lapistola28

Good day Everyone ,

Has anyone really played around with a mini thunder yet ? A friend of mine and myself just purchased a couple of them to run in the creekat work .There is a motor upgrade on Towers site . Is this as good as it gets ?

chief3452

I bought one for my girlfriend to thrash. The boat has been fun and trouble free so far with stock parts. Tip...try to not get off plane too much, with such a shallow draft the transom lets a lot of water enter the hull which really affects the boat's speed and handling. I use tape across the back of the hatch.

rebuilder

If you want to really wake it up consider this setup................................

2400kv brushless 28-47 motor - http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...hless_Inrunner

35 amp water cooled ESC - http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...hless_Boat_ESC

3s 2200 mah lipo - http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s..._20C_Lipo_Pack

Around $80 total............it would fly

lapistola28

How about props ?..... Is there much of a selection for something this small ? My other boats are surface piercing and this isn't . There is a difference in prop dynamics is there not ? Please help if you can . I ordered the Electrifly T400 and the 1600Mah battery from Tower and as you all know , you can't just change that stuff and stop there !

lapistola28

Well ... i installed the new motor and charged up the new battery ......... I was pleased with the performance . But as you know .... Enough is never enough .... I was just "browsing" Towers site and came across the Duratrax ultra high RPM motor .... I just had to buy it .... Will it work ? Does anybody know ? It will take a few days to get here so if i get no response , i'll let you all know if it's faster , slower or burst into flames !

rebuilder

It may be too high a kv motor.................or it may run well. You are still only gonna get a certain amount of speed out of a brushed 380.................if you want some SPEED you need to go brushless..............i still think the setup i posted would be great.

lapistola28

I am still kinda wet behind the ears when it comes to electric boats and to be honest , a lot of the terminoligy used in reference to brushless set ups as well as lipo batteries  is greek to me . Maybe you could explain it to me in laymans terms ?

rebuilder

You're conversing with a guy who learns by blowin stuff up.................but i retain my lesson that way. Brushless motors are about 3x more powerful than their like size brushed in "laymans terms". They draw more amps and put out more watts and produce more power and speed. The 380 you are wanting to use may have too high a kv rating (rpms per volt) and it might not be able to spin the prop well. Sometimes more isnt always good. But it may work.......i dont know the prop size and the kv etc.........i just know the kv is fairly high as i use the same 380 in smaller cars. Lipos can provide the amperage a brushless motor needs to help it perform at its best. Standard "nimh" (nickel metal hydride) batts can put out about 40 amps at best.......lipos much more 150+ for the higher output ones. The fastest electric boats are normally brushless setups, and run on serious voltage, 30+ sometimes. Put your new motor in and see how it runs............with the knowledge that it will never be "real fast" but maybe fast enough for you to enjoy it. I started out with a tyco 9.6v boat 5 years ago. Kepp us posted.

lapistola28

Thanx Rebuilder ,

   I hope i can learn as i go too ....... Although learning from others mistakes is far cheaper ! I have just felt there is a lot of equipment to purchase for LIPO batteries and the whole balancing cells when charging is a bit much for me . I'm sure it would end with me having less fingers ! I'll try the brushless with Nimh first i think .

lapistola28

Well .... I put the new "ultra high" RPM motor in the boat ....... It went like sh#@ off a shiny shovel ..... for about 2 minutes ! Then it went POOF up in smoke !  You were right about the motor "maybe" working . I have to say it was awesome to watch that little thing skipping across the water at least 3 times faster than my buddies one with the high pitched scream as the prop cavitated out of the turns ! There was a huge rooster tail aswell . Man !! I guess now i have no choice but to get the parts that you suggested in the first place . As a child i was always told "Those that don't listen , must feel" .It's as true today as it was then ! i hope the new system will be as fast .... I'm sure it will be though , if not faster !

lapistola28

I just got offline with Hobbyking . I ordered the parts you sugested aswell as 1 extra battery and a Turnigy charger . Came to $195 with shipping to Bermuda . Is that a good price you think ?

rebuilder

That boat is gonna scream with the brushless setup!!!!! I thought the Duratrax was too high of kv, but you had already ordered it.............i let you blow it up on your own, thats probably not the first $12 you pissed away. That sounds like a good deal including an extra batt and charger. You need to run water cooling to your esc and motor. You may as well do it right the first time rather than get that motor hot and have to replace it.


Here are water jacket options: http://cgi.ebay.com/Aluminum-380-Ver...item4838864828

http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...?prod=gnd-4195

Here is a water pickup that i use..........its real cheap and works well, you need two:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXGBH4&P=7

and you will need tubing for the esc cooling system: http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...g-7%2F32-clear

Gotta run, i'll post some pics of how to install it later if you dont know. Post some pics of the boat from several angles please.

rebuilder

Here's some props...............the 427 or 430 should work well............................

http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/products.php?cat=86

lapistola28

Thanks for all the help . Some pics wouldn't hurt . I ordered the water jacket and props from Offshore electric today . The motor , batteries , ESC and charger have finally been shipped from Hong Kong . Just a matter of weeks now i guess 'till i get the little bugger back in the water .

rebuilder

What props did you order? just curious...............both?

lapistola28

Yes sir ... I ordered both ... Just in case .

rebuilder

Dude, the "sir" part hit me right in the crotch................ouch.................made me feel old.

lapistola28

Sorry 'bout that .... Just a respect kinda thing .

lapistola28

Good morning Rebuilder ,

I'm getting a bit excited about my boat conversion .... I wish the parts were here already . I just have a silly question .... In your oppinion ..... With your wealth of knowledge , about how fast do you think this setup will go in comparison to my T400 and Nimh ? The other fellas at work with the same boats say that i wasted my money ...... I'm sure i didn't . I know it's hard to predict .... But an estimation will be cool .

lapistola28 .. (Peter)

rebuilder

You saw how fast it went with the little brushed motor that was too hot for the boat......................faster than that. You need to be careful on your first run. Use the smallest prop, run it for about 30-40 seconds fairly hard and bring it in and check temps. I like to be 120* or less, thats a personal preference. In other words, dont just get out there and rip off a 5 minute full throttle maiden........................................and i really dont have a "wealth" of knowledge.............i just remember good when i fry stuff.........................

rebuilder

Heres a vid of a guy running a 2845 2100kv motor on 3s in his ecoshark..............he guns it a few times and it scoots. Read post above in case you missed it..........

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

rebuilder

Got your goodies yet?

lapistola28

NOPE !!! Not yet .... Must be on the proverbial "slow boat from China" Getting a little more frustrated too ...... I leave for Canada on the 22nd until the 5th and i wanted to "play" with it before i leave . Let's keep our fingers crossed that the stuff gets here this week !

rebuilder

I think they are using shrimp boats................their fleet has diminished due to the economy.

What shipping method did you pay for.....................EMS express is what i use..................5-7 days to your door, its only like 10 bucks more.................heck, you are way more than saving that on item cost...................Mr. cheapo

lapistola28

Yeah ...... I did use EMS Express !!! ... Imagine if i hadn't ....... It may just be the useless Bermuda Mail Service !They are terrible , especially this time of year ! Usually if possible , i use UPS or FEDEX .