Minn Kota i-Pilot Settings You Don’t Know About But May Need

Minn Kota i-Pilot Settings You Don’t Know About But May Need

There are numerous new business entering the electrical troller video game– Lowrance, Garmin and also some new lesser known business too … But even amidst this cacophony of crowing business attempting to get your attention to spend a pair G’s for their most recent widget, I’m speaking to you regarding the trolling motor you currently carry your boat.

Most of us are now making use of Minn Kota i-Pilot remote controlled bow trolling electric motors. As well as there are great deals of features that aid with boat control of numerous kinds … Everybody enjoys Spot Lock GPS anchoring (it’s more precise on 2017 and also newer Bluetooth outfitted versions). A lot of everybody suches as Cruise Control for consistent trolling speeds regardless of wind or existing. Fishermens like the capability to shop and repeat trolling courses in the push-button control … one switch accessibility to max rate …

Most fishermens additionally like having Autopilot to keep the watercraft heading in one instructions even when we are hectic in the boat as well as not guiding– netting fish, having a sandwich, setting up poles … But there are times that Autopilot doesn’t function like we anticipate. If you have an i-Pilot but do not understand about or utilize the Autopilot feature, let’s begin at the beginning. On your hand-held remote controller for the Minn Kota, there is a switch on the lower right labeled “N”. That refers to North and also advises you that’s the button for compass/GPS instructions control.

The second setting is “Advanced Autopilot” which is a new GPS boosted Autopilot that is set as the manufacturing facility default. Note that on pre-2017 Minn Kota i-Pilot motors the settings were just called Autopilot as well as Advanced Autopilot. Autopilot being the matching of Legacy Autopilot on present Minn Kota electric motors.

The Legacy variation of Autopilot is what Minn Kota individuals have been acquainted with for years. When transformed on, the Legacy Autopilot does what it’s always done … hold a compass bearing at whatever setup you last steered.

The brand-new Advanced Autopilot includes a little feature that might be screwing up your boat control … the new Advanced Autopilot uses GPS to attract an imaginary line in the instructions you direct the motor. It automatically complies with that fictional line. So each time you steer the motor it records a brand-new imaginary line to follow, hence maintaining the very same training course. It’s similar to the Legacy Autopilot in that it keeps you heading a certain direction based upon your last guided course. And once again, it guides the watercraft for you releasing you approximately internet fish, lure hooks, engulf a sandwich or whatever else you need to do other than guide the watercraft.

Here’s where the Advanced setting can offer you fits … When maneuvering or precision trolling at incredibly slow rates, wind or existing typically cause your boat to wander, the Advanced Autopilot no longer tries to follow the instructions you last established it in the direction of. Rather it tries to return to the imaginary GPS line initially, after that it returns to following your chosen direction. You may have experienced this … you’re trolling along or slowly steering along a depth shape with a cross-wind or cross-current knocking you off course and all of an abrupt your bow troller transforms 90 degrees to the side and speeds up tough for a pair watercraft lengths. When you are currently “crab walking” a bit sideways as a result of the drift you have lines on one side of the watercraft that are not tracking directly behind the watercraft. So, when the motor immediately turns 90 degrees as well as increases it may drive over your lines. At the least, it messes with your trolling or steering speed, transforming the running deepness of your discussion. Your within lines drop right into the rocks or lower crud and you end up needing to re-set lines …

Needless to say, adhering to a GPS line is theoretically much more accurate than complying with a compass heading, yet the issue of boat-drift complicates this equation. If you solely cast to shorelines or are trolling with a lot of rate and also power then complying with the fictional GPS line in Advanced Autopilot setting is just seldom a concern. Basically, while you are powering around, the watercraft does not wander much. Yet if you do any dragging (incredibly slow trolling as exercised by walleye anglers angling with bait) or if you creep about relatively sharp shapes requiring tight turns at marginal rates, the electric motor immediately changing back to the imaginary line is an actual pain as well as a boat control headache … weights snag in the rocks or grab “moss” on the stalled side, and you need to remain alert to stay clear of driving over your very own lines … particularly when the breeze is solid and also you are already turning sharply to comply with certain depth shapes, underwater factors or various other structures.

The simple remedy to this modern Minn Kota issue is to prevent Advanced Autopilot when slow dragging lines behind the watercraft in wind or current. If you have a pre-2017 Minn Kota i-Pilot with the remote that came with the electric motor, you can leap out of Advanced Autopilot as well as into Legacy Autopilot (called Autopilot in the pre-2017 guidebook) merely by holding back the N switch on your remote for 2 secs until the circle around the N on the screen of the remote disappears. You can toggle to and fro in between Advanced and Legacy by holding the N button down for 2 secs as well as the circle the N will certainly show when you are in Advanced setting. For many years that I used this system, I eventually just quit toggling and also constantly established it to the Legacy mode without any circle around the N.

Due to the fact that I spend about one third of my fishing time slowly following contours, I simply set my remote to Legacy Autopilot and also leave it at that. The Advanced Autopilot setting screens the N and also arrow bordered by 2 vertical lines … the imaginary lines I call them …

You may have might experienced some of the challenges of Advanced Autopilot or auto-pilot may be something you’ll encounter in run into future. If you’ve been utilizing an i-Pilot and have not run into any type of concerns, after that the Advanced Autopilot setup is the setting for you!

If you need information, simply search for Minn Kota i-Pilot Manuals online and also the proper handbook for your Minn Kota will certainly have the answers for your details electric motor in the section on Autopilot.

The 2nd setting is “Advanced Autopilot” which is a brand-new GPS improved Autopilot that is set as the factory default. Note that on pre-2017 Minn Kota i-Pilot motors the settings were simply called Autopilot and also Advanced Autopilot. The new Advanced Autopilot includes a little feature that might be messing up your watercraft control … the brand-new Advanced Autopilot uses GPS to attract a fictional line in the direction you aim the motor. If you have a pre-2017 Minn Kota i-Pilot with the remote that came with the motor, you can jump out of Advanced Autopilot and right into Legacy Autopilot (called Autopilot in the pre-2017 manual) simply by holding down the N switch on your remote for 2 seconds until the circle around the N on the display of the remote disappears. The Advanced Autopilot establishing displays the N and also arrowhead surrounded by two vertical lines … the fictional lines I call them …

You may have already experienced some of the challenges of Advanced Autopilot or it may be something you’ll encounter in the future.