I have a motorguide xi5 will the lowrance elite hook up to the 6 pin cable or will I have to have adaptor cable

nothing but perhaps a dirty connection

If the unlatch mechanism on your MotorGuide Xi5 trolling motor is not working, you may be able to resolve the issue by following these steps:

1. Check the locking pin: The locking pin on the motor's deployment bracket may be preventing the motor from unlatching. Make sure the pin is in the unlocked position and that there is no debris or damage preventing it from moving freely.
2. Check the unlatch lever: The unlatch lever may be stuck or damaged. Try moving the lever back and forth to see if it can be freed up. If the lever is damaged, it may need to be replaced.
3. Lubricate the mechanism: If the locking pin and unlatch lever appear to be functioning properly, the mechanism may just be stiff or dirty. Try lubricating the mechanism with a silicone spray or other lubricant.
4. Check the wiring: It's possible that the issue could be related to a wiring problem. Check the wiring connections between the motor and the control head to make sure they are secure and free from any corrosion or damage.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, it may be necessary to take the trolling motor to a professional technician for further diagnosis and repair.

I would use slip rings to tie existing cable to prop motor support shaft and mount transducer to motor housing. 'slip ring'--metal ring a little bigger than shaft with a nipple the size of the cable. OR call the bird at 1-800-633-1468 or www.humminbird.com/Category/Company/Contact-Us/ and use some southern/country slang when talking. Best of luck 'you all'.

Hi
One of the two cables is for power to the battery while the other supplies power to the transducer. BOTH cables (+ and -) must be used and intact.
In case anyone requires it, here is the link to the installation manual.
Hope this helps.
-Steve

http://www.lowrance.com/Root/Lowrance-Documents/GB/ELITE-4_HDI_OM_EN_988-10576-001_w.pdf

Lowrance has started using the same power cord on their Elite units and their HDS units. The yellow wire on the power cable is an accessory wake up wire designed to be used in conjunction with the structure scan modules for the HDS.
You can simply tape this wire off during your installation ND ignore it.

The additional wires are for NMEA data transfer to and from other devices and sensors like distance, speed, depth, temperature and NMEA 0183 sentences the unit will use when connected to a VHF radio or other NMEA 0183 device.

The manual link below.
http://www.lowrance.com/Root/Lowrance-Documents/US/ELITE-5_HDI_OM_EN_988-10518-001_w.pdf

I own a 1995 Four Winns and what you need is a Lowrance LSM-1 depth finder unit. It accepts the two pin lead from the transducer and send the depth reading to the dashboard display via the 6-pin connector. There is also a three wire harness (red/blk/wht) that connects to a power supply.

The reason I know all this is my depth finder fried a couple years ago so I removed the Lowrance LSM-1 from the boat in order to find a replacement. Unfortunately, this was an OEM part that is not available from Four Winns or any aftermarket source. Probably your best bet is to look in a boat salvage yard or purchase an aftermarket depth finder.

You need to get a Digital to Analogue converter such as the Canopus ADVC110 A/D Converter. (circa $225). There may be cheaper alternatives. (you might also be able to use a digital camcorder that has a built in Analogue to digital converter):
 Canopus 77010150100 ADVC110 Converter

The Canopus comes with a 6-pin firewire cable. Since your Dell Studio has a 4 pin Firewire (actually called iLink) you will also need a 6-pin to 4-pin cable or an adapter:
 Firewire 6-PIN To 4-PIN Cable

 Cables To Go - 27028 - Firewire 6-Pin Female 4-Pin Male Adapter

You hook your Sony up to the A/D converter with audio and video cables (usually supplied with your camcorder) and hook the converter to you Dell with a firewire cable. Then you capture the video using some video capture software. I don't know what comes with windows these days.