Hi Doug, I found that when I went to play it windows media player says it's got an extension (.mpg4) which it doesn't recognize but will still play it. Probably a basic or older version of WMP although I've found that problem now and again for years. My TV satellite receiver records in an odd format (TS) so I had to get a converter app for that (along with an FLV converter)
My new-ish HP Pavilion 23 -Windows 8.2- converted all my MPG movies from my 2TB external HD- previously from Vista, into FLV format without being asked to, when I first plugged it in😠😠??). Pain in the butt having to convert things, don't know why the world doesn't standardize, would make life simpler!

Sounds logical John👍

Hull shape looks to be the problem, (bow is steering?) and a bigger rudder/ keel needed to stop it wandering, (not that bad though but could be annoying on a long run)

OK, that works if you click on the Medial File pic and then on the Download arrow in the mini blue box at top left
NOTE TO STEPHEN (FIREBOAT), PLEASE MAKE THAT BOX BIGGER SO IT'S MORE OBVIOUS!

A pop up Window will then ask if you want to Save the file or Open it; e.g. with Windows Media Player. Click on the open option and the video will run 😊
You can post the rest of your videos in the same way.
Attached is the one of your apparently Fishtailing boat. Hardly noticeable though?
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Ron, here's a quick test.
If this doesn't work I'll go via YouTube, just got the snag there sorted👍
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi any luck posting the videos?

Yep, they did.
Thanks Ron👍
I'll get 'em sorted this evening.
The photos you should be able to put up yourself directly.
Cheers, Doug 😎

I sent several emails today with video attachments. Hope they came through.

Ron,
I was referring to posting videos so that we could all see them.
You posted this question-
"I have two videos but am not sure how to post them on youtube. Is there anyone who I could send them along to? "
I sent you a PM offering my help and asked in this thread how big the video file is.
I got no response to either except "Are you on Facebook?"
Doug 😎

Hi...no response from me? Thank you for your help. It so tight under the cabin/wheelhouse this was the best arrangement I had so for that slight bit of fishtailing, I will let it go.

I did my best to help John,
but no response 🤔
Doug 😎

Be nice if you can put it on You Tube so we can see it. If you get a YouTube acct (free) you can easily upload any video and then it can be linked to this site. Plenty of people here to help if you get stuck.
John B

Hi JB,
I have started a new thread on hidden switches as I don't want to deviate from this thread topic.

Martin.

Are you castin' nastertiums on my 'olden then cobber?

Hi Martin, just been thinking the same thing re main switch for the ST. I thought of using a remote switch hooked to/replacing both ESCS on/off slide switches. Have to use a UBEC from the motor battery to power the REC which would be switched on before fitting the 'lid'
You would only be using this system 'off' for a cup of tea or 'head' break so REC drain would be negligible on a decent battery.
I just thought of a small prob with the remotes I have,☹️ - I would only need to switch the Neg and Pos on the slide switches. The remotes have power - in and power- out with the operating lead to the REC, so I'm not sure I can make those work (there are probably plain on/ off remotes available but haven't looked).
An easy way would be to make a small board with a micro servo and micro switch using the servo wheel shaped to a cam, which would do the same job. I've got a number of micro servos I wouldn't use in a plane but would be fine for this application, so I may do it that way.

Anyone who is a Facebook user can find the little boat sailing on the pond in a video I posted. Ron Bauer

I have had a few old bangers in my time.

Martin.

Did you have a Holden too Martin?

DG, that's 2006, 13yrs ago when most people were still on FM. Most of that stuff probably doesn't apply these days with 2.4. We used to have a narrow 'hot spot' with FM around that time on our local 'unofficial' flying field (now a huge mall) and we put it down to perhaps being between 2 cell phone towers or an underground power cable. We even asked surveyors who were using satellite positioning equipment in the area but their frequency was so high and of low power so was ruled out.
With 2.4 you don't get that sort of problem (maybe if you flew in front of a TV station transmitting dish or similar) but the whole idea of 2.4 was to alleviate all of the old problems. If you have a very cheap 2.4 set with a low scan rate you may get the odd problem close to a power source, (or standing next to someone with a powerful Futaba or similar) but on the whole, very few problems, (just check how far away they can fly Quads etc using Cloverleaf antennae and relays etc using 2.4)
John B

I think this must have been an article from a while ago aimed at AM or FM radios as the radios on 2.4 are way less susceptible to interference. None of my models have suffered with any form of electrical interference since I changed to 2.4 from FM and previous to that 27Mhz which was shocking!. As previously mentioned I have 18 aircraft -mostly out-runners up to 1100w , a few in-runners-(ducted fans) and at the moment 5 boats (1 with twin in-runners, 1 with twin non suppressed 380s, 1 with single suppressed 380, 1 with twin non suppressed 540s, and 1 with a worn out old Graupner monoperm.
I have run 2 brushed boats together on 1 TX and a brushed and brushless on the same TX both with single wire RXs in each boat paired to the TX) with the boats 1ft apart at times with not a hint of a problem (RECs in the bow). I have always made sure the aerials are not in line with pushrods or near anything that might create any sort of magnetic field, and RXs as Doug said, on the opposite side to anything of that nature. Also as mentioned, any twin aerial RXs should have each leg at as near to 90deg as possible or at least 1 forward and 1 aft (planes and boats)
Not sure If I'm doing something right or it's the radios I'm using (5 different types- 2 are HK cheapo 2.4s- general lack of serious outside interference or if I'm just plain lucky, but I have enough of a variety of installations to show that in my opinion, if you are having a problem on a 2.4 set-up there must be something quite unusual happening.
I'll bet it would be something easy to fix, (like first take your gear out and test it to make sure it's not that, then look at aerial/ REC placement, twisted/coiled wiring etc. I noticed that the REC aerial on your boat Ron, goes over the top of the steel rudder pushrod -could be something as simple as that. You just have to go through things step by step until you find what's causing the problem (obvious statement I know)
Doug mentioned ferrite rings which are a good idea (I found some clip on ones on HK which you can put on leads easily) I also use UBECs on all my planes which have a ferrite ring fitted which are a good bit of insurance.
John B

"..In all the years that I have been model making I have never done this or know of anyone who has.
Maybe it is something that I should do...."

If you had been using valve receivers in the old single channel days you would be well aware of ensuring earth potential on every metal mass. Do you remember metal-to-metal interference in the 27MHz days? RF induces voltage in all metal components, and the resulting fields were a bugger for the simple electronics of those days. Modern kit on 2.4Ghz uses error-correction protocols (actually, because it's real-time, they are error-rejection protocols) and it's much more immune to interference.

You'll find that paper referenced on the Taycol web site. Motors of that age need all the suppression help they can get. Especially if you're running an S/C radio from the same period with them...

Yes I do remember the capacitors on the distributor cap points and I also remember fitting the cap for the radio.
And I remember actually being able to stand in the engine bay to work on the engine.
Unlike today.

Martin.

Hi Doug,
Well that old expression "never to old to learn something new" is true.
I have always taken my neutral wires to a central point, and suppressed motors.
Also I try to separate power and signal wiring separate but that is it.
Eventually when I get back to working on HMS Cottesmore I have to put suppression capacitors on the motors and I plan on changing the switches to make it easier to switch it on and off without having to remove the superstructure, so I will do this at the same time.

Martin.

Hi Martin years ago we used suppressors on the ign coil of the car to stop interference to the car radio, and these were always connected to earth same idea on your model motor. Also some used to have a small brass chain dangling from rear of car body to the ground .Same principal as the prop shaft in the water dissipates all static to earth.

"In all the years that I have been model making I have never done this or know of anyone who has."
You do now Martin😉
I've been doing it for years, still do when I use brushed motors. Also on brushed pump and auxiliary motors; radar etc.
Oh! But connect to the prop tube (aka stuffing box) NOT the shaft 😮

Also note his comment about a single earth point.
This prevents so called ground loops (no- not pranging a plane on the runway!) These loops in the earthing wiring can act as radiators and are often the cause of humming in audio amplifiers, hi-fis for instance.
Doug 😎

Hi DG,
Reading through one of the articles I noticed the following.

Always ground the motor cans by connecting them to your propeller shaft stuffing box. If they are not connected to anything other than the suppression capacitors, they will act as big fat antennas radiating the RFI coupled into them by the capacitors! Exactly the opposite of what you want! Also ground the negative battery supply lead so that you have ONE 0V or ground reference point.
Make sure the propeller end of the stuffing box has a small area without paint to make contact with the pond water. Although the pond is not a great electrical conductor, it does act as a weak ground plane, dissipating the motor can RFI signals to ground.

I am assuming that you have to connect a negative lead to the motor can and then on to the prop shaft.

In all the years that I have been model making I have never done this or know of anyone who has.
Maybe it is something that I should do.

Martin.

@RN - "..No! I'm not on Facebook and I don't Twitter or anything else like that.
And never will..."

A very sensible decision - I wish more people would follow your lead...

@jbkiwi - "....if it's possible to move your REC away from the ESC etc...."

Separation - if only of a few inches - is very useful in the case of RFI which comes in via radio waves. But sometimes a major source is HF spikes carried through the power lines. If that is the case you need to suppress these, with a ferrite bead, for instance... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrite_bead

Here is an interesting essay on model boat interference suppression... http://www.modelsoundsinc.com/articles/RFIArticleMarch2006.pdf

Sorry Ron, was looking at the wrong internal pic in your 'harbour' thought you were on FM. Most of what I mentioned still applies as well as info from the other guys. As they have mentioned, if it's possible to move your REC away from the ESC etc (maybe right up in the bow with extension leads back to your rudder and throttle etc) it should alleviate any interference, (if that's the problem). I always put my RECs up front and can run un-suppressed brushed motors without a problem (twin brushed 380s in the case of my MTB). Even if you need to velcro the REC to a piece of balsa and slide it forward if access is a bit tight. Main thing as everyone's said is to get the REC/antenna/antennae as far from the motor and metal objects as possible.

Looks good on the water.
Well done.

Martin.

Hi again,
No! I'm not on Facebook and I don't Twitter or anything else like that.
And never will.
We are transparent enough these days without opening our "digital doors" to to the world.
Try mailing to me first, if that won't work use an online Drop Box and mail me the link.
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Ron,
In that case just try widening the neutral point on the rudder servo channel.
It will make the servo less sensitive when the stick is centered.
This is done at the TX, check your manual - a Spektrum TX I presume?
I have the DX6 and the same RXs as yours.
Cheers, Doug

Are you on Facebook? I can post it there for you to see.

Actually the twitching is very very minimal, only the operator would know it. I generally try to set-up my boats coming directly towards me in such away that they run a true straight course. If I take my eye off them after setting a course, It will not be a concern. Generally I am the only one sailing in this private pond. But, there are obstacles one must be aware of, such as rocks close to the shore, and a few patches of weeds.

Hi Ron,
PM sent re videos!
How big (how many MB) are they?
Cheers, Doug 😎

Heartily agree Ian,
Rx should be as far away as possible from ESC and the hi power leads to and from the ESC.
here the -ve lead to the motor is practically tangled with the signal leads.
I hope the motor is fitted with suppressor capacitors!
Might be worth fitting a ferrite ring to the servo lead.
Run the lead 3 times through the ring.
Keep motor wiring on one side of the boat, signal wiring on the other.
I realise that there is not much room to move in this boat.
Much like some of my titchy 'Plastic Magic' projects😉

Also the two antenna wires should be far away from all power leads and at right angles to each other. That means one horizontal and one vertical.
Reason for this is that the RX is diversity capable.
Which means it selects and uses the best available signal from the vertical and horizontal components. BTW I use several of these Spektrum RXs with my DX6 so I know them well.
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Ron That receiver is really close to the Esc. It could be worthwhile moving it further away even if in temporary position for testing. It may not show twitching if you testing the motor with boat out the water as there will be little load on motor.
Ian

I have two videos but am not sure how to post them on youtube. Is there anyone who I could send them along to?

Hi Ron,
It may also help if you run the aerial wire up one of the mast's and disguised it as part of the rigging. (Assuming the receiver has the long aerial).

Martin.

I tried what you suggested. There is no twitching. Here are some new photos

Hi Ron, have you tried this? With the boat out of the water, turn the TX an RX on and watch the rudder as you walk away to see if it twitches (try operating the rudder a few times and wait). If nothing happens try running the motor and doing the same thing, if it twitches then you have a problem with electrical interference, (might be your antenna going over the motor, - assuming your motor is properly suppressed) If it twitches without the motor going and you get a fair distance away, it could be a dodgy Xtal, REC, or maybe servo (wouldn't have to be any distance away for the servo.)
Another thought is - was anyone else on the same frequency as you or standing near you with a more powerful radio swamping your signal, (had that happen to me with FM in a plane - different freq but my cheaper Acoms 4 ch radio was swamped by a Futaba 10 ch - guy got between me and the plane almost causing a crash)

Hi Doug,
There is a photo (number 6) in his harbour, although it does not give much information.

Martin.

Hi Ron,
Some pics of the interior clearly showing the wiring layout would be useful.
Also info on the frequency band your TX/RX gear uses, brushed or brushless motor?
And where is the antenna located.
Sounds like servo twitch from interference.
Cheers, Doug