Motorguide Xi5 & Lowrance

Just ordered the Xi5 80lb 60″ with sonar and pinpoint GPS. I currently have a humminbird 899 on the dash with a transom transducer and nothing on the bow because 95% of our fishing is out of the back.

My question is: if I want to be able to utilize both a transom and trolling motor transducer do I need two separate lowrance units or can I network it all together into one dash mount lowrance. If I need to use two, then I will likely keep the 899 on the transom ducer and pick up a HDS unit at some point for the trolling motor ducer.

It was a difficult decision picking between the Xi5 and the Terrova, but my primary want was anchor mode so I chose to go with the Xi5. Right now I have a version 1 powerdrive with co-pilot so either motor is a big jump in technology!

Thanks Ryan

Ryan, I have multiple units in my boat that are all networked so I haven’t done what you are asking if its possible, but there are switches you can get to switch from one transducer to the other. You will have to make sure you find the right one for the model Lowrance you intend to buy, but here is the model number of one of them, do a search… Lowrance SB-9BL. That is what you are asking right? You want to buy a Lowrance and mount to dash, put its transducer in the back AND be able to use the transducer in the xi5? You will have to extend the cable from the xi5 back to the dash or wherever you intend to mount the switch.
Otherwise, I cannot think of another way to “share” multiple transducers without having multiple units networked.

BTW, you are going to love the xi5!

Thanks CaptainMusky, I appreciate the feedback and that is exactly what I was looking for. I figured if it could be done it would be some sort of switch to choose the transducer.

Having said that I am pretty enamored with the Humminbird 360 as well and think that might be in my future so I might just keep it separate and run Lowance/Motorguide off the front of the boat and Humminbird off the back.

Nothing like mixing and matching to get the exact performance setup that I am looking for!

Thanks Ryan

FYI. I heard rumors that Motorguides contract with lowrance runs out at the end of the year. Things might change for Motorguide next year.

Just a rumor.

On to Garmin for Motorguide I would assume!

Interesting.

Jeffrey Trapp wrote:

On to Garmin for Motorguide I would assume!

Internet rumors fly!
It was a strategic partnership with Lowrance, so this would mean that it would be OPEN to others joining the fray vs just the one player (Lowrance). It doesn’t mean they are moving away from Lowrance, just working with others as well. This is GREAT news for all of us customers.

I have a 999 on the dash and a gen2 HDS5 up front. I didn’t get the gateway kit yet though, as I still have a hard time justifying the $240 for a cable.

Honestly, I rarely ever even have my front unit on. You’ll love the xi5.

You can put any brand unit on the bow of the boat and run the Universal Sonar from the motorguide to give you depth. Motorguide has adapter cables for all major brands. Gateway is exclusive to Lowrance to be able to run the auto pilot features off graph if networked. Bottom line, if you want to use graph for running XI5 then Lowrance, if you want to use the universal sonar with the XI5 you can use most brands. Lowrance, Humminbird, Garmin, and Vexilar

Thanks Calvin, I think I will want to use a graph to control the Xi5 at some point, more wants than cash at this point!

Ryan

Any rumors as to what might be next-gen from Motorguide’s Xi5? I have the HDS units, just bought a new boat, and am now looking to get the Xi5 this offseason to be ready to go next year. As with ALL technology, we can never keep up, but I would hate to buy one this winter only to have the new model out as the ice melts.

Does anyone know what the rumors are?

I love my Xi5 but an upgraded remote and foot pedal would be huge.

It’s on my doorstep waiting for me to get home, I’ll be installing it and putting it to use this Sunday on Pool 4. I’m used to a Powerdrive with Co-Pilot so I doubt the remote will bother me and I never use a foot pedal now, but I will be testing the foot pedal out to make small adjustments while slipping down the river. I will report back with what I like and/or dislike about it.

Ryan, you may encounter issues using both the remote and the foot pedal at the same time. I have been told there is a SW update to fix it, but it may not have made it onto your unit. Just a heads up if you are going to try that.
I use ONE OR THE OTHER, not both at the same time. Never had an issue this way.

Good to know, thanks!

NP, if you do encounter the problem and that is something you want to do, use them both at the same time, call support and they will send out the dongle which you can plug into your trolling motor and update it.

I was able to get the minnkota quick release bracket to work on the Xi5 so the unit itself is on the boat, took a trip to Fleet Farm last night to pick up a 60amp circuit breaker, hopefully another 15 minutes of work to install it and a new trolling motor receptacle/plug and we will be operational.

Let us know!

Ryan, I used the minnkota quick release as well. Matched up just fine! Good luck with the new motor, you wont need it though!
Looking forward to using mine on Saturday with the boys fishing suspended crappies. Anchor Mode will be key.

Good luck crappie fishing Captain!

Now for a little how stupid am I? Why did I jinx myself earlier and say 15 minutes and it will be operational? After checking multiple places and not finding the plug and receptacle I wanted, I ended up making a trip to my bank accounts worst nightmare: Cabelas! Thankfully they had exactly what I was looking for and I escaped without buying a another graph or a couple more catfish rod/reel combos.

Install plug, receptacle, and circuit breaker in about 15 minutes. I’m in my garage so all I wanted to do was get it all installed and verify power, because I will have to pull it outside to program some of the other stuff. At this point I’m thinking even with making a trip to cabelas this is going pretty well and then I plug the motor in: nothing. Immediately think oh boy here we go, or some R rated version of that thought. So I pretty much take everything apart and reinstall it just to double check myself, still nothing. Next I pull out the multimeter (a must have tool) and start at the battery. 25.6 volts at the battery, same at the receptacle and probed above the plug which was also good. At this point I’m getting a little ticked and thinking you have to be kidding me.

Long story short after about another hour of tinkering I decide to start taking off the cover panels to see if I can locate any loose wires or something that doesn’t look right. Both sides comes off easily but to get the front panel off I was going to need to deploy the motor a little so I could wiggle the cover off. As soon as I hit the deploy lever and lifted the shaft a little bit I hear a beep and see that the indicator lights have come on and I instantly thought to myself you are an idiot! Of course it makes complete sense that this trolling motor would have a safety switch so it can’t activate while stowed. It’s probably even in the manual but I can honestly say I’ve missed it several times if it’s in there.

Old trolling motor beeped as soon as you plugged it in whether it was stowed or deployed, that’s why it didn’t cross my mind. Let’s hope Sunday goes smoother than the install!

LOL, sorry man, but I did the same DAMN thing!!! I laugh only because I was in the same spot, but thankfully you figured it out much faster than I did. I tore through the manual, took covers off, checked, then rechecked the battery connections, the power at the plug. Oh boy was that fun.

Like you I was coming off an older minnkota which didn’t have that feature. The Terrovas have the same feature of power off when deployed. It would be nice if they highlighted this in the manual! Novel idea.

First usage report: Wow, I already love it. It was a fairly windy day on Lake Waconia today so I thought that would be the perfect test. Anchor mode is legit! Big test tomorrow in the River.

Also tested out the auto pilot, this is really going to allow me to focus more on fishing. Can’t wait to record my trolling routes on Waconia and utilize that function as well.

Certainly a noticeable upgrade in power but that was expected. Now I have something to bridge the gap between my old trolling motor that maxed at about 1.8 mph and my big motor that runs about 2.6 on calm days. I saw 2.8 on my GPS today with the Xi5.

Now if reading side imaging on my 899 was going as well we’d really be onto something!

I used mine in the strong winds of pool 4 today. Never budged, it was awesome

How was the bite?

Tough, we placed in the tournament, but I wouldn’t call it an easy bite. Had fish on plastics and blades in 12 to 18 feet of water

Thanks and congrats on placing, the last tournament I fished in (catfish) 60% of the field didn’t catch a single fish and our boat was one of them that had no luck. I just so happen to have plastics and spinners rigged and ready. I’m bringing a couple buddies, neither has ever caught a sturgeon so we will try to get them each one and then we may try our luck with the toothy critters.

But I suspect they will be hooked on sturgeon fishing when they feel the tug and the adrenaline starts flowing!

It was a great day to be on the river! Early morning fog/steam, soaring eagles and steady fishing action made for a very enjoyable trip.

The Xi5 performed flawlessly. What a joy to slowly motor into a spot, hit the anchor lock button and start fishing. 7 solid hours of fishing, either on anchor lock or trolling into the current and when I got home my charger said I still had 75%.

Channel cats were the star of the show for us today, but we also caught a shovel nose (biggest one so far), a drum and this tiny walleye that apparently wasn’t shy of our 8/0 hooks!

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I currently have a minkotta powerdrive v2 with ipilot on the bow hooked to a HDS gen 2 5′. And a lowrance gen 2 touch 9″ at the helm. I wanna get the xi5 and say goodbye to the minkotta. Do I need to change the plug in on the boat?

I was hoping they would be the exact same.lol. I just wanna buy the xi5 and put it on and plug it in and go. I may wait a year first before buying it, I would like a key phobe like the ipilot’s with the lcd screen showing stuff, instead of just a phobe with buttons on it with no visuals. Also after reading some of these posts, it sounds like the foot pedal might need to be made better as well? Should I wait till all this comes out, or will they never do it this way I wonder?

There won’t be a plug on the Xi5, buy the one that you need to plug into your current receptacle and install it on the Xi5.

Ryan Speers wrote:

There won’t be a plug on the Xi5, buy the one that you need to plug into your current receptacle and install it on the Xi5.

thank you!!