Thread: Gen 3 Lowrance HDS Locator?

Reaper, I don't understand the advantage of this???? Can you tell me why you use it? I'm missing how you control your boat from the app on your tablet, I guess.

Guess I understand you can view what is on your HDS screen from anywhere but, where does the control come in?

When you connect to your HDS touch via the GoFree unit, you can connect to your HDS Touch with your phone and view what your Touch is showing. If you connect to it with a tablet, note book or even a touch screen laptop, you will have touch buttons that show up on whatever you're viewing it on. You can control your HDS Touch unit from your tablet, note book or touch screen laptop just as if you just puched the pages button back at the unit. This allows you to work your unit at the console and view it, while you're also viewing your Touch you have up front. IE, it's like having your console screen and your TM screen side by side to view at same time. So, even if you have a 7' Touch, and you use the GoFree Wi-Fi, you can be looking at a 19' touch screen laptop and now you have a 19' HDS Unit!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbypbs4g1aM

I don't control the boat with the unit Bob, I just view or control the HDS Touch. Now, If I had the Motor Guide xi5 Trolling Motor, I could control the boat USING the HDS TOUCH! Thus would be able to control the boat through a notebook, tablet or touch screen pc via the GoFree Wireless adapter.

Lowrance Partners With MotorGuide to Launch PinpointConnect - LOWRANCE | Marine Electronics

IT'S AWESOME! I need some rich person to donate an 80# xi5 to me on the quick time! Who wants to play philanthropist?

Reaper, I totally understand being able to control your HDS from your iPad, I just don't understand why you want to do it?
I have 2 9"Touch units on my boat. I'm either running my boat from my drivers seat and watching my console unit or I'm sitting on the bow and watching my other unit
as I fish and control my position via my trolling motor. So, what does having an iPad available to control my console unit buy me? Yes, I can see what my transom transducers are seeing but, why would I care?

As to controlling your trolling motor via gps (which is what you are doing) I've been there and done that and it doesn't work for me. I had an HB1198 on my console, a 998 on my bow and a MK Terrova with iPilot on my bow as well. As advertised by HB and MK, I should be able to maintain a 5' radius while in the spotlock mode. Well, it didn't ever come close. The factory asked me to send it back to an authorized service center, which I did. They completely replaced all electronics in it and it didn't help one bit. It would not keep me within 20' at the very best, NEVER. The factory then said that was the best it could do.
Plus, trying to maintain position with an electric steer tm is almost impossible to do. The delay, for me, is unacceptable.
IF, MG is better (which I seriously doubt) I'd have to see it and operate it on my boat before I'd waste any money on it. The idea is fantastic, the implementation is not.

The difference could be Humminbird vs Lowrance, as you said in the other post, Ford vs Chevy. It's my opinion that Lowrance has a better product which happens to be extremely versitile vs Humminbird. As for why I want to see what my HDS 9 is doing from the front of the boat, I only have a 520c up front. While working an area from the front of the boat that I have not seen while operating my tiller engine from the back of the boat, I can see a Down Scan view from the GoFree app without having to run to the back of the boat to have a look at what I just saw on the 2d sonar from the 520c. I can just look at the notebook and if I choose to mark the spot with a waypoint, I can do it on the notebook pad without having to go to the back of the boat. Besides that, if I have someone with me, they can watch the notebook to see what I'm seeing in the back. My boat has room, for one in the back and room for one in the front.

By using the GoFree app up front, it's a poor mans way to pretend I have an HDS 9 front and back. Does it make sense now?

As for using an xi5 Motor Guide TM, most of the reviews are really good about them. It may not be perfect for a Spot Lock (anchoring) feature, but could work great for Crappie Creepin. I like the idea of connecting it with the HDS 9 and letting the xi5 follow the trails that the HDS 9 has in its memory. Can't do that with a cable steer TM.

Reaper, I totally understand now. I assume things I shouldn't sometimes and it gets me confused! Old age and CRS disease plays a part too.

Lowrance vs HB? Hands down, Lowrance for me! No question. I was L way before I wasted a ton of money convering to HB simply because of what they
advertised with their iPilot. They can't do it, period! Not even close. What they can do is probably good enough for a lot of people but, not for me fishing brushpiles that
can be only 5' to 10' wide. If the 'spotlock' feature is off by 5' (and it always is), I'm missing where the fish are.
IF, Lowrance can keep me on my brush, I'll be one of the first to praise them but, again, they would have to prove it o me in my boat, in all kinds of weather conditions.

And don't even get me started on Lowrance's 'spotlight' piece of junk! And I'll be happy to show you why I say this at the Winter Crappie Camp or anywhere else if you want.

Posted on another thread by DonG.

"I have owned 3 MK Terrovas and none of the 3 were not even close to the Xi5 in staying a on a spot.

Two of my fishing partners, and you know both, have done extensive test with the MK Spot Lock feature while the boat was on the trailer. It consistently took 18' of moving away from the spot for the motor to react.

That is too far away from a brush pile for us crappie fishermen.

I agree that the MK is a well built motor but the spot lock feature is not what it should be."

Reaper, if anyone has the MG at the camp, I'd sure like a test ride/drive. I'll be impressed and surprised if MG is good enough for crappie guys.