RE: speed controler
A lot depends on the type of motors you intend to use, and the voltage of the battery that you intend to run it on. Once you know the likely current draw (and this will also be affected by the props fitted) you can figure the ESCs that will do the job for you.
Posted on: 11/20/2009 10:21 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9267385

RE: help needed for a boating noob!
Are the batteries in good condition? Intermittent power gives much the same result as intermittent signal. Come to that, are the transmitter batteries OK?
Posted on: 11/17/2009 7:45 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9259755

RE: Thunder Tiger Victoria Radio Box
Have a look at http://www.modelflight.com.au/rc_model_boats/boats_rc_models_victoria_yacht.htm where you can download a pdf of the manual. The box isn't really rocket science.
Posted on: 11/14/2009 9:56 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9252957

RE: Is it possible to upgrade a toy boat to 2.4 mhz?
The really important thing, apart from cost, is whether or not the boats can be re-assembled after conversion. Some are fitted out at the factory, then the top and bottom are bonded permanently, just leaving access for changing batteries. Splitting the bond doesn't always allow for subsequent re-assembly.
Posted on: 10/21/2009 5:44 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9190227

RE: Thunder Tiger Odyssey
I got that Howes one for my Victoria. It can now sail in any weather that I care to be out in. Previously, in anything other than a very light breeze the servo (Futaba S3004) was overcome, and would not wind in, often getting pulled out. Only downsides were re-assemblng the servo box and refixing it with stronger glue, then I had to make a new arm as the splines are different, and the old battery wasn't quite man enough for the increased load.
Posted on: 10/20/2009 2:32 PM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9188451

RE: 1.25 v nickel-metal hydride Battery storage
Just an instinctive preference, I would never store any battery discharged. I would also try to avoid storing them where freezing was likely.
Posted on: 10/20/2009 5:41 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9187456

RE: Thunder Tiger Odyssey
I've had a TT Aussie 2, about the same size as the Odyssey but from a long time ago, and while it sailed reasonably well in the right conditions, those conditions didn't happen very often. It also had some very optimistic bits of design that needed changing, but nothing too drastic. The Odyssey looks like it would be a better sailer with the fiddly deck furniture omitted, but the Victoria, from experience, is a very good sailer. It does need a higher torque sail servo and careful reading of the instructions. With a bit of careful shopping around, you should be able to get well under larrykin's guesstimate of £250.
Posted on: 10/20/2009 5:36 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9187452

RE: Fairwind III - Battery Upgrade, Auxiliary Power, and Remote Control
I've never used anything but rechargeble batteries to work the electronicery. Combining the wine and the spare tug sounds a brilliant idea. When the wine is far enough down, and the tug is deployed, snagging any of the yachts with any of the tugs should do the job.
Posted on: 10/11/2009 6:28 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9163252

RE: 1/4 turn latches
Some folks like magnets, as used on cupboard doors.
Posted on: 10/7/2009 11:20 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9153775

RE: large scale ship getting them in water
Cycops2, you are the stuff of heroes.
Posted on: 9/30/2009 5:21 PM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9136584

RE: thunder tiger
All the Thunder Tiger yachts I have seen have been ABS or similar. Follow Michaele69's advice, find a club, find what they race. If you want to be competitive, your $300 won't go far unless you do a LOT of scratch building.
Posted on: 9/26/2009 7:30 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9125009

RE: Sailboat; 6'+ Hull Length?
Any of the classes I mentioned would do it for you. For a radio yacht, vintage designs have a weakness - they were designed to run straight, the rudder was really a trimming device. A radio yacht is intended to steer, so changes have to be made. On your link, look at the difference between the IODs and the vintage "A" boat near the bottom of the page. The difference between a boat and big plane is that you probably wheel the plane to where you want it, then set it off. With a boat, you have to lift it in and out of the water, preferably without joining it. The heavier the boat, the more counterbalancing involved. The bigger the sails, the more interesting the proposition. The awning and beer seem an excellent idea. Trouble is, sailboats demand attention when on the water. They dont stop, and, like any object of beauty, if they sense that attention s lacking, will wander off. The other odd thing is, if they lack a driver slowing them down, they invariably go faster than you ever thought possible.
Posted on: 9/24/2009 4:15 PM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9120935

RE: Sailboat; 6'+ Hull Length?
You might want to consider something rather smaller to start with. I have seen three people struggle with launching and retrieving radio "A" class boats (admittedly in weather where I doubted my good sense in being there) but a big boat is a heavy boat, and a big sailboat has big sails. Effectively it is powered up while you are carrying it. Having said that, Radio A's, R10R's, R6M's and AC12's are all addictive, and look good on a big enough lake. A "small" lake - how small? Importantly, how deep?
Posted on: 9/24/2009 12:48 PM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9120491

RE: thunder tiger
Thunder Tiger is a manufacturer doing a wide range of boats. Any particular boat? Some have better reputations than others. Search the threads for "Victoria" and ETNZ"
Posted on: 9/24/2009 6:02 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9119833

RE: Painting over epoxy
Allow to fully cure (about three times as long as you first thought is usually safe), clean to de-wax/de-grease, fine sanding to give a keyed surface, prime and paint. Done. Maybe a few layers of clear lacquer as protection - things that get dragged through water tend to get thwacked by stuff in the water.
Posted on: 9/21/2009 4:01 PM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9112868

RE: Scratch Built 78m research ship
Do you have plans for eventually launching/retrieving? This is going to be HEAVY.
Posted on: 9/11/2009 7:19 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9086320

RE: Sail Setup
[quote]ORIGINAL: indoorff Thanks, those looks like some really helpful links, I will have to read it and see if I can absorb the information. So the jib boom is simply there so the jib can be free to move a small amount, and is not controlled in any way from the radio then? Cheers, Chris [/quote] Yes, but if you want to, you can have control there. Its up to you. You could also have it loose-footed (no boom). A Marblehead champion back in the early '90's used all 7 channels to control his rudder and 2 sails. The next year's winner used 2 channels. Yer takes yer pick :-)
Posted on: 9/10/2009 8:40 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9083805

RE: question about dual mtor operation
Size of ship, real or model, and number of props are two independent subjects. The biggest container ship so far built has a single prop. To prevent things burning out, you match the performance of the motors to the capability of the props, and the controller to the motor. If two motors are used, the safest way is one ESC per motor, and a mixer to allow for differential steering off a basic radio. Stability? If it is a scale model, then the height is just as scale as everything else. If it is a freelance model, it will follow the same naval architectural rules as a "real" one, otherwise its a toy rather than a model lacking an original. Remember that the density of the vessel is not constant, the lower parts will, or should, be carrying the heavy stuff like batteries, the superstructure will be made light. Should be made light Funnel and masthead fittings made from white metal are rarely a good idea.
Posted on: 9/9/2009 6:19 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9080997

RE: drive train help
If fitting three motors, it seems a waste to have the centre one just providing drag and slowing things down. 3 ESCs and a mixer seems more logical. Saving weight on batteries is the best way to increase performance. LiPos could be a good answer for giving the higher capacity for increasing run time. Having got motors with enough power to do the job, the next tick is to get the right props. Initial intuition points to big, heavily pitched props with lots of blades to shift a lot of water. Usually, this just flattens batteries quickly and cooks ESCs and motors. Think in terms of small, two (preferably for performance) or three (keep most of the performance and look good out of the water) blade props. The boat can never go forwards faster than the stream of water being pushed backwards. Plenty of other factors, but thats a good one to start with.
Posted on: 9/8/2009 10:40 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9078537

RE: Sail Setup
It only needs an independent control if you really want one. There will be an adjustment to set the size of the slot between the leech of the jib and the mast, but this really doesn't need adjusting once the boat is sailing. A properly set up yacht will always go fastest when the driver stops slowing it down. The more things that can be adjusted by remote control, the better the chance of a bigger, better muck-up.
Posted on: 9/6/2009 2:06 PM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9073903

RE: Sail Setup
A conventional (note that things become conventional because they work) rig has the nice feature that when running downwind, the jib tries to lift the bow. With a swing rig, the entire rig tries to bury the bow. A hull that works well with a conventional rig might not be as good downwind with a swing rig. Of course, if it was designed with a swing rig in the first place, thats another story. Arranging controls with a swing rig can be easier, and, since the forces each side of the mast tend to partially cancel, a smaller control device can handle the same sail in stronger winds.
Posted on: 9/6/2009 9:49 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Sailboats"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9073439

RE: greaseing my shaft
Some folks speak well of reel grease as sold in fishing tackle shops. Water resistant grease may be available in Halfords.
Posted on: 9/2/2009 6:45 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9063802

RE: need boats to power back and forth w/o operator
Boats left to their own devices will tend to go where they want to go. There is never a guarantee that a boat, having had a course set, will stick to it, even moreso when sharing water that is being disturbed by other boats. Consider an underwater trackway to guide the boats via guide pegs hanging underneath the boats. You might be able to arrange something incredibly technical with IR light beams and sensors on the boats. There used to be a robotics championship back in the '80's for making an electric rodent move semi-autonomously that various universities competed in. Doing the same with a boat should only be a few times more difficult.
Posted on: 8/30/2009 12:40 PM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9056563

RE: A good beginner boat kit?
Then there is the universal good first boat, the Revell Corvette. Big enough to impress and get both hands in while building, easy to convert to RC, small enough for easy handling and low enough price so that its not a disaster it it all goes belly up.
Posted on: 8/29/2009 4:42 PM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9054730

RE: home built question
Not the clearest picture, but - it might well benefit from spray rails along the chines to break the waterflow around the hull. Just what will stick to the hull material is another question..... The prop out the back sounds like a move into surface piercing territory so a talk with the fast lads might be appropriate.
Posted on: 8/22/2009 5:29 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9035189

RE: home built question
A 7? A workmate of mine back in the late '70's had a JPS Europa. He reckoned that Lotus was an acronym for "Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious". Ideal car for anybody under 5 foot 9. I always banged my head and scuffed my shins getting in and out, and I didn't have the steering wheel to get past.
Posted on: 8/20/2009 1:21 PM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9031099

RE: home built question
That's why I said "If possible". If you cant mount the battery lower, the second best is to ballast it down to lower the CoG. It always goes against the grain to add weight to a fast boat, though. In the words of Colin Chapman (Lotus cars boss) regarding the way to better performance "Add more lightness and simplicate".
Posted on: 8/20/2009 5:58 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9030224

RE: home built question
If possible, higher capacity batteries are the finest ballast you can get. A longer run time is always better.
Posted on: 8/19/2009 5:11 PM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9028865

RE: home built question
Apply a bit more trim on the appropriate side.
Posted on: 8/19/2009 5:36 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9027683

RE: home built question
Trim tabs and careful adjustment will probably help. I had the same problem when I "accidentally" put a lower voltage motor into a Lotse and a higher voltage battery. The "tabs" were a rectangle of aluminium cut from a drinks can and epoxied to the underside of the transom with a bit sticking out. This could then be bent to suit and has worked well for several years.
Posted on: 8/18/2009 5:11 AM by Author "mfr02" in the forum "RC Boats General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9024911