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[Greg Vincent]

Hi, I am new to the Mayhem forum. Very cool site.

So far I have converted one New Bright boat to full RC with good results. I am considering the Atlas 540 as my next boat, but the vendors' web sites (MRC and Otherland) do not give all the specifics of the boat. I know at least one member here has it and I have some questions on it:

1. Does the mech. speed control have reverse?
2. The boat as designed takes 2 7.2v batteries. Are these wired in series to double the voltage, or parallel to double the amps?
3. Do the window stickers look better in person than they do in the pics? Same for the brass or gold (not chrome) fittings. In some of the Otherland pics they look crooked.
4. In general, would you recommend this boat? It looks to me like a decent cross between an ABS hulled speedboat and a scale model cruiser.

My other main choice would be a true RTR, the Hobby Engine St. Tropez (formerly by Graupner). Lots more detail and it comes with a good radio, but I would have to spend some more to get a decent battery. Any knowledgeable opinions of this boat are welcome also.

Thanks!

[Martin (Admin)]

Hi Greg,

Can you post web links for both those boats please and we'll have a look for you.
( NB. We to avoid mechanical speed controllers these days .....!  :) )

Martin.

[Greg Vincent]

No problem. Here are the Atlas 540 Cruiser http://www.otherlandtoys.co.uk/rc-cruiser-p-1957.html and the St. Tropez http://www.otherlandtoys.co.uk/rc-cruiser-saint-tropez-p-1956.html. Plus there is a short vid of the St. Tropez here http://www.hobbytron.com/RCBoatSaintTropezElectricRTR120JHC0902.html.

I noticed from an earlier thread that Robert Davies has the Atlas and was hoping he could provide some "hands on" info. I hope his boat has recovered from its encounter with the barge in May.  ::)

The St. Tropez is by the same maker as the Southampton tug, so I would expect the radio and build quality to be similar. I slightly prefer the look of the St. Tropez but if the Atlas has the edge in performance I would consider it.

Re: ESC - Of course an ESC is preferable, but if the stock Atlas one is sufficient I might use it for a while and upgrade to an ESC later. That is why I asked about the voltage, since this would be a factor in choosing an ESC.

Thanks!

[J.beazley]

Welcome aboard Greg
My thoughts on both boats are as follows:

With the Atlas you can get 2 x 7.2v batterys in the hull for longer running times unlike the St. Tropez which will only run for a short while on 8.4v.
Also you can upgrade the ESC as and when you like aswell as detail the Atlas for very little cost extra.

personally i would buy the Atlas, cheaper, longer running times, easily upgradable and like both models is what your after a RTR boat.

Hope this helps  :-\

Jay

[Robert Davies]

I know at least one member here has it and I have some questions on it:

That would be me....

1. Does the mech. speed control have reverse?
2. The boat as designed takes 2 7.2v batteries. Are these wired in series to double the voltage, or parallel to double the amps?
3. Do the window stickers look better in person than they do in the pics? Same for the brass or gold (not chrome) fittings. In some of the Otherland pics they look crooked.
4. In general, would you recommend this boat? It looks to me like a decent cross between an ABS hulled speedboat and a scale model cruiser.

1. Yes, but I recommend a cheap waterproof electronic ESC like an mtroniks Viper 15A.
2. As designed, wired in parallel to double the amps, however I used a single 4300mah 8.4v pack mounted across the boat just above where the propshaft leaves the hull and enters the interior. It says 2 batteries, but that was from the days of max capacity = 1200mah, also much better balanced with one pack mounted as I described.
3. The stickers and gold are far worse than the piccies (!)
4. Excellent boat, goes very well, and yes, I'd buy another :) The hull needs a bit of trimming and gluing, but if you have opposable  thumbs and have managed to type your question on a computer, it isn't beyond you to build this boat (no insult intended, just giving you an idea of how straightforward I found it!).

-Rob

-Rob

[Greg Vincent]

Rob,

No insult taken, I figured it would not be a complex build. Thanks for answering my questions. If I may ask, how did you finish your exterior? Is it stock or customized? A picture would be great if you have one.

Thanks again - Greg

[Robert Davies]

Hi Greg!

The only photo of my 540 ever captured by man....



credit: Martin

-Rob

[Martin (Admin)]

Ahhhhhhh! I recognize it now! This was the boat that seemed to run for about 4 hours on a single battery on a cold and wet Mayhem Weekend in Wicksteed! Very impressive I thought! Is it based on the old Academy Vicking?

[Greg Vincent]

Thanks, that really helps. She looks very fast. I like the "less is more" approach, the lines of the boat don't need much dressing up.

How is the motor cooled? And are you still using the stock 540?

[Robert Davies]

Completely stock 540 + a motor heatsink like this:

http://www.rc-direct.co.uk/3racing-motor-heatsink-for-540-motor-silver-p-426.html

-Rob