Ultrex ?

[BMCD]

So I have a new Ultrex, from what I understand the blue tooth Puck that comes with it is not needed, unless I want to Jog or Circle a spot. Is this correct?

[Friscotxman]

IDK if you are straight Hummingbird, but with my Lowrance setup, you need it for GPS/spotlock….

[BMCD]

Well I am lowrance. If this is true, does it need to be mounted up front.

[fishin couillon]

Some have them mounted by driver seat....

[Friscotxman]

Well I am lowrance. If this is true, does it need to be mounted up front.

I have mine mounted near the bow because I have my point 1 mounted in the rear of my boat......Once you connect it to power. You will have to pair and orient the units to each other for GPS.

[champ223]

So I have a new Ultrex, from what I understand the blue tooth Puck that comes with it is not needed, unless I want to Jog or Circle a spot. Is this correct?

You are correct. You can spot lock without the puck but you cannot jog

[loganmartincat]

It is not a must have. MK advises it enhances spot lock accuracy. It is a compass nothing to do with GPS they say it helps spot lock know the way the boat is headed. Yes it is required for the jog feature. Mounting requirements are are with in line of site to TM head.
The closer to the head unit and pointed in line with keel of boat the less offset you will need when doing settings. The online manual has better as well as more information than the small one that came with it.
Good Luck. You gonna love it��

[BMCD]

So is anyone here not using the puck?

[loganmartincat]

So is anyone here not using the puck?

why not use, all of 10 min. To install.

[Bill Reynolds]

I don’t have an Ultrex yet, but having one installed next week. Will the compass puck help with spot lock accuracy in calm water where there is no wind or current to orient the boat?

[Jonestrollingmotor]

Ok, as I've posted before -- per MinnKota, the Heading sensor (what ya'll are calling a puck) is not a GPS function but an electronic compass. Installing it "enhances" the spot lock feature but it is not required to operate the spot lock. The GPS features of this trolling motor is in the controller (head of trolling motor). The controller communicates with the heading sensor via bluetooth to obtain direction the boat / sensor is facing. I don't understand why someone wouldn't connect it since all it takes two screws and a battery connection.
John

[fishnfireman]

Ok, as I've posted before -- per MinnKota, the Heading sensor (what ya'll are calling a puck) is not a GPS function but an electronic compass. Installing it "enhances" the spot lock feature but it is not required to operate the spot lock. The GPS features of this trolling motor is in the controller (head of trolling motor). The controller communicates with the heading sensor via bluetooth to obtain direction the boat / sensor is facing. I don't understand why someone wouldn't connect it since all it takes two screws and a battery connection.
John

not that tough.

[Chuck H.]

Bryan, I just put an Ultrex on my '16 Z21. I put the heading sensor on the little flat spot with the rubber covering right in front of the driver's console.

[BMCD]

why not use, all of 10 min. To install.

Well if i need to install it ok. But i dont care bout jog or circle functions. The other issue is the dealer mounted it on the back of the boat.

Am gonna read about it this week.

[Jonestrollingmotor]

Well if i need to install it ok. But i dont care bout jog or circle functions. The other issue is the dealer mounted it on the back of the boat.

Am gonna read about it this week.

Doesn't make any difference where it's mounted. It's a compass that gives boat direction to the trolling motor. The back of the boat is facing the same direction as the front of the boat.

[Jetboy]

I have mine zip tied under the dash. Hot wired to the sig lighter. Works great. Took 15 min plus’s calibration. Mine was a whole 4 deg off. Hasn’t moved all year.

i like that I can’t see it.

[Syncros]

I asked MK about the HS and how it "enhanced" spot lock a few weeks ago and was told it allows you to spot lock jog which is an enhanced feature and it has no impact on spot lock accuracy or corrections. John, if you read this I'm sure your contacts are better than me calling them so feel free to fact check that.

If you think about how spot lock works I don't know how it could impact how the motor makes corrections in regards to how the boat is pointed because the motor can't control how the boat is pointed. Most of the time the boat is pointed into the wind. The motor just knows it needs to move x feet in x direction and the corrections are generally so small that the direction the boat is facing won't impact them.

If you had two motors working together then it could control the boats direction and make corrections to keep it pointed in a specific direction and I could see how the HS would make this possible.

As for Jog, I didn't use it in 21 months I've had an ultrex until just recently fishing offshore cover. Making 5 foot adjustments allows me to stay as far from the spot as possible while being able to cast to it. So I now see the benefits of jog.

[fishnfireman]

The jog feature is very beneficial when vertical fishing deep structure. I love it when fishing ledges in the winter. It can be a game changer..

[Jonestrollingmotor]

I asked MK about the HS and how it "enhanced" spot lock a few weeks ago and was told it allows you to spot lock jog which is an enhanced feature and it has no impact on spot lock accuracy or corrections. John, if you read this I'm sure your contacts are better than me calling them so feel free to fact check that.

If you think about how spot lock works I don't know how it could impact how the motor makes corrections in regards to how the boat is pointed because the motor can't control how the boat is pointed. Most of the time the boat is pointed into the wind. The motor just knows it needs to move x feet in x direction and the corrections are generally so small that the direction the boat is facing won't impact them.

If you had two motors working together then it could control the boats direction and make corrections to keep it pointed in a specific direction and I could see how the HS would make this possible.

As for Jog, I didn't use it in 21 months I've had an ultrex until just recently fishing offshore cover. Making 5 foot adjustments allows me to stay as far from the spot as possible while being able to cast to it. So I now see the benefits of jog.

I can agree with what you're saying and it didn't make sense to me. I too was one that went without the heading sensor for a time, then after talking to the guys at MinnKota I hooked mine up and calibrated. It seems the Ultrex doesn't "hunt" as much as it did before the installation. The only thing I can come up with is as the boats drifts to the side/angle, the keel alignment (remember the keel is/should be aligned with the trolling motor) changes so the actual position of the trolling motor changes. As you said, it should go from AB coordinate back to XY where it was locked no matter the position of the keel, but since installing mine doesn't seem to hunt for the XY coordinate as much.

[fishnfireman]

My last unit was the old style Terrova without a heading sensor. When fishing grass edges I would let the wind blow the boat and do a "controlled drift"
I could use the auto pilot, point it back into the wind and it would slow the boat while drifting at an angle.. With the heading sensor I can't do it like that because it wants to keep the keel in line with the direction of travel....If that makes sense......