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Motorguide auto deploy


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Trolling motor finally bit the dust and looking into the Motorguide Xi5 as seems reviews on the spot lock/anchor holding a bit better than Ipilot. Saw that Minnkota has new Ulterra auto deploy with Ipilot, seems tempting.

Question is if anyone knows if Motorguide also coming out with auto deploy and trim also. Can't seem to get a hold of Motorguide to ask.

Also for those with new Ulterra (Dino, others) how is it in real world conditions. Is the spot lock better now??

Thanks for replies in advance.

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Trolling motor finally bit the dust and looking into the Motorguide Xi5 as seems reviews on the spot lock/anchor holding a bit better than Ipilot. Saw that Minnkota has new Ulterra auto deploy with Ipilot, seems tempting.

Question is if anyone knows if Motorguide also coming out with auto deploy and trim also. Can't seem to get a hold of Motorguide to ask.

Also for those with new Ulterra (Dino, others) how is it in real world conditions. Is the spot lock better now??

Thanks for replies in advance.

DonH and I have not had her out yet...will know weekend of the 8th of Feb.

dc

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Very cool technology but plenty of possible failure points and they're all loud. The beeps and gear noises that those units make drive me totally nutz!

The deployment of an Ulterra will certainly scare fish for miles in the quiet backcountry of the Glades!! I can't believe how loud they are.

I'll take a good ole manual MG any day of the week :thumbup:

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I wanted to share my experience with spot lock on the I pilot. I haven't had much luck in shallow water with the spot lock where the shaft wasn't very far in the water. It would wonder 5-8' back and forth. Sometimes it would hold then wander for no reason. The last few trips I did some deep water fishing and had the shaft all the way down. The spot lock worked perfect! I'm thinking its like trying to steer your outboard with the motor trimmed all the way up. The boats all over the place.

Anyones I pilot wander when all the way down?

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Paul,

You make a good point. With the iPilot it seems you are always fumbling for the remote, and over correcting. Not so much with the hand controlled model.

My iPilot would wander on lock in shallow water. One time while dock fishing at night the darn things almost spun us off the boat.

Still I think I would go with another iPilot all things considered. One feature I really liked was running the TM from the platform when I was by myself. Now that I think about it the old Co-Pilot MinnKota I had could do the same thing as I recall.

dh

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On that point, I think you are onto something. When the motor is all the way up, everytime you move from one side of the boat to another, you are, in effect, moving the motor port or starboard. The higher it is, the more significant the movement, and thus the greater correction. I've noticed this when autopilot is on.

I hadn't even thought about trying spot lock with the motor fully down, and generally am in enough water to do so.

I'll give it a shot this weekend.

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Very cool technology but plenty of possible failure points and they're all loud. The beeps and gear noises that those units make drive me totally nutz!

The deployment of an Ulterra will certainly scare fish for miles in the quiet backcountry of the Glades!! I can't believe how loud they are.

I'll take a good ole manual MG any day of the week :thumbup:

You can turn the beeps off, i do this while docklight fishing so as not to make a bunch of noise.

The ulterra did surprise me of the noise level when deploying. But the deployment is no louder than the noise of the outboard you shut off 15 seconds earlier

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I think my buddy purposely leaves the beeps on his ipilot when I fish with him to annoy the hell out of me! Lol

But seriously, the gears in those high tech TM's are loud and they spook fish. Seen it plenty, especially in areas that I frequent. But not so much with my old fashioned TM because turning it manually doesn't make a peep.

And you're right, turning off a big motor when you pull up to a spot is enough noise so IMO I don't think a quiet area ever settles down when using those high tech TM's due to all the gear noise. Fish always seem to be on higher alert and moving faster when I've used those type of units. That's just my experience in the backcountry of the Glades.

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Lol! Tell him to hold the - and + at the same time to turn the beep off.

You can imagine quietly docklight fishing and that beeepp goes off, sounds like dropping gl***.

The turning of the motor definitely makes noise, the best part is 50% of my fishing now is b***, where I'm within 10 yards of the fish anyway and they don't spook.

Advantages to both, in my area with all the idiots running over fish and the increased boat pressure, duck hunters shooting every 30 seconds and you can hear the pellets hitting the water near you, trolling motor noise is about the quietest thing out there. Haha!

I'd imagine the backcountry is the opposite!

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I can tell you the Xi5 spot lock is outstanding, holds very accurate. The turning motor is very quite with small correction, of course if you spin it 360 it makes noise.

The Xi5 beeps are almost too quite, and I think it would be nice to have a display on the remote, like MK. Sometimes Im not sure what speed the motor the is on, or if heading mode is on. But, thats a fair trade for accurate holding spot lock.

Don't think I would do auto deploy. Just seems like to much to go wrong. I do like auto depth adjust, but I bet its noisy.

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The deployment of an Ulterra will certainly scare fish for miles in the quiet backcountry of the Glades!!

No doubt Paul....but, that's the reason I never deployed any TM within 100 yards of where I'm fishing...for that reason, I always wanted a larger TM than required...

I typically would drop my pathy 112 36V at least 100-150 yards from where I wanted to fish....

then rig up and move slowly...

I'll let you all know of the performance of the Ultera this next weekend when I'm able to get on the water....

Should be fun.....

dc

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We can compare notes...got two trips on my Ulterra now and quite a few more this week. So far I like it a lot. Avoids many trips to the bow and on my knees. Spot lock etc is comparable to the lastest gen ipilots which are much improved over the first ones. Had all of them. I did keep an older ipilot just in case the Ulterra isn't salt sturdy enough but as mentioned they have been in fresh water market a bit so time will tell but I absolutley love it thus far. Never left the platform last trip out. The auto deploy is not a game changer for me but that remote trim is pretty darn slick!

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  • 1 month later...
Anybody have any updates on the Ulterra? Master repair shop has suggested I stay with the ST series.

I have 4 trips with probably over 80 up and downs...works perfect....

Game changer for me......for how I fish...no more bangin on the bow and lifting and changing depth...

DonH and I get within 100 yards of the spot...drop, point, grab a cold one...enjoy the ride....and creep up....

:)

DC

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