minnkota 55 pd and I- pilot

[Dave Bonjour]

Can anyone tell me if it is possible to connect a i-pilot to a 55# minnkota 12volt pd?? If not is there a coversion kit for it? Thanks

[keek]

If it has the round screw-in plugs to the foot peddle then yes you can. If it has the flat black plug connecting the foot peddle then no (unless you do a modification upgrade).

[hooky]

Powerdrive will not work. Has to be a V2 or Terrova. I just updated myself.

[huskerdu]

You can change the board in the unit to make it work, but talking to the Minn kota people using an I pilot on a power drive will void the warranty on the Ipilot.
I am unsure how they would know what the ipilot was installed on?

I think it could be done fairly easily, but dealing with service on the ipilot could be an issue if you have problems.
Good luck!

[Hawgeye]

I know it is a pretty penny to purchase a new one but if you can afford to do so, do yourself a favor and upgrade to the Terova with the IPilot already installed. You will get the functionality of the footpedal and the remote on the Terova and likely can upgrade your thrust and shaft length to improve performance. There is nothing wrong with the 55# at all...you just might like the better battery life and thrust of a new 24v version.

I used a 48" shaft, 42lb thrust autopilot for years and it worked well on my 16' boat, until I got a 60" unit...I found myself able to fish on windier days and had more power as well.

Otherwise, look for a good used V2 with a little higher thrust. There are many people selling them to get the Terrova with the I-Pilot. That is what I did and sold a perfectly good 70lb 60" with co-pilot to my brother for $450. I think I paid over $1000 new back in 2005 or so...

Remember, when upgrading a V2 to add an I-Pilot, I think you lose the functionality of the footpedal if I am not mistaken.

Good Luck!

[cyber16]

Originally Posted by Hawgeye

Remember, when upgrading a V2 to add an I-Pilot, I think you lose the functionality of the footpedal if I am not mistaken.Good Luck!

Yes the i-pilot uses the foot-control
plug in socket

Those on a budget looking for a low cost option.
There are plenty of old non v2 PD or AP units that can be purchased cheap, some at $50 or under, change the board to a v2 "$100-$120 and install the i-pilot upgrade
At this point you can take advantage of the i-pilot features to buy yourself time into a true v2 or newer model at your target price.
When the time comes, move that i-pilot upgrade to a newer motor and sell that upgraded v2 or remove the v2 board and sell them separately.
There is always someone else looking for a low-cost option as well.