Contributed by: Erick Royer | Published: September 2004 | Views: 51328 |  Email this Article
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Review by: Erick Royer |
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Click image above to see the
Shockwave in action!
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Dual rates on a basic radio
Great tuned pipe
Excellent construction and features
Great manual and instructions which are very detailed
In the water in less then 10 minutes from the time I opened
the box
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My
first impression of the Shockwave was wow. Just sitting there
on the hobby shop's counter I knew I just had to own it. Having
owned many full sized boats, I was just amazed with the attention
to detail that Pro Boat takes when producing these models.
I looked it over for about 5 minutes, checked all the linkages,
looked over the drive train and motor, took a glance at the
outstanding fiber glass job. I looked at the clerk and said
"I'll take one to go please". I asked the clerk
what else I needed, he said "extra glow plugs and some
Blue Thunder fuel". I grabbed just what he said, paid
for my goods and left.
I
jumped in my car and pulled out the manual. Overlooked it
real quick and read about the break in procedure some other
details, then headed straight to the local public lake.
I got out of my car and said to my friend. "Just think
in about 10 minutes we'll have this in the water". My
friend, never owning a RTR boat before said "no way".
Well I was about to prove him wrong, at least I hoped.
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ARF Name: Shockwave 36 RTR
Manufacturer: Pro Boat / Horizon Hobby
Price: $349.95
Length: 36 in.
Beam: 9 in.
Engine Size: .32 water-cooled Marine
Weight: 6.25 lbs.
Speed: 30 m.p.h.
Hull Material: Fiberglass
Prop Size: 1.90x3.0 in.
Hull Type: Deep-V
Drive System: Flex shaft
Exhaust: Tuned pipe
TX/RX: JR Python
Battery: Alkaline / NiCad |
Also
included with boat:
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JR
Python AM 2-Z250, 75MHz
Includes Z250 race servos
Charging jack
Servo reversing
Steering rate adjustor
Adjustable
steering rate is provided via an easily accessible thumb
wheel, while a built-in charge jack allows the option
of utilizing rechargeable NiCd batteries. (NiCds can even
be recharged while remaining in the transmitter!) Of course,
the standard features you'd expect from JR are included,
such as servo reversing switches, throttle and steering
trim knobs, analog voltage meter, and JR's world famous,
wrap- around biocurve feel. |
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DYNAMITE
.32 Marine Inboard
Type:
2-stroke Marine ABC
Displacement: 32 cu in
Bore: 19mm
Stroke: 18.4mm
Total Weight: 350g
RPM Range: 28,000
HP: 1.18 at 28,000 RPM
Cylinder Type: ABC
Carb Type: Rotary
Cooling: Water Cooled Head
Starter: Pull
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| OK,
I'm happy |
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| Box
contents |
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| Convenient
stand |
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The assembly portion of this review is going to be as quick as
the actual assembly when arriving at the lake. There really was
nothing to do but install the rudder and add batteries. That's
it.
The boat looked just as good as it did in the hobby shop. The
only difference mine was nice and shiny and never been touched
by American hands.
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| Stand
ready for boat |
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| First
look |
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| All
ready to go |
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The boat came with a basic stand. Just another small detail that
gives great marks for Pro Boat. This stand is a must to keep the
bottom of your boat scratch free. Having viewed the inside of the
boat I knew it was going to need a little extra waterproofing. I
read some threads on RCU with some good tips. But for the first
day, I'll take it pretty easy. This boat has some nice weight to
it. Seems like it would take a lot to make it go over.
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| The
only assembly required |
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| Open
electronic compartment |
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| JR
Python radio |
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Attaching the rudder was the only assembly required. I only had
to use the manual to learn the break-in procedure for the ABC
motor which as in any motor, must be done properly using the correct
fuel and procedure.
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| Install
batteries |
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| Install
batteries |
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| Install
batteries |
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The boat is ready for a 4.8 battery pack. However it also comes
with a 4 place alkaline battery holder. I used regular alkaline
batteries for the first day. When I got home that evening I replaced
the RX with a JR 4.8 NiCad pack. The transmitter required 8 AA's.
Again I used alkaline's, however when I got home that evening I
replaced them with rechargeable AA battery's from Radio Shack. The
JR Python does have a built in charge jack that also works with
a standard JR charger to charge the batteries in the radio. Again,
another thumbs up for Pro Boat and JR.
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| Ready
to roll |
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| Very
detailed manual |
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| Fill
up with fuel |
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Just put the batteries in and you ready to go. The manual is very
detailed and provides more information then expected. Blue Thunder
20 is the recommended fuel to use. Filling is very easy with plenty
of room. Time from opening the box to first pull, 8 minutes and
30 seconds.
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| First
couple runs with glow |
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| First
run |
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| Engine
broke in, ready to go |
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For
the first couple runs I kept the glow igniter attached to decrease
the chance of the engine quitting. Unlike a RTR car you can't just
walk up to a boat if it dies. Now if I could walk on water, that
would be different. It's not bad for the plug either. After about
2 tanks of break in it was time to put her to the test.
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Click image above to see the
Shockwave in action!
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be happy to know that the boat ran like a champ. Since
the first crank it's given me nothing but pleasure.
The boat over exceeded my expectations. Although I
did not have a machine to clock it, I would say that
it did every bit of 30 MPH as it says it can do. The
boat handled very well too. This boat is supposed
to perform a full turn in only 12' feet at full speed.
I have yet to find out, but I'm looking forward to
it. It sure seems like it has the capability.
The quality is superb. There was really nothing missed.
The built in trim tabs I still have yet to play with.
The boat only cavitated a couple times when transitioning
from high speed to low speed and back to high. However
the recovery from cavitation is very quick and very
easy. This means that the boat has a great center
of gravity.
The engine and drive train are just perfect. Again
nothing missed in the way of attention to detail.
All of the linkages on the drive train are all high
quality and machined very well.
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The Dynamite .32 engine flips on the first pull, but
I noticed that it likes to be sloppy wet to start
right up.
Everything else on the boat was just great. I did
notice that there were a few spots that water could
come into the boat had it gone over. There are some
good threads on RCU that discuss this and I will probably
follow some of their suggestions. I didn't expect
this boat, or any boat for that matter to be water
tight. After all this is an RC boat, not a RC submarine.
The quality of the fiberglass and paint were just
fantastic. The trim scheme looked just like an offshore
racing boat scheme. It's very up to date as far as
hot trim schemes go. This great trim scheme was all
due to the quality of the great molding job. You can't
have a great scheme without a great foundation. Well
this boat has one.
I
was really surprised with the JR Python radio system.
I thought it was just going to be a basic radio. However
it had several features. Most important there were
dual rates for steering. This is very important for
a new boat that has not been waterproofed. Although
JR might consider this their basic model, it really
is nice radio that is also very comfortable to hold.
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| I've
been hearing from many that magazine and RCU reviews are just
becoming to good to be true and speculation that some of the
products reviewed must be coming from the inside. Well after
buying this boat I feel like I may have given an almost perfect
review and may seem to good to be true. Well, it is. I really
can't find a single thing wrong with this boat. Let's also
not forget that technology is also getting better. Not just
for this boat, but for everything out there. You can see plenty
of technology built into this boat.
Now If your looking for a complaint from this review then
I will give you one. I was not thrilled that the RTR boat
did not come with recharable batteries. But for only $350
you get a heck of a lot of boat and goodies. I also bought
the boat knowing that batteries were not included with a big
smile on my face, so there was no shock factor.
Now to
top it off you get a great looking, well manufactured boat
that tracks perfectly, corners on dime and capable of speeds
of over 30 mph.
My final words. If your looking for v-hull with a 300-400
price range, you found it.
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noid was here
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Manufactured By:
4105 FIELDSTONE ROAD
CHAMPAIGN, IL 61822
Tel: (217) 355-9511
Distributed By:
4105 FIELDSTONE ROAD
CHAMPAIGN, IL 61822
Tel: (800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
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The comments, observations and conclusions made in this review are solely with respect to the particular item the editor reviewed and may not apply generally to similar products by the manufacturer. We cannot be responsible for any manufacturer defects in workmanship or other deficiencies in products like the one featured in the review. |
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