ICAST 2012 Minn Kota

[acar555]

Hearing rumors about this. Anybody confirm if it is true.

"MinnKota has integrated their iPilot trolling motors, which use GPS navigation to automatically guide your trolling motor, with select HumminBird depthfinders. Now you can control your trolling motor through your fishfinder in addition to the supplied remote control.

For example you can use the Spot-Lock feature, which holds the boat in one spot using GPS. In fact, Spot-Lock locations will now appear on your HumminBird unit, and you can store up to 2500 locations (as opposed to the current 6 in your remote.)

Trolling paths up to 2 miles in length can be recorded, stored, and retraced later. This is the same functionality as today, but you can now do it through your Humminbird unit as well. Plus you can record up to 50 tracks now.

A new feature is called GoTo - you can select stored data (Spot-Lock location, waypoint, or trolling paths), and the trolling motor will automatically take you there. Plus you can control the speed you travel as well.

Another new feature is called "Follow The Contour" (available only with Lake Master maps) - you can select a contour depth on your map via your Humminbird, and the trolling motor will automatically follow it in any direction you wish. Not only that, you have the option to follow a contour several feet away from it, so you can cast or troll to the exact depth you want. This is also useful if you want to follow the shoreline but maintain a set distance away from it.

Note that the remote and Humminbird unit are now connected, so many of the features can been accessed through your remote as well. This means you don't need to run to your Humminbird whenever you want to change a setting. You can also see depth and water temp on your remote too."

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ot-750x572.jpg

[Verado Eyes]

When exactly can these be purchased?

[scott.keeley]

Sweet!

[mh454]

I was thinking they were up to something like this. It only makes sense as MinnKota, Humminbird, and LakeMaster are all under the same parent company. If I get a new boat next year, it will definitely have this!

[mh454]

Look what Google found:

http://beta.humminbird.com/promotion.aspx?id=3297

[mh454]

He he he

http://beta.minnkotamotors.com/ipilotlink/

[quastj]

That'll be SWEET! I'll admit that the MSRP isn't as much as I thought it would be, but now I'm sure my current chip isn't worth pidilly other than to run the one unit. I'm hoping that with a 1198 at the con and a 1197 at the bow that being either net compatible that I can get this to work in the future, maybe with another update to the 1197. To me, unless someone else can convince me different, this will be more up the alley of us 'eye fisherman than the 360 on a talon, but those are
just my thoughts.

[scott.keeley]

Any idea when this will be available?

[SDWALLEYEHUNTER]

I'm so excited I almost pee'd myself!

[Chode2235]

I can't tell, do you need the HB depth finder or do you load the lakemaster chip to the remote?