Down the Humminbird Aby$$

[KevinWI]

This isn't a rant, or a *****....at this point it is what it is.
The great thing about Humminbird is it's ability to link units into a network to share data from the front of the boat to the back of the boat so you can get all the same information no matter where in the boat you are fishing. Add in lakemaster chips front and back to share waypoints and you really have something!!
Then enter Minn kota with I pilot system making maneuvering your boat easier than hitting the cruise control on your car.
Now a partnership occurs to offer the ability to marry the two technologies....Amazing.....well....amazing if you have the $$.
I have the Minn kota I pilot....and it's pretty awesome. I also have two humminbirds front and back which I networked together.....it's been really great.
Now that my initial investment is paid off, I was considering upgrading to i pilot link and link them altogether.... I researched the cost....$879 for the Minn kota upgrade kit.......Well, I figure.... I will treat myself to an upgrade and pulled the trigger....started reading what the kit comes with and it appears I need a special cable to connect ethernet to the back of the unit....ok..... $25...no sweat..... I bought it..... I get the cable and start looking at it.....wait....that's the same extension cable I had to purchase two of to connect my two humminbirds together.....so wait...where would I plug the new cable into the unit....that port is already used.....????? hmmmm...
Quick call to Humminbird....guy was really helpful....told me I didn't need that cable, I needed an 5 port ethernet switch to be able to connect 3 or more units together.....ok cool....he gave me the model. Thanked him and said goodbye.....then I look it up........$265. Whoa...I about choked on my beer.....I was NOT expecting that.....lol.....so my neat upgrade wasn't going to be $879, it's now going to cost $1150 for the upgrade....lol.....oh....and I will also need a 5' ethernet cable as well for $41..... oh....and now I have to figure out a place to mount this thing.....I started looking around my boat...this thing requires it's own power source.....I have absolutely no idea where I will be able to mount this thing...it's 7".....my Tracker Grizzly is not conducive to running ethernet cables anywhere but over the surface of the boat.....
Moral of the story....look before you leap. do all the research first. Humminbird has a really cool system to be able to network all the toys, but holy man...you better be good at hiding the cost from the wife!

 

[Stand Up]

I have a similar story regarding motorcycle technology and accessories.
One buys a bunch of stuff only to find that "that" spending is just the beginning.
Fishing and boating are the same way. Always something to pour your money into.
Just for fun, I'd like to see a picture of all that fine equipment.

 

[Vader809]

I have a gen one Terrova 80 and I don't think it's compatible with installing i-pilot link,also have a gen one HB 9si,and gen three 7di. I'm not going into debt just to have a better system.
It's nice, but not 5k nice!

 

[KevinWI]

That would be a big jump from a plain gen 1 terrova to a BT Ipilot link head...not even sure they make a kit for a 2008 model.

 

[KevinWI]

Some explanation of the rabbit hole! lol

 

[Still Afloat]

It’s not worth it. The iPilot works pretty good. The iPilot Link, not so good. Here’s a list of issues that I have with iPilot Link:

1. Following lake contours. It sounds great but, it doesn’t work so well. It tries to steer every little zig and zag and may turn a sudden 180 degrees if the contour folds back on itself. You could probably use this feature for casting (if you don’t fall off the boat during a sudden turn) but, it’s absolutely worthless for trolling.

2. Circle around a point. The idea is to set waypoint and then circle around it at a radius parameter that you have set. Beware to set CW or CCW rotation. This feature is still quite unpredictable for me, perhaps I missed some fine print in the lengthy manual. You would think that you could set waypoint (center), the radius, the rotation direction and then follow the circumference. Hell no, I seems like it will take you to the center, turn 90 degrees, take you to the circumference and make another 90 degree turn. And sometimes it will reverse to accomplish this. Reel in your lines before using this one!

3. Follow an I track. Haven’t quite figured this one out. Somehow you have to download the track to the trolling motor. I would try to figure it out but, the first two items have me frustrated already. The idea is to fish, not work on getting a PhD in operating a fish finder and trolling motor.

4. Cruse control. The idea is to set a fixed speed and the motor speeds up or slow down to maintain that speed. It works great on iPilot, within reason. You won’t be able to set 1.2 mph going downwind in Gail force winds but, that’s expected. However, iPilot link Cruse control has a mind of its own. It constantly drifts off of the set speed.

5. Autopilot (advanced mode). Works great on iPilot. You basically just point the boat in the heading that you want then set autopilot. If your off a few degrees just bump the side arrow in the direction that want to move towards. In principle iPilot link is the same thing but, when you want to make a correction it completely oversteers or even goes in the wrong direction. It feels like the CPU just isn’t fast enough to keep up.

6. Remote unit. The iPilot has a basic remote with buttons and an LCD display. The button are always in the same place so once you get used to it, you don’t have to look at the remote to make an adjustment. The display readable in the sun with sunglasses on and the battery life is very good.

Fast forward to the iPilot Link remote with a fancy color display r
and on-screen menus. It’s basically impossible to read in the sun with sunglasses on and since the screen scrolls up and down the functions may not not be in the same place. I have to remove my sunglasses and scroll find the feature that I want. It not fast by any stretch of the imagination and I‘m always worried about damaging the glass screen. It‘s heavy, it doesn’t float and a replacement is $500. It not comfortable to wear the neckband because of the weight. Battery life is not so good. Thank God that it’s rechargeable.

I could carry on but from here but, I have other things to do. From my point of view the iPilot Link is an unfinished product that never should have passed Beta testing. Ease of use goes a long way with any product. If they would just add a minimum radius setting to avoid radical turns it would make the product much more usable. I can only hope that future firmware updates alleviate some of the issues but right now I feel like I wasted money on a product that simply doesn’t work as advertised.

 

[KevinWI]

It’s not worth it. The iPilot works pretty good. The iPilot Link, not so good. Here’s a list of issues that I have with iPilot Link:

1. Following lake contours. It sounds great but, it doesn’t work so well. It tries to steer every little zig and zag and may turn a sudden 180 degrees if the contour folds back on itself. You could probably use this feature for casting (if you don’t fall off the boat during a sudden turn) but, it’s absolutely worthless for trolling.

2. Circle around a point. The idea is to set waypoint and then circle around it at a radius parameter that you have set. Beware to set CW or CCW rotation. This feature is still quite unpredictable for me, perhaps I missed some fine print in the lengthy manual. You would think that you could set waypoint (center), the radius, the rotation direction and then follow the circumference. Hell no, I seems like it will take you to the center, turn 90 degrees, take you to the circumference and make another 90 degree turn. And sometimes it will reverse to accomplish this. Reel in your lines before using this one!

3. Follow an I track. Haven’t quite figured this one out. Somehow you have to download the track to the trolling motor. I would try to figure it out but, the first two items have me frustrated already. The idea is to fish, not work on getting a PhD in operating a fish finder and trolling motor.

4. Cruse control. The idea is to set a fixed speed and the motor speeds up or slow down to maintain that speed. It works great on iPilot, within reason. You won’t be able to set 1.2 mph going downwind in Gail force winds but, that’s expected. However, iPilot link Cruse control has a mind of its own. It constantly drifts off of the set speed.

5. Autopilot (advanced mode). Works great on iPilot. You basically just point the boat in the heading that you want then set autopilot. If your off a few degrees just bump the side arrow in the direction that want to move towards. In principle iPilot link is the same thing but, when you want to make a correction it completely oversteers or even goes in the wrong direction. It feels like the CPU just isn’t fast enough to keep up.

6. Remote unit. The iPilot has a basic remote with buttons and an LCD display. The button are always in the same place so once you get used to it, you don’t have to look at the remote to make an adjustment. The display readable in the sun with sunglasses on and the battery life is very good.

Fast forward to the iPilot Link remote with a fancy color display r
and on-screen menus. It’s basically impossible to read in the sun with sunglasses on and since the screen scrolls up and down the functions may not not be in the same place. I have to remove my sunglasses and scroll find the feature that I want. It not fast by any stretch of the imagination and I‘m always worried about damaging the glass screen. It‘s heavy, it doesn’t float and a replacement is $500. It not comfortable to wear the neckband because of the weight. Battery life is not so good. Thank God that it’s rechargeable.

I could carry on but from here but, I have other things to do. From my point of view the iPilot Link is an unfinished product that never should have passed Beta testing. Ease of use goes a long way with any product. If they would just add a minimum radius setting to avoid radical turns it would make the product much more usable. I can only hope that future firmware updates alleviate some of the issues but right now I feel like I wasted money on a product that simply doesn’t work as advertised.

Nice critique.

 

[Still Afloat]

Maybe I was a little harsh but, I’m not exaggerating in the least bit. Perhaps others have had a better experience.

 

[KevinWI]

I can see the abrupt changes being an issue following contours.
The tech stuff does take effort to learn.
Mine did not come with a big manual..hmmm.

 

[Still Afloat]

You can download the full manuals. Literally hundreds of pages and I’ve read all that apply.

 

[Randaln]

Terrova I pilot I link 80 lbs thrust
Linked to 1198 and the 997
Both gps pucks side by side in front of boat .
You better be almost stopped
Before ya push spot lock
Or the trolling motor will try and
commit suicide….
It will wrap cord around itself over and over
Until it tightens up around shaft…
That’s when you hit any button on
Remote or pedal to cancel spot lock..

 

[Still Afloat]

Yep. I’ve had to turn off the prop several times when it’s trying back over my lines. The cancel function to turn off the feature that is causing the motor to commit suicide can be buried at times on the IP Link remote. I‘ve actually had to unplug the trolling motor to keep it from damaging itself.

 

[Ray Clark]

I have a ProNav Marine system attached to a MK Powerdrive.

There's a bit of learning curve with the Anchor feature on that unit, too. I always try to have the boat nearly stopped and with the bow facing into the wind when I hit the button. Once set, I still have to keep an eye on that cord to make is doesn't wrap too tightly. It's a lot easier to manage if there's a breeze that the motor can work work against.

 

[KevinWI]

I don't quite get the "both GPS pucks side by side"....
Why are there 2 pucks? Also, the GPS is located in the head of the Terrova and on the helix units themselves...
The puck only lets the TM know which direction the boat is pointed. Why would you need 2 pucks?
On my Terrova ipilot, I try to have the boat almost stopped before I hit spot lock....I mean it's job is to lock you on the spot when you hit the button...so if you are moving...of course it's going to try to go back after you cruised too far past it.
Also ...spot lock is about useless with no wind or current.....the boat will move willy nilly slightly and the head will go crazy keeping an adjustment.

I tried spotlock next to a downed tree....shallow water....the motor kept spooking the crappies moving all over....
Puck isn't needed for spotlock

 

[Still Afloat]

I haven’t tried spot lock on a river yet but, intend to do so when the 1448M is on the water. I think it might work pretty good as long as the batteries hold up.

 

[KevinWI]

Oh yeah..works good in a current.

 

[Randaln]

Terrova I pilot I link 80 lbs thrust
Linked to 1198 and the 997
Both gps pucks side by side in front of boat .
You better be almost stopped
Before ya push spot lock
Or the trolling motor will try and
commit suicide….
It will wrap cord around itself over and over
Until it tightens up around shaft…
That’s when you hit any button on
Remote or pedal to cancel spot lock..

I don't quite get the "both GPS pucks side by side"....
Why are there 2 pucks? Also, the GPS is located in the head of the Terrova and on the helix units themselves...
The puck only lets the TM know which direction the boat is pointed. Why would you need 2 pucks?
On my Terrova ipilot, I try to have the boat almost stopped before I hit spot lock....I mean it's job is to lock you on the spot when you hit the button...so if you are moving...of course it's going to try to go back after you cruised too far past it.
Also ...spot lock is about useless with no wind or current.....the boat will move willy nilly slightly and the head will go crazy keeping an adjustment.

I tried spotlock next to a downed tree....shallow water....the motor kept spooking the crappies moving all over....
Puck isn't needed for spotlock

the trolling motor is linked to two humminbird units.. each unit 998/1198 has its own puck.
And since in fishing out of front of boat
I want the puck right over structure on bottom of water , or when I make a waypoint
I want to be able to sit right on top of that log ect.

 

[Still Afloat]

I don't quite get the "both GPS pucks side by side"....
Why are there 2 pucks? Also, the GPS is located in the head of the Terrova and on the helix units themselves...
The puck only lets the TM know which direction the boat is pointed. Why would you need 2 pucks?
On my Terrova ipilot, I try to have the boat almost stopped before I hit spot lock....I mean it's job is to lock you on the spot when you hit the button...so if you are moving...of course it's going to try to go back after you cruised too far past it.
Also ...spot lock is about useless with no wind or current.....the boat will move willy nilly slightly and the head will go crazy keeping an adjustment.

I tried spotlock next to a downed tree....shallow water....the motor kept spooking the crappies moving all over....
Puck isn't needed for spotlock

I don’t understand the need for two pucks either.

Kevin, with IPLink you can assign the GPS signal source. My understanding is that it’s best to assign the puck as the GPS source. At least with Bluetooth models the puck is the GPS source for the Terrova. Since there is no direct network connection to the puck I suppose the Terrova sees the puck via BT and relays that info to the network for Humminbirds, etc.

Thinking about this further the above may create latency but, at least all devices on the network agree on the position.

 

[Randaln]

I don’t understand the need for two pucks either.

Kevin, with IPLink you can assign the GPS signal source. My understanding is that it’s best to assign the puck as the GPS source. At least with Bluetooth models the puck is the GPS source for the Terrova. Since there is no direct network connection to the puck I suppose the Terrova sees the puck via BT and relays that info to the network for Humminbirds, etc.

Thinking about this further the above may create latency but, at least all devices on the network agree on the position.

Sometimes I only use one or the other
Humminbirds with the terrova
So I know everything is hooked up…
And it works fine..
Or I can run and mark spots
With remote /while not running humminbirds
While I’m BANK BEATING

 

[LDUBS]

You better be almost stopped
Before ya push spot lock
Or the trolling motor will try and
commit suicide….
It will wrap cord around itself over and over
Until it tightens up around shaft…
That’s when you hit any button on
Remote or pedal to cancel spot lock..

Good advice. Didn't take me long to learn exactly what you are saying.