GPS Puck on minn Kota troller

Hey all, a friend of mine is buying minn Kota troller w/spot lock. The person he bought it from didn’t give him the gps puck that goes with it. I don’t know much else of the whole situation, how old it is or anything else. All he asked me to find out for him is if he needed the puck? He’ll only use it for spot lock, and I doubt he record the tracks to have it follow automatically. So, i ask to you all what is the puck for? And is it really needed for him to spend another $100 more to buy it just for spot lock. Thanks!

Older terrova models can still have spot lock without the separate GPS sensor, they just have use the one built in to the head of the motor. To many options out there to know for sure without more information on what age and model as they also made a terrova that did not have spot lock in the past generations. The newer Bluetooth versions utilize the second GPS sensor to know where the rest of the boat is in relation to the GPS in the trolling motor so the jog feature works.

Are you talking about a gps sensor or the heading sensor? The Bluetooth models need the heading sensor to allow the jog function to work. GPS should be built in and you can use spot lock without the heading sensor.

I’ll have to ask him tomorrow what model it is. Thanks for the reply’s so far!

Ok. Got a little more info for you. It’s a 2016 v-2 power drive w/spot lock. I’m guessing with this info, the gps puck isn’t needed for spot lock? Thanks!

Last year I upgraded from a HB 797c2 to Helix 10. Installer said puck on my boat was better than the Helix built-in antenna and recommended using the puck. I can’t say if it is better but it works just fine.

Sylvanboat wrote:

Last year I upgraded from a HB 797c2 to Helix 10. Installer said puck on my boat was better than the Helix built-in antenna and recommended using the puck.

1. I don’t believe for a minute that 797 technology was better than Helix 10 technology. I doubt that the “installer” has the credentials to make that judgement. Sounds like bar talk to me.
2. To the O.P’s question, a Powerdrive is an entry level product. Adding anything to it is like putting lipstick on a pig.

Sylvanboat wrote:

Last year I upgraded from a HB 797c2 to Helix 10. Installer said puck on my boat was better than the Helix built-in antenna and recommended using the puck. I can’t say if it is better but it works just fine.

Since the technology that we are speaking of is the GPS receiver I would not be as fast to write this off as BS. If there was no possible truth to this statement then why would it be even compatible. There are some variables such as mounting location of the GPS which affects reception.

It’s my guess that the only reason the installer said the external GPS receiver was better is that it can be mounted anywhere in the boat but I’m not completely sure that he’s totally correct.
If you think that your GPS location should be close to your transducer it gives you that option but I doubt the technology is better coming from an older unit.
For one thing, your Helix will let you turn on GLONASS and I don’t think that was even an option with the 797c2 with the technology of the time it came out. GPS with GLONASS won’t be whole lot more accurate that GPS alone (using WAAS as a differential correction source) but you’ll have a stronger signal with GPS and GLONASS because you’ll be seeing more satellites at any given time.
I have a 797c2 with an external receiver/antenna that I located close to my transducers and used at one time but haven’t used for years. I also have a Helix 12 that I now use with a built in receiver and antenna and a 999 that I use strictly for mapping, also with a built in receiver and antenna. I’ve honestly never noticed any accuracy differences between using the external receiver/antenna located near my transducers with the 797c2 and my Helix 12 and 999 with everything internal. Humminbird advertises fast position fixes accurate within 2.5 meters ( a little over 8 feet) with today’s technology. If looking at a GPS position from the external receiver/antenna on the dash that may be over 8 feet off or a receiver/antenna near the transducers that may be over 8 feet off, does it really make any difference? I’m not certain that it does. If you think it does make a difference, mount the external receiver/antenna near your transducers.

Jeff K wrote:

Ok. Got a little more info for you. It’s a 2016 v-2 power drive w/spot lock. I’m guessing with this info, the gps puck isn’t needed for spot lock? Thanks!

Jeff K, I read this as you have a powerdrive V2 with an I pilot head on it and I don’t believe you have any need for the puck/heading sensor as that only came with the newer bluetooth models.

Food for thought – If the built in antenna receiver is mounted from approx 8′ from the transducer and the accuracy could be within 2.5 meters then we could be talking about 16′ off. And possibly a lot more if you do not actually experience the 2.5 meter accuracy claim. If Humminbird had any thought of increased accuracy with their Glonass feature then it would be default setting not optional to turn on and off.

Jeff K wrote:

Ok. Got a little more info for you. It’s a 2016 v-2 power drive w/spot lock. I’m guessing with this info, the gps puck isn’t needed for spot lock? Thanks!

Your assumption is correct.

There seems to be some confusion between a GPS puck, which would be used for a depth finder/sonar unit, and the very similar looking heading sensor which is used on bluetooth models of Minn Kota motors with ipilot spot-lock with the jog feature.

A GPS puck will work for a sonar, and sonar only.
A heading sensor will work with a bluetooth enabled Minn Kota trolling motor (2017-current) with ipilot, and trolling motor only. The heading sensor is a compass to detect the boat’s direction, NOT a GPS sensor.

That said, since it’s mentioned that the trolling motor in this question is a 2016 model, the heading sensor is not usable and completely unnecessary.

Blank, you are correct in your answer to the OP’s question and yes Minn Kota calls it a heading sensor for the newer blue tooth trolling motors.

I was just adding my two cents in when we got off topic with the external GPS receiver/antenna/puck or other descriptions used on a older Humminbird unit.

OG Net_Man wrote:

Food for thought – If the built in antenna receiver is mounted from approx 8′ from the transducer and the accuracy could be within 2.5 meters then we could be talking about 16′ off. And possibly a lot more if you do not actually experience the 2.5 meter accuracy claim. If Humminbird had any thought of increased accuracy with their Glonass feature then it would be default setting not optional to turn on and off.

I’m surprised that Humminbird gives the option to turn GLONASS on or off too and I don’t know their reasoning for do so. GPS and GLONASS together is never a bad thing in my experience and I work with it alot.
I don’t think that Humminbird intended to increase accuracy much by using GLONASS (although it will very slightly) because it’s the differential correction source that determines accuracy. On our depthfinders it’s going to be WAAS. What GLONASS will do is improve signal acquisition times and provide a stronger signal on those days when GPS alone is shaky because it’ll be seeing more satellites.

It looks like in most normal boating applications in the United States Glonass is less accurate than GPS. Using the 2 together may give you more accuracy then either by themselves but I am no expert.

I could not locate on Humminbird’s website touting the benefits of Glonass in their application. Evidently they do not even believe themselves in this as much of a benefit in their system. Maybe with Humminbird when you switch Glonass on it is only reading Glonass as a stand alone system.

Jeff K wrote:

Ok. Got a little more info for you. It’s a 2016 v-2 power drive w/spot lock. I’m guessing with this info, the gps puck isn’t needed for spot lock? Thanks!

Not sure about the power drive but I bought a new Terrova with Link in 2016 and it did not have the puck system. Pretty sure they didn’t offer it then. Everything was built into the head. I replaced it last year with a new Terrova Link and that one does use the puck.

Thanks for all of the replies! I’ll get back to him and tell him to save his money. Thanks again!