RC boats who has one ??

[Summer Fun]

I want to buy one . .

Does anyone have the lowdown poop on what ones are good & what ones are junk ??.


Thanks, SF.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

I have 3. What style are you looking for? Outboard, inboard? Tunnel hull, deep vee, mono, hydro or more of a putz around pleasure craft? Nitro, gas or electric? Completely build a wood kit, or, ARR/RTR? How much money are you willing to spend?

I'm running all nitro.....

For a start, check out these options..

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/listings/cat-b.html

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

WOW you lost me in all of that !!. . I was looking at the electric ones.

There is so many to choose from I don't know what one to get. .

I want one that is at least 30" long.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

I updated my 1st post. Did you check the ones out at Tower Hobbies? I included a link..

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

Thanks, I'm still looking at all of them.

 

[BuzzStPoint]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

I used to be into RC. have RC Nitro Trucks.

Bought a Plane,,, Didn't last long. I was able to salvage the motor and servos and receiver.
So I built a Swamp Buggy.
Had lost of fun with that.

 

[funk6294]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

Have you considered the gas boats? I know electrics have improved and it may be better than when I had mine 15 years ago but all I remember was wet batteries and short run times. I switched to gas a couldn't have been happier. The boat ran for around 20 - 30 minutes on a tank with no decrease in performance. And when it was out of gas all I had to do was refuel and it was ready to go. No waiting for it to charge, or even having to find an outlet to charge it with. Not saying that today's electrics are that way, but it is something to think about.

 

[RGrew176]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

Have you considered the gas boats? I know electrics have improved and it may be better than when I had mine 15 years ago but all I remember was wet batteries and short run times. I switched to gas a couldn't have been happier. The boat ran for around 20 - 30 minutes on a tank with no decrease in performance. And when it was out of gas all I had to do was refuel and it was ready to go. No waiting for it to charge, or even having to find an outlet to charge it with. Not saying that today's electrics are that way, but it is something to think about.

Todays electrics are a long way from those of a few years ago. I get about 15 minutes of runtime on my RC boat. Batteries are like gas tanks the larger the capacity the more run time. I am running 5400 Mah LiPo batteries in mine.

I have looked at gas models and may get one someday but right now the pricing of gas models is more than I want to spend.

 

[RGrew176]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

I want to buy one . .

Does anyone have the lowdown poop on what ones are good & what ones are junk ??.


Thanks, SF.

There are lots of good models out there. They are a lot of fun. I currently have a Proboat Blackjack 26. It is my 2nd RC boat and so far the most fun. Proboat models are great starter boats IMO. My Blackjack 26 BL cost $299. Of course the batteries and battery charger cost extra.

Here is the Blackjack 26 BL:

http://www.proboatmodels.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=prb3300

Next year I am looking for a faster boat. This model was just introduced and I intend to purchase in the spring.

Here is the Traxxas Spartan:

http://www.traxxas.com/products/models/marine/5708spartan

If and when I decide to get a gasoline model this one is at the top of my list.

Here is the Proboat HyperSport 48:

http://h1071118.hobbyshopnow.com/products/description.asp?prod=PRB2350

While I have only been in this hobby for a couple of years based on my knowledge to date I would stay away from Nitro models. When they run they are fun to run. We have one member of our RC club who has a Traxxas nitro model. He is always fiddling around with it to keep it running. It either runs well, some of the time or not at all. Personally I won't go nitro. Gasoline models on the other hand run well pretty much all the time. We have one member of our RC club who has 3 gas operated boats. He has had no problems.

If you go electric you need to purchase a good battery charger. One that can handle the various types of batteries NiCd, NiMh, LiPo and so on. I have this one.

Here is the Onyx 230:

http://www.duratrax.com/caraccys/dtxp4230.html

This charger will charge all types of batteries. It is programmable to your specific battery. There are other chargers out there. There may even be better ones but this one works for me and it did not break the bank to purchase it.

You will hear terms such as RTR (ready to run) FE (fast electric) etc. Don't be confused.

I would highly recommend that you join an RC forum and one that specificly addresses RC boating. I am a member of RC Universe. This has been a great forum for me and it is a great one for beginners.

Here is RC Universe:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_229/tt.htm

BTW, I am not an RC boats expert. I am still basicly a novice. I still have more questions than answers. It is a FUN, FUN, FUN hobby and you can include it as part of your regular boating activities. All the members of our RC club are also members of the same yacht club. We have several weekend anchor outs during the course of the season and we always bring our RC boats to play with. We'll stand on our swim platforms and launch our RC boats and run them in the open areas behind our raft of boats. Its been fun to run our RC boats and see the looks of other boaters anchored in the same area. Since we started running our RC boats at the anchorage we are now seeing others doing the same.

You will also need to find a decent sized pond or small lake to run your boats from land. There are a few ponds here where I live. Some prohibit the running or RC boats but others allow it. You'll have to check out your area to see where you can run.

I guarantee that you will have a lot of fun if you get into this hobby. I am even thinking of possibly purchasing an RC plane in the future. For now, I will stick to boats.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

Electrics have come a long way. Enjoy this video for proof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REveAn7JdNQ

And this one, wow!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhZlQtoya6s&feature=related


I have a small old Viper R electric, with a brushed motor in it. I used it as a rescue boat to "tow" in my RC gas seaplane as well as my gas airboat and inboard boat. Worked great too. I used to instruct in RC planes, how I miss those days.

I have a few vids of me flying my "new" Tower Hobbies ARF crazy stunt plane on my channel, waterinthefuel's channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW-aYzqIZIU

 

[RGrew176]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you in my previous response, this. If you go with an electric model, make sure you purchase one that has a brushless electric motor. Other electrics cannot compete. BTW, I believe an electric model is good for starting out.

Have fun.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

140mph electric RC boat......wow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA3y_gyX3m8&feature=related

 

[DaNinja]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

RC Shootout at Lake of The Ozarks

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

WOW you lost me in all of that !!. . I was looking at the electric ones.

There is so many to choose from I don't know what one to get. .

I want one that is at least 30" long.

I have a 31" TRAXXAS Villain IV, with twin motors and outdrives.

I bought this for my son years ago, and we had a ball with it in the backyard lake...for about 2 weeks, and he lost interest. It is in the attic, along with the original box and books, etc.

This boat was fast, planed out like the real deal, and handled chop really well.

I would be happy to sell it...!

Happy boating!

 

[arks]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

When I got into R/C boating I initially bought a Traxxis nitro boat from Tower Hobbies. I was disappointed with the flimsy plastic hull and returned it immediately.
I also learned that nitro engines need constant attention- not what I wanted.

For about 6 or 7 years I've had 2 Warehouse Hobbies (WHH) Enforcers. These older models use a modified Homelite weedwacker engine. They're water-cooled and have centrifugal clutches, so they can idle without moving. I like them for their simplicity and easy maintenance. They'll run 30-40 minutes on a tank of pre-mix.
The yellow one has a 25cc and tuned pipe, the red one is a 'Team Sport' with a 30cc Homie.

One of my favorite shots:

 

[jrs_diesel]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

Pardon my ignorance, but don't you need a way to retrieve the RC boat if it ever flipped over in the middle of the lake/pond?

 

[DaNinja]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

Pardon my ignorance, but don't you need a way to retrieve the RC boat if it ever flipped over in the middle of the lake/pond?

Swim or kayak out to it. The Shootout video that I posted, I think they had a pontoon boat and a couple of recovery jet skis.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

He's joking about the "swim" part. There have been people who drowned swimming out to retrieve a boat. Never swim out.........

 

[arks]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

Pardon my ignorance, but don't you need a way to retrieve the RC boat if it ever flipped over in the middle of the lake/pond?

I used to use a cheap inflatable boat until one day when the R/C boat rudder slashed the main air chamber during a pickup.....

In this shot you can see my red 'recovery kayak' in the background.
BTW- the little nitro boat that guy is working on has a carbon fiber hull and runs 60+. It's INSANE!

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: RC boats who has one ??

I have been looking at those for a couple months now but I can't justify the cash right now....looks like fun though!