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hookem
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A friend of mine called me today and asked me what I do with my Minnkota autopilot during the winter. I told him I have always brought it in and stored it in the basement even though Minnkota told me it wasn't necessary. He was at motor clinic today and they told him to store it indoors and to stand it up, but gave no reason why it should be stood up. I said it spends 95% of its life laying down while mounted on the boat so I wasn't sure why it should be stored upright. Any thoughts on storing your autopilots. 
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Jason Halfen
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I think that bringing it inside and keeping it out of the elements is a perfectly reasonable thing to do if the boat will sit idle until spring. The little compass in the autopilot floats in a bed of fluid (not sure if it's water or something else) that could possibly freeze and crack its housing. I don't see any reason to stand it upright...as you said, plenty of AP-equipped motors spend their entire lives in a horizontal position, particularly on boats down south.
Having said all that....I'm on my second boat with an AP-equipped Terrova. I fish 12 months a year on P4, and I've never worried about removing my troller to keep it warm or out of the elements. But, as the investment commercials say...."your results may vary"
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Chuck Nordahl
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I thought the old compass design in the AP's had that design and the new (i.e. Terrova) is digital? I thought that's what I was told by a MK repair guy. Just curious if you or anyone else knows..
My old AP sat on my boat in the cold storage every winter for at least 10 years it was on there. Never failed, but it wasn't completely trustworthy 100% of the time.
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Czech
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Now wait a minute, I should store my boat for the winter? What's that about? 
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Always remember: Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.
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Minnkota Autopilot question
