Motorguide wireless

[SportFishStaff]

Introducing MotorGuide’s new Digital Wireless Series that lets you take command of the boat, from anywhere on board. Test by Andy Galwey.

MotorGuide Digital gives you wireless control with complete freedom of movement while on board your boat. It comes standard with a Wireless Foot Pedal, stow and deploy, and the versatility to use up to four remote inputs, including a Wireless Hand-Held Remote (optional). In addition there is a built-in removable mount component, rough-water lower-unit cradle and an integrated battery indicator.

Features: Fingertip control is available via the optional Wireless Hand-Held Remote and it truly works a treat, giving you optimum control from anywhere in the boat. The optional Wireless Hand-Held Remote comes with a convenient retractable belt clip that reduces the chance of loss and also allows you to quickly free your hands to fish.
You can mix and match up to four Wireless Hand-Held’s or Wireless Foot Pedals in any combination. This setup is ideal for tournament situations or tough bites that require teamwork, precise boat control and accurate bait presentations.
An excellent new stow and deploy mechanism is easy to use and ultra-smooth. Using just one hand and a light pull and you’re ready to make a run to your next spot.

Applications: MotorGuide Wireless Series trolling motors are made to fit boats with Deep-Vee hulls that are designed for big swell fishing situations in open water. The small removable mounting plate makes it easy to install the plate and mount the motor. The connection is rock solid and works well in rough-water conditions. The small size of the mounting plate foot-print (28cm long & 16.5cm wide) allows it to fit on almost any aluminum or fibreglass boat. There are adjustable slide mounts on the market for difficult mounting applications where the motor does not clear the gunnels.
The Wireless Series design allows the shaft to slide through the mount, which minimises the mount size and easily handles the design requirements for long shafts. This design makes the motor ideal for Deep-Vee Boats. The Wireless concept allows the motor to be operated from anywhere in the boat allowing the angler to troll from the back of the boat with the Wireless foot-pedal or optional Hand-Held Remote. This is a hugely advantageous feature when those on board need to dedicate themselves to fishing first and foremost.

In The Field: On the water we found the MotorGuide Wireless Series trolling motors to be super quiet. Both the foot pedal and the hand held remote were a dream to use and provided spontaneous control. These new motors are compact and super easy to handle as well.
They come in 12 or 24 volts, and yes, we tested both varieties. The Wireless Series features oversized brushes for enhanced durability and optimum running time. The stow and deploy feature was fantastic in use and the quick release was the best we’ve encountered to date.
We’ve not had the opportunity to test these units over the longer time frame but certainly have with earlier models.
In those instances we have found their reliability to be second to none and their running time to be every bit as good as the Minn Kota’s we tested alongside them.

Summary: The new MotorGuide Wireless system is excellent to use on the water and the combination of user-friendly features are sure to be appreciated by professional tournament fishermen in particular, but also will be useful to recreational boaties wanting to experience the latest technology.