Im looking for a good Auto Pilot or Remote trolling unit. I love the features of the TR-1 but do not want to spend upwards of $2,000
The Panther Marine remote looks interesting for about $300. Does anybody here have one or have used one in the past? Or use another brand/style that you would recomend? I want to get off the #@$* tiller and out of the rain!

Fool

Be careful, You get what you pay for. You have to remember that most of the hardware could be submerged in the salt water a lot. You could end up spending $300 a year on the cheap one's

This is a salt water model. This unit only allows you to steer. The TR-1 has throttle control, and steers by its shelf using gyro's and GPS! That is why its so much ca$h. I would of financed the TR-1 with my boat but I found out about it after the fact

With all the money that we spend on our toys, after much thought, I went out and spent the "money" on the TR-1 and a 2002 Yamaha fourstroke, kinda expensive, but I think that with the amount of fishing that I do, it will be well worth the same amount of money that I have spent on my sonar and GPS units.
I have been trying it out the last few weekends and it is great, even programmed it to my GPS. Set it to the Gig Harbor launch waypoint, and with the boat headed in the opposite direction, hit the GPS button and the boat turned and followed the exact track lines on my MapUnit to the waypoint.
This is going to be a great tool when fishing the ocean, and even in the bay, since I often fish alone. It's nice to be able to tend to the downrigger or tie up a new rig without constantly repositioning the boat. And with the speed control, you are not tied to the throttle on the tiller all day, you can be under the canvas if need be and do all the work in comfort.
I have rigged the unit in a way, that in the winter months when I use my sled more, I will be able to transfer the unit pieces to the sled, along with the fourstroke. It will take a few hours of work but should be worth the trouble.

I got a kick out of the guy in the mega sled this October on the Chehalis...

Remote in one hand...cell in the other...and still time to tell us about his 50# king.

When my sled grows up to be an even larger sled...I'm gettin me a remote setup...gotta be ready for those business calls.

FJ...out.

P.S. My phone stays on vibrate!!!

Don't want one of those Mega-Sleds myself, its hard enough pushing my outboard powered 18 footer off the (OOOPS) sandbars as it is!
Speaking of having your phone on vibrate, don't you just hate those guys with the new sonars with all the bells and whistles turned on full blast. There is nothing more annoying than to be anchored next to a constant "beep....beep".
Later,

Beep...beep or ring...ring

FJ...out.

I'm pretty sure TR-1 offers two different models. One has all the bells and whistles, does zig-zag patterns and stuff, and the other just does throttle and steers the boat. Not sure on the prices of the two units.

I've fished with John Keizer, Puget Sound Salmon Charters, and he's got the TR-1, I tell you, it looked pretty sweet and worked perfectly. I know a couple of other guys with them, and haven't heard any complaints.

-N.