I guess this is the right forum to post this. Please move if not.
I got my Minn Kota Ipilot Riptide installed and off to the bay I went. It works better than expected. Even with 10kt winds and outgoing tide currents opposing, the boat held steady by locking onto a GPS coordinate. It did not wag, it did not spin..the Ipilot knows how to hold it really steady..better than anchoring. And..it is so quiet I can only tell the prop is moving by looking at my wireless remote. I can see it steering itself as the boat drifts off the spot lock. It ramps up speed so there's no jerking even if you hit the rabbit button of full speed.
Steering is a dream come true compared to a tiller or foot control...but you can get a foot control. I did not teach it a route yet but that will come and that is a miracle.
It will move me alone at 3mph by GPS speedometer or put me on cruise control for a constant slower speed. It can make the boat spin a 360 fast! It is like having some trained horse but this thing is high tech. Like Luke SkyWalker I can get off my vehicle and have it hover off the dock then command it to come back to me when I'm ready to go. (just don't get too far away or it will shut off)
The mounting went superb. I was worried about my plastic bow..no problem. The mounting bracket is a little square of heavy plastic itself and bolted right on. This is the most solid mounted trolling motor I've ever seen and it is 80lbs. thrust, 24v system!
Mounted the batts to the bulkhead of port fish lockers at the bow. This allowed me to take my port ballast rocks out. I'm the guy with the too heavy engine on the stern so weighted down the bow...works like a charm.
After 4 hours continuous use of hover and high speed operation the batteries did not lose even one of their four levels of led charge level indicators. Amazing.
Actually, I could pull off my 60hp 4stroke and fish these waters with just this electric motor. I have a lil Logic and in a small fishing area this motor is all one needs, but I do like to run way up river hear and there so I'll keep my Suzuki. Charge the batts with solar power and you have gotten off the fossil fuel train. That's my next post...what to get to charge it.
I'm a happy boy with my new toy. I bet Ipilot II will have sonar that steers around obstacles.
Anyone else got this magic machine? Oh...easy..easy to deploy and retrieve too...best I've ever had. Was hoping deploy was auto...nope..but slips down very easily.
jb
I got my Minn Kota Ipilot Riptide installed and off to the bay I went. It works better than expected. Even with 10kt winds and outgoing tide currents opposing, the boat held steady by locking onto a GPS coordinate. It did not wag, it did not spin..the Ipilot knows how to hold it really steady..better than anchoring. And..it is so quiet I can only tell the prop is moving by looking at my wireless remote. I can see it steering itself as the boat drifts off the spot lock. It ramps up speed so there's no jerking even if you hit the rabbit button of full speed.
Steering is a dream come true compared to a tiller or foot control...but you can get a foot control. I did not teach it a route yet but that will come and that is a miracle.
It will move me alone at 3mph by GPS speedometer or put me on cruise control for a constant slower speed. It can make the boat spin a 360 fast! It is like having some trained horse but this thing is high tech. Like Luke SkyWalker I can get off my vehicle and have it hover off the dock then command it to come back to me when I'm ready to go. (just don't get too far away or it will shut off)
The mounting went superb. I was worried about my plastic bow..no problem. The mounting bracket is a little square of heavy plastic itself and bolted right on. This is the most solid mounted trolling motor I've ever seen and it is 80lbs. thrust, 24v system!
Mounted the batts to the bulkhead of port fish lockers at the bow. This allowed me to take my port ballast rocks out. I'm the guy with the too heavy engine on the stern so weighted down the bow...works like a charm.
After 4 hours continuous use of hover and high speed operation the batteries did not lose even one of their four levels of led charge level indicators. Amazing.
Actually, I could pull off my 60hp 4stroke and fish these waters with just this electric motor. I have a lil Logic and in a small fishing area this motor is all one needs, but I do like to run way up river hear and there so I'll keep my Suzuki. Charge the batts with solar power and you have gotten off the fossil fuel train. That's my next post...what to get to charge it.
I'm a happy boy with my new toy. I bet Ipilot II will have sonar that steers around obstacles.
Anyone else got this magic machine? Oh...easy..easy to deploy and retrieve too...best I've ever had. Was hoping deploy was auto...nope..but slips down very easily.
jb
