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[CaptainChaos]

There - I said it. Please be gentle because I REALLY don't know what I am talking about.

I am from North Somerset, UK (where I'm sure I can find a few lakes etc.) but want to buy my first EVER RC speedboat.

I have looked & looked & looked, and haven't decided whether to go for something larger and a bit slower, or a bit smaller & insane.

I have a list of a few I like the look of, but a couple of them do look a bit "professional" and "crazy" for my wobbly fingers.

Maybe some of you can point me in the right direction. My budget is (sadly) under £200.

Here is what I've liked the look of so far (and please excuse me if I have got the name wrong):

UDI RC 007 Voyager
RC Majestic 800S Racing Boat
XT-XINTE FT012
Fei Lun FT011
Yisi Huanqi 959
Yisi Huanqi 963
Helion Rivos
RC Speed Boat Atlantic Jacht X2 Racing Boat (not sure if it's supposed to be 'Yacht'

I like the look of all of them but don't want something too sedate or something too 'rip your face off'.

I want something that isn't too small, too insanely fast for me to control, it needs reverse & the 'flip back over', as well as a "gun" type remote control, rather than the traditional left stick/right stick type controller.

Sorry to blather on, but I want to get my first boat that I will enjoy for ages.

I'm not interested in building my own boat just yet.

Also, what is a good website to buy from? Direct from China, or go to Amazon or go to a local model shop to ask advice?

Thank you very much in advance - any help/advice will be gratefully accepted.

Regards
Ian

[Capt Podge]

Ahoy there Ian - welcome aboard.

You have already taken 2 very important steps.

1. You have become a member of this Forum.

2. You have done a bit of research on some of the "fast electrics" available, set yourself a budget and indicated your requirements.

So, you're not clueless as the title suggests.

Unfortunately, I'm of little use to you with regards to speedy models, other than I used to run a boat known as CLUB 500. I believe there is one on e-bay at the moment, maybe that will appeal to you.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Club-500-Boat-/172474541497?hash=item282848a5b9:g:5WcAAOSw44BYbqUp

Anyway, good luck with your quest - hope you enjoy the world of model boats.

Regards,

Ray.

[SailorGreg]

Hi Captain, welcome aboard.  In answer to your last point, if you have a local model shop that has a selection of boats then go there first.  Being able to see and handle the model and ask questions about it will get you a long way forward in your decisions.  Also, if you have a local club, pop along and see what they are running.  People are always ready to chat about their boats and which is the best buy (although you are unlikely to find a consensus!).


A word of warning - whatever you buy, one is never enough.  You are starting on the slippery slope to fillng your house with boats.  It's great!


Greg

[spearfish99]

Have a look at Hobbykings website as they may give you some ideas.  Just make sure that you are looking at the UK branch selection.



https://hobbyking.com/en_us

[CaptainChaos]

Thanks so far guys.

There is a model shop in Bristol called Antics. I'll try to pop there asap.

The boat I keep going back to is the Helion Rivos, but there seem to be 2 versions (one basic & the other with 'better' motor/battery.

The only thing that is holding me back from buying one straight away is the lack of reverse/flip back over function. Are they mandatory for a 'newbie'?

Any suggestions?

Cheers
Ian

[SailorGreg]

Based on a couple of similar boats that are run at my club, the standard Rivos would be a good starter boat,  My only comment would be that at 23 cm it is quite small - it won't need to go too far away before you can barely see the boat and only the bow wave/spray it is producing.  You can get a similar boat around the 35 cm mark such as the Flash V  Hull from Howes Models.  For a little more money you could go larger still, at 45 cm the Tiger Shark (also from Howes) should be a decent performer.  At that size you should still be able to see the boat at 50 yards!
Reverse is useful but not essential, assuming you have a reasonable space to run the boat.  Self-righting is also useful, but based on my observation you would have to work pretty hard to flip one of these boats.
But the Rivos is not a bad starting point.  As I said before, it is unlikely to be your last boat!


Have fun


Greg

[minimariner]

Ian,
       Myself and other club members bought the Atomic Lightning Bolt RTR self righting boat
       from Howes Models on offer at £34.99 for fun racing. But you do need the extra Lipo
       battery`s at £13.99.

                                          Bryan.

[Big Ada]

Also an important factor is are you allowed to to use a fast speed boat in the water you are thinking of using, check 1st and also join a Club and get insured.

Regards,

Len. PS where are you based in the world?.

[CaptainChaos]

the standard Rivos would be a good starter boat,  My only comment would be that at 23 cm it is quite small

Are you thinking of the Rivos XS because the Rivos I was looking at was and still is about 2 feet long!

[CaptainChaos]

Len - Portishead in the UK

[ballastanksian]

Also an important factor is are you allowed to to use a fast speed boat in the water you are thinking of using, check 1st and also join a Club and get insured.

Regards,

Len. PS where are you based in the world?.

At the Yeovil Model warship Association who meet north of the town at the halfway arms on the A37, we do have semi fast electrics and usually let the fast guys have a whizz around and then the Tugs and warshipos etc have a go and then one or two late comers pop fast things on the water and one of them then needs recovering:O) It is a bit far for you to come along normally, but if we have an open day (pond weed permitting  ) then I will pop a notice up and you would be invited:O)

[SailorGreg]

Are you thinking of the Rivos XS because the Rivos I was looking at was and still is about 2 feet long!

I hope you are reading the spec properly - the Rivos XS I find says it is 230mm or just over 9" long.  I can't find any other.  But a boat around 2 feet will be a lot of fun and will look good on the water.


Greg


Edit - just spotted a bigger Rivos on the Cornwall Model Boats site - I guess you are looking at the £90 boat rather than the £30 one?  In that case you can ignore my previous comments on size! 

[frog32]

Hi Ian
I am not sure if you are able to use fast power boats on the Portishead lake as there are a lot of ducks and other wildlife on the lake.
If it's only power boats you want to play with, why don't you join the Bristol Pegasus model boat club who race in the Bristol docks I think it's by the old Lloyds building.
Regards Roger.

[CaptainChaos]

Thanks again guys.

I THINK I'm going to go for the Helion Rivos BL one ... http://helion-rc.com/rivosBL/ - it's about 2 feet long & looks pretty stable in the water.

Regarding the Portishead Lake, I don't have to run it flat out ALL the time  so I can go there to get used to it etc., but there are a few lakes around where I can probably see what it can do without undue danger to everything else in the water.

I hadn't thought about the docks in Bristol - won't that be salt water which I keep hearing I should never run an RC boat in?

Just need to get a 3S charger for it - I'm a bit worried about the Lipo battery as I keep reading 'horror' stories about stuff I don't understand with them.

Decisions decisions hahahahaha

Cheers
Ian

[JimG]

Hi Ian
no need to worry about the Lipo battery. There are plenty of scare stories but nobody says anything about the thousands of trouble free uses for every problem. I've been using LiPos for at least 5 years and have around 40 packs at the moment with no problems.(2 of them are 6 cell 5000mAh) As long as you get a good LiPo charger and follow the instructions you should have no problems. Don't store them fully charged as its not good for them but a good charger will have a storage charge program.
You should be planning on getting at least 2 more batteries if you want some decent sailing time. The pack included might give around 5 to 10 minutes use and will then need to be charged for around an hour before reuse. Doing this at the pond will need either a 12V lead acid battery or access to your car to use it's battery for charging. Extra packs will allow you to still run while charging.

Jim

[Colin Duerden]

Hi I would advise you to buy something slower for your first boat. I did just that over 20 years ago and then stated off in model boats. You could buy a fairly fast cabin cruiser for the budget of £200. I would certainly try your local model shop who may sell you a good second hand model. Speed boats are fairly difficult to control. Kind Regards Colin Duerden

[CaptainChaos]

I have taken the plunge & ordered the Helion Rivos RTR standard model (with the Nimh battery).
 
 I went into a local model shop & he said that the basic model will be perfectly good for a starter & then I can upgrade everything to make it faster etc.
 
 Thank you for your advice/guidance etc.
 
 Ian 

[CaptainChaos]

Okay, so while I am waiting "patiently" for my boat to arrive, I am thinking to myself "get another battery".

Should I stick with the 2600mAh 7.2V again, or get something else more powerful, and if so, what effect would getting a bigger battery have on the motor/boat/anything else?

[Nemo]

Ian, welcome!
When I am looking for a boat which I know nothing of, I do a search for the particular model on Youtube and usually find a video gives me a good idea of the looks, performance, handling etc - it's one way of making an educated choice along with other good advice posted here so far.

Bob.

[ChrisF]

Okay, so while I am waiting "patiently" for my boat to arrive, I am thinking to myself "get another battery".

Should I stick with the 2600mAh 7.2V again, or get something else more powerful, and if so, what effect would getting a bigger battery have on the motor/boat/anything else?

As a beginner myself I think you are looking at running before you can walk!


Get another battery to increase running time but stick with the same spec until you see how the boat goes and you get used to it.


Also a more powerful battery may well be bigger and the battery housing may have to be modified unless it is designed to take larger batteries.


Once you gain more experience, then fine start changing things, but until then you are just complicating things for yourself.


Chris

[malcolmfrary]

I hadn't thought about the docks in Bristol - won't that be salt water which I keep hearing I should never run an RC boat in?

If that was true, I'm glad nobody told me 30 years ago, I might never have started.  All this time sailing in salt water when it can't be done.
Seriously, the metal bits do need more attention (lube shafts, flush cooling systems etc), very obviously the electric bits need to be kept separate from the salty water, but that's one of the jobs of the boat.

[rem2007]

Hi Len,

Have a look at the Sedgemoor site, Welcome - Sedgemoor Model Boat Club. The club to an RTR fast electric class and lots more. Just come out for a morning and you'll learn loads. Apex Park is out lake and lots of free parking. J22 and follow the signs to Apex.

I'm more into the small yachts and scale electric myself but there are many who partake in all classes so pop around for a chat.

Regards,
Robert

[CaptainChaos]

Cheers Robert,

Once I've got used to it, and have learnt how not to crash into the walls of wherever I'm trying it, I might well pop down there & say 'hi', but I obviously don't want to annoy other people who have 'gentler' boats/yachts.

I am currently looking at extra batteries (higher mAh, same voltage) and it has opened up a whole new can of worms as to the selection available!

Dynamite Speed Pack - 3300mAh - 7.2V with Traxxas connector?
Wheelspin Racing - 5000mAh - 7.2V with Deans connector?
EC3 Connector? Tamiya Connector?

Helllllllllllllp hahahahaha

Ian

[SailorGreg]

As has been suggested previously, it is probably best to wait until you have your boat and have run it a few times.  Higher mAh gives you a longer run time but usually at the expense of added weight and size.  You will also see what connector your boat comes with so you can order the right one for a new battery. A new battery will only take a day or two to arrive (unless you order from China!) so there is no panic.  If you don't know what the different connectors look like then a quick Google should provide you with several images. Of those you list the Tamiya is probably the least reliable.
Have fun!


Greg

[CaptainChaos]

Very true, Greg, but me being me, I am just incredibly excited to get involved in the RC boat thing and want to turn up & be able to navigate it for more than 10 minutes hahahahaha

But you are right & I will be patient so I can see what fits into the Rivos when it arrives. Maybe pop into the Antics Model Shop in Bristol for their advice.

((Sits back down sweating & trying to be patient)) hahahaha