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Author Topic: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!  (Read 7439 times)

TugCowboy

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Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« on: September 27, 2008, 10:35:59 am »

Hi Guys,

Well yesterday my two Seaport's arrived from Howes!

After looking at the builds on here I started to notice a few subtle differences in the "new batch" that suggest even the poor little Seaport has been hit by hard times.

First thing I noticed was the ballast tank holes on the bottom of the hull. On previous versions these have been sunken in mesh covered ports (see pic from Martin HERE ) Now they are just a few, not very well, perforated holes in the thinner plastic hull.
As such I'm not sure the boat would be usable with them, as they are so unevenly perforated that one side fills up far quicker than the other leading to a rather alarming list when putting it in the water - thankfully of course it DOES make the holes easier to fill in! But due to the plastic being a lot thinner under that tank, it may need some re-inforcing.

The wiring is obviously quite significantly shorter than before, if you unscrew the wheelhouse there is barely enough slack to allow you to lift it up more than about 1.5 Inches. I had to unscrew the main deck and cut the wires from in there, to allow enough movement to see the radio tray.

The tray itself is no longer in a waterproof plastic container, it is just sitting on the deck, when I used the boat in the home test tank for the first time, and tried the fire monitors, the pipe connector between the mast and the wheelhouse popped off, which leaked all the water supposed to go up into the monitor, straight allover the radio board.

A few other points:

There is no longer any buoyancy foam/styrene in the hull
The ballast tank is now epoxied in rather than screwed in
There were only 5 fenders on each side rather than 6
In 5 different places screws had been left out

Another thing which is probably a saving but actually will probably help increase performance:
The Kort nozzle is at least a couple of mil smaller in diameter, as such there are no longer any "stops" (See pic of original with stops) AND the prop is a much snugger fit in the nozzle itself.

Out of the box it now runs really high at the stern, even with the ballast tanks full, the tip of the prop is out of the water, on closer inspection this seems to be because there's a large weight now put in the bow, wrapped in brown packing tape. If this were moved to the centre of the boat it might sort it out.

I'm not moaning or complaining about any of these points because of course we don't buy these models to leave them stock, its just a few points that are worth noting. Especially if you intend to run it without too many changes.

I'm loving the build so far, Planning on wet n' drying the hull today, then priming. Not sure why but just working on this thing brings a grin to my face!

Alex


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hama

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2008, 11:12:37 am »

Hm, interesting observations. But when I read your post I sea my boat being described, bought some four years ago. Did I get a cheap one? Perhaps there are several factory's making these with some alterations. Anyway, I think the boat has a strong enough hull, deck and superstructure. And I know what you mean about the grin! They just are fun to deal with.
Hama.
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Weeds

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2008, 09:14:43 pm »

Are you planning to convert the two tugs? If so, what do you have in mind?
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TugCowboy

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2008, 09:18:14 pm »

Yes both will be converted, doing a modern general workboat first, the other will be made into a mid 20th century diesel tug OR a Hong Kong harbour barge tug.

Going to enjoy it whatever happens to them, I've already started taking pics and will be doing a build thread of the modern workboat first.
Its not going to be an attempt at a scale effort or anything like that, it just has to look good and not be stupidly over-powered!

Going to be going brushless with the motors on both as well  O0

Alex
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2008, 06:53:32 am »


Going to be going brushless with the motors on both as well  O0
Alex


Now this sounds like fun!   O0
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Weeds

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2008, 10:54:36 am »

Yes both will be converted, doing a modern general workboat first, the other will be made into a mid 20th century diesel tug OR a Hong Kong harbour barge tug.

Going to enjoy it whatever happens to them, I've already started taking pics and will be doing a build thread of the modern workboat first.
Its not going to be an attempt at a scale effort or anything like that, it just has to look good and not be stupidly over-powered!

Going to be going brushless with the motors on both as well  O0

Alex

Why brushless, what are you hoping to achieve? according to vac-u-tug.com, brushless motors have no advantage over brushed motors in tugs. Brushless is for speed, not pulling power, although you do get a lot of torque with brushless motors, too. That's what I read, but you may know better.
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tigertiger

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2008, 11:06:08 am »

Unless you want them to plane and stand up the transom i guess ;) O0
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TugCowboy

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2008, 11:37:20 am »

Not interested in speed!

I do a lot of work with Chinese factories for part of my current day job, a friend over there has a factory which makes a  very torquey brushless outrunner which he has played with putting in an RC barge, apparently it is virtually silent and gives brilliant pushing power, but without loosing scale speed. Runs very cool as well, even after over an hours running with heavy loads on board.

I thought a Seaport would be a brilliant test bed for such a thing, at worst it will fail and I'll just have to stick the old motor back in, or it could work and then I'd be very happy.

I don't think I'll gain anything on efficiency (which you might get by putting a geared inrunner in a fast electric) but I should get some extra space in the hull, a cooler running motor and something a little bit different.

Will probably offend a lot of the "old skool" modelers but someone has to try this stuff eh? and I sure as hell aren't going to try it in a £400 kit!

Alex
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Weeds

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2008, 02:24:34 pm »

Not interested in speed!

I do a lot of work with Chinese factories for part of my current day job, a friend over there has a factory which makes a  very torquey brushless outrunner which he has played with putting in an RC barge, apparently it is virtually silent and gives brilliant pushing power, but without loosing scale speed. Runs very cool as well, even after over an hours running with heavy loads on board.

I thought a Seaport would be a brilliant test bed for such a thing, at worst it will fail and I'll just have to stick the old motor back in, or it could work and then I'd be very happy.

I don't think I'll gain anything on efficiency (which you might get by putting a geared inrunner in a fast electric) but I should get some extra space in the hull, a cooler running motor and something a little bit different.

Will probably offend a lot of the "old skool" modelers but someone has to try this stuff eh? and I sure as hell aren't going to try it in a £400 kit!

Alex

Hey if lipos and brushless ESC's weren't expensive, I'd be doing this myself! You make a very good point that brushless motor is quiet. I get carried off running my mouth sometimes (oops), but things you are venturing into "motor efficiency", do report on runtime you get from the motor when it's done.
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DickyD

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2008, 03:09:49 pm »

Not interested in speed!

I do a lot of work with Chinese factories for part of my current day job, a friend over there has a factory which makes a  very torquey brushless outrunner which he has played with putting in an RC barge, apparently it is virtually silent and gives brilliant pushing power, but without loosing scale speed. Runs very cool as well, even after over an hours running with heavy loads on board.

I thought a Seaport would be a brilliant test bed for such a thing, at worst it will fail and I'll just have to stick the old motor back in, or it could work and then I'd be very happy.

I don't think I'll gain anything on efficiency (which you might get by putting a geared inrunner in a fast electric) but I should get some extra space in the hull, a cooler running motor and something a little bit different.

Will probably offend a lot of the "old skool" modelers but someone has to try this stuff eh? and I sure as hell aren't going to try it in a £400 kit!

Alex
I left the original motor in mine and used a 6v 4Amh SLA battery. Wife uses it all morning at the lake and has never run the battery down yet.

Also, why would you want more space in the hull when you will have to add ballast to get it to its proper water line ?

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=8411.0
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TugCowboy

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #10 on: September 28, 2008, 03:15:45 pm »

Why? because I think that one day brushless motors will become the standard motor, in 10 or 20 years time perhaps, but I suspect it will happen.

If you can use a smaller motor to get similar results then why not?
I always like to be an early adopter of new technology, if it works then great, if it doesn't then at least I can say I tried it.

I know I CAN leave in the old motor, and I certainly won't throw it away, I know I'll have to use more ballast... by about an ounce I imagine, but nevermind, I'll live with it.

There seems to be a certain amount of wariness by a lot of modelers for anything deviating from the norm, and I have to say I'm glad, because when I'm down the lake, my boat will be just slightly different.
Go on Dicky, get out there and try something new today, it won't kill you  ::)
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David_S

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #11 on: September 28, 2008, 03:18:41 pm »

Using brushed motors to fly model aeroplanes has become quite unusual, there are so many brushless motors and controllers are low prices now. I am surprised that the marine side of the hobby has not embraced the technology to the same extent.
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DickyD

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #12 on: September 28, 2008, 03:22:32 pm »


Go on Dicky, get out there and try something new today, it won't kill you  ::)
The little you know old son.
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #13 on: September 28, 2008, 06:37:40 pm »

I do a lot of work with Chinese factories for part of my current day job, a friend over there has a factory which makes a  very torquey brushless outrunner which he has played with putting in an RC barge, apparently it is virtually silent and gives brilliant pushing power, but without loosing scale speed. Runs very cool as well, even after over an hours running with heavy loads on board.

I knew this would be an intersting project!
Have yo managed to get your hands on one of the motors yet? Photo?

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TugCowboy

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #14 on: September 28, 2008, 06:45:39 pm »

Hi Martin,

He is sending it this week for me, so hope to have it within the next 7 days. I will post pics when it arrives and whatever findings I make on here.
Should be fun to have a play even if nothing else comes of it, but I'm quietly confident!

Alex
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Weeds

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #15 on: September 29, 2008, 01:40:11 am »

Not interested in speed!

I do a lot of work with Chinese factories for part of my current day job, a friend over there has a factory which makes a  very torquey brushless outrunner which he has played with putting in an RC barge, apparently it is virtually silent and gives brilliant pushing power, but without loosing scale speed. Runs very cool as well, even after over an hours running with heavy loads on board.

I thought a Seaport would be a brilliant test bed for such a thing, at worst it will fail and I'll just have to stick the old motor back in, or it could work and then I'd be very happy.

I don't think I'll gain anything on efficiency (which you might get by putting a geared inrunner in a fast electric) but I should get some extra space in the hull, a cooler running motor and something a little bit different.

Will probably offend a lot of the "old skool" modelers but someone has to try this stuff eh? and I sure as hell aren't going to try it in a £400 kit!

Alex
I left the original motor in mine and used a 6v 4Amh SLA battery. Wife uses it all morning at the lake and has never run the battery down yet.

Also, why would you want more space in the hull when you will have to add ballast to get it to its proper water line ?

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=8411.0

THe 9 volt motor isn't slow on 6 volts?
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DickyD

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Re: Even the Seaport suffers the credit crunch!
« Reply #16 on: September 29, 2008, 09:52:31 am »


THe 9 volt motor isn't slow on 6 volts?

No it goes great. Anything other than a flat calm I darent go flat out as the bow wave comes over the deck.
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