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HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

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HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

Old 05-22-2010, 07:31 PM
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Basstronics
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Default HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

Lets start a "Small Bolt" thread. The Small Bolt is an odd name for a micro hydro to say the least.

The Small Bolt is available from Hobbyking or Head Of The River on E Bay.

The Small bolt is about 15" long and 7" wide. It comes with a 20x40 inrunner with a 2604 kV. The servo used on this boat is rather cheap. Dont be shy about replacing it. Think I may drop in a Hitec HS-60.

For batteries there are people recommending a 2200 mah. I seen a picture of someone with a 3000 in it. These people may know something I dont, the 2200 is a tight fit. The 2200 is also very heavy.

I tried with a 2200 and the Small Bolt turned into the Small Submarine. It wouldnt plane, period.

I switched out to a 3S 1000 MAH 15C battery and it came to life. However it seemed to be limited by the C rating. The battery was hot when it dumped. I would advise a 20C minimum or even a 25-30C.

Now when you get your Small Bolt you will want to prep it. I noticed my servo linkage was bound up without the rudder even installed... It was horrible. I had to make a pretty drastic downwards bend to level the linkage out. Towards the rudder I had to make a zig zag to space the linkage parallel and perpendicular to the rudder. After my first real run I had notable water in the hull but nothing that would kill it. Therefore I recommend that new owners take it apart and seal it all properly with silicone.

I will post video and pictures soon.
Old 05-22-2010, 07:32 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

This Guide was last edited at 9:01PM PST on June 4, 2010

I bought the Small Bolt from HobbyKing about a month ago and have had quite the learning experience. This is my first RC boat and I have enjoyed every moment tinkering with the Small Bolt. Here is some informationI have collected including batteries, servos, props, and more which I have personally tested in the boat.

<hr />Parts and Replacements
Battery Fits? aRT?
Turnigy 2200mAh 3S 25C Lipo Pack Yes 8 - 14m
Turnigy 3300mAh 3S 30C Lipo Pack No -
ZIPPY Flightmax 1300mAh 3S1P 20C Yes -


Replacement Servo Fits? Reliable
HXT500 5g / .8kg / .10sec Micro Servo Yes, Modified Servo No, worked for 5 runs
Corona 929MG Metal Gear Servo 2.2kg/ 12.5g/ 0.10sec Yes, Modified Boat Yes, metal geared servo is perfect


Propellors Fits? Comments
Octura x432 Yes Amazing, I cannot believe they are not shipping with a 432 by default
Turnigy 4mm AquaProp 43x26x9mm No Shaft diameter is too big for stock shaft. Prop is also probably too big for motor

<hr />Notes
Receiver Waterproofing
    [*]You must waterproof your receiver. I am using an AR500 (Spektrum DSM2) with a balloon and two zip-ties to seal it. See Here[/list]Hatch Seal
      [*]The hatch for my boat is warped and does not seal well to the body of the boat. This is the main reason for me waterproofing the receiver, my boat fills about half full with water every other time I run it. Last time, however, I was able to get a good tight seal on the hatch and ended up with very minimal water inside.[/list]Plaining (no, not planing)
        [*]Using the 2200 mAh 3S 25C Turnigy pack, the boat doesn't plain well starting from a dead stop. Playing with the throttle can usually get it plained out and running smooth. Also, having too much water inside the boat will give you troubles trying to get on plain.[*]When initially launching the boat, I set the throttle a third up and launch the boat with a bit of inital speed. This gets the boat on plain right from the start and makes the experience much more enjoyable.[/list]Propellers
          [*]I purchased an Octura x432 from the OffShoreElectrics website. It is made of Beryllium Copper and is an amazing upgrade from the size 430 propeller that comes stock with the small bolt. Unfortunately you must sharpen and balance the propeller before using it in the water. I also had to work on the area where it locks on to the shaft to get it to fit properly. After about 7 minutes of work, it fits just fine and is sharpened enough for my standards. I took the boat out that afternoon and was amazed by the results. The boat planes out very well and is an amazing upgrade from the stock 430 prop. I honestly can't write in words how amazing the difference is.[*]From HobbyKing, I bought a Turnigy 4mm AquaProp 43x26x9mm to see if it would work with the small bolt as someone had recommended it in a review on the HK website. When I got the prop, I noticed it was way too big for the small bolt. When I put it on the drive shaft, the shaft hole in the propeller was much too large for the boat. I put my Octura x432 back on the boat and threw out the Turnigy prop. I posted a picture below of the three propellers in comparison. They are the stock, Octura x432, and the Turnigy 43x26x9mm.[/list]Servos
            [*]After replacing the stock servo with an HXT500 and having that fail on me as well, I went with a Corona 929MG metal geared servo. After one run with this servo, I am very pleased with the performance. Unfortunately, I had to make some modifications to the stock servo housing. I tore it out completely and used medium CA with accelerator to secure the Corona servo in place. I would highly recommend this modification to anyone looking for good performance and possibly much better reliability.[/list]Zippy Flightmax 1300mAh LiPos
              [*]These batteries are significantly smaller than the 2200mAh Turnigy 3S 25C LiPos I usually use and fit much easier in the boat. I have not been able to test them out yet, but they look like they will do just fine. However, The only problem I have is that they are 20C at 1300mAh which gives a max draw of 26amps (1.3Ah * 20C = 26Amp Draw) and the stock ESC is rated at 30amps for the small bolt. The only issue I can think of right now that might come up is the battery may get a little hot, but that is to be expected and I will have to run the boat slower to compensate for it. I will update this post when I have been able to run these batteries. See these batteries in the pictures below, I have pictures of them inside the boat and also in comparison with the 2200mAh Turnigy LiPos I use.[/list]<hr />Photos
              See the ImageShack web album here for the Small Bolt.
              (Due to the terrible quality of this forum's text editor, I've created a web album on ImageShack which I regularly update, see the link above.)
              <hr />Videos

              (As I make changes to my boat, I will upload more videos as best I can. I highly recommend watching videos in HD.)
              [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlgtN_xHMys[/youtube]

              <hr />
              Questions
              (If you have any questions about this boat, I'd be more than happy to answer your questions to the best of my ability. You can either ask them here on the forum or via PM. I hope this information helps!)
              ORIGINAL: Basstronics

              Have you found the source of your leak yet?

              I think its the water tube inlet!
              I have tested the boat sitting in a bathtub with the hatch off. There was a leak in the water outlet opening, but I sealed that with silicon sealer. The leak I have is in the hatch where I have to tape it.
              ORIGINAL: plane-addict

              Did you guys buy that boat from Hobbyking? I saw some video's from it and it seems a little speed demon to me.
              I bought mine from HobbyKing, yes. But I got the replacement prop from OffShoreElectrics
              ORIGINAL: tman52806

              So, does the stock servo work okay or not?
              I replaced mine with a Corona MG929 metal geared servo. The biggest problem with the stock servo is that it is not strong enough to overcome the opposing force of the rubber waterproofing hose on the servo arm. The turning was terrible with the stock servo and using hi-rates was way to much stress. I would strongly suggest tearing out the stock servo and using medium CA and accelerator to hold a Corona MG929 in place. The CAholds very well and the servo has enough torque and power to turn the rudder correctly.

              -
Old 05-22-2010, 08:05 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

Have you found the source of your leak yet?

I think its the water tube inlet!

Im currently tearing my Small Bolt down to be painted.
Old 05-22-2010, 08:14 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

Pictures of the issues right out of the box:



Battery comparison:



Up against my 12.5" BBY Micro Patriot:


Video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcKASwN5hI4[/youtube]
*My GF did the vid and as you can see, she is horrible at it!
Old 05-23-2010, 01:31 AM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR


ORIGINAL: Basstronics

Lets start a ''Small Bolt'' thread. The Small Bolt is an odd name for a micro hydro to say the least.

The Small Bolt is available from Hobbyking or Head Of The River on E Bay.

The Small bolt is about 15'' long and 7'' wide. It comes with a 20x40 inrunner with a 2604 kV. The servo used on this boat is rather cheap. Dont be shy about replacing it. Think I may drop in a Hitec HS-60.

For batteries there are people recommending a 2200 mah. I seen a picture of someone with a 3000 in it. These people may know something I dont, the 2200 is a tight fit. The 2200 is also very heavy.

I tried with a 2200 and the Small Bolt turned into the Small Submarine. It wouldnt plane, period.

I switched out to a 3S 1000 MAH 15C battery and it came to life. However it seemed to be limited by the C rating. The battery was hot when it dumped. I would advise a 20C minimum or even a 25-30C.

Now when you get your Small Bolt you will want to prep it. I noticed my servo linkage was bound up without the rudder even installed... It was horrible. I had to make a pretty drastic downwards bend to level the linkage out. Towards the rudder I had to make a zig zag to space the linkage parallel and perpendicular to the rudder. After my first real run I had notable water in the hull but nothing that would kill it. Therefore I recommend that new owners take it apart and seal it all properly with silicone.

I will post video and pictures soon.
these baots are all over the place
and the 1000mah pack is a bit small, and when you say dumped, how many volts did you take it to
that battery is only giving you 15amps cont.
Old 05-23-2010, 08:21 AM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

After the battery cooled I put it on the charger. Read 3.7V per cell.

Basically while I was running I noticed a drop in speed- turned it around and brought it in.

I kinda figured that battery was to small of C. The question is, what can this motor really draw?
Old 05-23-2010, 09:01 AM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR


ORIGINAL: Basstronics

After the battery cooled I put it on the charger. Read 3.7V per cell.

Basically while I was running I noticed a drop in speed- turned it around and brought it in.

I kinda figured that battery was to small of C. The question is, what can this motor really draw?
yep that's a lot of strain on that 1000mah 15c pack
it could be pulling 35-40 amps?
Old 05-23-2010, 02:28 PM
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Pekka L
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

Here is my maiden run on 4s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEwYk7CUYXM

Nice boat :-)
Old 05-23-2010, 02:58 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

wow, that little sucker goes!
Old 05-23-2010, 07:02 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

I tried to paint mine today with "Metalcast" paints by Dupli Color.

The results were absolutely horrible. Now I got to sand the entire boat back down to white. This next time Im going to use Krylon paint.

Also, the decals from HobbyKing dont fair well with the Krylon clear coat. It ate the sticker slightly. It also reacted with the Dupli Color paint... yuck...
Old 05-26-2010, 01:25 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

Just received mine in the mail yesterday. I tore it down and siliconed everything. I need to order a x432 prop after I maiden it on the original. Can't wait to get this little rocket in the water.
Old 05-26-2010, 02:40 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

Did you guys buy that boat from Hobbyking? I saw some video's from it and it seems a little speed demon to me.
Old 05-26-2010, 02:46 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

I did get mine from Hobbyking.
Old 05-26-2010, 02:51 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR


ORIGINAL: plane-addict

Did you guys buy that boat from Hobbyking? I saw some video's from it and it seems a little speed demon to me.
ya I got mine from HK, its really really fast =)

Old 05-26-2010, 03:24 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

So, does the stock servo work okay or not?
Old 05-26-2010, 03:58 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR


ORIGINAL: tman52806

So, does the stock servo work okay or not?
I replaced mine. I would highly recommend against staying with it. I had nothing but trouble with it. Also, when it got wet, it gliched out and when nuts. Its actually ended up stripping itself out.

I have a Corona MG929 metal geared servo which is working fantastically, I would highly recommend using one!

Old 05-26-2010, 08:48 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

any links for us?
ORIGINAL: plane-addict

Did you guys buy that boat from Hobbyking? I saw some video's from it and it seems a little speed demon to me.
Old 05-26-2010, 08:50 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

HAHA, nice and fast bolt
ORIGINAL: Basstronics

Video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcKASwN5hI4[/youtube]
*My GF did the vid and as you can see, she is horrible at it!
Old 05-26-2010, 10:01 PM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

to bad you couldn't get the strut lower
Old 05-27-2010, 01:02 AM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

i let my eldest son play with mine, he ran it into the wall around the lake, he went in and got it, he got distracted so thats the end of that

to much damage for a repair job, the only problem i found was when you just let go of the throttle in an emergency, the boat wants to become a submarine and dive, good thing for hatch tape plus the hatch did'nt fit properly, i also swapped out  for a stronger servo
Old 05-27-2010, 01:06 AM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR


ORIGINAL: nick 30

i let my eldest son play with mine, he ran it into the wall around the lake, he went in and got it, he got distracted so thats the end of that

to much damage for a repair job, the only problem i found was when you just let go of the throttle in an emergency, the boat wants to become a submarine and dive, good thing for hatch tape plus the hatch did'nt fit properly, i alsoswapped out for a stronger servo
This is something I've ran into as well. I was playing with mine in my brother's pool and it "submarined" 12ft underwater. a foot or so wouldn't be an issue, but the water pressure at 12ft. under water is extreme for mere hatch tape! I had water fill the entire boat in seconds and it very slowly rose to the surface. The receiver got wet and the boat went crazy!

Basically, if you cut the throttle, give the boat time to level out before gunning the throttle!

Old 05-27-2010, 01:14 AM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

if i get another one, then the motor would be moved back about 10mm-15mm so the batt can be moved back aswell, it was to nose heavy for me

everything inside still worked (when it all came back) because it was waterproofed
Old 05-27-2010, 01:24 AM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR


ORIGINAL: nick 30

if i get another one, then the motor would be moved back about 10mm-15mm so the batt can be moved back aswell, it was to nose heavy for me

everything inside still worked (when it all came back) because it was waterproofed
Thats good. What did you use for waterproofing? And what battery were you using? Also, was it a stock prop?

Thanks!

Old 05-27-2010, 01:42 AM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR

i used corrosion X on the PCB's in the rx and servo, a dab of marine grease on the gears inside the servo, the speedo was already waterproof, i stripped the batts packaging and let them dry out for a week

it was all stock apart from the servo, rx and batt, the batt was a 2.2a turnigy 3s and aslo tried a turnigy 3a 2s
Old 05-27-2010, 01:55 AM
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Default RE: HK Small Bolt Hydro same as HOTR


ORIGINAL: nick 30

i used corrosion X on the PCB's in the rx and servo, a dab of marine grease on the gears inside the servo, the speedo was already waterproof, i stripped the batts packaging and let them dry out for a week

it was all stock apart from the servo, rx and batt, the batt was a 2.2a turnigy 3s and aslo tried a turnigy 3a 2s
Wow thats a lot of work! My batteries are still stock and my servo is stock from how I got it!

Did you notice a difference between 3s and 2s in terms of speed?


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