'Copilot' for Minn Kota

[cyclops]

Has anybody used copilot remote control on Minn Kota?

pete

[donfish]

Hi Pete
Has the copilot arrived in Australia yet.Iwant one.

donfish

[cyclops]

Spoke to a dealer and he told me that copilot will not be coming to Oz. He said it interferes with some radio frequencies and Oz electronics.

Hmmm, wou'd reckon they could pick another frequency though. They have to put a souther hemisphere compass in them to come here anyway, or so I was told.

pete

[Zeeke]

I just ordered a Co-Pilot from Cabelas.. $360 all up with a 2nd remote.. (thats in AUD) .. as for the compass.. thats crap.. they are just a side mounted unit that attachs to the side where one of the plastic plates were.. it just tells the motor to turn left or right.. If they dont bring them to Australia.. then we will never be as good as those yanks, we have better fishing here and we cant take the full advantage of it unless we order from over seas.. also.. the remotes work like a car alarm thing.. and only have a 10 meter range.. so i think someones spreading some crap about them too.. plus... $360 for the remote job is better then $345 for the corded job from MinnKota in australia

[Bassifier]

I'm right handed, that’s my casting arm... My left deals with bail etc.
My foot can work the kota simultaneously... why should I interrupt my fishing rhythms and use a hand held remote when my foot is even more effective:confused: ;)
It’s a good Idea for trollers I think, and it is primarily aimed at the walleye market in the US.

I have also had the frequency comment confirmed by BLA.

Good luck to ya.
Richard.

[Zeeke]

Lol, i can multi-task heheh nah, ill be using the remote as a backup system, i just got an email from MinnKota saying it'll work over here and they are compatable.. ill still mainly use the foot control, but i like keeping it up the front deck, and atleast with the remote control setup you can still use the foot control or the remote at the same time.. whichever is easiest or closer to you

Tim

[Wacko]

I reckon they are a good idea BUT, as Bassifier said, the foot control works just as well. Why have both??






Wacko.

[Zeeke]

my boat has limited space, with upto 8 rods (no room to fit a rod locker unless i do some serious hacking into the boat) and fishing gear and a 80 litre esky for a live well and the side console, its a pain in the ass pulling the foot control around to fish from the back or something.. so ill be using the remote in the off chance i go to the back of the boat.. also if ive got a friend on board and im letting them use the leccy, they might not know how to control it properly so the remote will be handy.. like a 2nd driving wheel in a Learners car..

Tim

The best type of foot control:D

Cheers Samurai

[madsurfe]

coooool...... I like it! hey nice stretch of water, is that your boat? or you just teasing? is that you on the left side? I reckon' he's just seen a big Croc, look at his shorts! :p

Lol, no not my boat or me:p . I took that photo last week while fishing the Annan River at Cooktown. The boat belongs to a mate of mine from NQ.

Samurai

[cyclops]

Gee this post took a long time to generate some interest.

Thanks for the info Zeke. Don't ya just hate it when people who should know,ie distributers, tell ya crap. I thought that compass stuff sounded dodgy.

Other guys:-

Never had to move to the back of the boat fast leaving the foot control behind?

I remember blokes saying foot control was a new fangled waste of time once, whats wrong with a perfectly good tiller? Before them, there were blokes who thought oars were ok and motors were over the top, before them there were blokes who said why do you want to float on a log and catch fish when the bank is so safe and solid?

Quite ofen I'm away from the pointy end and the control when I need to alter course or power. Hey, maybe a special attachment that allows you to wear the foot control like a boot would be cool, that way you could clump from one end to the other without losing control ;)

A contol on your wrist sounds pretty good to me.

I'll tell you whether it works.

pete

[Zeeke]

Still waiting for it to arrived, they processed the cash on the 5th.. and is already in transit.. so should be here in the next week or so.. its gonna be an awesome bit of equipment to try out.. will do a full report on it.. then in a few months ill get to rip the minnkota off and wack it on my new boat if things work out and the person gives me a ring hehehe.. mm.. new boat

Tim

[madsurfe]

I am watching this thread and device with interest because I have a bad/good habit of leaping to the other end of the boat to stop the fish going under the boat during battle or to get some angle if it swims at me. Upon doing so I no longer have control of the boat so I reckon' it would be real handy

[Zeeke]

Well, since ur a nice bloke JP, ill let you take it for a spin when u come over for a fish ;) heheh if thats not soon, ill take picts of the entire package and setup so you can all have a really good detailed look at it.. and a report from me as soon as ive used it

Tim

[madsurfe]

don't worry Tim as soon as I can sort out my schedule I'll be over to do an ABT round. Now I know people are going to say ' what is JP on cos' he reckons cable steer is the bees knees ' well I also happen to think that the co-pilot adds just the degree of versatility that I require. I'm sure Mim :D will agree (now wheres those kissy emoticons)

[Zeeke]

hopefully ill be doing the ABT rounds too and in a new boat if the local Ranger remembers to ring me heh.. looks like i might be getting a Allycraft Sideconsole V Punt that has been used for the last 2yrs on a local dam by the ranger.. got it for $2000 and if i do get it, ill be selling my current boat off and putting a new 4stroke outboard on the new boat and new trailer and woof.. ill be flying!

Tim

[Zeeke]

Well, taxs and gst and stuff to get the remote here, it cost me $500, havent used it yet but will on sunday, but here is a few picts of the co-pilot system straight from the box

Tim

[Zeeke]

yes, there is 2 remotes but only because i ordered a 2nd one, ud get the system less if you didnt order the 2nd remote.. but i got it just incase.. doubt ill loose it, but its there!

Back of the system

[Zeeke]

The Plug, just so you know its the right one if your interested in getting a co-pilot system

Tim

[Zeeke]

used the co-pilot today and all i can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!! it was awesome, the response it has to the controls is amazing and steering is so simple, and it actually steers better then the foot control, we tested the "Range" of the system and you can control the leccy upto 30 meters away, i was driving my boat around like a remote control boat heheheh "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" ... a very handy piece of equipment, i found that i now prefer the remote to the foot control because you can balance yourself comfortable, have more control over the electric, can stand anywhere you want and.. not worry about loosing floor space because of cables and a foot control!!!!

Tim

[cyclops]

Hi Tim, sounds like it is just what I want. I wish I hadn't listened to the bulldust when I first inquired about it. How long did it take from the time you ordered it till it arrived?

hey, I could sit on the bank and send my boat out to troll my favourite spot. Just need one of those disabled peoples electric reels and a remote for it and.....:eek:

Guess what I'm getting for xmas?

pete

[Strewth]

Cyclops

Have been following this thread with interest. Could you post a pic of the co-pilot setup on your boat? Don't know why they don't sell it down here.

Cheers

Strewth

[Zeeke]

took 9 days to get the co-pilot system, only took longer due to customs not knowing what it was.. they should know now heh... total cost $500 with the 2nd remote, the system can be used with upto 10 remotes and still use the foot control, the foot control takes control of the whole system tho if someone uses it while ur trying to use the remote.. ill take some picts of how its mounted on the leccy, it actually bolts onto the side plate on the minnkota, it doesnt replace it but it sure as hell makes steering easier!!!! response time was just as fast if not faster then the foot control ;) and i didnt notice any loss of power when using the remote

Tim
p.s. as said, will post picts soon

[Zeeke]

heres some piccys

[Zeeke]

and heres it mounted on my boat

[Stevo]

Hi Tim,

Do you know the range (distance) on the remote control function???

Can you buy an extra remote when you need one?

What i am getting at is, if your fishing and another boat with a MK and remote is fishing nearby, alot of times you get pretty close in canals and creeks etc. If he is using his remote control will it take over your motor??? Similar in the Radio control world (car, planes, boats) you need a specific frequency crystal in your radio control plane and remote controller so it does not get taken over by someone else with a remote.

Just curious how it works.

Stevo:)

[Zeeke]

G'day Stevo, each remote has its own unique ID and when you want to use that remote, your electric must "learn" that id before it will respond to it, in the picts i put up of it mounted, you see a lil black hole in the side between the 2 screws, thats the learn button, you stick a pen or screwdriver down that hole and press the learn button to get the co-pilot system to learn that remotes id.. the manual says the co-pilot system can work on upto 10 remotes so if u have 2 or 3 remotes, you can keep 2 at home as backups or one hidden somewhere in your boat if you drop a remote overboard and it floats down river before you can get to it (the remotes float)

Range is between 20 and 30 meters so in the end your stuck with a really really big remote control boat

to clarify all that, if someone else is using a co-pilot system near you, there remote will not affect your co-pilot system because your system has not "learned" the other co-pilot systems remote ID

Tim

[Stevo]

that answers my question tim thanks:cool:

[ausbill]

Tim
Soooo... whats the go with the battery in the remote. Are they replaceable??

Decided to order one any way :) first part of the new boat :D

Bill

[Zeeke]

Battery certainly is replaceable, its one of the large flat round disk ones they use.. i think for watches or something, same as they would use for a remote for a car alarm, so easy to get! and the manual says it should last 2 fishing seasons

Tim

[ausbill]

Button lithiums, by the description.

Might have to take the boat down to the local remote control yacht pond and scare the locals ;)
Thanks Tim

Bill

[robman]

Hi Zeeke,
how do you buy the co pilot? Are all the parts purchased separate or do you get the whole shootin' match ie remote and motor appendage etc? I have found a co-pilot on a couple of sites but it does not say what is included in the price. What is the best price anybody has found on the riptide version?

Regards Robman

[Zeeke]

OK, in the package you get

1. Remote Control
3. Remote Control Rod Attachment Clips
1. Velcro Wrist Lanyard
1. Manual
2. Screws
and the Actual Co Pilot system which is the plastic receiver that screws into the side of your MinnKota Plate

All that is in one package, average price is $169 US for that in the Riptide Model, $149US for the Standard Freshwater Model

Extra Remote Control Attachment Clips are $19.99US for 6 plastic clips

Extra Remotes (Can use 10 remotes on 1 motor) cost $39.99US each

I got the Co-Pilot System and a Spare remote and in total that cost me $500 AU Dollers because of GST and Import Taxes

Tim

[Bassifier]

Cabelas have offered for the past year a mail in rebate for a free remote.

All up, riptide version with extra remote... (thats three remotes all up) should be about $410 aus air freighted. Thats before customs get there hands on it though:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :mad:

Happy purchasing!!

Richard.

[robman]

Zeeke,
Can you still use the quick release plate, with the remote screwed to the side of the riptide? It looks as though it would be very tight when I look at my motor mounted on the quick release plate. Also do you still need to plug the standard foot control in or can you go with the co pilot remote totally. Mate they look great I need to shout myself a xmas prezzy:D . What taxes etc, did they hit you with?


Regards Robman

[Zeeke]

they are designed to be used with a quick release plate, tis the reason for the half circle at the bottom near the rear part of the plate, thats for undoing and doing up the screw for the quick release

you can use the remote by itself and not have the foot control plugged in, it has a rubber cap that comes with it to fit over the plug and protect it from the elements if ur not using the foot control

they hit me with Import Tax and GST..

Tim

[robman]

Has anybody found any places in the States that you could by a copilot from, apart from Cabelas. Their 40% freight offer is over the top, surely we can get a better freight deal than that.

regards Robman

[C Steel]

I just had a bit of a search on Google and found Eangler.

I do not know anything about it but they sell copilots.

I hope this address works as I do not know how to do this

http://www.eangler.com/eangler/proshop/productdetail.asp?prod_id=5113&dept_id=250

[robman]

Hi Zeeke, how's the copilot going, are you still happy? Was it hard to install on the 55AP and hwo heavy is the unit? Mate I am a bees dick away from ordering one, I can't stand having the bloody cable all over the boat, I mainly work from the back end of the boat where I have all the electrics, I also do a fair bit of fresh water trolling.

So what's the verdict?
Regards Robman

[Zeeke]

Dude, this is the best bit of kit i have ever fitted to my boat.. so bloody easy to use, so simple to install, so just damn easy!!! it weights about 250 grams at most.. 1/4 of a kilo.. it really is the system you want then Rob.. id recommend it to everyone!

Tim

[robman]

Zeeke, I'm sold, I just ordered one, can't wait to get it.
Regards Robman

[Zeeke]

awesome Rob, you wont regret it!


Tim

[robman]

Zeeke,
Have had the copilot for about two weeks now. WOW how good are they!!!! I think my foot control will now be used as a anchor:D . I had it delivered to my door for $260 AUD. Great service from the States. Although the battery in the remote had to be replaced after a couple of outings. I think I left something laying on the remote in my bag and flattened the bugger. I was a bit concerned when I lost control of the boat:eek: I had to unplug the motor from the deep cycle before I jammed her int some snaggs.
Luv the copilot, thanks for your help and info.
Regards Robman

[Zeeke]

Bloody great arent they rob?? im still in love with mine, havent flattened the batterys on the remote yet.. but bloody simple to use isnt it?? and also bloody simple to install!!

Tim

[BoofHed]

Robman
Zeek and u have sold me on the remote cause i didnt recon the foot control was all that good and there had to be a better way.
Thanks 4 all the feed back on it and im ordering one wif 2 remotes incase the batery goes flat.
Bruce