Motorguide With Built in Transducer for Lowrance Won.t Read Temp
Trolling Motor and Fishfinder Connectedness Guide
Want To Connect Your Trolling Motor To Your Fishfinder?
Connecting trolling motors to fishfinders has go increasingly popular. Networking technologies on boats take taken big leap forward. You can network your fishfinder with your trolling motor, your shallow water anchors, downriggers, phones and even smartwatches. Minn Kota and Humminbird have dedicated a lot of resource to networking; they call it "The Ane Boat Network." It'due south all pretty slick stuff.
More and more than of our customers are asking, "How can I connect my fishfinder to my trolling motor?" Nevertheless, there is a lot of confusion surrounding the technology and benefits of networking a compatible fishfinder with a trolling motor.
I often hear customers say, "I have a Lowrance so I need a MotorGuide" or "I take a Humminbird so I'll need to become with Minn Kota"
In this weblog post nosotros're going to explore what features you gain connecting a trolling motor to your gunkhole's GPS Navigation and Sonar organization (aka fishfinder). Nosotros also call this "networking". Nosotros'll also tell you why yous maynot demand to connect your motor to a fishfinder to get the features you want.
If installed correctly and provided y'all take the desire/patience to become upward to speed, the technology available to you is quite exciting only it tin be disruptive. We're here to shed some light!
There Are Two Main Reasons to Connect Your Trolling Motor To Your Fishfinder:
Reason #ane. View imaging from a trolling one thousand otor equipped with an integrated sonar transducer
Reason #2. Operate the motor directly from your screen and gain boosted GPS features
Reason #1: View Imaging From a Trolling Motor Equipped With An Integrated Sonar Transducer:
Some trolling motors incorporate integrated sonar *transducers that can connect to compatible fishfinders.
*Transducer Definition: A transducer is a pocket-size module that is positioned underneath the waterline that sends and retrieves audio waves in order to discover fish or structure underwater. This sonar is then transmitted back to the head unit (fishfinder screen).
Every bit opposed to mounting a transducer externally to the bottom of the motor, an integrated transducer is less vulnerable to impairment, provides a cleaner installation and merely looks better. These integrated transducers are typically located on the bottom of the motor's prop housing. The wiring from the transducer is threaded upwards through the shaft, out of the motor and connects directly to the back of the fishfinder. They are available in Minn Kota, MotorGuide, Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors. Many of these integrated transducer cables crave a small adapter cable depending on the make or model of fishfinder you have.
A Minn Kota with an integrated transducer on the bottom of the prop housing
By and large, well-nigh freshwater motors with GPS engineering science are available with some form of integrated transducer. Curiously, saltwater motors are rarely available with integrated transducers although that may alter in the near future.
At that place are ii full general types of integrated sonar in trolling motors:
- "Universal" Sonar: provides bones 2D CHIRP sonar. Motors with integrated, universal sonar are compatible with near of the common fishfinder brands such as Lowrance, Garmin, Humminbird etc. Hence, the term "Universal"
- High Resolution Sonar: with side and down scan (e.chiliad. Minn Kota with MEGA Imaging). Motors with high resolution sonar transducers are typically offered as an selection and come at a heftier toll. Some trolling motor brands with high resolution integrated sonar are only uniform with specific fishfinder brands or models. For example, Minn Kota motors with Integrated MEGA Imaging are only compatible with Humminbird fishfinders.
A Discussion To The Wise - When connecting your fishfinder to a motor with an integrated sonar you volition obviously lose functionality (depth, temp, structure etc.) when the trolling motor is stowed. If yous are running off your main motor, you'll need to get this critical information from another transducer installed on the transom or in the lesser of the hull.
Some folks but buy two fishfinders but that may exist overkill for others. There are some splitter cables available that can connect your fishfinder to ii transducers at one time. Either mode, you lot'll need to account for this.
Reason #2:Operate The Motor Directly From Your Screen And Gain Additional GPS Features
Certain trolling motors come with the capability to network with fishfinders in guild to provide enhanced mapping and GPS capabilities. These features can include operating the motor from the fishfinder, syncing up waypoints, creating custom routes, post-obit depth contour lines and other enhanced GPS and navigation functions.
The connection from motor to fishfinder is typically an ethernet cord; however, some motors such every bit the Garmin Forcefulness are able to network wirelessly.
Minn Kota Motors equipped with The i-Pilot Link system provide these actress capabilities. However, motors with i-Pilot Link are significantly more than expensive than motors with standard i-Airplane pilot and they are only compatible with certain Humminbird fishfinders.
Here's a link to one of our posts that explains the difference between i-Pilot and i-Pilot Link
i-Airplane pilot v. i-Pilot Link
Motorguide Tour Pro and Xi Serial motors can likewise be configured to gain some of these extra features. Yet, you will need to purchase a PinPoint GPS Gateway Kit and an NMEA 2000 Network Starter Kit.
In that location is a bit of defoliation as to MotorGuide's networking capabilities as opposed to Minn Kota'south i-Pilot Link system: MotorGuide motors are Not able to automatically follow depth contour lines. For many, this is a popular feature and so yous should be aware of this prior to investing in networking a MotorGuide with a fishfinder.
As we mentioned, the Garmin Force trolling motor can provide these enhanced GPS features wirelessly when connected to a compatible Garmin unit of measurement. This is a great feature that cuts downwards on rigging complexity and takes the networking game to a new level.
The Lowrance Ghost also comes standard with fishfinder integration and enhanced GPS features but it is not wireless.
When Is It Not Necessary To Connect Your Trolling Motor To Your Fishfinder?
As discussed to a higher place, integrated sonar and enhanced GPS features are the only two reasons why you would...could...or should connect your motor to your fishfinder. Again, both of these features can be more than expensive options on sure motors.
Hither's the important role to remember:
When equipped with GPS functionality such as Minn Kota's "standard" i-Airplane pilot organization or MotorGuide'due south PinPoint GPS,your trolling motor does NOT not require a connection to your fishfinder. You can get all of the popular features similar Spot Lock, Cruise command and i-tracks without connecting to a fishfinder. All of the GPS technology is fully integrated into the trolling motor and the remote.
Bottom Line: If you take a trolling motor equipped with a GPS organization like i-Airplane pilot or PinPoint GPS, y'all Do NOT demand to connect your motor to a fishfinder to get Spot Lock etc.
Now You Have The Tools To Make An Educated Decision
We hope that this has helped clear up some confusion and misconceptions about connecting your trolling motor to your fishfinder. Networking electronics in your boat can provide some astonishing benefits. This applied science allows yous to control everything from your trolling motor to your shallow h2o anchors and your downriggers all from ane screen and at the bear on of a push button.
But, before investing in this technology you should be aware of what you are getting and what you are not. Familiarize yourself with the diverse benefits and then make a decision equally to whether it is worth the extra dough. Networking various electronics in line-fishing boats is certainly "the future" only perchance, yous'll be only fine with the "present"!
Tight Lines!
-George
somervilleinceed55.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.trollingmotors.net/blogs/selection/trolling-motor-and-fishfinder-connection-guide