Lowrance and Motorguide! Goodbye Minnkota

USA. Motorguide partners with Lowrance to deliver enhanced GPS Navigation Interface for Xi5 wireless trolling motor
Wednesday, 10 July 2013

MotorGuide, a trusted fishing brand with more than 50 years of engineering and manufacturing trolling motors, is partnering with Lowrance, a world leader in marine electronics to create PinpointConnect. The new, user-friendly interface, scheduled for release in Spring 2014, integrates Lowrance HDS®, Gen2 and Gen2 Touch fishfinder/chartplotters with MotorGuide Pinpoint® GPS navigation available on its new Xi5 wireless trolling motor. Pinpoint GPS delivers on-target location accuracy that enables anglers to precisely position their boats and achieve optimum boat control.
“Providing users with the tools that help them catch more fish and enhance their experience on the water is a priority for MotorGuide. That’s why we partnered with Lowrance to create PinpointConnect, a seamless interface that connects HDS Gen2 displays with MotorGuide trolling motors,” said Ben Curtis, category director for MotorGuide.
With connectivity to the Xi5 MotorGuide wireless trolling motor featuring Pinpoint GPS and PinpointConnect, HDS Gen2 and Gen2 Touch users will be able to easily perform the following navigational functions directly from their chartplotter display: visualize PinpointGPS navigation, set anchor at current location; set, recall and navigate to waypoints or the cursor, plot a course or recall a trail; and maintain a current boat heading.
PinpointConnect will adapt to any existing Pinpoint GPS-enabled MotorGuide trolling motor allowing it to be connected to a compatible Lowrance device. When installed, PinpointConnect enables anglers to see and control Pinpoint GPS navigation functions within the high definition screen technology available on Lowrance HDS® Gen2 and Gen2 Touch electronics.

Really goodbye MinnKota really!!

Great! I was wondering what Lowrance was going to do. This is good because I am a Lowrance guy but I want an IPilot-esque option. It looks like my problem has been solved. I will reserve final judgment until somebody posts on how the GPS integration works between these two companies.

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Really goodbye MinnKota really!!

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X2

I think he simply means that he probably likes his Lowrance products and will be switching his trolling motors to Motorguide.

FDR

this will be interesting. I have never heard anyone who runs any Motorguide trolling motors whats the word on them?

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this will be interesting. I have never heard anyone who runs any Motorguide trolling motors whats the word on them?

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I will say that I think I saw more Motor Guide motors at the Elite Bass tourney in La Crosse. But that is bass fishing.

FDR

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this will be interesting. I have never heard anyone who runs any Motorguide trolling motors whats the word on them?

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I ran motorguides on my last two boats. They were bulletproof. I have a terrova on my current boat and like that as well. Only switched to minnkota because of the i-pilot. If motorguide would have had this product out last year I would still be running one of their motors.

I checked out motorguides website and from what I can tell they certainly cater to the bass fisherman. I don’t know if that matters too much though…if these features all work properly it really doesn’t matter who their past customers have been, walleye and muskie fisherman will be lining up to get a new motorguide trolling motor.

Am I reading correctly that there won’t be a remote but instead controlled from the chart plotter?

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Am I reading correctly that there won’t be a remote but instead controlled from the chart plotter?

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That was how I read it too. But that does not mean that I am correct.

FDR

Sounds like another court battle between Johnson outdoors and lowrance to me

Here is a link to the Motorguide website talking about the new trolling motors that will be working with this system

http://www.motorguide.com/

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Really goodbye MinnKota really!!

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I have been waiting for a something that will work with the Lowrance, and check out the wireless footpedal

Sounds great, hope they offer a 68″-72″ shaft for the big bow boats. I see minnkota now offers a 72″ shaft.

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Sounds like another court battle between Johnson outdoors and lowrance to me

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Competition and choices are good for the buyers…..but who has our backs anyway.

FDR

I have had a couple different motorguides on my boats over the last 10 years. the only reason I have gotten different units is because I needed more power.

I have had no issues on any of my units, I fish hard with them too….as I am a bass fisherman!

I use humminbird units….so this will not be a big deal for me.

Sounds like another copy for lowrance

I would not say another copy until you see how this is going to work. Pinpoint was the original locator guided trolling system, correct? I think that Lowrance along with Motorguide will make a real nice improvement to the system.

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Am I reading correctly that there won’t be a remote but instead controlled from the chart plotter?

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That was how I read it too. But that does not mean that I am correct.

FDR

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The link moreyes posted shows a remote, however, it appears their is no lcd screen on the remote.

“A wireless foot pedal is standard with freshwater models and a hand-held remote is standard with saltwater models”.

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Sounds like another copy for lowrance

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Pinpoint has owned this tech for 20 years if anything minnkota/Jonson copied it form them. Lowrance is just building on what pinpoint started.

What if Lowrance/Motorguide came out with a smart phone app that allows you to tie it all together and control the system with your phone. Would that be cool or what?

Think Wifi, you can already see your sonar on a iphone and ipad and control it off the ipad. Trolling motor control???

Why would the remote need a LCD screen? You already have one, two, or more screens on the boat.

I hope this will work out well. I was thinking of upgrading my trolling motor next spring, and currently have Lowrance units, so this is good for guys like me, only now I have to upgrade to Gen 2 units.

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Sounds like another copy for lowrance

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Pinpoint has owned this tech for 20 years if anything minnkota/Jonson copied it form them. Lowrance is just building on what pinpoint started.

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Yeah, Johnson Outdoors had to wait for the Pinpoint patents to expire before releasing I-Pilot. Hopefully Lowrance learned from Humminbird’s mistakes of using the paying customers as beta-testers. Counting the days til the HB ducer goes bad, so I can plug in a new Lowrance!

I recently fished on a boat that had a prototype of the Xi5 on it. Let me just say, AWESOME!!! MotorGuide is still working on some features and I think this is going to be a top seller when it releases in the spring.

It has a wireless pedal and a wireless remote that both run all functions of the motor.

I personally can’t wait for it’s release. Consumers usually benefit from competition.

PRE ORDER!

HEY Benster!

74ish pounds of thrust
24v
fit on my Lunds bow.

I’m guessing they will be available in…..

12v 55 lbs of thrust
24v 75 lbs of thrust and
36v 105 lbs of thrust.

You can be assured that Jolly Ann Marine will have the full line of these motors available as soon as they are released.

As the release gets closer we might even have a pre-order available.

I cannot find in the motorguide/lowrance combo a “follow the contour” feature. I think this will be a great addition for trolling along shorelines on rivers. I did see it on the humminbird/minnkota/lakemaster setup. Anybody have any information regarding this feature on the motorguide/lowrance?
Thanks.