

KT

just go the card in your menu, I think its in the "my data" option

you will see the jpg files. Just choose one and it will open it

[rwl]

How about a microphone on the Locator/GPS. I would love to save a waypoint, and tell it the water temp, weather conditions and what lure I raised the 50" musky on in that location. Then when you go back, or relive the trip you could "listen" to the waypoint details. Much easier and quicker than entering it without a keyboard.