# Help with Install: MINN KOTA Riptide Terrova i-Pilot Trolling Motor



## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Just bought this new trolling motor from a friend. I have a couple of quick questions. First, the power cable is too short to reach the Battery Tender plug that is mounted on the forward bulkhead. Do I just use more 10 gauge wire and heat shrink connectors to extend the power cable, or should I disassemble the unit, detach the factory power cable, and install a longer cable directly to the trolling motor? Any issues doing that?

Second, the unit came with a Heading Sensor Assembly that looks like a white hockey puck. It is supposed to provide boat heading information to a Bluetooth compatible i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link equipped Minn Kota motor. It contains a compass that senses the boat's heading. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this? What applications does it give me that the i-Pilot remote and Terrova i-Pilot trolling motor do not?

Thanks in advance.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

The less joints / connections the better. Solder will go a long way to make this joint bulletproof 
Not sure on puck. Prolly external gps antenna. Older lowrance ff used them for a while. Unit won’t locate itself w/o


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Make a point of talking to your local Minn Kota service center/warranty station since they may actually have a replacement cable that's the length you need or be willing to make what you need... I'm not fond of splices in heavier cable.. and you want to be very careful not to cause yourself warranty problems down the road....

Lastly we just installed a Terrova on my skiff (a 24v. model) and I faced the same problem about that puck.. Seemed to me that it was an item that freshwater types -particularly tournament bass fishermen might want - but it had no particular usefulness for a fishing guide down here in south Florida - so we didn't use it at all... When I get the chance I'll put it up for sale - genuine brand new accessory... The features on my Terrova that I value the most? The way it provides real power without draining my batts (two group 27 wet cells), the smooth transition as you move to higher or lower speeds, and above all the spot lock (or anchor lock) feature which is making a world of difference fishing the rivers that drain from the 'glades out to the gulf coast.... I should have installed one years ago...


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

You definitely want to install it. Used for both the SpotLock and Auto Pilot features. I just installed the same motor and I mounted below deck in the forward hatch.

Quote for MK site - “
*OVERVIEW*
This Bluetooth-enabled heading sensor contains a compass that detects your boat's heading and communicates it to your trolling motor to enable the Spot-Lock Jog feature, which lets you move your Spot-Lock location in 5 ft. increments in any direction.”


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Thanks to all. WATER BOUND: so the only application for the heading sensor is the 5 foot spot-lock "jog"? And it has to be wired directly to the battery? No on/off switch? Did mounting it below deck affect the "reception" or data transmission?


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

Having the “jog” feature is a big plus! I believe it also assists with the auto pilot feature, which allows you to point the boat at something and continue on the same track while it adjusts for wind and current.

No effect I have noticed mounting below deck, there is an indicator light to let you know it is “paired” and has good signal. Other friends have it below deck as well.

I powered mine using the 50 amp breaker for the trolling motor with an inline fuse. That way it is only drawing on the trolling motor battery when the trolling motor has power.

Ps- My buddy purchased your old trolling motor. I’m sure I’ll be helping him install it.


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

https://minnkotamotors.johnsonoutdo...248.906692185.1571315304-671198807.1571315304


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Without that puck you could have saved some money and gotten the CoPilot model that doesn’t use Spotlock etc. That’s the whole reason to buy an iPilot.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Water Bound said:


> Having the “jog” feature is a big plus! I believe it also assists with the auto pilot feature, which allows you to point the boat at something and continue on the same track while it adjusts for wind and current.
> 
> No effect I have noticed mounting below deck, there is an indicator light to let you know it is “paired” and has good signal. Other friends have it below deck as well.
> 
> ...



"I powered mine using the 50 amp breaker for the trolling motor with an inline fuse. That way it is only drawing on the trolling motor battery when the trolling motor has power." Thanks. Tell me a little more about this. It's wired into the breaker?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Minn Kota sells an inline breaker made just for them, I have one along with a Battery Tender plug waiting for me to buy a trolling motor.


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

Yes, wired to breaker...but on the “output” side of the breaker. So it, like the TM, only has power if the breaker is in the “closed” position. Again, there is also an inline fuse to it. My thinking on this was that I didn’t want it on unless the TM was on



DBStoots said:


> "I powered mine using the 50 amp breaker for the trolling motor with an inline fuse. That way it is only drawing on the trolling motor battery when the trolling motor has power." Thanks. Tell me a little more about this. It's wired into the breaker?


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Water Bound said:


> Yes, wired to breaker...but on the “output” side of the breaker. So it, like the TM, only has power if the breaker is in the “closed” position. Again, there is also an inline fuse to it. My thinking on this was that I didn’t want it on unless the TM was on


Like this: https://www.amazon.com/MinnKota-MKR...+circuit+breaker+60+amp&qid=1571360244&sr=8-1


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

Yes, you need one between your TM and your TM batteries anyway. I didn’t want anything separate for the heading sensor (other than its inline fuse)


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Water Bound, I have one already installed for the previous trolling motor. It's a Buss MRCB 60A 48V DC Max. It's waterproof and ignition protected. It does have an on/off switch. How do I know which is the "output" side? Sorry for all the dumb questions. I appreciate the help.


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

No problem! It’s the side that the trolling motor is connected to. Follow the wire from the battery to the breaker, it’s not the post it is connected to. There will be another post that the trolling motor plug is connected to...use that one. 



DBStoots said:


> Water Bound, I have one already installed for the previous trolling motor. It's a Buss MRCB 60A 48V DC Max. It's waterproof and ignition protected. It does have an on/off switch. How do I know which is the "output" side? Sorry for all the dumb questions. I appreciate the help.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Thanks. I think I'm gonna forgo using the heading sensor at this time. I talked with a rep at Minn Kota, and he said really all it helps with is the spot lock jog feature. He also told me it had to be mounted within line of sight of the trolling motor, suggesting that it would not work right if mounted in a console or under the deck in the bow locker. I don't want to mount it on the deck. Finally, he said just to join some addition length of 10 gauge marine wire to the factory power wire to make it long enough to reach the forward bulkhead. The most challenging part of the project was wiring the Battery Tender plug! What a pain. Thanks to every one who offered up some advice.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

DBStoots said:


> Thanks. I think I'm gonna forgo using the heading sensor at this time. I talked with a rep at Minn Kota, and he said really all it helps with is the spot lock jog feature. He also told me it had to be mounted within line of sight of the trolling motor, suggesting that it would not work right if mounted in a console or under the deck in the bow locker. I don't want to mount it on the deck. Finally, he said just to join some addition length of 10 gauge marine wire to the factory power wire to make it long enough to reach the forward bulkhead. The most challenging part of the project was wiring the Battery Tender plug! What a pain. Thanks to every one who offered up some advice.


Didn’t a couple of guys reply that their heading sensor is under the deck with no issues?


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Didn’t a couple of guys reply that their heading sensor is under the deck with no issues?


SmackDaddy--yes, they did. But that's what Minn Kota told me.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

DBStoots said:


> SmackDaddy--yes, they did. But that's what Minn Kota told me.


That probably came across sarcastic, text has it’s way of being taken wrong without voice inflection of spoken words. 
If it works it’s worth trying and having that jog feature, you paid for it! 
Dealing with a lot of automotive, marine, natural gas compressor, oilfield and many other businesses I have found that a lot of things are misrepresented. Kind of like expiration dates on food, they are usually still good long after but people toss perfectly good food “just in case”.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> That probably came across sarcastic, text has it’s way of being taken wrong without voice inflection of spoken words.
> If it works it’s worth trying and having that jog feature, you paid for it!
> Dealing with a lot of automotive, marine, natural gas compressor, oilfield and many other businesses I have found that a lot of things are misrepresented. Kind of like expiration dates on food, they are usually still good long after but people toss perfectly good food “just in case”.


You're probably right. I fished with a guy today who said he had called Lowrance two different times with some questions and got different answers each time!


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

I have also received multiple answers to the same question from MK. 

Trust me, you will eventually appreciate the ability to move forward, back, right or left in 5 ft increments. 

Bluetooth does not require line of sight to work! 



DBStoots said:


> You're probably right. I fished with a guy today who said he had called Lowrance two different times with some questions and got different answers each time!


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Back to that "puck" again... I'm the guy that simply disregarded it (and will sell it at the first opportunity)... Just came off of three days at Flamingo with customers aboard and used the spot lock (or anchor lock) feature multiple times each day... Whenever my anchor point wasn't where we needed to be it was only a moment to clear it, move where I needed to be then clicked it back on to hold the new position. Do that once or twice and it will be second nature. We do a lot of fishing in rivers and/or around the mouths of rivers on the gulf coast of the Everglades so it's particularly handy to kill the spot lock, allow the current to move us then re-establish it when we're in position.

For what it's worth, although I've only had this TM now for a few months I've forgotten once or twice to hook up my on-board charger after a day on the water - when I was booked the following day. This 24 volt system is amazing - you'd never guess it went two days without a re-charge.... Not something I want to make a habit of -but very re-assuring. This 24 volt setup is just head and shoulders better than 12 volt systems I've used in the past...


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