Mini-Z man

My Feedback: (5)

Hey,

I would like to buy an R/C boat, but don't know if I should go gas or electric. I'm considering the Kyosho Air Streak 500, but there's a Gas Powered version and Electric Powered version. What's the plus and minus of gas boat and electric boats? I'm going to be running on it on the ocean/bay. I know the effects of salt water, but these are the only places I have to run, and I'll use Duratrax motor cleaner spray to try to clean off some of the salt. I'm also considering the blue steak 800 EP, sunstorm 600 but am still looking around. Because I'll be running in the ocean, it will have to be the biggest boat I can afford just incase the water gets a little choppy. I'm not going to be running it in 4 foot waves, but during the times the ocean is calm.

Thanks you,

Adam

EDIT: Oh yea, what runtime could I expect with each boat with 1500mah piranhas?

Will Sgarlat

Hi Z Man,
People do run RC boats in the the ocean and some get away with it! All my (nitro, no electric) boats get water in them: in the engine compartment and in the radio compartment thru the throttle cable.

My opinion is that electric boats are even "wetter" than nitro boats, cause the (expensive) battery packs lie out in the open. If you run electrics in the ocean, you're gonna get salt inbetween the cells in the battery pack, and under the insulation of the red & blk power wires, the cell connector bars and the cell casings - all will corrode. It's an if/then statement! If you peel off the shrink tube sleeve that covers the pack and glue the side by side cells together, you can rinse the batt pack with fresh water to remove most of the salt, then air dry them (with a fan maybe) and that'll help. You'll never get all the salt out of the packs or the boat, and your components will "age" more quickly than fresh water boaters.

But hey! If you want to have fun with boats in the ocean, go for it! Just try to keep a clean machine. Go in knowing what you're up against and you will not run into unexpected surprises!

I don't know of all the maintenence products that are availible for cleaning the motor besides what you mentioned, perhaps other guys will contribure. You can protect most of the components in your receiver and esc(?) at the PC board level with waterproof coatings, but your connectors will still be vulnerable.

Good luck and also keep in mind that ya gotta have fun in life!

Mini-Z man

My Feedback: (5)

Well, I'm preaty set on electric boats because electric is more reliable (atleast in r/c cars), it's cheaper, and when the battery is about to go, the motor will loose speed and it will be noticable. With gas boats, I have to worry about running out of fuel, and when that happens the boat just stops and drifts away. That's the main reason I'm considering electric. Waterproofing the boat shouldn't be hard. Batteries can be protected if I wrap and seal them in bags. (I'll have to see how hot they get before hand)
More input is always good. I'd like to know as much information as possible before getting into r/c boating. Will I be able to upgrade the motor in the airstreak, and what would be a good option? In the r/c car world, 6T motors are the fastest. Will a 6T motor be fine in a boat, and what speed can I expect? From what I'm getting, boats seem to run slower than r/c cars. Another reason I want to run the boat in the ocean is if it dies I can always swim and get it. The beach I run on is never crowded, usually people don't swim (older people in this area), and the waves aren't that big, sometimes as big as waves in a large lake. Like I said, I know what I'm getting into running the boat in salt water, and I'm prepaired to take the extra cleaning/maintnance.

hifonixs

i have a 48' aeromarine with a os .90 in it that would handle any thing you can throw as it has a high free board so waves are no problem. e mail [email protected]. i will sell it cheap it will be the best deal u ever got

Mini-Z man

My Feedback: (5)

Sounds like you have an expensive boat. Sorry, but if you noticed I was looking at cheap $75 dollars boats, maybe a LITTLE more if it's nitro. Your boat does sound sweet though, but maybe too sweet for a first boat. Sorry.

Sawyer692-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

I've had both and I am sticking to electric. In my experience, nitro boats are a real PITA!! Electrics are just as fast and you can buy a new battery pack for $25 and it will last longer than a $25 jug of nitro fuel.

Graxafone

What usually has a longer run time, electric or nitro? Electric on one site said 5-8 minutes, which is way too short for me!

Mini-Z man

My Feedback: (5)

I guess they both have equal run time. I buy piranha 1500s for 9.99 and if i got electric I'll wire them parallel so they will equal 3000mah and be double the run time. hopefully somewhere like 12-18minutes.

Seabiscuit

My experience is with electric boats only and I have had good success so far where they are concerned.
I do however suggest that you go with gas, not nitro.
Nitro is good for speed, but as others have suggested, it's expensive to buy and maintain.
However, if you want longer run times, and less down time in between runs, nitro is the way to go.
I saw that you are looking at inexpensive boats for ocean or sea faring journeys...perhaps you should re-think that.
Your typicall inexpensive boats, especially electric, may not have the torque to handle such rough waters, at least not with any sort of speed or longevity.

Now back to my nitro-vs-gas suggestion.
If you spend a little more you could buy a decent fiberglass hull and equip it with something like a Homelite or small gas trimmer motor.
I saw some weedeaters this weekend at my local hardware store for under $100.
This considerably less than any nitro motor and far more reliable.
It may not have the frightening speed of a nitro but it should handle the waves you speak of.
This of course speculates that you are ambitious enough to build something yourself, I certainly didn't on my first go-around.

As for me and my machines, I run dual (at least 1700mah) 6 packs, in series and get about 10 minutes or so on them.
I HAVE lost my boat on the ponds that I cruise them on, but then all I have to do is wait for the wind to push them in.
If you plan to run them on the ocean, bring your swimming trunks because you will at some point have to retreive your boat.

Mini-Z man

My Feedback: (5)

yes, that's why I want to run the boats on the ocean, so I can swim out and get them when they stall vs. a bay with real boat traffic (no lakes near my house except in the local park but theres junk in there and the waters shallow I worry the boat will get stuck or grounded in the middle of the lake). I'm preaty set on the tower turbo vee II because I heard the airstreak had handling issues. How is the Kyosho Marine Stock motor? It's on sale for $15. Will that have good torque for the ocean and say I get a nice big prop to propel my boat through the strong ocean current? If the kyosho Marine stock is not a good motor, what would be good for strong current the ocean has and have torque for 6-12 inch waves (this is going to be FUN!)? It won't always be on the ocean, sometimes I'll go camping and take it to state park lakes (one reason I want to stay away from gas/nitro) I think the nitro/gas engines are too loud and that wont make the park rangers too happy. This will be my first boat so I don't want to scratch build anything because I won't know how. I also have electric batteries and chargers. I buy 1500 packs for $8.99-9.99 and they are decent packs like piranha. I'll have them in parallel ofcourse so that's 3000mah. $20 for 3000 mah is alot better then spending $40 for a cheap 3000mah pack and needing a special expensive charger.

Seabiscuit

Ok, with swimming on your mind then I guess you're ok....I certainly wouldn't swim in the ponds I run my boat on, but the ocean is a different story.
The Super Hawaii is a decent boat, made of ABS and has a fairly good size freeboard, and twin 550 motors, but no ESC.
I would be sceptical of a stock Kyosho motor on high seas.
I have another boat with the Graupner Hydrodrive unit, which includes a 700 size motor, plenty of power there but again I run my packs in series for speed.
Stay away from steerable rudders (strudder) and go with a direct drive unit, the Turbo V has the latter.
My SH has one and I have reservations about suggesting that setup for two reasons.
One, steering a moving joint consumes power.
Sure you turn a little better, but it sucks juice and hard turns make the motors scream.
Second, it's just another weak point in the link and another thing to worry about cleaning.
The shafts and joint on my boat are chrome and I keep them well lubed, but even after the first run it began to rust...can't imagine what salt water would do to it.
Not too sure about the handling issues but with big waves like you're considering running this boat on, handling may be a mute point, you might worry more about floatation and waterproofing.
Swapping out your props might help but then you have to worry about your equipment getting overloaded and running hot.

Have a look at the Graupner Phantom and B24 (at Hobby-Lobby), I think these would make decent starter boats and both include 600 motors.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not trying to talk you out of electric, I like mine well enough, just considering what I would do in your situation.
I know that it may be more than you're after but I still think a gas powered weed-eater motor would be nice in the ocean and you can make it quiet enough with enough muffler.
Besides, if the rangers bother you, just tell them you're cleaning up some of the weeds around your campsite!

I used to have some links with people and their boats on the ocean, but I can't seem to find them...it did look like fun.
Think they were in Costa Rica or Puerto Rico or something like that, I'll try to dig them up if you're interested.

Flying Monkey

Fuel. WOrth the money.

ElectroSplash

I have 1 kyosho nitro powered boat, and 3 electric boats. I did not think that much of the kyosho nitro boat. Needs gearing, stalls in the middle of the lakes or where ever u run it, does not have the best handeling, vibrations crack hull. I just had no luck with it. But I did have luck w/ my 2 electro Super Hawaii's. The run good with the stock hardware. The are impossible to sink really water tight. This is something i could trust to put my 125 dollar radio in. Do have to get a new prop. Never got stuck in the middle of the lake. Got theese because I was sick of all the swimming. I also have a CEN Aqua Jet, and lets just say I gave it to my bro for free. Shaft put off metal to metal static messing up the sero's, it always overheated, was not water proof, and stearing sucked. Hope this info helps.
- Matthew