Power drive co pilot -I pilot

[Davy Crockett]

My boat came with Power drive co pilot and has a transducer on the bottom and a button on the top for of the head for I-Pilot .It also has an extra plug that must be for foot control and/or the transducer. It has these style remotes but from what I was reading it should also have spot lock. Is it as simple as getting new remote or what the heck do I have going on here here ? I'm lost , I haven't stayed in the loop for electronics.

 

[xFishSlayerx]

Co pilot does not have spot lock.

 

[Davy Crockett]

I thought I read that with the I-pilot upgrade it was supposed to .

 

[Davy Crockett]

I don't know what I'm talking about but from what I read online with the I-pilot upgrade I should have these style of remotes .

 

[xFishSlayerx]

If you have I-Pilot you should have spot lock. Is the co-pilot plugged into your trolling motor? Mounted on the side of it If I can remember right. You might just have the wrong remote ya.

 

[Davy Crockett]

On top of the head is a button to push for autopilot , also the 6 or 7 pin extra plug I'm wondering about.

 

[guywhofishes]

Spotlock is built in if you have the button on top. You can't activate spotlock with that button - it's the remote pairing button.

A paired spotlock-capable remote like you showed will Spotlock it.

But also, some foot controls have the spotlock button (Anchor emblem).

Do you have the foot control?

 

[Davy Crockett]

Nope, no foot control , I think the kids may have stripped some stuff off before I bought it from their dad.

 

[guywhofishes]

Spotlock is built in if you have the button on top. You can't activate spotlock with that button - it's the remote pairing button.

A paired spotlock-capable remote like you showed will Spotlock it.

But also, some foot controls have the spotlock button (Anchor emblem).

Do you have the foot control?

Scratch that - that's a remote pairing button - not a spotlock pairing button on top.

 

[guywhofishes]

So, unfortunately, you probably don't have spotloc on that motor if those were original remotes.

 

[risingsun]

On top of the head is a button to push for autopilot , also the 6 or 7 pin extra plug I'm wondering about.

I believe that is to plug into your electronics for sonar/ds/sc if the transducer is capable for all 3

 

[Davy Crockett]

Guy ,After more reading I think your right , Auto pilot just keeps a straight line and not all auto pilots have I-pilot. After I noticed the transducer on the bottom I thought it might have more capabilities than I knew of, like following contour lines spot lock and such.

 

[risingsun]

I don't know what I'm talking about but from what I read online with the I-pilot upgrade I should have these style of remotes .

I pilot has GPS, co pilot does not, therefore no spot lock. The upgrade you speak of you need to put on an I pilot head I think.

 

[Davy Crockett]

The mix up I had was that I thought all autopilot's also had built in I- pilots. I better just go fishhing and forget about the electronics The autopilot works nice for trolling roads that's all I need .

 

[shorthairsrus]

I am using less and less of the hand held and more with the foot pedal.

 

[xFishSlayerx]

Auto-Pilot will at least help keep your sanity. Without it you have to constantly steer to correct your line of travel. My boat came with the powerdrive with just a foot pedal so I slapped the co pilot on there to have a remote. Wasn't good enough. Still drove me nuts having to steer constantly so that thing went down the road and upgraded. Was nice to finally have spotlock I guess. But then after I had it, I didn't use it as much as I thought I would.

 

[Allen Gamble]

Co-pilot does not have spot-lock as others have said. It's the smaller remote from the pics in this thread and is wired in through the side of the trolling motor base. It will clearly say co-pilot on it.;

I-pilot upgrades are done by replacing the control board and installing a new head on the top of the TM.

 

[GSM]

Be careful what remotes you buy moving forward if you do. Guessing yours has infrared style pairing and not the current Bluetooth tech. Not to hijack but if anyone has any old remotes like the pic let me know as I am in need of one for my motor.

 

[guywhofishes]

By the way, you guys that use autopilot might find yourselves CONSTANTLY redirecting the autopilot when trolling slowly in the wind or current.

There are two methods used when these motors autopilot - there is a course heading method (it lays down a bunch of imaginary waypoints) and a compass heading method where it simply heads off and stays on a compass bearing.

Learn the difference AND also learn how to change the method (you can toggle between the two methods) to save your sanity.

If you're moving relatively slow and have a boat that drifts sideways more than it tracks (like mine) the course method will find you constantly trying to fight the wind/current and will slowly start to head back to the first of the series of waypoints or two that it laid down when you last steered it to a new course.

Maddening! It acts like its heading is drifting off... and it is doing just that.

It's trying to crawl back upwind to get to the last missed waypoint.

 

[guywhofishes]

maybe better explained by Grok?

https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMg_2023b461-9f32-4382-a033-fd8685eb06c1