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Gonna make the plunge soon and get an iPilot for the family  . I have been looking around and interested in the saltwater version, Riptide ST. Probably 36V sice I may use it in saltwater later on. 36V since I have the room for 3 batteries under my CC and since P=I*V, I figure if the amount of force to push the boat a particular speed is the same whether you have 12V, 24V or 36V then by necessity current would have to decrease with a voltage increase, i.e. balancing the equation.
If you were to do it again what iPilot would you have gotten instead of the one you currently have?
Any mounting considerations as to mounting port or starboard?
Any onboard charger advice while we're here?
Regrets on anything else about the iPilot you have?
Thank you,
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Seems like Utah is a Minn kota minded state. I bought the motorguide xi5 and love it. Has spot on anchoring and all the features minnkota has. I have the 24 cold and it works great. Just my opinion.
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I've been having a blast with my Ulterra.
You should see the looks from the power squadron when I launch my boat and drive it back to the dock with no one in it!
Also, MUCH safer to store/deploy as I fish on my own moat of the time.
Not sure if Motorguide has that option?
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[quote Quicky
If you were to do it again what iPilot would you have gotten instead of the one you currently have?
[#FF0000]*Motorguide![/#FF0000]
Any onboard charger advice while we're here?
[#FF0000]*Dual Pro.[/#FF0000]
Regrets on anything else about the iPilot you have?
[#FF0000]*Buy an extra remote control, they wear out/die.[/#FF0000]
Thank you,[/quote]
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I can only comment on the on-board chargers, since I have used many different brands and have friends with many different brands.
I now only use NOCO Genius chargers. You didn't say if you had a 4th battery for cranking? If you do, then the Noco Gen4 charger (10amps per bank, 40 amps total) is what you will need. Dollar for dollar they work great and simply outlast other chargers (MinnKota, Cabelas, Guest & ProMariner, to name a few). I've never used a DualPro, but I've heard good things about that one too. However, I have no reason to even think about changing from the Noco brand. Simple to use. Plug it in and forget it until you take the boat out next time, then unplug. Replug when you get home. Keeps batteries topped off and will NOT burn them out with overcharging.
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Terrova 112 36v
Third year no issues
Got a minn Kota charger cheap enough but liked the genius better in last boat.
I tournament fish most every weekend and the guys with motor guide have been having warranty issues.
Prior to this I was a motor guide cable guy. Nothing better!
Hardest thing to learn is to keep your foot off of the control.
I can fish all day in the wind without lose of battery power.
Probably gonna go with new finders and I link next season.
Meet me in burley I'll let you operate it. 😀
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Haven't even looked into the motorguide ones yet. Will do so tonight. Does the motorguide connect to other devices through nema2000 or is it proprietary like Minn Kota and humminbird?
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I like the idea of auto store and deploy, but the extra moving parts worry me a bit. May be a non issue though.
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I will have a separate battery for engine starting. Ideally if I can charge the 3 batteries in series at 36v and charge the main starting at 12 v then I would be in heaven!
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I'll look into motorguide. Any idea if it interfaces with nema2000?
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It works with Lowrance, but no idea how it does so, or the setup. I haven't met a trolling motor and/or sonar yet that knows exactly where I want to go, and how fast, at any given time. But, Lowrance and Motor Guide are married, as Minn Kota and Humminbird are.
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Looks like the motorguide connects to lowrance via a nema2000 cable, but how it communicates to the fish finder is something I may have to call about. IIRC nema 2000 is an industry standard communication protocol.
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I called motorguide and they said it'll only connect with lowrance even though it uses a nema2000 cable. Either the motorguide or minn kota will do what I was expecting and wanting so now I have to narrow down which one based on build quality, customer service, etc.
Both motorguide and minn kota have "indestructible" shafts, 2 yr warranty, 36 V, 100+ lb thrust opyions etc.
What did you not like about minn kota?
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What would you say most of the warranty issues were? Are they primarily electrical or mechanical?
It seems the iPilot has been out for 5yrs while the motorguide Xi5 has been out for about 2. Maybe most of the bugs are worked out of the minn kota models.
How has customer service been with either brand?
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If you have the space and money go BIG, also one thing to think about is wich one has a transducer in the motor, if you use it, I got a used riptide with I-pilot, love it, mostly the color white, but it does not have a transducer in it like the terrova. I use my front finder at UL a lot in shallow water, mounted a transducer to it, still working out the best way to keep it from tangling.[frown]
just one more thing to think about[:/]
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![[Image: download.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/zS9dSGY/download.jpg)
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[quote Quicky]
What did you not like about minn kota?[/quote]
I have replaced the circuit board in the head twice in 4 years. That's the board that controls the I-pilot/GPS. Roughly a couple hundred bucks.
I've gone through 3 hand-held remote controls, one of the "old style" that was original, and two of the "new style" that soon replaced the older ones. A third one of the new style I'm currently using is on its way out, and won't make it though the winter. The contacts get worn out. Adding a washer to the inside of the battery cover adds some time, but eventually doesn't cut it. They die when its cold in spring, fall, and winter.
Remember, I use mine about 110-120 days a year, but still, they should last longer than they do.
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The following is a post I made in response to a similar question last spring:
I had a Minnkota I-Pilot for a couple of years. I sold it when the Xi5 came out. The I-Pilot was good, but I love the Xi5. I have been using an Xi5 connected to my Lowrance Gen2 Touch 9 for over a year.
Pros:
Quieter running.
Better tracking.
The spot lock has much less wander.
Spot lock jog. This one feature makes the Xi5 worth it. While spot locked you can jog 5' in any direction by pressing one of the arrow keys on the remote control. Want to move 20' to the Left? Press the left arrow key 4 times. Once you use this feature you will wonder how you ever got along without it.
Track navigation. I can create a track out of a series of points defined on the touch screen of the Lowrance and then the Xi5 will follow the track. Or I can let the Lowrance create predefined curves. For example I can tell it to do "S" curves or zigzags for the the next mile.
Rock solid GPS. The Xi5 has 2 GPS receivers, one in the head and one in the base. The result is much better location data. My I-Pilot would loose its mind a couple of times during the day and try to throw me overboard. The Xi5 is rock solid all day.
Cons:
The remote control pendant does not have a display like the I-Pilot. If you connect the Xi5 to a Lowrance Gen2 or Gen3, the Xi5 info is displayed on the screen.
No remote control stow and deploy. I would love to have this feature, but it is not a deal breaker for me.
Conclusion:
It lets me control my boat in ways I have never been able to before. And with better boat control I catch more fish.
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I also just got an Xi5. I've only been able to use it once and so far, so good.
I love the anchor (it was the single biggest reason for me to upgrade). The wind was only moderate, but it did a great job of keeping the boat steady and in the correct location. I never felt uncomfortable or bothered by how it was moving.
I've heard complaints about the Minn Kota doing things like excessively wrapping the cord around the shaft; on the Xi5 I saw a couple of times that it turned completely around to ensure the cable wasn't wrapped (could be accidental, but I hope it's programmed that way).
I haven't yet connected it to my finder; I'm still waiting for the connector module to arrive. I'm kind of disappointed that it isn't built in with a direct NMEA 2K connection and I have a hard time believing that adapter is worth $250.
I like that I can use both a remote and a foot pedal. I still need some practice on the foot pedal as the movement characteristics are quite different than on my Powerdrive V2. But so far so good.
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[quote fish_digger]The following is a post I made in response to a similar question last spring:
I had a Minnkota I-Pilot for a couple of years. I sold it when the Xi5 came out. The I-Pilot was good, but I love the Xi5. I have been using an Xi5 connected to my Lowrance Gen2 Touch 9 for over a year.
Pros:
Quieter running.
Better tracking.
The spot lock has much less wander.
Spot lock jog. This one feature makes the Xi5 worth it. While spot locked you can jog 5' in any direction by pressing one of the arrow keys on the remote control. Want to move 20' to the Left? Press the left arrow key 4 times. Once you use this feature you will wonder how you ever got along without it.
Track navigation. I can create a track out of a series of points defined on the touch screen of the Lowrance and then the Xi5 will follow the track. Or I can let the Lowrance create predefined curves. For example I can tell it to do "S" curves or zigzags for the the next mile.
Rock solid GPS. The Xi5 has 2 GPS receivers, one in the head and one in the base. The result is much better location data. My I-Pilot would loose its mind a couple of times during the day and try to throw me overboard. The Xi5 is rock solid all day.
Cons:
The remote control pendant does not have a display like the I-Pilot. If you connect the Xi5 to a Lowrance Gen2 or Gen3, the Xi5 info is displayed on the screen.
No remote control stow and deploy. I would love to have this feature, but it is not a deal breaker for me.
Conclusion:
It lets me control my boat in ways I have never been able to before. And with better boat control I catch more fish.[/quote]
I'm also a recent Xi5 convert and had the Powerdrive before the Xi5, having been on a few other boats with the I-Pilot and being almost knocked into the water from the jerkiness of its tracking/programming I started reading up on the Xi5. After a few trips to the gorge and other lakes I absolutely love it for the same reasons you mentioned above. It is more efficient and less jerky because it starts up on the lowest setting needed to maintain your heading or anchored position. Tons of threads and videos available via a google search for I-Pilot vs Xi5.
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[quote dregs]
I've heard complaints about the Minn Kota doing things like excessively wrapping the cord around the shaft; on the Xi5 I saw a couple of times that it turned completely around to ensure the cable wasn't wrapped (could be accidental, but I hope it's programmed that way).
I haven't yet connected it to my finder; I'm still waiting for the connector module to arrive. I'm kind of disappointed that it isn't built in with a direct NMEA 2K connection and I have a hard time believing that adapter is worth $250.
[/quote]
Yep, it is smart enough to not strangle itself. I had to watch the I-Pilot and sometimes intercede to keep it from hurting itself.
Yes, the interface module is over priced at $250, but it opens a whole new world of capabilities for the Xi5.
Checkout:
[url "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keRXTj7RrHw"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keRXTj7RrHw[/url]
As they show in the video, your Lowrance unit can be used to control the Xi5. I use it as a backup for when the batteries in the pendant die. Plus it conveniently show the Xi5's current state or speed and direction at the top of the screen.
The track back feature is really cool. I use that all the time. You cruise over a school of fish on some structure, scroll the screen back on the Lowrance by dragging your finger, put the cursor on the school, and then select goto cursor and engage. The Xi5 comes to life and then takes you back and anchors you over the school. Almost feels like cheating...
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