The Heading Sensor enables the Jog feature and is not required for any other function of i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link. When the Heading Sensor is paired and calibrated, the Jog feature of i-Pilot and i-Pilot Link allows you to move your boat in 5 foot increments, forwards, backwards, to the left and to the right with a button press on the i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link Remote.
Jump to:
- Mounting Considerations
- Heading Sensor Installation Video
- Powering the Heading Sensor
- Power Draw
- Heading Sensor Light Patterns
- Pairing the Heading Sensor to the Trolling Motor (Advanced GPS Navigation, Bluetooth i-Pilot Link, Bluetooth i-Pilot)
- Video Walkthrough for Pairing a Heading Sensor with a Trolling Motor
- Heading Sensor Calibration, and Offset with Bluetooth i-Pilot Link (2017-2023)
- Heading Sensor Calibration, and Offset with Bluetooth i-Pilot (2017-2023)
- Calibrating the Heading Sensor
- Heading Offset for i-Pilot
- Heading Sensor Dimensions
- Resources
Mounting Considerations
*Please see the Heading Sensor Instruction Sheet for specific mounting instructions
The Heading Sensor needs to be mounted on a flat level surface with the arrow pointed parallel with the keel-line of the boat. It should not be mounted upside down and it needs to be at least 2 feet (24 inches) away from the trolling motor, anything ferrous, and anything that can cause interference. To see if the location you are wanting to mount the Heading Sensor is near something that can cause interference or something ferrous, you can use a compass. Place the Heading Sensor in the location and place the compass on top of the sensor. If the compass experiences interference, the location will not work for the Heading Sensor.
The Heading Sensor also needs a clear line of sight to the head of the trolling motor. If you are not sure about the location you want to mount the sensor, you can use double stick tape on the bottom of the sensor and place it in the location you are testing. Once the Heading Sensor is connected to power, you can try pairing it to your trolling motor and calibrating it. If either the pairing or calibration fails, the location will not work. If the Pairing and Calibration are successful, you can drill the holes and permanently mount the Heading Sensor.
There are some windshields that will prevent the Bluetooth signal from getting to the trolling motor if the Heading Sensor is mounted behind it. If you are going to mount the Heading Sensor behind a windshield, use the method above for testing the location with double stick tape.
Heading Sensor Installation Video
This video will walk you through the basics of installing a Minn Kota Heading Sensor.
Powering the Heading Sensor
*Please see the Heading Sensor Instruction Sheet for specific power instructions
The Heading Sensor requires being connected to a 12v power supply and we recommend a 1 amp inline fuse. It does have a minor amp draw and if connected to power long-term, it can drain the battery. You can connect it to an on/off switch to be able to power it off when not in use or for long-term storage (like over winter).
- The 22 AWG power leads for the Heading Sensor are 12.5' long.
Power Draw
The amp draw of the heading sensor during sleep is less than the memory function of a stereo, so there is no need for a disconnect switch.
- During active communication (i-Pilot controller ON and HDG Sensor LED flashing) the Avg current = 9.9 mA
- During “sleep” (i-Pilot controller OFF and HDG Sensor LED off) the Avg current = 1.6 mA
- During pairing and programming the Heading Sensor draws 15-50mA
Heading Sensor Light Patterns
The Heading Sensor has an LED button light on the top. The light will either be red (older Heading Sensors have a red light) or it will be blue (newer version Heading Sensors have a blue light). The state of the light will tell you what is going on with the Heading Sensor. The Heading Sensor needs to be connected to 12 Volts and we recommend a 1 amp inline fuse. You can connect the Heading Sensor to a power switch and if the power is disconnected, the Heading Sensor will remember the pairing to the trolling motor, calibration and offset when powered back on.
- No Light- the Heading Sensor is not receiving power.
- Steady- the Heading Sensor has power but is not paired to the trolling motor.
- Flashing twice per second- When the Heading Sensor is in Pairing Mode.
- Flashing once every 3 seconds- When the Heading Sensor is powered and paired to the trolling motor
Pairing the Heading Sensor to the Trolling Motor (Advanced GPS Navigation, Bluetooth i-Pilot Link, Bluetooth i-Pilot)
Before the Heading Sensor can be paired, make sure that it has been properly installed and connected to a power source. Review the LED patterns that the Heading Sensor communicates in order to understand what mode it is in and to be able to recognize that is has successfully paired once the process is complete.
- Connect the Heading Sensor to a power source and verify that the LED on the Heading Sensor turns on for 3 seconds and then turns off.
- Power on the trolling motor. Please see the trolling motor Owner’s Manual for instructions on how to power up the trolling motor.
- Press the Pair button on the Heading Sensor. Verify that the LED indicates it is attempting to pair.
- As quickly as possible, begin to hold the Pair button on the i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link Control Head.
- The i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link Control Head will emit a beep pattern when the Heading Sensor is successfully paired.
- Release the Pair button on the Control Head.
- Watch the Heading Sensor to be sure that once it successfully pairs that it starts emitting the LED pattern for normal operation.
- After the Heading Sensor is paired with i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link, proceed to Sensor Calibration and Sensor Offset.
NOTICE: If battery power is lost, the Heading Sensor will not lose its Pairing to the i-Pilot System when it is powered down.
Video Walkthrough for Pairing a Heading Sensor with a Trolling Motor
This short video will show you how to pair your Bluetooth-enabled Minn Kota trolling motor with a Heading Sensor. This heading sensor contains a compass that detects your boat's heading and communicates it to your trolling motor to enable the Minn Kota Spot-Lock Jog feature, which lets you move your Spot-Lock location in 5 ft. increments in any direction.
Heading Sensor Calibration, and Offset with Bluetooth i-Pilot Link (2017-2023)
The Heading Sensor must be calibrated once the unit and the motor have been installed on the boat and paired via a Bluetooth connection.
Calibrating the Heading Sensor with Bluetooth i-Pilot Link
- Review all safety warnings and then navigate your boat to an area of the water that is free from obstructions.
- Power up the trolling motor according to the instructions provided in the Owner’s Manual. Make sure the Heading Sensor is also powered up and paired with the trolling motor.
- Turn on the remote for your i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link system.
- On the i-Pilot Link remote, press the Home button.
Scroll through the Content Area using either your finger or the Screen Navigation button to find the System button. - Select the System button using either your finger or by pressing the Ok button to open the System Menu.
- Once in the System Menu, scroll through to find the Sensor Cal option, and select it.
- The Sensor Cal options appear. In order to complete sensor calibration, the boat must drive in two complete circles.
- Review all safety warnings and then follow the prompts on the display screen and drive the boat in two complete circles. Follow the on-screen prompt and select the Start button.
- The Circle on the right side of the display screen will show how the boat has progressed through the current circle and will fill in like a pie chart as the boat progresses.
- The left side of the Display Screen contains a counter that shows the number of complete circles that the boat has been driven and will increase from 0 to 1 and 2 as the circles are complete.
- Once the two complete circles have been completed, the display screen will read Cal Successful. To exit the menu, select either the Back button or the Home button.
Heading Sensor Offset with Bluetooth i-Pilot Link
- On the i-Pilot Link remote, press the Home button.
- Scroll through the Content Area using either your finger or the Screen Navigation button to find the System button.
- Select the System button using either your finger or by pressing the Ok button to open the System Menu.
- Once in the System Menu, scroll through to find the Sensor Offset option, and select it.
- The Sensor Offset options appear.
- Follow the on-screen prompts. Turn the motor so that it is pointing forward and parallel with the Keel of the boat.
- If the current Offset is greater than the allowable range, the Offset cannot be recorded.
- Once they are parallel, select the Set button. Once set, the Offset on the bottom right of the Display Screen will update. The Sensor Offset will automatically adjust. In the event of an error, correct the Offset to fit within the tolerance allowed.
- Press the Home button to exit the menu.
Heading Sensor Calibration, and Offset with Bluetooth i-Pilot (2017-2023)
The Heading Sensor must be calibrated once the unit and the motor have been installed on the boat and paired via a Bluetooth connection.
Calibrating the Heading Sensor with Bluetooth i-Pilot
- Review all safety warnings and then navigate your boat to an area of the water that is free from obstructions.
- Power up the trolling motor according to the instructions provided in the Owner’s Manual. Make sure the Heading Sensor is also powered up and paired with the trolling motor.
- Turn on the remote for your i-Pilot system.
- On the i-Pilot remote, use the Menu Up and Menu Down buttons to find the System menu at the bottom of the display screen.
- Use the Right Softkey to select the System menu.
- Use the Menu Up and Menu Down buttons to find the Sensor Cal menu at the bottom of the display screen. Use the Ok button to select it.
- The Sensor Cal screen will display.
- Use the Right Softkey to select the Start menu.
- Review all safety warnings and then follow the prompts on the display screen and drive the boat in two complete circles.
- The left side of the Display Screen contains a counter that shows the number of complete turns that the boat has been driven and will increase from 0 to 1 and 2 as the circles are complete.
- The Circle on the right side of the display screen will show how complete the boat has progressed through the current circle and will fill in like a pie chart as the boat progresses.
- Once the two complete circles have been completed, the display screen will read Cal Successful.
- Use the Right Softkey to select the Close menu.
Heading Offset for i-Pilot with Bluetooth i-Pilot
Once the heading Sensor is calibrated, the Heading Offset needs to be set. Heading Offset is the difference between the angle of the Keel of the boat and the angle that the Heading Sensor is mounted to the deck of the boat. During installation, the Heading Sensor was installed to be as parallel to the keel of the boa as possible. If the boat and heading sensor are perfectly parallel and pointing in exactly the same direction, the Offset will be a perfect 0° degrees. Knowing that installations are never perfect, the Heading Offset can be set on the i-Pilot Remote to compensate for the difference between the two. Heading Offset has the ability to correct the difference in a range between +30° and -30° degrees.
- On the i-Pilot remote, use the Menu Up and Menu Down buttons to find the System menu at the bottom of the display screen.
- Use the Right Softkey to select the System menu.
- Use the Menu Up and Menu Down buttons to find the Sensor Offset menu at the bottom of the display screen.
- Use the Ok button to select it. The Sensor Offset screen will display.
- Turn the motor so that it is parallel with the Keel of the boat.
- Use the Right Softkey to select the Set menu. The Sensor Offset will automatically adjust.
- Use the Left Softkey to select Back, or press the Home button to exit the menu.
