rc boat question

[andrew]

can anyone offer advice to a new rc boater (lots of plan experience)
as far as nitro vs electric? pros and cons? Thanks

[EEWK]

Pros of nitro are:
- longer runs for far less weight
- much higher top speeds
-longer life of engines vs motors
-meaner sounding
-usually get more looks

Cons:
-nitro is toxic
-nitro is messy
-more care and maintenance required but it pays off
-more pre run adjustments
-minor adjustments now and then
-louder than electric
-sometimes is a pain in the ass

Pros to electric
- motors are a bit cheaper
-batteries are clean and efficient
-0 prep time usually
-high acceleration
-quiet

Cons:
-very short runs, unless you get high power batteries
-Charge is 10-60 min depending on charger, filling a gas tank is 15-60
seconds
-if you want to regulate speed, you need a regulator witch will run you
$25-40
-battery packs don't last as long as a nitro engine would.



this is coming from someone who prefers gas, if someone else prefers
electric, read that too

[Jim McLaughlin]

No reason really not to eventually have both......in different models.

BUT, as a beginner, you may be interested in one very important
difference....

ELECTRIC MOTORS START

And as a beginner, there is something to be said for being able to get
out on the water and actually "Go", first time around, as you can with
electric.

There may be little else more frustrating, and more likely to "turn you
off" on the hobby than sitting there with your $ 500.00 investment in kit,
radios, motor, starting battery, fuel, starter, etc., and not being able to
get it to actually start.

YMMV.


--
Jim McLaughlin
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"andrew" <fink@infotekllc.com> wrote in message
news:6418f84a.0307261148.3cb2da6c@posting.google.c om...
> can anyone offer advice to a new rc boater (lots of plan experience)
> as far as nitro vs electric? pros and cons? Thanks

[EEWK]

good point, didn't think of that one, he's right, although gas is a bit more
rewarding in deep vee racers.

[Jim McLaughlin]

One other thing I didn't mention, that I should have.

Find a club, or a group. Hang out with them, run with them. (Things
I used to tell my teenage boys to not do... well, this is different! <g>)

A large part of this or any other hobby is the social aspect. Find
folks to run with.

Having a bunch of fuel (whether nitro or gas) folks around who have
experience does make running fuel as a novice a bit easier.

But even if you decide to start with electric, doing it with other folks
is more fun.


--
Jim McLaughlin
************************************************** **************************
************************************************** **************************
I am getting really tired of spam, so the reply address is munged.
Please don't just hit the reply key.
Remove the obvious from the address to reply.
************************************************** **************************
************************************************** **************************
Special treat for spambots:
abuse@ftc.gov, spam@ftc.gov, uce@ftc.gov

************************************************** *************************
"andrew" <fink@infotekllc.com> wrote in message
news:6418f84a.0307261148.3cb2da6c@posting.google.c om...
> can anyone offer advice to a new rc boater (lots of plan experience)
> as far as nitro vs electric? pros and cons? Thanks

[Rob]

The difference with boat motors is that you don't have that big prop
helping it through 'tweaky' moments. High power boat engines are
nutso, as the nitro freaks here will tell you. If you've run a
ducted-fan plane, that would prepare you for a high-power nitro
boat...but even the planes aren't running 50% nitro (or higher) :)