(Trolling Angles Automatic Inclinometer)
US Patent 11473893
The Trolling Angles Autocline automatically measures your fishing line’s angle for the Trolling Angles app.
The Autocline consists of a electronic inclinometer mounted on a bar, which may be clipped to your rod tip and to your fishing line so that the inclinometer is always parallel to the line. The inclinometer transmits the line angle to the Trolling Angles app over a wireless Bluetooth connection.
With the Autocline, you can take length and angle measurements very rapidly and accurately, without aligning and sighting the smartphone.
Pairing the Autocline
Before using the Autocline, its Bluetooth interface must be paired to your Smartphone. There are several ways to pair the Autocline.
Pairing and unpairing can be accomplished through the Android phone Settings exactly as for most other Bluetooth devices. This is the most straightforward and reliable way to pair the Autocline. If the Autocline device HC-06 is not already paired, then
- Turn on the Autocline
- Use the Smartphone Settings / Connected Devices / Pair new Device
- The device name is HC-06
- The PIN is 1234
Adjusting
The Autocline sensors may be tested and readjusted using the Autocline Setup screen. Turn on the Autocline device and place the device on a flat steady level surface so that the bar is as level as possible. In the Autocline Setup screen, press the Connect button and wait for the Autocline to connect and to begin showing angle settings. Leave the Autocline still and press the Zero Y Axis button. Wait for the Z angle to return to 0.0. Press the Zero XY Axes button and wait for the X and Y angles to return to 0.0. The Autocline is adjusted.
The Smooth Pitch is the only angle that is used by the Trolling Angles app while measuring line angles. It is an average of the instantaneous Y angle over a period of time. The pitch is smoothed in order to allow more accurate measurements in moderately choppy conditions when the line angle may bounce rapidly. You may change the Smoothing Interval value, which controls the time period in milliseconds over which the pitch value is averaged.
Using Trolling Angles Autocline
First, make sure that the Use Autocline switch in the Autocline Settings page of the Trolling Angles app is turned on. This feature is available with the Elite package.
Prepare the Autocline by gently adjusting the clips so that they are centered on the bar. Adjust/slide the rear clip on the bar so that the Autocline is balanced by the rear clip.
Attach the rear (balancing) clip to the rod’s tip eyelet. Do not pass the line through the Autocline’s rear clip. The line should pass freely through only the rod’s tip guide. Attach the front clip of the Autocline to the fishing line so that the line flows freely through the front clip’s eye.
Turn on the microswitch on the side of the Autocline’s body. The blue connection light will start to blink. Deploy the rod with line and terminal tackle to begin calibration. It is possible to see the blue connection light from the boat if the rod is deployed to the port (left) side of the boat.
Start a new Calibration in the Trolling Angle app, and begin to measure line angles. In the Trolling Angles Measure screen, select the TA Autocline option. The blue light will stop blinking and the Line Angle field will change to the current angle of the line. Enter the line count (length) and select the Done or All Done button. That’s it.
Proceed to release or recover line for the next measurement, wait a bit to let your line and lure stabilize to the new depth, and repeat for each measurement.
When finished, turn off the switch on the Autocline, and remove it from the rod tip and fishing line.
Naturally, be very careful not to drop the Autocline into the water, or to expose it to rain or moisture. It is not weatherproof. For extra protection, you may wish to cover the charging port with a small piece of electrical tape when it is not being charged.
Charging
To recharge the Autocline, use the provided charging cable with a USB connector. You may use a USB port of a computer, or a USB AC power block. While charging, the Autocline will display a solid red light. When the Autocline is fully charged, the red light will go out.
