New boy needs help! Mono build advice!

[Davem]

Hi,

I've been building model boats a few years now, but only nitro ones for use in OMRA, stopped racing and running boats for a little while now due to other commitments, but I'm now building a mono up,

so i'm after advice, i;ve looked around the net and decided to get a Dateline Storm (pic below), and i've got a brushless motor for it (see the link below)

http://www.astecmodels.co.uk/catalog/pr ... cts_id=479

so now i'm wondering the following thing:

1 - what kinda hardwear should i run? i like the idea of the wire drive's, as theres no strut on the back end, but am i right in saying theres no adjustment? so getting the angle right first time is a must?

2 - Lipo's! I have an old Sloopy i play about with, which is 7cell NIMH works really well, so Lipo's are voodoo to me! is it worth it? i'm not going to race the thing, if you really think its the way to go, then can some one explain them? i.e. can i run them till there flat? if i dont use them for a while is that ok? do i need a bag to charge them in?

thanks in advance for your help! i'll post pics as i build the boat, will take a while due to just buying a house so not alot of cash to spend on it!

cheers

Dave

[PaulWilliams]

Hi,

Wiredrives are available with a conventional strut assembly, very similar to a flexi. You say you don't want to race, so I would advise sticking with a flexi-cable drive. Wires are definitely better for racing (imho), for a fun boat a flexi setup is probably less hassle. Have a look at the various "Stinger" drives you can get - these work with either flexi or wire.

Regarding lipos or nimhs, go with lipos. They're superior in almost every way, and you do not have to mess about soldering cells into packs - the packs are ready made, and just require connectors. It depends if you have (or are willing to buy) a lipo-capable charger with either a built-in or separate cell balancer. If not, then stick with nimhs, but I'd recommend lipos in preference.

Cheers,
Paul

[Davem]

Cheers for the advice Paul,

I'm tempted by going Lipo, I dont have a charger or anything for them, so if i was to go that way, i;d need a charger/blancer, charging bag, and the cells? anything else?

also are they ok to be run untill they are flat?

can they be left un used for a few weeks? if so wil they need to be charged before eaving?

i've read all sorts of stories about them, so abit confused really!

Goign to start work on the boat this weekend, now the motor has arrived

Cheers

Dave

[astecme]

also are they ok to be run untill they are flat?

No - running below 3.2 v will destroy them - you need a lipo aware ESC also - they mostly all are now.

[Davem]

so that type of ESC will stop the boat once the cell gets to that limit?

would be ok to not use the cells for a while, as i suspect i'll only run the boat a couple of times a month

[PaulWilliams]

so that type of ESC will stop the boat once the cell gets to that limit?

would be ok to not use the cells for a while, as i suspect i'll only run the boat a couple of times a month

Don't bother with a lipo bag - most people don't seem to. I got one when it looked like they would be required in the rules for racing with SWAMBC, I've pretty much never used it.

Yes, you need an ESC with a low voltage cut-off to protect the lipos from deep discharge, which destroys them.

You can store lipos no problem, but make sure they are charged to around 40% capacity - don't store them discharged.

Paul

[Davem]

Paul,

Thanks for the advice, i;ve now trimmed all the excess moulding off, and made a motor mount, waiting for payday to order the remaiing hardwear.

Just wonding if you;d normally run a failsafe on a FE boat, I used to use them for my nitro boats, but would it be nessessary for FE boats?

Cheers

Dave

[astecme]

All new esc's have built in failsafe - also so do most 2.4ghz set ups.

[nativepaul]

I bought an ESC recently that shuts down after 4 seconds of no signal, so while it does have technically have a failsafe it would still see my boat stuffed into the lake bank and if I was still using my last radio I would fit an external failsafe.