Forum

All hooked up, nowt happens...

Hi All If you require a brush ESC. The Hobbyking one is the only one I have found with straight forward/ reverse with NO BRAKE. Set is with links, but the they only work on s and Lipo batteries. They will run on 12 volt SLA, but no less!!!! I am using them in my two Hellen fishing boats with 55 turn rock crawler motors on 2S Lipo on 60% throttle. https://hobbyking.com/en_us/hobbywing-quicrun-60a-2s-3s-waterproof-brushed-esc-for-1-10.html Canabus

5 years ago by canabus

Response

Renovating my Aerokits Patrol Torpedo Boat.

I had an MFA Spearfish in the mid 1990s and it was powered by an MFA Marlin or should I say underpowered. The Marlin was a good motor but was not really suitable for fast craft such as a powerboat or fast service launch like an M.T.B. I understand that MFA did an 850 which was for fast scale type models but in the end I put an Irvine 25 I.C in the Spearfish. At the time there was a motor called a Buhler which I think was Swiss . I used one😁 in my Perkassa running on s which performed very well. For the Aerokits P.T boat there are a lot of suitable brushless motors around and running on lipos will certainly give you all the speed you want.😁 Boaty

6 years ago by boaty

Forum

LiPo batteries

A chaque un a son goût John 😉 I'm not tooo surprised at your NiMh results. But I also think that you are correct that they won't last the proverbial 5 minutes on load. I had a similar experience last year when I retired and took stock of everything lying around in boxes and shelves in the so called workshop😲 Some also measured above the 'dead' voltage but collapsed within seconds of applying a load; a 540 motor running offload. They were consigned to the Great Recycling Centre in the sky 🤔 The s had preceded them by a decade or so! Since then I've restocked with LiPos where I have brushless and LiPo safe ESCs and NiMh for the 'brushed ships with older pre Lixx EScs. For heavier jobs like Graf Spee (3 x 600), HMS Belfast (4! x 385), U25 (2 x 385) I've restocked with 6V 4Ah SLAs. Have started compiling an XL spreadsheet to keep track of them; when last used / charged etc. Oooops! Just discovered that Grauer Burgunder is an excellent cleaner for my inductive mouse pad 😲 Prost allseits! Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

LiPo batteries

I don't intend using Lipos when I get back to actually boating and flying as I feel they are too much bother. Lion orABC or similar for me I think.I'll have to think more on it. I have Nimhs and A FEW s .The Nimhs I know for certain are 13 yrs old at least and are showing 11.2v at 82% charge despite not being charged for 4 yrs. The s 9.4v and 42% charge. Not as good; as we might expect but the others really surprised me when I metered them out.8 yrs lying in a blokes planes,boats and boxes and I got them 5 yrs ago.I charged them all and they've not been charged since.We'll have to see what happens under load etc. They might not last 5mins.🤔 John O/T👍 I know some of you won't believe me so tuff. J😎

6 years ago by onetenor

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Evenin' Martin, Oh dear oh dear oh dear! 😲 There is some good advice above, but maybe not optimally expressed for use by a Luddite! Sorry guys but this might be a relatively long post to separate the wheat from the chaff, explode a few myths and resolve this little conundrum of Martin's! One thing at a time! NUMBER1. THE RADIO- Dear Martin: Whatever possessed a self confessed Luddite and Scrooge like you to spring a large chunk of your hard earned pension on one of the most expensive and complex RC sets on the market in the first place???? I bought a Spektrum DX6 on impulse a few years ago while strolling around Conrad here in Munich. I've regretted it ever since. in retrospect it was way too expensive >600€, and complex. it is intended for the Fly Boys, as unfortunately most sets are these days. I have still not successfully programmed it to do what I want to do, instead of what it is pre-programmed to do for helis and fixed wing aircraft. Not even with it's own Spektrum RX, let alone a 'foreign' RX like Orange. So I have not yet risked it in a model. Definitely NOT my Catalina. Since then I have bought a Turnigy I6. Which does the same as the Spektrum, works fine with my Orange RX with giro for the Catalina😉, cost only 69€ (is now available for around 33 quid😡) and within a few hours I had it programmed and tested to do all I want in my destroyer and Sea Scout.👍 In short: the Spektrum is way way way Overkill for your yacht or Fire Float or similar, where you will only ever want rudder and sail servo / winch or rudder and speed control. So flog the Spektrum and get a nice simple (and cheap😉) 2 or 4 channel set. I can't imagine you ever wanting to start building special effects into your models so 2 (max 4) channels is all you will probably ever need. Stick your Spektrum on eBay, maybe you'll get at least a 100 quid for it. If you still want to go 2.4Gig get yourself a Turnigy i6 set with RX, 6 ch but cheap enough and I can help you directly with binding and programming from experience - I have a good English manual with no Chenglish gobbledygook. If not and you still have a working 27 or 40MHz FM set (40 would be better) use that. Where you sail, all alone, who's going to bother you or be bothered? BTW: Yes the Spektrum TX IS DSM2 and DSX compatible BUT you have to tell it what you want to use!!! Frankly I think trying that with a non-Spektrum RX is risky - especially first time out and for a novice Luddite😉 NUMBER 2. THE NiMh BATTERY- Voltage is not a reliable indication of battery charge / remaining capacity. After use a battery will recover slightly when at rest and the open terminal (off load) voltage will rise, often to the nominal voltage or slightly above. This is NO indicator of remaining charge as when a load is applied the voltage will drop again rapidly, the higher the current drawn the faster the voltage drops. if it goes below 1.0V per cell the battery will be permanently damaged and never regain it's original capacity. Haverlock is dead right about batteries losing charge when not used or regularly recharged. An NiMh batt loses charge at the rate of about 1% per day so after 3 months or so you can send it to the great recycling depot in the sky and buy a new one. Periodic cycling, discharge / charge prevents / minimises this - see care hints I posted above. And yes, NiMh do have that irritating Memory effect🤔 albeit not so pronounced as with s. Lipos apparently not, but I ain't seen any evidence yet - the jury is still out! Sooo - ignore the 6.37V and run the batt through a discharge and full charge cycle. if your new NiMh batt has not yet been cycled and charged I would bet that it's present capacity is about 45%. See example below (and in attached pic) of one of my new 4.8V (nom) NiMh RX batts. NUMBER 3. THE CAPACITY CHECKER - "Glorified voltmeter" ? Where did the 6.37V reading come from if not from your 'new toy'? If it is showing volts it should also be showing capacity in %age. If you received the wrong thing it's not the "bloody electrics" but the bloody nit who packed and sent it that's at fault. Before you send it back check the below😉 Send me a photo of the Checker you have and with your battery plugged in so I can see what's happening on the display. Otherwise we are all poking about in the dark (Are we back to Jules and his friend Sandy😉😲) The link I sent you was for a checker exactly the same as mine except for the labelling! As you can see in my photo, properly connected it shows the terminal voltage and the remaining capacity (charge level) of the battery pack. Forget the Nixx (=2 Ni possibilities) display, that just means 'It ain't a LiXX' (3 Li- pissibolities). Attached photo shows a brand new 4 cell NiMh RX pack 4.8V (Nominal) connected to one of my Checkers. As you can see the voltage shown is 5.19V, according to the popular 'folklore' that would seem to indicate FULL charge. Unfortunately not🤔 Capacity indication is 45% which is normal for brand new batteries in storage and transit. Explanation thereof - see above! RE: " if it can do LiPos, why not the relatively simpler NiMhs?" a) the LiPo pack has a different chemistry and construction which requires different input circuitry on the checker, b) LiPos need balancing and are fitted with Balancer Plugs which connect to the multipin connectors on the checker. Each pin connects to one cell of the LiPo so that they can be monitored individually. LiPo chargers use this to balance the cells to within 0.01V (100mV) or less by adjusting the charge / discharge currents to each cell. The checkers use this to show you the individual cell voltages and charge states. A big difference, i.e.lower V and capacity, indicates cells with faults, e.g. higher internal resistance, or a discharged pack which needs charging and balancing. NiMh packs don't usually have this facility to measure individual cells. They are thus connected to a separate input on the checker which can then only show total pack terminal voltage and capacity. BTW: if you can get it passed 'THE Management' store your battery packs in the fridge😲 The 'coolth' slows down the rate of self discharge, which is a function of the battery internal resistance, which reduces slightly with reduced temperature😉 Enough for now, back to stripping my PTB for it's Midlife Refit! Cheers, Doug 😎 PS Martin: Just saw your post about another RX. Why the hell not buy a Spektrum designed Rx guaranteed to work with their TX? Or better still; flog the Spektrum and get a nice simple Turnigy set as above, also recommended by Ron, albeit the 9 ch version. All this frigging about with 'claimed compatible' bits and pieces just wastes money and time, fogs the issue and don't prove nutt'n!

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

as to charging and discharging a battery pack. if you leave an NiMH pack untouched for long enough it winds up DEAD, So if your not using a pack for any length of time you should cycle it every couple of months. if your using a pack regularly and just " topping up" the charge again its a good idea to cycle it occasionally to keep the capacity ( I know NiMH are not supposed to have the " memory" problems s had but.......). Yes the charger senses the battery condition and stops when charged. However its good practice to never leave a charger running unattended and to touch the pack often to make sure its not cooking.

6 years ago by Haverlock

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Doug, I went on hobbyking and it seems what little they have is all for LiPos only. So I found something on ebay, but it doesn't really seem happy with NiMhs, even though they are on its list. it doesn't do capacity remaining for NiMhs and s. So I'm a bit lost for where to go next. There are some that just go green, yellow, red, but I know you'll tell me they're too crude Now, I really must eat! M

6 years ago by Westquay

Response

Sanding down.

Hi MouldBuilder, I have been using a car window washer pump for about 15 years in my fire boat with out problems. Sourced mine from local scrap yard, cost me 50p for two, second went into another boat 2 years ago. Both boats running on 9.6 volt s. Cheers Colin.

6 years ago by Colin H

Forum

46'' Firefloat What Motor/Battery

Hi What type of props are you using(size and number of blades). I see your basic problem is under powered motors and a very heavy battery. I made the big switch over three years ago from brush to brushless motors and to Lipo batteries. With the help on the forum and club members it was a learning curve, but, I would not go back. A 5800mah Lipo battery is in the weight of 450 to 570 grams and would give you a good 1/2 hour run time. A good balance charger and safety bag are the main requirements, also maximum charging for the 5800mah battery is 5.8 Amps(same as the old s). Also a low voltage battery alarm. Your 600 motors can draw up to12Amps !!! Replacement same size motors for your mounts would be 35mm brushless motors, but, you will require two ESCs with a Y connector to run on the same throttle channel. Replacement brushless motors are far more powerful e.g. a Hobbyking 3639-1100kv with a 60Amp ESC on a 4S 5800mah Lipo Battery is 800watts and with two in your boat is 1600 watts!!! Your old motor would in the 100 watt each mark !! I have the same size crash tender, but, with a single brushless motor. I have all the order numbers for the motors etc. and a setup the ESCs if your require. Canabus

7 years ago by canabus

Forum

MFA TORPEDO 500 / BATTERY INFO

Hi al, jarvo's answer is more or less correct but not the whole story! Here is a reprint from my attempt to clarify various misunderstandings and misuse of terms related to batteries - usage and maintenance - posted to a thread "battery charging" you can find under 'General Sailing'. "Hi Both (and all other non-technical guys here!) (Dave_M please jump to the next post or topic!😉) To avoid further confusion amongst the non-technical members can we perhaps straighten out the technical terms involved in battery charging and use (strictly speaking the dimensions or quantities involved). mAh (milli-amphour) is a measure of the capacity of a battery: how many 1/1000 of an ampere (A) it can theoretically deliver in one hour, if in perfect fully charged condition and under perfect environmental conditions. (What you ain't never gonna get!) When the outside temperature drops so does the usable capacity 🤔 Charge and discharge rates are measured in ampere (A). under 1A the milliamp (1A/1000, unit mA) is usually used for convenience. Quality battery packs are marked on the case with maximum charge and discharge rates in A. Sometimes marked as xC/yC. xC is the MAX charge rate and means x times the nominal capacity/1000. yC is the MAX discharge rate (i.e. what your motors take) and often means y times the nominal capacity/1000. Sometimes the max discharge rate is given as a multiple of the max charge rate. See example in my photo. These are MAXIMUM warnings and NOT to be taken as the norm! See example in pic. Capacity 4000mAh = 4Ah, MAX charging current is 8A =2C, (4000/1000)x2. Half an hour charging gives then 8/2=4Ah. I would never ever charge at anywhere near this rate! Charging at 500mA (0.5A) for 8 hours (0.5Ax8h=4Ah) is perfectly adequate and much more gentle on the cells i.e. longer life 😉 MAX discharge current is given as 240A = 30 times max charge current or 60 times capacity in Ah.(4). if I used it at this rate it would probably be irreparably damaged (toasted) in just under a minute (0.9999r) 😡 If any Lixx pack gets HOT while charging or in use take it to recycling pronto, before it sets fire to your boat or workshop/house😡 ALWAYS MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOUR CHARGER IS SET FOR THE TYPE OF PACK YOU ARE USING, , NiMh, LiPo OR LiION etc (don't forget the balancer connection!). Sorry for teaching some 'grandmas' to suck eggs but having seen so many questions about battery charging and much misuse of the parameter units for batteries in the responses (as above) I felt it was time to clarify things for the non-technical among us, for their own safety and the health of their wallets!" Cheers Doug 😎

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

General sailing

Hi Doug I am impressed. There are also LiFe batteries around and are somewhat safer for Tx/Rx use, but require the same care as all Lixx batteries. I am confused by the CONRAD battery rated at 4amp and 30C. I would say this suggests a 120A max burst current. I can't see 60C marked on the battery. it may well be capable of being charged at 2C ie 8amps but like you I would never consider charging at this rate. The higher power and performance batteries are capable of taking higher charges and will withstand the heavy discharges demanded by those who race fast models. However such batteries are for the serious racers and do not come cheap. I do have one concern and that is your mention of overnight charging. I agree this may be OK for , NiMh and SLA's but LiXX batteries should never be left on charge unattended and certainly not overnight. My chargers have settings for Lixx batteries that adjust the charge current for the voltage and capacity and automatically give a varied charge current until the battery capacity is achieved, balancing the cells at the same time. Dave

7 years ago by Dave M

Forum

General sailing

Hi Both (and all other non-technical guys here!) (Dave_M please jump to the next post or topic!😉) To avoid further confusion amongst the non-technical members can we perhaps straighten out the technical terms involved in battery charging and use (strictly speaking the dimensions or quantities involved). mAh (milli-amphour) is a measure of the capacity of a battery: how many 1/1000 of an ampere (A) it can theoretically deliver in one hour, if in perfect fully charged condition and under perfect environmental conditions. (What you ain't never gonna get!) When the outside temperature drops so does the usable capacity 🤔 Charge and discharge rates are measured in ampere (A). under 1A the milliamp (1A/1000, unit mA) is usually used for convenience. Quality battery packs are marked on the case with maximum charge and discharge rates in A. Sometimes marked as xC/yC. xC is the MAX charge rate and means x times the nominal capacity/1000. yC is the MAX discharge rate (i.e. what your motors want) and often means y times the nominal capacity/1000. Sometimes the max discharge rate is given as a multiple of the max charge rate. See example in my photo. These are MAXIMUM warnings and NOT to be taken as the norm! See example in pic. Capacity 4000mAh = 4Ah, MAX charging current is 8A =2C, (4000/1000)x2. Half an hour gives then 8/2=4Ah. I would never ever charge at anywhere near this rate! Charging at 500mA (0.5A) for 8 hours (0.5Ax8h=4Ah) overnight is perfectly adequate and much more gentle on the cells i.e. longer life 😉 MAX discharge current is 240A = 30 times max charge current or 60 times capacity in Ah.(4). If I used it at this rate it would probably be irreparably damaged (toasted) in just under a minute (0.9999r) 😡 If any Lixx pack gets HOT while charging or in use take it to recycling pronto, before it sets fire to your boat or workshop/house😡 ALWAYS MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOUR CHARGER IS SET FOR THE TYPE OF PACK YOU ARE USING, , NiMh, LiPo OR LiION etc (don't forget the balancer connection!). Sorry for teaching some 'grandmas' to suck eggs but having seen so many questions about battery charging and much misuse of the parameter units for batteries in the responses (as above) I felt it was time to clarify things for the non-technical among us, for their own safety and the health of their wallets! Cheers Doug 😎

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

General sailing

Hi Baggie, What type are they? , NiMh or LiPo? If they are LiPos and they are getting very hot disconnect them IMMEDIATELY and take them to a recycling centre! If they are Nixx and getting hot (warm is allowed) reduce the charge current to the minimum! Take account of the 'Fast charge rate (Amps) specified by the manufacturer. Personally I would not use 3.5 or 5 Amps for anything except lead acid. Note how long the battery lasts in use. if it seems to be getting shorter than it used to be then probably at least one cell has a high internal resistance and it's days are numbered. it will only get worse. Use an appropriate charger for each type, and that 'knows' when to stop charging! Most modern units can be switched to appropriate programmes. Cheers Doug 😎

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Crash Tender Shaft Tube Poistion

Aye aye sir! Message received and understood! 👍 Go with what you have first. Don't look bad, but you have a pretty big boat there! One thing; 😡 that's a No No these days, at least swap it for a NiMh. For such a big boat and thirsty motor I would probably go for at least a 5000mAh. Aboat that size can surely carry it. Otherwise you could try a lightweight LiPo 2S = 7.4V. IF the ESC is declared as 'LiPo safe', then it shuts down when the cell voltage reaches the minimum, usually set 3.0 or 3.2 volts. A decent modern 2.4Gig RC set (e.g the Turnigy i6) will tell you the battery voltage by telemetry back to the TX display! 😉 If you ain't happy with the performance an upgrade may well cost you a candlelight dinner .... on top of the 80 quid! 😲😉😉 Let us know how it goes (the boat I mean 😁) Cheers Doug 😎

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

battery charging

Good result Just what I was about to suggest as it happened to me.Re testing through insulation Bang Good sell pairs of adaptors to fit over the tips of standard test probes. Sharp as needles but strong enough to pierce most insulation. s NiMhs and others develop needles or dentricles inside which short out the anode to cathode internally These can be dissolved or blasted away by flashing them with a higher voltage .A/C or D/C. I use my welder. Hold one contact to one battery terminal and flash the other with the other welder terminal. Just a glancing blow DO NOT hold it in place.There is no real need to split the pack but can if you would rather treat individual cells.They can be done without unsoldering them just use some wire held in the earth clamp and stickholder or feed gun to reach the ends of each cell.You get the picture .I have done this with battery powered tools for years .I have a 24 volt drill that is still on original battery after more than 10yrs. Another way is connect the supplied charger and plug in and switch on waggle the plug in wall socket in such a way as to make and break contact about 16 or more times. Not as good as the flashing method but works. Wet cells can be improved by putting 2 or three teaspoons of Epson Salts in each cell. Many tops can be chiseled/prized off to access the interior and glued back on with plumbers solvent cement or similar............Gorilla glue would probably do it too. Here 's hoping I've saved a few quid for some of you. BTW I wouldn't know if this would work for Lipos.I wouldn't want to be the first to try 😆🤐Here is the page https://www.banggood.com/search/insulation-piercing-needles.html

7 years ago by onetenor

Forum

Sea Queen refurbishment

Thanks for your feedback, I'm not trying to do a major rebuild just get the old Queen looking as good as possible, I think if it holds together after degreasing I'll paint the interior with epoxy resin to stabilize it. Then paint with hamerite smooth white to make it easier to keep clean. As for a motor I have a decoperm 6volt with gear box, or a Johnson 600 to choose from at present fitted with a 3 bladed 30mm brass prop. Also have the original 2 channel 27Mhz RX and tx. But not sure what to fit by way of speed control, I have an old variable sweep rheostat that works well. Wish I could upload pics it might help. Have a choice of 6volt SLA or 7.2volt s. I would like to keep to keep it as near to how dad could have used it in the late 50s early 60s. This project is more for family than me actually using it, just family history to pass on to my grandson. Thanks Colin

7 years ago by Colin H

Forum

No power

Hi NickW What Tx/Rx have you bought? What is the ESC? Are you sure the original motors and ESC were working? As this is a new Tx/Rx are you sure they are working? Are you sure they are actually bound? If the lights were on the Rx and ESC the battery should have worked the rudder. s are not good for holding their charge and are best charged just before using. NiMh batteries are much better in this respect. Dave

7 years ago by Dave M

Forum

Wiring in a rx, an ESC and a battery (pack)

first take a deep breath and calm down its not rocket science. Question does your ESC have a battery eliminator ? if so take away the dry batteries to use in something else. Now your s connect to the POWER side of the esc. make sure you have the correct polarity. The servo plug from the ESC plugs into your receiver whichever is your throttle channel. if you have a modern set then you can put it on the wrong way round with no worries since positive is the centre post. The output of the ESC connect to your motor. if its a brushed motor no need to worry about polarity for now. With your ESC there should be some setup instructions if there are none ...... Usually its connect and switch on receiver then switch transmitter on with throttle full listen for beeps then go to low throttle. Switch receiver off. When you switch on in future make sure transmitter is switched on FIRST ok having gotten this far it only remains to check the direction of rotation of the motor. Take off the prop ( saves fingers) and put a piece of masking tale around end of prop shaft. Switch on transmitter switch on receiver and try the throttle. if the motor spins in correct direction fine if not Brushed motor swap the motor leads over Brushless motor swap any 2 of the 3 motor leads over. Job done have a cuppa then decide to sort out the rudder.

7 years ago by Haverlock

Forum

raf crash tender

Hi Dave, good to hear from you (sorry to hijack thread). 4 footer came out two years ago, Huntsman once in 2016, its over 3 years since the 3 footer got wet! Orca once in 2016. I did build the PCF which I really liked, but it went immediately as too many people messaged saying they wanted it, so it funded some RC plane gear, which I am really into now. I sold a load of bits and bobs at the Blackpool show a few months ago, didn't renew with St Helens in 2015, or 2016, and wont this year. However.... Robs excellent blog has got me interested again, and Stephen kindly did a bespoke 3 d printing project on something rc related, info and pics to follow when its finished! Back on track... George, I'm going to advise only things I have done, or used, I'm not one to say do this, or that, but actually I have not done it myself. No doubt others will disagree, but this is my opinion only. Best performance in terms of speed is brushless, and lipo. Forget fear of fire and explosions, this only happens with abuse, and they are the common use with rc planes, helicopters, cars, its only boats that are really stuck in the dark ages with technology that have this big fear of brushless systems and lipos! However, to get initially set up, they do take more understanding and initial cash outlay, as you need a specific charger for one, and you do need to understand what you are doing. Brushless motors will unlease the power far more than brushed, and are usually lighter. https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-t600-brushless-outrunner-for-600-heli-880kv.html This motor is an example, there are much cheaper ones with similar specs, but I have used this motor in various applications, the most similar to your boat being my large Huntsman, with this motor on 6 cells lipo I achieved 25mph, but speed might not be what you want. So if you have the fast engine in your car, say a v12 Ferrari, if you run it on cheap fuel, it wont perform, same here, s and nimhs batteries are easy to maintain, you can drain them dead flat, but will give cheap fuel performance, like a bath tap trickling when the shower is on at the same time, and as they are dying technology, are expensive for what they are. Lipo is like turning up both bath taps and the force floods out, but now the tank will empty quicker, so you have less run time 😊 If brushless, its a specific speed controller, https://hobbyking.com/en_us/hobbyking-50a-boat-esc-4a-ubec.html and you pay extra for reversing (other rc disciplines don't need reverse) and a marine esc might need to be water cooled, however, decent brushed motor speed controllers are not exactly cheap, so now you know why budget is important to give advice, you could be spending £100 here just to get up and running. Look at my 4 foot fireboat build blog, as its twin screw (personally a boat this size is better twin screw) you can get by with cheaper motors, mine where £30 the pair, I use lipo for all my boats, so I have the batteries, and are familiar with using them, the speed controllers where about £40 the pair, and if I was buying batts then probably another £40, so it all adds up! Single screw, less batteries. You could power with nimhs, and it might be acceptable ,performance for you. If your location is Ellesmere Port, have a Sunday morning drive to Hoylake, then New Brighton, and maybe take in St Helens Liverpool, and Runcorn, see boats in action, see what sort of performance suits you, and rethink the budget, what do you want to spend? Then you need the transmitter and receiver (if you don't already have these) the fittings (see Robs build blog) a prop shaft, and a suitable propeller I am North Wirral, you are more than welcome to come and have a chat and see some boats, but unfortunately I'm deep into another rc project for the next few weeks, once that is done I can share some time, if you want! Don't worry, I'm not all about speed, I can do brushed motors and nimhs and get a result, Any questions, just ask, Paul PS... Looks like a nice clean boat you have there😉

7 years ago by pmdevlin

Forum

raf crash tender

within reason you are not limited to LiPo batteries. My reasons for pointing you in their direction are their ability to supply current for lower weights. I am not expert in their usage having only playing with them for a short time BUT once you take the plunge they are like everything else use some common sense and they are fine. Charging requires a LiPo charger http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dual-Power-iMAX-B6-AC-LCD-Screen-Digital-RC-Lipo-NiMh-Battery-Balance-Charger-/112221546397?hash=item1a20ece79d:g:mloAAOSwo4pYPzgr That's the kind I use ( will charge nimh and lead acid also) as to batteries some is good more is better ~laughs~ its a case of run times at the current dumping your using I have some 5500Mah 3s ( nominal 12v ) lipo you can link batteries in parallel to get increased runtimes. One important thing to remember is not to run a LiPo down to too low a voltage the limit us usually given as 3.3v per cell so a 3s will give you a 9.9 v low point. IN practice aim for a higher cut off voltage. Depending on your radio setup ( I use frsky ) you may be able to have your battery voltages echoed to your transmitter. The charger will charge to full and also charge to storage voltages LiPo batteries must not be stored at full charge. Probably there is a lot more you need to know Dave M is way more expert than I.

7 years ago by Haverlock

Forum

Scudder

Hi I have refurbished this 'Scudder' hydroplane designed by Vic Smeed in the 50/60,s. I think it looks a bit like a marine Douglas Dakota! In place of a an OS MAX 3 15 glow diesel, I fitted a A2212/13T, 1000KV brushless motor and propeller and an HW H30A controller. It goes well but will not quite plane. It current uses a 7.2v. I have adjusted the angle of the prop/motor to push the nose up a bit, but will the motor/controller set up take a higher voltage so it will have more power? Hi Gents Update on the Scudder...I fitted an 11v Lipo, and relaunched. Loads of power; the hydro immediately went onto the plane and ran very fast....then the trouble started! The roof flew off, passed through the prop, and was chopped up...this in turn damaged the prop blades and possibly through vibration, the motor mount then broke up! Maldon never had so much entertainment!

8 years ago by frankburgess

Forum

Which type of battery?

Hi Steve I have a Billings White Star that I restored some years ago. if yours is like mine then it will most likely be on the heavy side for the size of the model. A 380 motor with a 30mm 3 blade brass prop powers mine. I have a small Action 10amp esc and homemade BEC. To reduce weight I cut a 7.2 pack into two sticks and joined them with a soldered length of wire across the bottom end. This allowed me to place the batteries either side of the prop shaft. My rudder servo is over the propshaft in the stern. Correct ballasting can be achieved by moving the batteries fore or aft. Any small 15 amp ESC would be suitable and most now have a built in BEC. The main consideration needs to be weight and size. I agree with Haverlock's suggestion re a Wattmeter if you intend to use the higher voltage batteries with the existing motor. Its a small boat that sails well, but on my club sailing waters it is a fair weather sailor. Good luck Dave 😀

8 years ago by Dave M

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DAMEN STAN 4207

The lower portion of the hull frame was covered with one piece of 1 mm marine ply. This requires considerable manipulation to fit around the propeller tunnels. This was done by gluing the skin initially to the keel and then slowly working out to the chine. Between each manipulation of the ply skin it was clamped and glued in place with a two part epoxy. The process is time consuming, but the adhesive strength makes it worthwhile. The ply sheet can be made to follow the section contours by heating the ply with a heat gun which melts the ply internal adhesive and allows the sheet to take up the desired shape. One of the more unusual features of this vessel is that the chine strip is visible between the upper and lower hull sheathing. Not only is there a definite horizontal surface, the upper surface protrudes beyond the edge of the hull sheathing to form an integral spray rail, see pictures. A length of 1/16 x 3/8 basswood strip was inserted into slots cut into the bulkhead sections. This was then glued to the top of the chine strip to reproduce the shape. Once the upper sheathing is fitted this will be trimmed to the final dimensions. Usually with a frame and plank hull I reinforce the joints with glass fibre tape and fibre resin. Decided to try a different approach; had a tube of construction adhesive at hand which would stick well to a blanket. Ran a fillet of this alongside the keel and then around the areas where the chine strips meet the sheathing. This turned out well, both reinforcing and sealing the joints. it is also much quicker than the glass fibre approach, probably lighter and less messy too. At this stage added a section of steel coat hanger bent to follow the contours of the bow. This is to protect the bow in an inevitable contact with the pool side. Located it with epoxy resin and faired into the sheathing. As the areas behind the bow and in front of the transom will eventually become inaccessible, ran liquid glass fibre resin into them to seal and strengthen the joints. To assess attempts to control weight; measured the weight of every major component that will be installed in the finished model. On refection, the conclusion was fairly obvious. The batteries, motors and bow thruster are significantly the heaviest items. Relays, servos, ESCs and Rx will have very little effect on the overall weight of the model. NiMh batteries are around half the weight of similar capacity sealed lead acid cells and will be used. This type of battery is slightly heavier than more expensive etc.

8 years ago by Rowen

Response

fast patrol launch project

Hi jonbliss, Had one of these about 9 years ago and fitted a 380 brushed motor in it running off a 7.2 volt 😀 Currently I have an italeri PT109 with a 480 brushed fitted. Boat is quite fast but also very light. Battery is 7.4 volt Lipo 2200 mAh 30C. Also try Vintage Model Boat Company website as they have details of both brushed and brushless motors plus details of related accessories for your particular model. Regards Boaty

8 years ago by boaty

Forum

ESC problems

Hi. I came across this site while browsing for Info a problem I have with my brushed ESC's. I am running a Viper Marine 40 with an MFA850 motor from two 6V 10Ahr gel batteries. The boat performs well enough but I get Intermittent motor cut out at around 75% throttle (froward or reverse) This has already caused the ESC to blow up. This was replaced FOC. However I now have another new Viper Marine 25 on a smaller boat running from cells and this does the same thing. To cut a long story short I have replaced the 40A ESC with another make, replaced the TX-RX with a new 2.4Ghz system and I still get the same thing. Being a bit of an electronics engineer I coupled the kit up to my digital scope to see what was going on and It looks like the problem Is with the ESC. The Input from the RX Is a good 1 - 2ms steady signal but the output of the ESC switch off and on around 75 - 80% throttle. I have emailed Mtronik on the the subject but no reply. I just wandered If anyone else has had a similar experience? I might go back to glow motors.

10 years ago by SimpleSailor

Forum

Battery

Thinking of using 2x385 MFA/2xesc/2x30mm props can I use 9.6v 3300 pack space is tight so want to avoid 12v sealed cell if possible boat is 33inch minesweeper

8 years ago by Phil56

Forum

Battery

Looking around the 385 is rated 6-15V So you should be good to go just keep a check on ESC temps with your prop. I am guessing you know about looking after/charging s ( can you still get s?)

8 years ago by Haverlock

Forum

Old speed controller

HI Derek Not a lot to see. is there any detail on the other side of the controller? Judging by the wires it is a fairly high current ESC. Early ESCs were usually aimed at the car racers and did not have reverse. Can you reverse yours? 7.2 v /NiMh were common and ESC's were rated up to 12v. To use 14.4 you will need a more modern ESC that will be capable of handling the higher voltage. Electronize are good to 24v but you will find others if you search the web. As the unit is sealed it is not possible to see what power FETs have been used. Unfortunately if you exceed the Max voltage they will be destroyed so unless someone can identify your ESC you cannot be sure.

8 years ago by Dave M

Directory

(Tug Boat) euro girl

just started build will amend as and when (2) (Motor: caldercraft cem 900t) (ESC: electroniza (two)) (10/10)

9 years ago by dragon

Forum

Jetex

: Boaty Great idea that, using a pulse jet. I understood that in the past this has been tried on tethered hydroplanes and certainly it would be cheaper than gas turbine units. Nearest large area of water to myself, apart from the River Mersey is Bala Lake in North Wales but I dont know how the locals would react. Only person I knew who sailed a model boat on Bala was in the late 1980s and the boat was a scale model tug. Fastest model I ever had was a J.B Marine Hypercat in 1994/95. This was powered by a water cooled Graupner 700 brushed motor running on 2 X 8.4 volt s with top speed being 35 to 40 m.p.h. However, the boat met its end on Walton Hall Park lake in Liverpool when some debris fouled the rudder and it crashed into the concrete bank , took off and nosedived onto the footpath. It did have a nice rooster tail and thrilled many spectators. I have been contemplating getting another fast electric and wonder if a waterjet unit is available to give equal performance. Boaty

9 years ago by boaty

Response

On the water

I built a Sea Scout several years ago and also overcame the rudder servo matter by mounting the servo on its side. With a bit of work I managed to conceal it beneath the floor of the aft cockpit. I used some lead weight to ballast the boat after testing it in the bath and kept it slightly stern heavy which in turn helped it to raise the bow when on full power. Motor was a 550 running on 7.2 volt and performance was very pleasing.. I love the images of your Sea Scout and it shows what can be done with hard work and dedication. Its also really great to see the smaller Aerokits models being restored as most restos seem to focus on the larger boats in the range. Regards Boaty 😊

9 years ago by boaty

Forum

Connecting ESP ?

Good morning Dave - thanks for getting back to me and sorry for not being clear. The motor is a Caldercraft 750s which is supplied as part of the Aerokits Sea Commander kit. On the motor housing is CEM750S and the code S-2191AE134. The model kits are manufactured by Jotika as you are probably aware and their recommendation is 7.2v or 12v6ah lead acid using the supplied two blade 40mm plastic prop. I emailed the company who supplied the kit re. esc and power source to be told that their recommendation would be Viper 25amp with either 11.1v lipo or 8.4v nimh. Quite contrary to the manufacturer I think ! In coming back to rc boats after many years I had purchased the particular kit partly because it came including matched motor, shaft, prop etc. Nice and straightforward with no confusion ? Ok - my main concern is the 15amp esc. should I send it back in favour of a 25 or 30amp ? Thanks Dave, Keith. ps the motor spec is -- Nominal v 12 Range 6 - 12 Max rpm at 12 - 18,800 No load 2.6 amp Current at 12v - 12.78 Stall 92.08 amp is this near the limits of a 15amp esc ? K.

9 years ago by kwjg51

Response

VOSPER PERKASA 49 INCH KIT PART 2

Really motoring. The battery can be mounted anyway just make sure the leads are clear of the motor and remote from your radio wires. I suspect you will not be happy with the NiMh batteries. I am assuming they are NiMh as s have not been available for some time. if they are then they must be nearing the end of their useful Life so another excuse to switch to LiPo. Glad to see you project successfully on the pond. if you invest in a Wattmeter you will be able to tune your motor to the prop and achieve max speed and time on the water. Happy sailing Dave

9 years ago by Dave M

Media

VOSPER PERKASA 49 INCH KIT PART 2

This video follows on from my earlier post. I changed to running on a 5 cell lipo (18.5 volts) and I am very pleased with the Improvement over 14.4 volts s. (Edit sorry Nimh`s) I put this link into my reply on my previous post but it didnt work as a hotlink so I am posting this. The boat isnt quite flat out here due to the difficulty videoing and steering. Les

9 years ago by lesfac

Response

VOSPER PERKASA 49 INCH KIT

Well I fitted the Lipo and tried it out and I am very happy with the performance. its quite a step up from the s. The video link below shows how I fitted the battery and how the boat went. it is plenty fast enough for my liking. in the video its not flat out as I found it difficult to video it and steer at the same time. There was a funny situation with the esc though. I left everything the same as with the s and relied on the sensor to sound a buzzer. When I plugged the battery in the rudder worked Immediately but the motor would not run so I thought I had a problem but after a short while the motor started to work. I took the boat to the lake and had the same situation for a while. After the motor started working it ran faultlessly. I was listening for the buzzer to signal low voltage but the boat shut down. it responded enough to get it back to the bank and the buzzer was sounding now. I dont understand the delay in the motor waking up or how the esc shut the power down when I havnt programmed it to. it did shut down at 3.3 volts per cell. Anyway very happy performance wise and in view of the big Improvement I will probably go through the set up for lipo running now Heres the video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh0zhbRQQT8

9 years ago by lesfac

Media

Hooligan Free

Aquired as response to grandsons'Can't we have one like that' request on seeing other club members ' Hooligan boat'. Cheap second hand commercial speed boat steered by shutting down port or starboard motors and only on/off on pretend transmitter. Now modified with proper ESC, 2.4 radio with servo operated rudder and upgraded to take 8.4v . Length: 30 inches_ Not yet sailed in modified form !

9 years ago by chrislang

Directory

(Racing Boat) Hooligan Free

Response to grandsons'Can't we have one like that' request on seeing other club members ' Hooligan boat'. Cheap second hand commercial speed boat modified with proper ESC, 2.4 radio and servo operated rudder and upgraded to take 8.4v . (Motor: 2 x 380 type) (ESC: China) (8/10)

9 years ago by chrislang

Forum

Motor size help

I have two batteries 18volt, I would like to use these In the 48inch fireboat as the power source, what would be the best motor to hitch them up to, I have a 750 motor but I am not sure this would take the power, could do with some help please.

10 years ago by deltaman

Forum

Boaty

HI there, I have the lindberg pt109. Im using a 550 brushed motor and quite a small prop witha mild pitch. This keeps the motor nice and cool without water cooling. The motor mount is mounted to the hull with foam weather sealing strips, helps keep it nice and quiet. its not too fast and batt lasts for about 40 mins..ps its a 7,2 v 2500mah .

10 years ago by orcaman

Forum

Boaty

😎 Built an ItalerI PT109 last year to May 1943 spec (without the bow mounted cannon). I used 400 brushed motor and 7.4v lipo plus ESC. This gives scale speed and manages to raise the bow at 3/4 throttle. Has anyone else built either the ItalerI or Lindbergh PT109 and how did It perform. Had an old Aerokits 40 Inch P.T Boat 15 years ago with Buhler motor and two 7.2v s. This handled a lot better on the water. Could It be that the Aerokits hull was more like semI scale and thus was focused on performance as a model as opposed to the more accurate scale ItalerI hull. Does anyone know If there are remakes of the Aerokits P.T Boat Kit as It appears that there are remakes/replicas of most of the old Aerokits range currently available. Boaty

10 years ago by boaty

Forum

Identify this Boat

HI Dave, Thanks for idea, and yes it is a good flare on the bow, with the top (27ozs) removed it really does plane well and with a pair of 7.2 volt 's managed 15 mph. So the idea of a fast fishing/smuggler boat intrigues me. Have you any photos of this type of vessel or could you please tell me where to look. Thanks Colin.

10 years ago by Colin H

Media

Lindberg CC Constellation ''Lady M''

twin speed 400s driving stock (kit) props off 1 6 cell . Speed is "moderate scale"

10 years ago by drylander

Forum

Old boats

I think you should be easily able to copy one of your suggestions and make a small model that will pack into the car for the odd occasion when you might just come across a suitable pond! Might Midgets were a very popular power source in the days when boating was developing. The small Victory industries Crash Tender used one with a rubber band drive to ite two props and used a small 4.5v alkaline battery. We did not have the abundance of cheap foreign Imports available today and infact the alternatives were mainly 24 v ex MOD motors. Also s and SLA's were not available and small wet lead acid motorbike batteries were often used. Very useful in their day and still working today.

10 years ago by Dave M

Forum

Confused about motors? Thats me then.

And a bit more /nimh batteries older technology. they cannot supply the current that LIPO batteries can They are Heavy by todays standards LIPO Batteries are becoming the new standard batteries and are used in many applications , and of course RC lighter weight and can deliver hugh amounts of power WARNING They are not toy batteries and can become extremely volatile if they are subject to abuse eg not using the correct charger and discharging past their low voltage level , Probably the best battery us modellers have ever had BUT MUST BE TREATED WITH RESPECT

11 years ago by twinkle

Forum

Brushless Electric Motors

HI Scorrier It is possible to run a brushless motor from s / nimh batteries BUT I know There is always a but why mix old and new technologies the nimh are an inferior power source but saying that has fewer "problems or shall we say opportunities than lipos , but they are heavier , and don't supply the hi current that the lipo will but they are less fussy if subjected to abuse , also the esc must be a programable one that will sense the low voltage settings as they are different for nimh batteries . lipos are cheap enough and a good charger and lipos are sensibly priced on the giantshark website hope this helps regards Twinkle

11 years ago by twinkle

Media

Sea Nymph

Not Strictly Aerokits!!! Bought this and a Sea Breeze at the Warwick Show. Sea Breeze is in the cupboard for Xmas. Sea Nymph is Ivory and Brunswick Green. it has a JP 400 motor with an Mtroniks 15 amp esc powered by a 7.2v . Currently it has a 35mm S prop. Haven't had a chance to try it out on the water yet. Maybe this weekend. its the first wooden boat I've ever built so am quite pleased with the outcome. Looking forward to the Sea Breeze as that's going to be my first brushless model.

12 years ago by jeremy

Response

Whaleback 1/16 Scale.

Sea trials passed OK! The Graupner 600 drives a 38mm 2 bladed prop. Performance is good not super fast. interestingly this set up powered by a 3000mh ran for nearly an hour. While at the Warwick show I asked for advice from one of the clubs exhibiting. My problem was that my electric models hesitated while running. The advice was that my 40mz and 27mz radio set ups were probably the cause and I should use 2.4MZ. This change has completely cured the problem. May be second nature to you chaps...but I did'nt know. Apparently the radio signals given off by the motor do not enter the 2.4 range.

12 years ago by frankburgess

Response

Whaleback 1/16 Scale.

Hi My model ASL now has its electrics fitted, Graupner 600 motor Mtroniks 15amp controller and 3000 battery. Sea trials Thursday...watch this space! Your model looks very good....there was a super ASL at the Warwick Show Regars frank

12 years ago by frankburgess

Forum

ESC's

Hi, dont know amps but 7.2v and 30mm prop, new to this hobby and building from a free plan from model boat mag, "Triune" is model, from august edition. Thx.

12 years ago by glassicus

Media

no 94

HI everybody Another ebay purchase, a Fire Tender which I think is from the 50's. it is fitted with a very unusual old motor with sprung loaded brushes, capacitors, and a fan.... seems to run happily on 12v, which I plan to reinstall. Does anybody recognise it? it was fitted with a 'spring' universal joint. I am fitting a conventional UJ. There is also a circular switch attached to the motor. This appears to be wired to switch in up to 3 battery supplies! but I think I will fit a modern controller with modern s. I sail at the Maldon and Blackwater Model Boat Club at Heybridge. Regards Frank Burgess

12 years ago by frankburgess