Forum

Tarpon hardware help

Need help in selecting and matching motor, battery, ESC, prop etc. for my 1958 Tarpon scratch built from MM 494 plan. I am years out of date with the hobby and a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing! I have purchased a Graupner 8.4 Volt (4.8-9.6V) and an Mtroniks Speed M600 12 Volt. I also purchased the Mtroniks TIO Marine 30 Amp ESC . Please advise if I am on the right track and which motor to use. Also need help on prop and battery selection. Thank you, Gordon

6 years ago by Gordon-B

Forum

Tarpon hardware help

Looking for more help please. I have settled for the Graupner 8.4 Volt (4.8-9.6V) with the Mtroniks TIO Marine 30 Amp ESC driving a 3 blade brass 35mm prop. I need advise on what size of NiMh pack to use and will it be under propped with the 35mm 3 blade?

6 years ago by Gordon-B

Directory

(Naval Ship) Ashes

3d printed hull, makes it a bit heavy but that's good when it runs fast. it's actually too fast for the scale. Can't run it on full speed. it literally stands up on full speed. Medium throttle is enough to make your face shine. The boats small. Can't take more than 2s 600mah but can 1s 1000 can be used. (Motor: 180 20000rpm 7.4v motor) (ESC: 20A w/brake brushed esc) (5/10)

6 years ago by Sakibian

Forum

VOSPER 46'' Crash Tender

Actually 4 pole , "Graupner HPD 2920-4000 High-end brushless motor Particularly suitable for: MiniMono, MiniHydro, MiniCats, MiniHydroplanes, aircraft with wingspan up to 1 m, off-road and on-road 1:12 Features ?Special CNC-machined housing for maximum heat dissipation ?High-efficiency 4-pole 12-slot brushless motor ?High-performance rotor with Kevlar reinforcement ?High-purity copper coils for optimised conductivity ?Extremely strong sintered neodymium magnets ?Intense torque at low weight Specification Operating voltage range : 4,2-16,8 V No-load speed: 29600 U/min All-up weight, approx. : 90 g Free shaft length: 10 mm Recommended controller: Navy V75 G7257 Output : 650 W Number of poles: 4 Permissible motor direction : R und L Nominal voltage: 7,4 V Case length: 30 mm Shaft diameter: 4 mm Case diameter: 29 mm Revolutions/Volt: 4000 " Taken from one Google, first response at Cornwall Models Boats!😉 Note. 650W, Nominal voltage 7.4V. No wonder it's a bit quick on 11.1V 😲 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

EarlyVosper M.T.B by Simplas

Hi Onetenor Fuji 15 was a good glow engine which I don't think it is manufactured any more. Aero version max B.H.P was just below .40 when tested. if it was in a model aircraft it would have been around .20 to .25 depending on prop size which was good then for a small capacity glowplug . Marine versions when on the water put out a little less and the water cooled jacket was never as efficient as the finned cylinder jacket of the aero version. My two Aerokits boats, the Sea Commander and the Crash Tender are powered by single motors running on either 8.4 or 9.6 volt Ni Mh batteries. Performance is equal to that of marine diesel power such as the 2.46 Ed Racer and D.C 2.46 Rapier, the latter I used to watch in the fast steering events in the early 1960s at Fleetwood and Coronation Park in Crosby just outside Liverpool. Taycol powered versions would be obviously slower due to the additional weight were far more reliable and you did not have to put up with injuries from excessive use of a starting cord with kids watching and "extracting the urine" shouting "why wont it go mister". Boaty

6 years ago by boaty

Forum

1/16th scale Tamar

I can work out scale speed as well as anyone. I am glad that your Model Slipway Tamar worked well for you with a pair of 600Eco motors, but many other owners changed their motors not long after the model was brought into use. You don't need high Kv brushless motors, or 4s LiPos to get scale performance with this model. The addition of a bow-thruster is well worth the effort and cost.

6 years ago by kinmel

Forum

1/16th scale Tamar

I'm considering Model Slipay Tamar Class as my next project. I have never used styrene before (other than Airfix in my youth). Every article I have read on this model have used a twin ECO set up. I am toying with the idea of brushless but have no idea where to start in terms of equivalent motors etc. any idea anyone?😁

6 years ago by marlina2

Place

E s c

Guys advice please. Speed controllers for my boat , viper too expensive alternatives please for the johnson 600 motors please. I’m pulling my hair out trying not to have todown grade motors. Regards Terry Nobby

6 years ago by Nobby-Clark

Forum

Bow wave suppression

Hi Floating Voter, I do so agree that I should be flying, not ploughing. in fact, she does plane quite well, but she is 'dirty' at very high speeds.I am concerned that sooner or later, I will have electrical problems, despite trying to be careful not to overuse the throttle. She is fitted with 2 x JP EnErG brushless 600 O/R 1550 (C35 141), driving 38mm scale-type brass three bladers, contra-rotating. The pack is a 7.4 v, 30C lipo.

6 years ago by wunwinglo

Blog

Hacker

Hi not so much a build blog more of an assembly blog. A Trinity Hacker 1/18 scale 700 mm long, did away with supplied motor, fitted a small brushless one, a surpass c2216 800kv motor. Try 7.4v first if she needs more 11.1v should make her fly. much lighter reduced weight from 1200g to 1000g should help performance.

6 years ago by BigAlio

Forum

Hacker-trinity

Hi guys new ebay purchase listed as bare hull only when it arrived it came with full fitting set and brushed motor. bought it because of paint job and for some fast electric fun all for just £24.00 should go well with brushless set up.

6 years ago by BigAlio

Media

PT 109

PT 109 was one of the hundreds of motor torpedo boats (PT) of the PT 103 class completed between 1942 and 1945 by Elco Naval Division of Electric Boat Company at Bayonne, New Jersey. The Elco boats were the largest in size of the three types of PT boats built for U.S. use during World War II. Wooden-hulled, 80 feet long with a 20-foot, 8-inch beam, the Elco PT boats had three 12-cylinder Packard gasoline engines generating a total of 4,500 horsepower for a designed speed of 41 knots. With accommodations for 3 officers and 14 men, the crew varied from 12 to 14. its full-load displacement was 56 tons. Early Elco boats had two 20mm guns, four .50-caliber machine guns, and two or four 21-inch torpedo tubes. Some of them carried depth charges or mine racks. Later boats mounted one 40mm gun and four torpedo launching racks. Many boats received ad-hoc refits at advanced bases, mounting such light guns as Army Air Forces 37mm aircraft guns and even Japanese 23mm guns. Some PTs later received rocket launchers. This Proboat PT 109 model was brought in 2013 for £100 these boats are rare now, This one had a few faults with the propshafts they were bent and noisy both were replaced, with quality 4mm shafts, motors twin 600s were also replaced by Graupner versions along with mounts and couplings, basically all the running gear, also two ESCs by Aquapower were added and a 2.4G RC system.

6 years ago by CB90

Blog

WWII Italian MAS 562

MAS 562 (Motoscafo Armato Silurante: Torpedo Armed Motorboat) While Browsing the internet I came across a free plan dated 1969 if a italian Motor torpedo boat I found the craft interesting as it had a stepped hull, and this looked like a challenge, so more research and historical digging. Built in 1941 by Baglietto, Varazze: built of wood (mahogany). Baglietto, Varazze: built MAS 561 through to MAS 570 MAS Baglietto class 500, 4th series" Displacement 27.8 tons Displacement max 28 tons Length 18.7m Width 4.7m Draught 1.5m Propeller shafts 2 Machinery isotta Fraschini petrol engines and Alfa Romeo or Cararo cruising petrol engines Power, h.p. 2000 or 2300 / 140 or 100 Max speed 43 to 46 knots Fuel tank 1.5 tons Endurance 350 nautical miles at 42 knots Armament 1 x - 13.2/76 or 1 x - 20/65 Breda 1940, 2 x 450mm Torpedoes , 6 - 10 x Depth charges Crew complement 13 persons MAS 562, was captured by Germans 9/9/1943, transferred to RSI, was painted in disorientation camouflage, was captured by American PT' boats on June 30, 1944 and PT 306 towed the prize into Bastia. it was painted in disorientation camoflarge It is one of the few to have survived the war and passed to the italian Guardia di Finanza in the 1950's. in 1940 there were 48 MAS 500-class units. The plan shows the gun on a box platform not the case on the real boat. Making this boat so small has been a bit of a challenge. Running gear 2x Graupner 600 8.4v about 70watts each at rated voltage. 2x shafts 2x opposite turning propellers (2 or 3 bladed) 3 blades on real boat. 35-40 mm 2x ESC 1 or 2 Batteries The Model after studying plans and photographs I could see a few things that I could add to the plans. A cambered deck A revised transom shape (not square) Two propshaft and two electric motors with air cooling. A reduction in the number of frames /ribs as the boat I was going to make was only 29in (83cm) long. the three main problems with the hull where :- the new frame positions and the thickness of the stringers the wood I used was too thick 12mm x 6mm for a small boat Correct gun and position. The Hull is now skinned I will upload some photos soon.

6 years ago by CB90

Response

Hector Read

Thanks Dave, Hector Read model powered by a brushed electric motor with an electric speed controller. This gives plenty of oomph when it comes to rescuing stranded craft large or small on the pond, which is always a challenge I can never resist.

6 years ago by Gascoigne

Response

Prop shaft bearing

Sorry I can't find the one I bought from Model Fixings but here is an equivalent tech data Bearing details bore 5mm OD 10mm Width 4mm 2 shields MB-032 Max rpm Metal Shielded Deep Groove Ball Bearings: One of the most commonly used bearings, these types are manufactured with metal shields inserted into the outer raceway, these fit in closely to the inner race providing protection against light mechanical damage, some protection against the ingress of moisture, dust and other foreign matter and serve to retain the pre-filled grease in the bearing. Shields can be easily removed for applications that only require 1 shield Benefits: Provides light mechanical protection, limits moisture and dirt ingress, lubricated for life, Branded MR1052Z Metal Shielded Deep Groove Ball Bearing 5x10x4mm £2.80 ex VAT Dynamic load C =0.4116 kN Static load Co=0.1568 kN Max speed=60000 rpm

6 years ago by mturpin013

Forum

Too Powerful Brushless ?

Hi I found this PDF on Graupner motors. Also the Hobbyking site shows the specs on a large number of their brushless motors. I am looking at replacements for two Graupner 7.2 volts for a mate. I found a D3530/8 1700kv on Banggood with the same 5mm shaft and more grunt, less weight(74 grams against 192 grams)and about a third the price!!! I am going to install one in a Sea Commander(34") with a smaller 2 blade 32mm CNC prop on 3S Lipo 3300mah to test it out. Canabus

6 years ago by canabus

Forum

34'' Crash Tender - prop / rudder type

Hi peter, do you want a brass 3 blade prop for cosmetic reasons, if so they do look nice. I did extensive testing with my 3 foot fireboat using brushed, then brushless motors, and then prop testing. I was using eagle tree data logging for watts, amps, gps speed etc. The plastic two blade cheap as chips props actually produce similar readings to the more expensive brass 3 blades. Personally, as you are at the "guess work" stage, just use the plastic two blade ones, but use "x" pitch, standard wont give you the speed. Get a few sizes, 30, 35 40 mm and test. When you have the optimum set up you can then go to the expense of the brass prop. I sent Simon Higgins (ex prop shop) my readings and he made a specific prop for my boat, its a 35mm cleaver 3 blade. He has his own company now but I've forgotten what it is! He was at Blackpool last year so someone might have the list of traders. His props are balanced and one piece, very nice. I also experimented with a belt driven gearbox. The set up I have at the minute is this motor https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-t600-brushless-outrunner-for-600-heli-880kv.html overkill really! but my 3 footer is an original very heavy aerokits boat.

6 years ago by pmdevlin

Forum

huntsman 46

Hi Pilot If you are using 540 can size (35-36mm brushless motor) a 3639-1100kv 800watts, 3648-1450 1600watts or a XK 3674-1900 1769 watts. All run on 100Amp ESCs, but check the maximum voltage they handle. I use car ESCs with the electric fan on top because they run cooler at slow speeds and no water plumbing required. The same with the motors no cooling. Props for these motors 37mm 2 blade or 40-45 mm 2 blade. If you go for a larger motor for a larger prop, a L5055-700kv 1600watts same ESC, but, start with a 2 blade prop about 52mm. Battery a 3-6S 5800mah or more with a C rating of 40 plus. I have used the 35mm motors in 34 to 40" boats, but, for my 46" Vosper Crash Tender I am going to the 5055. To large a prop will cause over heating of the ESC, battery and Motor. A in line amp meter(Hobbyking 9598000004-0) is the one in use. It reads the maximum amps, so for run speed amps slow speed up to maximum as a hit the throttle hard will give you maximum amps. Canabus

7 years ago by canabus

Forum

BRAVE / PERKASA MTB

An interesting subject. There are details at http://www.bmpt.org.uk/other_boats_history/Brave%20class/page_two.htm which may help your thinking. I do believe the third motor was mainly for slow speed use but am not sure. From a model point of view there will not be much space in a 37" hull for three motors and the necessary batteries and my 34" Perkassa runs at full scale speed on two motors with a 9.6v 2800mA NiMh. I have seen three prop versions but the centre prop is usually free wheeling is not driven. If you really want performance then brushless and LiPo will give the best results and give plenty of room for 3 motors (28xx size), Escs and batteries. I guess your next step is to source a suitable plan for your chosen variant. I do hope you start a build blog

7 years ago by Dave M

Response

Billings Sea King refit

The s should be great. I have the original Como 480s and it went well. Was much improved when I made sure the props were contra-rotating. I know, Rookie mistake but then I am still a Rookie.

7 years ago by AllenA

Response

Billings Sea King refit

I should have said that the two motors are new.

7 years ago by Wingcoax

Forum

correct size of wiring

I apologise if this has already been covered here but I am now at the point of installing the motor in my new model. The motor is a Graupner , and the specs are : Nominal voltage 8.4 V Operating voltage range 4.8-9,6 V No-load rpm 15500 No-load current drain 1.8 A Current drain at max. efficiency 11 A Current drain when stalled 70 A Max. efficiency without gearbox 75 % If I use 8.4 volts what size wiring do I need? Do I need to cater for the 70A current or the 11A current, or somewhere in between, with a fuse? Sorry to be a bit dim on this but I am confused (with most things these days!) Chris

7 years ago by octman

Forum

Boat chit chat

Has anyone bought a motor from Howes lately. I have. Brand new and the motor is seized up.

7 years ago by Alan999

Forum

How do I find out the voltoge of my motor without it burning out

I have several motors that all look very nearly the same. One I know is a Graupner which is 8.4v but of the other 2, one is said to be 12v(was working with an 11.1 lipo) and the other one is unknown. It has a built in cooling impeller so probably came from an electric tool of some sort. Neither of these 2 have any markings or labels. Is there any way that I can test them for their normal working voltages without endangering them? Chris

7 years ago by octman

Forum

motor

Just unwrapped motor from Howes for my boat. It's dead as a dodo.Phoned Howes was told post it back for testing.As my bill for parts from them was £130 you would think they would send me a motor and I would post the duff one to them. It's all time as I'm in spain.

7 years ago by Alan999

Forum

Crash Tender Shaft Tube Poistion

Hi Doug, some amount of information to digest on this but I think I'm getting it some head scratching and hard work to come😁 Regarding motor replacement - love the idea of gold plated but when I take a motor, ESC and battery into the equation its about £80+. I currently have a Graupner 7.2v motor, Ripmax Xtra Quantum ESC and a Tornado 3800mAh NiCad battery so would need to replace the lot from what I can see with limited knowledge in this area also.

7 years ago by neilmc

Forum

Blown esc........ again 😢

Dear Auntie Plunkitt, bang goes another speed controller. Two weeks ago I blew my first, but that was my own fault, but this one, not sure. It's only powering a 600 graupner motor, so a 30 amp esc should be fine. But it kept slowing down, then nothing. The receiver was still powered up, but nothing to the motor. Any ideas ? Signed, yours Pained Wallet of Kidderminster😭

7 years ago by rolfman2000

Forum

Seabreacher

Hi Steve The Graupner Speed 900BB Torque specs are 6-40 volts, 6,500 rpm, 54A amps, shaft 6mm, dia. 51.5 mm, length 95mm and weight 645 grams. A brushless motor like the Hobbyking L5055 600kv is 11.1- 22.5 volts(3S -6S) power 1500watts, 55 Amps, shaft 6mm, dia. 50mm, length 55mm and weight 311 grams. On 3S=6660 rpm, 4S=8880 rpm and 6S=13500 rpm. The brushless motors are far more powerful and with an ESC with handles up to 6S(22.5 volts) you would have rpm's to drive a water jet unit. Canabus

7 years ago by canabus

Forum

propshafts

Hi Fred For a 3' boat the 700 size motors and required batteries will make for a very heavy model. The table Doug has provided indicates a size motor would be more suited and would certainly be about half the weight. I have two 700 motors in a 4' hull for a RN Exploit model which does require the weight and can carry the large capacity batteries. Each motor can and does draw about 15-18 amps. I do not know your model but if it is anything like the Rivas then weight and internal space will be at a premium.

7 years ago by Dave M

Forum

What motor have I got?

I have 3 apparently identical brushed motors. One I bought new, one came in a model and one was given. The one I bought recently is a Graupner , but neither of the others have labels on them, although everything else is 99.99% the same as the new one. The only obvious difference that I can see is that one of the older ones appears to have an impeller in it so that the commutator is not very visible. Am I to assume that this might be another version of the , that needs to be cooled a bit more than a standard one? Anyone know? Chris

7 years ago by octman

Directory

(Pleasure Craft) Dolphin 16 (19)

This is the Meccano Magazine January 1967 issue plan, built in balsa. I didn't do a build blog as the construction is well covered on the net. Started with an A4 plan and used Excel to enlarge it onto 9 A4 sheets. I chose something simple as I haven't built a boat for thirty years. Really enjoyed the build and re-learning how to overcome the problems that always arise. She is oversized being 19" long and having a 7.5" beam. She sits nicely on the water and begins to plane. Will upgrade the the battery sometime. The decking is worktop edge strip pre-glued but in future will use the unglued strips. The cabin was adapted to extend over the whole boat as there was little space for modern electrics. I will add in and out air vents as the motor will need to breathe. Also, the true model should have an upper deck and windscreen and this will be easy to add sometime in the future. Really surprised and pleased with results from aliphatic wood glue. The finish, which I am not completely happy with, due mostly to my own impatience, was achieved with Ronseal multi purpose wood filler, lightweight fibreglass laminate with Eze-Kote. Paint is Acrylics and Marine varnish. The electrics are: Acoms AR 201 Reciever, Servo Acoms AS 12, Cheap Chinese ,supposedly, 320 amp ESC and 7.2v Nimh battery pack. The Graupner 8.4v, bought it cheaply some months ago, was already in one of my boxes and you can see the adaptation required to fit it into the boat. All the Acoms controls I picked up at a boot sale including an Acoms Techniplus Alpha Transmitter on 27mhz. inside I used Hammerite Smooth Gold as I couldn't buy silver. Modern Hammerite is thin and squeamish and took 3 coats to provide reasonable coverage. One final rant I do like the new silicon wires but they are a nightmare to solder to a motor. I think I will use soldered connectors in future. So there we are, first model in 30 years and now so many models to build and so little time. Lessons learned...... don't be impatient. (Motor: Graupner 8.4v) (ESC: Chinese 320amp) (7/10)

7 years ago by AllenA

Forum

Fairy Huntsman

Dave M beat me to it. I have the same model. it's fitted with a BB motor and a 40mm prop. I use an Mtroniks 25amp speed controller (which is being changed to a 30amp Tio esc shortly so I can use my Lipos). it planes nicely on out lake, and seems quite good handling. Good luck with yours 😊

7 years ago by rolfman2000

Forum

Fairy Huntsman

As this is a refurbishment chances are it was fitted with an IC engine in which case you need to remove all the gunge and heavy mounting blocks from inside the hull as well as checking the propshaft and bearings. If you can get the weight reduced then I would expect a motor with a 30 to 40 mm prop should suffice. A 20/25 watt ESC powered by a NiMh would also be suitable and keep the weight down. if you use racing props the current will be greater than if you use brass 3 blade props, and the bigger the prop the greater the current. As a general rule the prop should have a diameter of no greater than that of the motor. The voltage of the NiMh must not exceed the max voltage the ESC can handle. A higher voltage will reduce the current draw so a 9.6v may be better than a 7.2v and give a longer run time. if you already have batteries for other models I would use those but SLA's are heavy and may hinder planing. if you already use LiPos then make sure your ESC can stand the voltage and has a built in cut off to protect the battery.

7 years ago by Dave M

Forum

ECS rating- confused

I have read so much lately regarding the appropriate size of ESC for brushed motors that I am totally confused (not really totally , but nearly!). For a Graupner the info given with the motor is max efficiency current = 11 amps, stalled current = 70 amps, no load current = 1.8 amps. Do I need an esc rated at 70 amps or more, or a 15 or 20 amp Mtronic Viper unit be OK? Should the fuse be 15 amps, or something well above that but under 70 amps? Questions, questions! (should have stuck to sail!) Chris

7 years ago by octman

Forum

Aeronaut Pilot Boat

Hey, I've really enjoyed reading this build log, I was wondering what the dimensions of your 540 motors were? because in the instructions (i'm about to start building it) it says to use a graupner 400 speed which is significantly smaller than the two graupner 600 speed motors that i was intending to put in it. Do you think they would fit? How much spare room is there? Many thanks for any help, Yours Tintin

7 years ago by Skipper44

Forum

1/12scale SPEEDLINE Trent lifeboat kit

I Have been asked by the widow of one of our old members to sell this kit, it is the complete works from speedline for the Trent lifeboat at 1/12 scale. 48" long. Very little has been done to the kit so far. comprising of:- Hull and wheelhouse Handrail stanchions and kicking boards Casting set Window set Vac forming set Brass rod Screws very small nuts and bolts Running gear set Brass detail set 3 made up crew members She would like offers very near. £500. PM me if interested for contact details this would be for collection from Gravesend Kent only.

7 years ago by modeltugman

Forum

Norstar Wave Princess resurrected

At last The Wave Princess sails again. She is not quite planing yet. She has a , cheap '320' amp esc, Macgregor MR23A receiver and a Carson Reflex CS3 servo, 12" Graupner propshaft. Quite proud of the home made prop support, I will never throw out an aluminium cooking pan again. Rookie problems are: 1. slight bend in prop makes it a little noisy but improved with vaseline and WD40 mix. 2. Have a 50mm prop at the moment will reduce that to 30mm and work my way up until I get best result. Will change to Brass eventually. As you can see the front cabin has an incorrectly fitted visa lip which has taken me 30 years to realise, that will be rubbed down and flattened. Really pleased that my bootsale MacGregor transmitter works as if new with a few new connectors to fit the ESC. My first one of many and, hopefully, tidier boats. Any advice and guidance would be warmly welcomed

7 years ago by AllenA

Forum

Norstar Wave Princess resurrected

Hi AllenA Welcome to the site. Your model looks superb and you have restored to almost original condition, including the MacGregor! Looks better than the one I used to own! The smaller prop will be much better, I have cooked a couple of s with a too large prop. The lip at the front may not bwe correct but it certainly fits with the period when the model was built. Good luck with the new prop and perhaps you will post a video so we can all share your experience of this nostalgic model sailing. Dave

7 years ago by Dave M

Forum

King-Fisher changes made

Grandpa, I started with a direct drive Speed 500 on 6 cells (7.2V) and it didn't have the performance I was looking for. I later changed to the and 8 cells (9.6V) and it made a huge difference. I'm not convinced how effective the cooling coil is as the flow from the outlet is not as much as I anticipated however this could be a function of the poor design of inlet that I'm using. Bottom line is I don't think the cooling coil is necessary. I make up my own battery packs and for this one I use two x four cells, one on each side of the centerline. As I previously stated I was a school boy when I built my original and the hard chines nearly made me throw in the towel. As an impatient youth it appeared to take for ever to plane them to match the bulkheads hence my switch over to laminations of 1/4 x 1/8 on my remake. Have fun and keep up with the posts. Robert

7 years ago by Robert

Forum

King-Fisher changes made

Hi Grandpa, If you go back through the build logs to 2009 you will find my build log for the Kingfisher. I first made one when I was a school boy many years ago and later came across the plans at my parents house and decided I would try and scratch build from the plans but with a few minor mods (dump the hard chine in favour of laminate strip). its a great little boat and is very stable in high speed turns. On mine I made the bench seat a drop in accessory and opened up the bulkhead to aford extra space for the motor connections. I'm now running a on eight cells and its got a nice turn of speed. https://model-boats.com/builds/view/23/2 Robert

7 years ago by Robert

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, nicads 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

Sea Rover Help

Hi Simon. Just like Canabus I have a few of this type of boat, all with brushless motors. So just to confuse you, 😀 here is the Sea Rover I am building at the moment, the motor is a I have a few photos of the build if you need them. Why did I choose a , it was in my box of bits 😀 Alan

7 years ago by AlanP

Forum

Sailing a straight line

I followed Mark's suggestion and gave the motors some running-in. After that, I found that with a small tweak on the stbd trim tab I was able to get a good speed match on the shafts with the radio control sticks at the same setting. I dropped the voltage to 6V, which is entirely adequate for the model. (I need 12V for the lighting, so I'll have to fit a voltage reducer for propulsion at some point.) During the testing I had a mishap with the batteries and have replaced the four 1600mAh batteries with two 2500mAh. These are heavier, so the model sits a little lower in the water, which will have an effect. Today was the first run in the pond after all the experimenting. Not the best conditions because there was an intermittent breeze. it appears to be better, will sail further in a straight line before it wanders off and makes a circle; still random. Next step will be to fit the larger rudders and wait for a windless day to test it. No video yet, but will try and get some on that occasion. I think progress has been made.

8 years ago by Trillium

Forum

Battery

HI John The motors will be OK on 14.4v see below: Motor Nominal Voltage Voltage Range No-Load RPM NO-Load Current Current @ Max Effic. Stalled Current Max Efficiency Case Length Case Diam Free Shaft Length Shaft Diam Weight Speed 700 TURBO 9.6v 4.8-14.4v 15,000 2A 12.5A 65A 75% 67mm 42.2mm 14mm 5mm 320g Speed 700 BB TURBO 9.6v 4.8-16.8v 13,000 2A 15A 77A 75% 67mm 42.2mm 14mm 5mm 350g Speed 700 RACE 9.6v 7.2-9.6v 19 000 3.3A 17.5A 90A 69% 66mm 44.5mm 10.5mm 5mm 362g Speed 700 BB TURBO 12v 7.2-19.2v 11,600 2A 12.5A 43A 75% 67mm 44mm 14mm 5mm 350g As you can see there are quite wide variations in the spscs and apart from the race version all will be OK. They are fairly heavy current so you will need some beefy ESC's, probably at least 100 amp but preferably 150 amp. As you are using LiPo you will need ESCs that will cut the power to the motor when the safe discharge voltage is reached. I have a timer on my Tx that warns me before the power is reduced. There are many suppliers of ESC on the web and in the UK. I would be wary of some of the Chinese suppliers as they can and do overrate the capacity on their ESCs. if the wiring is not substantial then it is unlikely the current will be as indicated. Good hunting Dave

8 years ago by Dave M

Forum

Model Slipway Tsekoa

HI Derek The are a good motor for fast planing boats, but are rather heavy on the current draw and don't start well at low revs. ideally you need some low current high tork 500 size motors. Slipway used to sell a low current version for their Trent kits and Component Shop stock a 555. Assuming your batteries are 4AHr I am not surprised that they don't last long. Your only viable option to improve the duration is to replace the 600s with a low drain motor. The added benefit will be easier control round a steering course. Dave

8 years ago by Dave M

Forum

Old speed controller

HI Derek Yes I fully understand. The LiPo will certainly improve your speed. I moved to brushless and LiPos with my fast boats but LiPos work well with brushed motors. There is so much more power available and provided you follow the guidelines re charging and discharge cut off they are OK. You may need to fit a warning device to the boat to prevent over discharge of the LiPo but they are cheap and will save your battery (and boat). Your motor will get much hotter so you may need to consider water cooling. My s in a small Perkassa were OK on NiMhs but started cooking on LiPos. The 700BB Turbo are a much better motor and should really develop lots of power at 11.1v Hopefully your ESC will handle the fully charged voltage and higher current. Dave 😀

8 years ago by Dave M

Forum

Pulsing ESC

HI Eric Seems a neat installation. However the rx and aerial appear to be right next to the ESC and motor with the aerial actually running alongside the motor. motors are fairly good at generating electricaol noise, especially at speed, and it is possible that it is this interference that is causing your receiver to lose signal in the middle of the lake. Ideally your high current power wires need to run as far away from any receiver wires and the aerial. With 2.4 Ghz the aerial must at all times be above the waterline as the signal cannot penetrate water, unlike say a 40Mhz system. I usually try and run he power wires on one side of a boat with the receiver wires on the other. Running power and rx low current wires in close proximity can result in noise being induced ( bit like a transformer). I had a problem with a model Trent lifeboat where I had placed the rx with the aerial pointing down into the boat as it seemed sensible, but it was below the waterline and about 10yds out it started stopping and starting. Looking at your videos the signal is being lost causing the ESC to reset. As you apply power the signal is again lost and the process repeats. Initially try just moving the Rx so the aerial is pointing away from the motor and ESC. ideally you need to move it away from the ESC as that is also a high source of interference. Hopefully your rx will then not lose signal. if this is a new TX/rx its possible you have a faulty set. Can you run the tx in reduced mode to check output? Sorry I do not have a FlySky set so am not familiar with its settings. I also notice that you appear to have a separate voltage dropper. The Viper has a built in BEC so you can't use both at the same time. You can cut the red wire in the lead from the ESC to the receiver. I usually just remove the red connection from the plug and tape it to the lead so I can replace on another boat. Please let me know how you progress. There are other steps that can help reduce the motor noise, but its not normally necessary with 2.4Ghz sets. Cheers Dave 😀

8 years ago by Dave M

Forum

Pulsing ESC

Thanks Dave, here's some more info: the tug is running with a 6v 4,5ah battery powering a motor, the tx/rx are by Flysky and the ESC is an mtroniks 20amp marine. Hopefully the pics and video help, there are lots of connections unfortunately. Hope you can help.. Eric

8 years ago by EricMB

Forum

Aero kits sea commander

The Johnson 600 is a very popular motor, its what comes as standard with a club 500. Having club 500 experience, on same voltage, my personal recommendation is the Sea Queen is a heavy old girl compared to the much smaller and plastic light Club 500. I think it will be underpowered., that Hull needs a turn of speed to get up on the plane. they go very well then, its not a slow boat, but then its really personal and depends what you want. You may also experience overheating, as the motor will be working hard. if you want to stay with a brushed motor then I would use a 600, something like a graupner 600BB Turbo. I did a lot of experimenting some years back when rebuilding my 3 foot aerokits fireboat, and the 600 came out well as direct drive or with a gearbox. Up the voltage to the max in the range will give more speed. Paul

8 years ago by pmdevlin

Forum

Sea commander

I have just been given a Sea Commander that was built in 1958 but never quite finished, it has been very well made and just needs painting and the running gear fitting. So here is my question, will a 9.6 volts motor that I have, fed with 9.6 volt C cells and a 40 mm two bladed prop be enough to get it up on the plain and look the part. Alan

9 years ago by AlanP