I Pilot Link

[mj54]

I have been thinking about upgrading to I Pilot Link, but have a couple of concerns with the follow the contour option. Won't this only be as accurate as the position error from GPS? I have seen position errors as little as 20', but as high as 250'. Also, did they improve the maps for better accuracy? Seems to me that the map chips can be used as good guide, but not as accurate.

Thanks.

[guyonacouch]

Following contours has been a feature that has been hit and miss for me. I mainly have used it for trolling cranks but have used it jigging walleyes and fan casting crappies some too. On some lakes it's worked fantastic, but when there is a steep break and the contours are close together, it's struggled to keep the depth that I want. I think some of that comes from inaccurate maps because there are some lakes where the contours and the actual depth just don't match up in places. I have found that for trolling, using the auto-pilot feature and then just pointing the arrow on my GPS screen with the remote to guide me over the structure that I want to hit as the way to go. Either way, I would rebuy the iPilot link all over again because it is absolutely awesome. My Lund Fisherman catches a lot of wind, so boat control was always what I spent 90% of my energy and attention focusing on. Now, I spend a lot more time on the structure I want to be fishing and a lot less time messing with my trolling motor fighting waves and wind. I always get turned around looking at my GPS map and the direction I need to travel to get to a specific turn or hump so I love marking fish/waypoints on my Humminbird and then just pressing the Go To button on the remote to take me to my waypoint while I rig up.

[h8go4s]

I have been thinking about upgrading to I Pilot Link, but have a couple of concerns with the follow the contour option. Won't this only be as accurate as the position error from GPS? I have seen position errors as little as 20', but as high as 250'. Also, did they improve the maps for better accuracy? Seems to me that the map chips can be used as good guide, but not as accurate.

Thanks.

I've never seen position errors that high. Usually it's 3', sometimes 15' on my HB 898. I fish mostly in the west metro area and at VNP, although satellite coverage should be virtually the same in most of the country, I'd think. I have found areas where the map card doesn't match up with actual depth, even on 1-foot contours, but not crazy errors. At that, I'll say the advances in sonar and GPS mapping in the last 5 years are darn good. If you're on a lake where the map card is using the old 1930's 5-foot contours, you might have more trouble. I'd guess Lakemaster is concentrating on mapping more lakes in more states rather than re-mapping what they already have. Just my opinion.

[Brad B]

the nice thing about the bird units thou is that you can go into the menus and set the water level offset. so as a example if you go to the 10 foot contour on the card and say the water is actually 8.5 or 11.5 feet deep you can set the offset to be a +/- 1.5 feet to correct it so that the contour line should be with in inches of the actual 10 foot depth contour. like was said before the areas with the sharp breaks can be a issue but once the contour widen you should be okay again.

[BLACKJACK]

What happens when you try to follow the contour on a lake with very wide contours (like Upper Red)? Theres a lot of 9 foot water out there!!!

[h8go4s]

Then you don't need the "follow the contour" feature. Just turn on the autopilot and adjust occasionally as needed.