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Posts: 612
| I have the Helix-Minn Kota system on my Lund. Ever so often I have trouble maintaining lock while in spot lock. I have checked all voltages and wiring no issue (that I found). However I spoke to Hummminbird and Minn Kota and was told that it's likely a small voltage drop and that both end the brain ((Helix) and the motor ((Minn Kota) are very sensitive to voltage drop. The trouble is since t's intermittent (some days it works completely as expected) as it always does when I try to trouble shoot. Not really expecting a solution but I figure it wouldn't hurt to put it out there for yr input, thanks. |
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| I only had the problem one time and when I checked the Lowrance unit in the stern of the boat (tiller), it showed it didn't have a satellite connection. Very brief interruption and then it worked. Don't know why but neither unit could find a satellite for location. |
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Posts: 2280
Location: Chisholm, MN | I don’t have a problem with mine and I have old batteries. Will be getting new ones this year anyway. I did have trouble keeping the remote paired so I updated the trolling motor and that fixed it. I would try that if you haven’t already. |
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Posts: 53
| Spot lock on minn kota has nothing To do with helix. The brains and gps locator is in the head of your trolling motor and you may have a separate heading sensor. But the hummingbird has nothing to do with it. If there is an update available it may help otherwise could be something in the head of the minn kota going. Which would be my guess. Wry good idea to mount a ram on the bow to stabilize the head of trolling while traveling and even turbulant water as things can get shook loose or damaged that way |
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Posts: 612
| K and M tackle - 11/25/2023 8:08 PM
Spot lock on minn kota has nothing To do with helix. The brains and gps locator is in the head of your trolling motor and you may have a separate heading sensor. But the hummingbird has nothing to do with it. If there is an update available it may help otherwise could be something in the head of the minn kota going. Which would be my guess. Wry good idea to mount a ram on the bow to stabilize the head of trolling while traveling and even turbulant water as things can get shook loose or damaged that way
Not so sure because the Helix communicates to the Minn Kota via an ethernet cable. from the input I got from Hummminbird, that to maintain lock the voltage to the Helix has a somewhat narrow operating range of operating voltage range. With out the brain (the Helix) the unit wont lock. as far as the unit is concerned. Yes the GPS puck is a integral factor and could be an issue. |
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Posts: 32801
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Make sure all software updates are installed and that the unit is calibrated. |
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Posts: 120
Location: Twin Cities Metro | NPike - 11/26/2023 1:17 AM
Not so sure because the Helix communicates to the Minn Kota via an ethernet cable. from the input I got from Hummminbird, that to maintain lock the voltage to the Helix has a somewhat narrow operating range of operating voltage range. With out the brain (the Helix) the unit wont lock. as far as the unit is concerned. Yes the GPS puck is a integral factor and could be an issue.
The GPS Puck has nothing to do with spot lock itself. The GPS puck is only used for the "jog" feature while on spot lock.
I have Garmin sonar and my Ulterra spot lock functions just fine without a connection to a Humminbird locator. In fact, even the Minn Kota autopilot, speed control, and auto pilot track-following features work well without any connection to a sonar unit. This is due to the fact that the "brains" of those features are contained within the trolling motor head.
I'm pretty sure that the ethernet connection between the sonar unit and the trolling motor is only used with the contour-following feature where the trolling motor needs the depth data provided by the sonar. It probably is also necessary for the trolling motor to follow tracks saved on the sonar unit. However, the trolling motor also has the capability of recording and following its own tracks without connection to a sonar unit.
Edited by RobertK 11/28/2023 8:53 AM
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Posts: 166
| The Helix itself has nothing to do with the spot lock functionality. This is a trolling motor problem
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Posts: 32801
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Does the spot lock 'zoom' once in a while or zip forward and shut off? My Ultrex had that issue (as well as just shutting off) and it was fixed by calibrating using the remote. |
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Posts: 22
| Something else to keep in mind. Spot lock is very sensitive, and even the slightest resistance (even if the cables get wrapped on the shaft, or something interferes with the movement of the foot pedal) will kick out of the spot lock function. |
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