Trolling motor upgrade

Terrova or ulterra


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    49
  • Poll closed .


gone_fishing

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I have a Bluetooth Ulterra iPilot Link. Previous motor was a non-Bluetooth Terrova iPilot. The spot lock is definitely better on the Bluetooth version. I do wish I would have went with a 72" shaft vs the 60". I can get the motor to pop out of the water when spot locked with a stiff wind.
 

5575

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I've got an Ulterra that I like for the most part. That self deploy and store feature is AWESOME!

The fugging compass is still the same piece of shit they've been using for years. It always wants to creep to the right. Waves, wind, and low battery increase the creep.

I might be able to help.
On the newer models go in your menu to auto pilot, its probably on advanced if it is switch it to legacy mode and you will be a happy camper! :;:thumbsup
 

DirtyMike

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Swapped out an older ulterra for a new bluetooth version. I've had nothing but issues with the motor. I don't know if its a motor and boat combination, but I have a ridiculous amount of interference on my graphs. Just to get it to work somewhat normal, I've had to disconnect the jump start system as well as the us2 transducer from the front graph. I've had it back to scheels once and if the next few tricks dont work, I'll be taking it back in.
 

Snapper

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Ultrex! The bells and whistles of a Terrova, the responsive and quick footpedal of the Maxxum.

Agreed! No issues with my Ultrex. The only issue has been the remote battery life is not a long day on the water. I called Minnkota and the rep took me through the settings and now I have a battery that lasts all day with life to spare.
 


gonefshn

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Friend of mine had trouble with his Ulterra and took it to a Minnkota repair shop in the cities. First thing they mechanic asked him was if he drove much gravel. He said the dust from gravel roads wreaks havoc on them and a large percent of the ones he had to work on were due to gravel dust. Said if you do much gravel, make sure you get a cover that seals nicely or take it off and store it where it won't get dusty when traveling.
 

guywhofishes

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for you xi5 owners...

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Changing the Heading Lock Mode Heading lock—course mode is the default heading lock mode. To switch to heading lock—compass mode, press and hold the manual mode button, then press the 2, 1, 2 buttons in sequence. To switch back to heading lock—course mode, press and hold the manual mode button, then press the 2, 1, 1 buttons in sequence. IMPORTANT: The Pinpoint GPS system will remember which heading lock mode was last used, and the next time the heading lock button is pressed, the trolling motor will operate that mode. OPERATING IN HEADING LOCK—COMPASS MODE When heading lock—compass mode is selected, the trolling motor will lock in the trolling motor's compass heading and drive the boat along that heading. The boat will drift with the wind, tide, and current, but the trolling motor will maintain a constant compass heading. The operator can adjust the speed and the heading by using the handheld remote.[/FONT]


[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]I'm not sure if mine is too old to have that feature - but I hope it isn't too old. The compass mode is WAY better under many scenarios (slow pitching a shoreline, etc.)[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]I just put up with the xi5's crappy "GPS breadcrumb string" system for years thinking I didn't have a choice to go compass only[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]basically this is equivalent to the toggling of the N button on the old MinnKota Terrovas[/FONT]

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Course-and-Heading-Mode.pdf
 

gunship

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I tried an Ulterra and had nothing but issues with it. The head likes to wrap the cord around itself and then it jams when stowing. Also, right after the warranty expired, my remote lost the internal software (no idea how) which is obviously a manufacturer's issue. Minn Kota offered nothing to assist and said I had to buy a new remote for full retail price of $329. I will no longer be a customer of Minn Kota or any of the Johnson family of companies.
 

Allen

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Ok, so my Ulterra finally took a shit on me out of the blue. One day it was working fine, the next it wouldn't deploy. Turned out to be the drive unit that lifts the shaft up and down. A.G. Repair got me up and running pretty quickly but even with his refurbished part, it was a $329 fix. Judging by the supply of those units on hand, I am guessing this is a pretty common repair.

5575 and Guy, thanks for the tips on the different mode. I found that my motor behaves much better when the N doesn't have the circle around it. I'm guessing that's the Legacy mode.
 


5575

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That stinks Allen!

We had the new 219 lund out last week, what a boat!
Had the new ulterra with the built in humminbird side and down imaging transducer.
After running that ulterra all day I was in my boat the next morning, reached for my terrova remote to deploy it.
Then I remembered..... I'm the deployer! Ha ha ha
 

Allen

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Hah, I'm not even sure I have a fishing rod worthy of casting from a 219!

I love, love, love, the features of an Ulterra. Sure wish Minnkota would work on its durability.
 

5575

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They keep on improving on it over the years so thats good!
 

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