What is this symbol on the iPilot Link remote?

[FryDog62]

I noticed the symbol circled in the picture is "red" on my Link remote -- even after I charge the boat batteries and remote batteries over night.  Red is usually not a good sign, yet I've never lost power to anything.  It doesn't say what this means in the manual.  Anyone know?  

[MickD]

It looks like an icon for the boat trolling motor battery or depth finder source battery condition.  The remote battery condition icon is to the left of it. Not sure, but one thing that might be going on is the setting for low battery on the depth finder may be feeding this icon.  If you have that setting quite high the motor and/or depth finder will work fine, and  the depth finder might report to the remote that the setting has been crossed.  The depth finders may be on your starting battery, so it may be reporting on that battery, which is more important than the trolling motor battery.  The depth finder units draw about 3 amps each.

 

Maybe someone who really knows will post.

[OperationEagle]

yep this is the TM battery level.  Should be green after you charge the TM batteries up.

[FryDog62]

36 minutes ago, OperationEagle said:

yep this is the TM battery level.  Should be green after you charge the TM batteries up.

It comes on after the batteries are full charged.  But what I'm noticing is that the red battery symbol only flashes on briefly right when I take the trolling motor off of spot-lock and engage the prop.  Any guesses why that's happening or if I should ignore?

[MickD]

1 hour ago, FryDog62 said:

It comes on after the batteries are full charged.  But what I'm noticing is that the red battery symbol only flashes on briefly right when I take the trolling motor off of spot-lock and engage the prop.  Any guesses why that's happening or if I should ignore?

Probably a low voltage due to current surge of starting the trolling motor. 

[FryDog62]

2 hours ago, MickD said:

Probably a low voltage due to current surge of starting the trolling motor. 

I'm assuming you mean it's a temporary/short duration low voltage due to starting the TM, but not an indication it's about to die.  The motor, battery and charger are all only 5 months old and despite the red battery symbol the TM lasts all day...

[KTinman86]

I've never had issues with my system... I had my local marine guy set-up my rig because it's just too technical with all the goodies we've got nowadays, so if you had yours done professionally, take it in and have it looked-over; they should warranty the work. Good luck FryDog! The bass have to be chewing up by you...? Ours is starting to get better with water temps below 70 now.

[MickD]

9 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

I'm assuming you mean it's a temporary/short duration low voltage due to starting the TM, but not an indication it's about to die.  The motor, battery and charger are all only 5 months old and despite the red battery symbol the TM lasts all day...

Correct.  I think it may be the high current surge associated with starting the motor.  One indicator of low voltage is also when your fish finders shut off when you didn't turn them off.  that is an indication of a battery being in a  low state of charge.  If your starting motor and electronics are on the same battery, this is not one signal to ignore.

9 hours ago, KTinman86 said:

I've never had issues with my system... I had my local marine guy set-up my rig because it's just too technical with all the goodies we've got nowadays, so if you had yours done professionally, take it in and have it looked-over; they should warranty the work. Good luck FryDog! The bass have to be chewing up by you...? Ours is starting to get better with water temps below 70 now.

I have a new boat that was professionally rigged and they wired the electronics off the starting battery, which in my opinion, is not optimum.  The starting motor should be on its own battery, unaffected by the use of anything else on the boat.  I'd rather lose my trolling motor or electronics  than the my engine.  I am reluctant to tear up the boat and  wiring to change it

[FryDog62]

Yes, I have a Group 29 AGM battery for the starter and 2 GPS units.  Then have 36 volt batteries to run the Ultrex.  Each is on the new Minnkota Bank charger 100% of the time when I'm not on the water.  The charger lights are "green" within a couple hours of plugging in.  All is new this year so should run fine, which they seem to do, except for the intermittent red battery symbol on the iPilot Link remote.  

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, MickD said:

I have a new boat that was professionally rigged and they wired the electronics off the starting battery, which in my opinion, is not optimum.

Actually, this is proper and recommended.  You do not want to run your electronics off the trolling motor battery.  You can add another battery dedicated to your electronics.

[MickD]

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

Actually, this is proper and recommended.  You do not want to run your electronics off the trolling motor battery.  You can add another battery dedicated to your electronics.

Tell me why not, please.  I did it for the last 18 years without a problem.  That boat was all 12 volts though.  But I see no reason why taking the electronics off one of the multiple trolling motor batteries is a problem.  But I don't know everything, so please elaborate on what the potential problems are. thanks

[J Francho]

If you haven't got any interference, then knock yourself out.  EVERY SINGLE boat I've ever had, the electronics were running off the cranking battery, the TM on dedicated batteries.