Anyone tried Solar Powered RC boat?

Hi Ronald if you read Model Boats magazine John Parker drew plans for a solar powered boat (Sarik). It is a tourist boat with a long awning which has solar cells on it. He lives in Melbourn Ausrtalia and we are in frequent email contact. Roy

13 minutes ago by 🇬🇧 roycv ( Fleet Admiral)

Hobby Chit Chat

Wood glues

PVA glue penetrates the wood, best join is to put a weight or clamp the wood down, also a pin with an end part is good. When the pin is removed there is a hole but this is just fibres that have been pushed aside and a drop of water allows them to move back to resume their place and hole dis appears. Have a damp cloth available to stop pva staining the deck when the plank is held in place. I saw a video testing all available pva glues and all the glues worked from cheapest to most expensive, so choose cheap and thick. However we all have our own way so choose for yourself. Roy

20 minutes ago by 🇬🇧 roycv ( Fleet Admiral)

Building Related

Question of the Day?

9 hours ago by 🇨🇦 RossM ( Captain)

Website Related

LesRo Javelin (2).

Thank you Mike, I actually prefer restoring old Classic Model Powerboats to building new ones as it’s usually more of a challenge with lots of new and different problems to try to resolve. Bob.

9 hours ago by 🇬🇧 zooma ( Vice Admiral)

Website Related

Programming a seaking brushless ESC challenges..

Something that I have noticed when using a programme card at our car racing club every week is the vastly different amount of information that can be displayed on the same program card when it is connected to different ESC’s. I was programming a full spec (eye wateringly expensive) racing ESC at the club on Thursday night (not mine) and I have never seen so many adjustable parameters come up on the display of the same Hobbywing programme card that I was using on other cars ECS that night. Being fascinated by this experience, I connected the same card to several other quite expensive (but not so silly priced) racing ESC, but they only displayed a fraction of the adjustable options that were so clearly visible on the “very top” of the range ESC. To double check and confirm this, I connected up again to this very top-end ESC, and it opened up the same amount of mind-boggling options as I worked my way through the programme card. What this does prove, is that the parameters that can be accessed is not necessarily dependent on the type of programming card used, although different cards will be needed for different ESC, the ESC itself is made with a limited range of adjustments (that can be accessed) depending on the model and the type. I will still be working my way through all of my Sea King ESC and try them with any of the program cards that I have - just in case I can extract any more information using a different combination of card and ESC. My programming cards are also updated online occasionally to give me the best chance to access any available information that each type of ESC being used is able to share. Bob.

23 hours ago by 🇬🇧 zooma ( Vice Admiral)

RC & Electrics

Dumas Closing

One would think a good number of Florida residents would have model boats. We have plenty of ponds, lakes, and saltwater canals, etc., along the coast. But no. Third largest state in the US but I know of only a half dozen clubs here. We tend not to be like the old world and take up hobbies like this. Being we run in a public park we do get people stopping by to look. Not many, but a few. There is just no interest. I'll be 82 next week and keep my mind occupied with scale model RC boats, armor, other RC vehicles, photography, web site maintenance, and of course 3d printing (just about anything). In between I try to fit in my family. This year I think I will be giving up yard maintenance. Too hot in the summer. No bingo or trivia nights for me (yet). Lew

2 days ago by 🇺🇸 LewZ ( Vice Admiral)

General Resources

Current project

Acrylic paint has been used on the hull and deck structures. Wheelhouse, hatch covers, and other parts. Several applications of Minwax Polycrylic were applied after the paint was dry. Pleased with the results.

3 days ago by 🇨🇦 Ronald ( Fleet Admiral)

Hobby Chit Chat

Fiskebaten Trawler?

Hey Dave! As a keen motorcyclist, cool trips are no problem for me! 😍😍😍 In June and July, my wife usually joins me on my camper van tours . . . But exceptions prove the rule . . We'll see how everything goes with your tour. Michel-C.

4 days ago by 🇨🇭 Mike Stoney ( Rear Admiral)

Hobby Chit Chat

Dumas Products closing down!!!

It's very sad. I hope their products will be produced in the future.

5 days ago by 🇺🇸 Hsailer ( Leading Seaman)

Hobby Chit Chat

Sunday at the pond

Very nice facility! Congratulations on acquiring & maintaining such a nice spot. Our club is lucky to have a very solid relationship with the City of Edina, here in Minnesota. We are allowed to use the Centennial Lakes Ponds, and have access to a storage cage on-site for our equipment. Being a City Park, and a space we share with the park's paddleboats, we cannot set up permanent piers as you have. But that would most certainly be nice! Dave B

5 days ago by 🇺🇸 DWBrinkman ( Commodore)

Hobby Chit Chat

Faulty Spektrum TX

I've just read from the beginning. I've had dxi6 for many years, well into double figs, I'm using dx8, gen 1 and gen 2, and nx8, with planes, so I know the transmitter quite well. When a model is set in the memory, it won't get lost if the batteries get flat. I store my dx6i which is for boats without batteries, for many months, pop the batts back in, all the models are there in the memory. The scroll roller is a problem if it starts to malfunction. It might be that, and the on off switch can start to malfunction over time. I've had both issues, the roller can cause model memory to jump. Don't disregard it until logic have looked at it. If they advise against a fix, they usually won't charge you. It's a great transmitter. Just be mindful 2.4 ghz doesn't like water so mount your receiver above the water line or you could get signal loss, and remember the hull will roll in turns.

6 days ago by 🇬🇧 pmdevlin ( Lieutenant Commander)

RC & Electrics

Beamsville interior

Ronald, Really good work, congratulations! Michel-C.

7 days ago by 🇨🇭 Mike Stoney ( Rear Admiral)

Building Related

Dutch sailing barge

Made a few small changes, minor rigging, added some ballast to the stern and shortened the mast, lowering the take of point of the jib. Looks better and sails fine. However, still have a small leak via the prop shaft, so that does need some thinking about for a solution. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuk1Q7B63Tw

8 days ago by 🇬🇧 AndyB2 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)

General Resources

How to secure acccess deck covers /hatches

Hi Ronald, I like the push pin idea shown here on the Garry Web video that you provided the link for - there are some applications where this could be very useful. Bob.

8 days ago by 🇬🇧 zooma ( Vice Admiral)

Building Related

KD Perkasa Class Drawings.

Hi DenisA, I really enjoyed driving the big Perkassa when I was offered the opportunity - it was a real pleasure. It would be good to see some photos of yours when it is finished as it really is a Classic Model Power Boat. Bob.

9 days ago by 🇬🇧 zooma ( Vice Admiral)

Building Related

HiTech Winch Drum

If you want to get silly, this is how I did my stays'il winch

10 days ago by 🇨🇦 RossM ( Captain)

RC & Electrics

Loganville in now lit up

Beamsville and Loganville

10 days ago by 🇨🇦 Ronald ( Fleet Admiral)

Hobby Chit Chat

Need help, I can't identify this beauty.

Probably not Robbe or Graupner, most of their kits use ABS for the hulls, if you look closely you can see the fiberglass weave of the hull. I think she’s a one off, a boat built for a client like Jump said, or it’s an older kit from a boutique manufacturer that may no longer be around, but the kit was built recently and modern equipment installed. That’s my best guess

10 days ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Fleet Admiral)

Hobby Chit Chat

Decent quality BRASS FITTINGS.

Thanks Gary. Yes, I've done quite a lot of Internet searching on and off and is often the case can't find exactly what I want or if something close it's out of stock and has been for sometime! Just spent sometime turning my workroom upside down to find the brass rod and tube I knew I'd got somewhere and with those and other pieces I should be able to make what is needed but will have another look. Chris

11 days ago by 🇬🇧 ChrisF ( Vice Admiral)

Building Related

Sprite

Hi Mike, You cant have too many clamps! ...and you can pop around anytime and borrow a couple... 🤣 Bob

11 days ago by 🇬🇧 zooma ( Vice Admiral)

Building Related

Testing LED diodes

I worked with Tinkercad this morning and couldn’t figure out how to get a less voltage battery. But, tonight I was viewing the series by Ben Finio Ohm’s Law/ Tinkercad Circuits Lab 3 in which he showed how to find, in the menu, other battery voltage sources. Plus, scrolling down you can use a power supply with 0-30volts variable it also has an indicator for the mA or current control.

11 days ago by 🇨🇦 Ronald ( Fleet Admiral)

Hobby Chit Chat

Model exhibition in Goes NL

To all modelboat builders around the world and my special Swiss friend in particular THANK YOU for your support!!! It makes me very proud to serve this 121 year old club being almost as old as the club itselve!! What sort of people are modelboat builders all over the world ?!?! If we would be ruling the world there would be no war anywhere!!! What a thought and i m sorry i m not confusius😂😂😂😂

12 days ago by 🇧🇪 hermank ( Rear Admiral)

General Resources

decals

I use Paint Shop Pro to design my decals. If you want white or any light color in the decal you have to use white decal paper. This does not allow the background to show through, requiring some trimming if necessary. Black and dark colors you can use clear that also lets the background show through. Lew

12 days ago by 🇺🇸 LewZ ( Vice Admiral)

For Sale/Wanted

OUR NEXT PROJECTS

Wolle, That sounds like quite a project! The Wotan may be a “small restoration” in your words, but that’s a big model to bring back to life. 😄 Please keep us informed throughout the restoration … I’d really enjoy seeing the progress and all the details along the way. Looking forward to it! 😎

12 days ago by 🇺🇸 chugalone100 ( Captain)

Building Related

Upcoming Projects

Low-cost option is a ZippKits SPRINGER tug from Florida. Complete for around US$100 or so, not a huge loss if something drastic happens Easy to assemble

13 days ago by 🇨🇦 RodC ( Lieutenant Commander)

Building Related

My next challenge

This particular Ville does operate out of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. I have only placed the lights as given by the owner who stated I have displayed them correctly. It is interesting that the Beamsville operates out of Tofino and tows along the Pacific Ocean and the inner water ways along the coast. They are not required to display the Red/White/Red lights.

13 days ago by 🇨🇦 Ronald ( Fleet Admiral)

Hobby Chit Chat

two or one

A couple of days ago "Chugalone100" asked, "In a twin-motor arrangement, is a throttle mixer required to properly coordinate differential thrust control, or can this be managed directly through transmitter programming?" For many years the connection between the radio receiver and the servo, or motor controller has had three wires, these are conventionally coloured black for the 0 volts line, red for the nominally 5v line and white for the pulse. This is the way my torpedo boat destroyer is configured. The white wires for the two 'up-down' sticks are connected to a single pole double throw microswitch, one channel to the normally closed contact and the other to the normally open contact. The common is connected to the starboard motor controller, the left stick is also connected to the port motor controller. A servo connected to any other channel operates the microswitch. So in one position of the microswitch the motor controls are connected and both motors are controlled by the left stick. In the other servo position the two motors operate independently. The rudder is operated conventionally by the right stick left-right. The two extra proportional channels on my FlySky FS-I6 rotate the forward gun and the torpedo tubes. My USS Melvin (Lindberg kit) has a different system. Up-down on the left stick controls the power to both motors, left-right on the left stick controls the balance between them. So I stop both motors and put the stick over one motor will run ahead and the other astern. The motor control is a home designed and home built job. I built the USS Melvin in 1979 when I was home on leave from the British Merchant Navy. Since the only fault has been a failure of one power transistor. I normally run the USS Melvin on my 4 channel Futaba transmitter but sometimes on either of my 6 channel Futaba transmitters. There are other ways of doing it.

14 days ago by 🇺🇸 VictorC ( Able Seaman)

RC & Electrics

RESTORING MODELS

Trev The Gatling gun parts were supplied by Model Expo. Here is a link: https://www.modelexpo-online.com/products/guns-of-history-ms4010-civil-war-gatling-gun-1-16-scale 😎

16 days ago by 🇺🇸 chugalone100 ( Captain)

Hobby Chit Chat

Why do we still use Knots Go Question for todays Question

🌊 Why “knots” exist at all Before engines, sailors measured speed using a log line: A rope with knots tied at regular intervals A wooden board (the “log”) tossed over the stern Sailors counted how many knots passed through their hands in a set time Each knot represented one nautical mile per hour. The name stuck — and the unit turned out to be extremely practical.

18 days ago by 🇨🇦 GARTH ( Commodore)

General Resources

Sailing at Madrid

WOW — that Guardia Civil model is loaded with details! That’s what I call a meticulous modeler 😎

19 days ago by 🇺🇸 chugalone100 ( Captain)

General Resources