new to boating

[buckw3]

i was looking at buying an rc boat.. been looking at the traxxasline online. are these decent boats or is there something better for the money. alos should i go with the gs or the elctri one. thanks for your time

[CG Bob]

Traxxas makes good boats. Gas or electric - depends on the lake you plan on running the boat in. If its in a city or county park, you should check with the park district - most don't allow gas powered model boats. Is the lake in a housing development - noise from a gas boat may be an issue.

[buckw3]

the main lake i'll be running it in is a private lake i belong to so that doesn't matter. the other lake is cayuga lake , one of the finger lakes in ny. i have never seen any boats ran around where i go so i don't think it really matters. Thanks for your info. So which way would you all go. Gas or electric?

[martin richards]

Both gas and electric have their advantages and disadvantages. If your lake has no noise problems, that's one disadvantage less for gas, to which you can add the advantage of higher potential speed and runtime. However, electrics are probably more reliable, easier to maintain and less temperamental once set up.

[thething84]

probelm with gas is they can have the tendency of conkin out while in use, which in the middle of lake is quite irritating. so to solve this u need to install and electric motor you can switch to to get it back in. i have a electric start motor, so if i was gonna do it, i would use the and have the electric start connected to a servo.

[Ghost 2501]

if ur new to boating, a HP gas engined boat is not the way to go, it will be toooooo fast, and an expensive item to wreck, best go for something electric, and slower, say a cargo ship or a tug,

[CG Bob]

The Traxxas Nitro Vee (http://www.traxxas.com/products/marine/nvee/trx_nvee.htm) is a good boat.


probelm with gas is they can have the tendency of conkin out while in use, which in the middle of lake is quite irritating. so to solve this u need to install and electric motor you can switch to to get it back in. The Nitro Vee has a return to shore (RTS) system - an electric motor that can get the boat back to shore when the nitro engine dies. Traxxas also has a lifetime engine replacement policy - you'll need to read the fine print. I work in a hobby shop, and we sell a lot of Traxxas nitro trucks because of the engine policy. We've replaced two or three Traxxas engines in the 5 months I've worked at the LHS.

[buckw3]

thanks for all the help. i am torn between the nitrovee and the villian EX anybody know anything about these two boats
thanks for your help

[CG Bob]

The Nitro Vee and Villiam EX are similar sized boats in all measurements; performance will be about the same. A cost breakdown can help a little with the decision; the prices are estimates based on several sources.
Villian EX $275
7.2 Volt battery (4 @ $14) $56
7.2 Volt AC/DC quick charger $40
8 AA Batteries for radio $7
Total $378

Nitro Vee $310
7.2 Volt Battery $14
7.2 V battery charger $20
14 AA batteries for radio $12
Fuel bottle $8
Fuel - 1 gallon $21
After Run oil $3
Glow Plugs (3 @ $6) $18
Total $406

Not a big difference in price to get started with either boat. Some of the other things to consider are the "consumable items" for either boat. For the Nitro Vee the consumables are the 14 AA batteries for the radio (transmitter & receiver), fuel, glow plugs, and after run oil. For the Villian EX, consumables are pretty much limited to the 8 AA batteries for the radio transmitter. You should be able to run several seasons on four 7.2 Volt battery packs - I have some that are 7 years old and still good for sport use.

[buckw3]

on the villian ex how long does it run for , how quick is the recharge, do you think you should get a second set of batteries. By what i've read there is not much performance difference between the two so i would think to go elctric, right or wrong... Thanks for all the info and all of your help on making these decisions

[CG Bob]

I don't have any experience with either Traxxas boat. I do have several fast electric boats : a scratchbuilt 1/10 scale Crackerbox raceboat; a 1/32 scale scratchbuilt Elco 80-foot PT Boat; and a fast east coast Bass Boat (lobsterboat type hull). The following information is based on my experience with these boats.

Most of the fast electric boats will run 5-10 minutes at full throttle on a battery charge. The speed of a reharge depends on the mAH rating of the battery - you can get 7.2 Volt batteries fron 1500 - 3000 mAh. A general rule of thumb for the NiCad battery charging is 1 minute for every 100 mAh of capacity: 1500 mAh = 15 minute charge; 2400 mAh = 24 minute charge; etc. The Villian EX requires TWO 7.2 Volt batteries to run. My price estimate shows FOUR 7.2 Volt batteries - or two sets of batteries. Most of the chargers are AC/DC, requiring the use of a 12 Volt DC power supply, like your car battery.

After a full speed run, the motors and batteries will most likely be warm or hot to the touch. If the motors are hot, they need to cool down at least 15 minutes before you run the boat again. That's why Traxxas has an optional motor water cooling set up for the boat. The batteries need to be cooled down after a run as well, they won't take a full charge if they are warm or hot.

You'll get about 10 minutes of run time, on average, for 30-40 minutes of battery charging (2 batteries). Also, the more mAh in a NiCad, the more the battery costs. 7.2 V 1500 mAh batteries run $11-$15. 7.2 V 3000 mAh batteries run $40 and up.

[Zitch]

Dear colleagues!

You well discuss a theme, it is pleasant to me.
CG Bob recommendations are correct and pertinent.

buckw3:

The electric boat is conveniently and simply. But you can not feel a smell of exhaust gases.
You will be deprived many pleasures to contact the engine of internal combustion.
This factor is important.

It is similar to hunting with a real gun.
Otherwise is simply shooting in ducks from the plastic Dandy's pistol.

Good luck,
choose pleasure according to feelings.

Sergey.

[Ghost 2501]

well My Gemini freighter will run for about an hour on a 7.2 nicad, with my Najade getting around 10 mins at fill lick on the same battery, I have since gone to 12v lead acids for najade

having a nitro boat can lead you to having liited sailing areas, as in the UK, and may be same in the states, there are several lakes which do not allow ICE because of residents complaining about the high pitched zing that comes with ICE boats.

[CG Bob]

Your GEMINI is a displacement type hull, and probably has a slower turning motor and a power prop. The Traxxas VILLIAN EX is a deep vee planing hull with a high speed motor and speed props. The run time of an electric boat is directly related to: hull type; prop type & speed; motor type & speed; dirct or gear drive; and battery amperage. I also have a couple of displacement hulls where I get 1 hour runs from a 7.2V battery pack - not necessarily at full speed.

[ISKATEFAST]

Save your pennies a little longer and get a GAS boat.

[LtDoc]

Buck',
If this will be your first R/C boat, I'd suggest starting fairly simple, such as an electric powered boat. Nothing wrong with nitro or gas boats, they just have a steeper and slipperier learning curve. At this point you can't really be sure if you're going to like it or not, so why not find out first, with something that won't wreck the budget? No one has just one boat, and nothing says you can't make the second one nitro, gas, or whatever.
- 'Doc

[Ghost 2501]

aaaah but is a novice boater going to be able to control a gas boat, it would be like passing your motorcycle test on a 100cc capable of a mere 70and then buying a 190mph+ capable suzuki GSX-R1300.

to some degree, the same applies here in RC boating, to exploit the speed and handling potential of a high performance ICE, it will take a few years of boating. therefore to learn how a boat handles, a graupner eco-speed or a falcon electric will be the better option. the light weight racing hull of the eco-speed, with their deep V will give similar handling to a high performance ICE, but be more forgiving, face it, a boat like a hp ICE or the racing electric WILL get rolled easily by a novice, and if the engine of the ICE is at full whack, its gonna do some serious damage to the engine, and may even do some damage to the hull. the smaller racing electric will probably right itself again and be able to go again. having spilt the load of fuel, the Nitro will not run again until towed to shore, the engine empied of any water and the tanks refilled. and she may not run right all day after a good dunking, and will probably require being set up again.

therefore i say, if you are in experienced go for the leccy one, before progressing to ICE powered craft

[Tony Oliver]

buckw3 - As you must have somewhere to operate your boat, are there any other users there who you can talk to? There's no substitute for watching, asking and learning. Join their group/club. If you are situated remote from any other boat modellers the idea to get a very fast boat is similar to the aircraft flyer just starting out who wants a Mustang with retracts etc. Definitely something to be aimed for but to be put on hold until more experience and knowledge is gained.

It's sensible to lower your sights for a short while - if you're on your own it's a huge learning curve and you will not have scope to make any mistakes if you go for the top on your own.

Keep posting!

[buckw3]

i have takin in some of your ideas to start with a cheaper boat. but not sure what to start with.i have seen an ep racing 28" fast victory. nkok super air nautique 22' boat. let me know what you think of these or if you know of something better. Thanks for all the info

[martin richards]

For just cutting your teeth on, http://www.hobby-lobby.com/vhull.htm is good value. especially if you don't take HobbyLobby's advice for the drive system. You'll get some better advice for setting up on www.offshoreelectrics.com basically with direct or flex drive with a 700 motor on 12 cells.

[cz20]

I've had my villain EX for about 2 months,run 2 sets of batts through it daily and am very pleased with it. the handeling from the twin steerable outdrives is amazing,it handels chop great,and is very fast in the straight aways.The run time on top of the line GP3300MAH batts is from 9 to 12 minutes,mostly run at full throttle. The interior stays dry as long as you do not do too many rough spin outs and wake jumps,if so it will take in a small amount.I have added cooling coils to the motors and it runs much cooler.The only downside i see is; you must keep the pinions,gears,u-joints,prop shafts,and bushings well lubed or it will quickly start to whine and slow down.I lube and clean it after every outing. I have heard some people have problems with the plastic gears stripping. another good boat is the CEN AQUAJET both electric and nitro. a great website is OFFSHORE ELECTRICS.COM

[buckw3]

i recently went to the local hobby store and was looking at boats. the worker was showing me the aquacraft hammer boat for the price he said it would be a great starting boat. he also said to go with electric if you are going to run it in your own ponds because the nitro will put oil in the water. any thoughts on this boat would be greatly appreciated. thanks for any info.