Brushless conversion done, a few questions.

[kahnen]

Well the villain is all converted, everything is ready for the great thaw. I just got to do some painting when I get some good weather. Since I've added alot of new stuff to the boat, I have some questions on them.

Lipos- I got a 4s1p Zippy 3500mah 30-40c. I understand that these aren't top notch batteries and the c rating is probably exaggerated some but should still be fine in my setup. My question is can someone link me a good thread or site to find some info on storage and maintaining?

I want to use corrosion x on my esc and receiver to waterproof them. Do I simply spray it on and let it dry? Is it that simple?

I'm useing a Mystery 80 esc. I didn't get any paperwork with it but internet searches I found info about it. The info states it doesn't have BEC but on the esc it says BEC on the battery plug side. Those that use this esc, does it have BEC or no? Can I just plug a battery in and find out? If it does have BEC and I use a receiver batter pack too will it cause any troubles? Or if I plug a battery in and don't use a RX battery pack and it doesn't have BEC will the esc go all crazy and fry something since it didn't have any radio signal?

I'm using the sv cooling plate bought from here. Do the nipples that connects the tubes need to be sealed to prevent leaking?

Some of these questions probably seem silly but I'm just nervous about ruining something before I even get to use it :scared:

Thanks.:tiphat:

[Steven Vaccaro]

Corrosion x is like an oil, so spray just spray it on.

Can't comment on the Mystery except that I have used a receiver pack with a esc that had a bec and fried it.

I use some silicon on the threads of the fittings and than snug them up.

No questions is to silly. I always think, Unless you are going where no man has gone before, its better to learn from someone else's mistakes.

[kahnen]

Thanks Steven

[kahnen]

Just to answer some of my own questions, if anyone else was wondering. Mystery 80 esc doesn't have bec even though it says it on the esc.

I was having a hard time programming it, as others have, I've read. Damn beeps/bells/whistles. :confused2: Course once I found the right programing sequence it worked great. Programming instruction are these in the .pdf file in this thread.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_6976671/tm.htm

Or another version of the esc(multiple versions?:w00t: ) uses these instructions. I was trying to use these first, wasn't making sense and no wonder, wrong ones.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5568120/tm.htm

The esc Auto sets the low voltage cutoff. I hear the SV esc does this too. Do guys peak your lipos before you run them to make sure the low voltage cutoff is set properly? I know peaking them isn't necessary to run them but to insure the LVC is right they should be fully charged. Should I just plan my charging to end right before I go to use it?

What do you guys do about the initial spark of electricty at the plug when you plug in your packs? Is it harmful?

[Rex R]

lipos:
if they have been charged within a week I wouldn't worry too much(though I might use a voltmeter just to be safe)
initial pop:
live w/ it, change connectors as needed(try not to cringe/be surprised ;)when it happens).

[deestingray]

kahen,

I use a mystery 80 also and have found it to be quite robust. As you have already found out, it doesn't have a BEC, I use a 5 cell pack to power mine and it works fine.
I know what you mean about the nasty conglomeration of the beeps and whistles, it is very frustrating and when I was looking into info, I also discovered that there are a couple of different versions of them hence 2 different programming sheets.
As far as the programming is concerned, I have seen with my own eyes, a programming card that can be used with them, a shop on ebay sells them under the Turborix name or something like that, the shop is called revolutionshop, it seems that they have just rebranded the mystery escs.
I was able to turn off my LVC via the programming beeps, cannot remember how I did it, but I am only running nimh cells anyway so the Low voltage didn't need to be set.

[kahnen]

Thanks Rex.

Deestingray,
I have seen that card and wondered if it would work. The picture they use, shows an esc just like the Mystery but I wasn't sure if it was just a generic picture they were useing or one of an actual esc being used on it. I might pick one up, though with the correct instructions its not totally horrible to do now.

[kahnen]

Some pics of what I got. I'm haveing a hard time shrinking the pics to size for here, so heres a link to them. This build has taught me quite a bit in setting up, makes me wish I had a new hull to put all this stuff in so it would look better since I have a better grasp of what needs to be done with out redoing things over about a half a dozen times. Atleast it should run better then it looks. :confused2: :tongue_smilie:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7281050

[kahnen]

Well I think it looks as good as its going to run now. :smile:

Here it is with its new skin....
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7347163

[Rex R]

doesn't look too bad...;)(imo it looks pretty good). as greenhorns we're permitted to have a 'rats nest' on the inside...provided that things stay out of the shaft and don't short out :). I'd give your paint a week or two to cure and use some wax on the portions that you apply hatch tape to. good luck.
rex

[kahnen]

Thanks Rex. And for the wax tip.

[kahnen]

OK, I finally got her in the water today :w00t: I didn't get video because I didn't have a cameraman and I wanted to keep both hands on the wheel on it maiden voyage since I had no idea what to expect. And it was a good idea.

Let me set the scene. Its been in the mid 60s here for the last week, lots of melting went on. The lake I drive in had the cove area open up big enough for me to drive in finally. So I showed up to the lake this morning about 10:30, when I arrived I noticed some ice floating around. I thought great I guess no running for me.

I had my son, 3yrs old, with me and he was taking his new boat out for it maiden voyage too. So, we took his boat and put it in the water. Its just a box store toy boat so it slow enough to stay away from the floating ice. My son is driving it around(doing great for being young) and says "I want to run the ice". So I just smile and say go for it! He runs into the ice and what happens? The little boat plows right through it!:rockon2: it turns out it just a light film of ice that probably froze over night and I noticed a wide open gap down the shore that I could drive my boat in. Knowing that it was just a light coating of ice I felt more confident putting my boat in and that if I couldn't avoid a spot of ice if I went through it it wasn't a solid block.

My son gets done with his boat we put it back in the truck and I got mine out. Did all the usuals: Plugged battery in, set esc for lipo, tested for working, and taped it up, put the K40 prop on for testing. I put the boat in the water and pulled the trigger. IT STOOD STRAIGHT UP ON THE PROP NUT!:scared: I thought it was flipping right there. It managed to land right side up and shot out into the lake. With a big grin on my face I started to make a wide circle around the the open part of the lake. Opps, one of those pesky floaty ice pieces. I slowed down and tried to turn around it but it was to late and ended up stopped right at it. No big deal, I got it stopped before I ran through it, I cut the rudder and pull the throttle to go around it. Yikes!:eek: Full throttle start. Yep, right up on the prop nut again but with the rudder cut, it just rolls it over.......... After about 20 min of casting I was able to fish it out and drying out. Water had leaked in while upside down for that long. Not much though. So I went home without a full run but...wow it was a blast.

[z400]

IT STOOD STRAIGHT UP ON THE PROP NUT!:scared:




:rofl: :rockon2:



sounds like you had fun

[Eyekandyboats]

crossion X is not what you use to seal a radio or anything like that. corrosion X is a lubricant. ONLY
the product you are thinking of is corossion BLOCK which is also a lubricant but also a penetrater and waterproofer.
that is what you use on a receiver or anything electronic

[kahnen]

Yeah, we did but I'll be changing it to soft start. I like to have power when I punch at a stand still but it was just to much. I have a k42 and k45 prop I was going to go to after testing but I might just use the k40 till I get more use to it. And of course, get some videos!

[kahnen]

crossion X is not what you use to seal a radio or anything like that. corrosion X is a lubricant. ONLY
the product you are thinking of is corossion BLOCK which is also a lubricant but also a penetrater and waterproofer.
that is what you use on a receiver or anything electronic

Oh, Thanks.

I'll check some corosion block out.

[Xzessperated]

Kahnen it has been great reading your thread and I can remember having that same feeling of both excitement and horror as I hit the throttle for the first time using LiPos and a brushless motor. In my case the boat stood up and rolled over at the same time landing upside down at my feet in the water. I thought what power these things have. I hope you go on to have a summer of fun with your boat. Good to see your little son is going with you.
I would seek some advice from a guy that knows about circuit boards before I sprayed anything on my esc. Some sprays conduct electricity and could smoke your controller if they shorted things out. I do not know the products you are talking about so I can not comment on those 2 products. The best way is to stop all water getting into the boat. Tape it up well and use some fuel tubing where the flex shaft enters the boat. I put some of the wifes sponge from her kitchen sink in the bottom of my hull to soak up any water that does enter the hull. It weighs next to nothing and stops water splashing about if you do get any in.
Paddy

[kahnen]

Got some video. A nice day, a nice run and no incidences. :smile:
This run went really well making me feel more confident in steping up my prop to now squeeze a bit more speed from it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rY6xyYAsDw

[Quicksilver]

I've been sitting here thinking.........is that actually faster than the brushed setup? I really mean no offense, but I cant tell. Seems to be running really wet. Then again it's better than my villain that seems to want wings. Just wondering if you could get more speed by trimming up a bit, not like mine, but a bit. looks like it's nice and under control, as some people led us to believe was impossible with the villain.

good job though really :)

Got some questions, what is your shaft angle? and could I get another shot of the interior with the batteries in, ready to run. Can you tell I'm trying to copy you? ;)

edit: another thought, I bet she'd go faster in a light chop.

[kahnen]

Your right Quicksilver, if its faster than before its not much but here is why I'm not worried.

I was using a 40mm prop on 14.8v and with the 700 I was up to a 45mm with 16.8v. I've been told the brushless motor can swing the 45mm so you can bet in further testing I'll be proping up to a 42mm, then the 45 if all goes well. After that I'll have to start playing with metal X6xx props. So I expect more out of it where with the 700 I think I was close to the limit.

Running wet- Its kinda hard to tell on the Youtube vid but the hull is airing out when the water roughens up from running a few laps. Also I'm running just 1 lipo pack which makes my options of CG harder since I have to put the battery across the hull instead of along the bottom straddling the motor with a 2 pack setup.

The shaft angle is neutral so it could be raised up a degree or two. Its something I'll have to play around with.

I'll try to get more interior shots within a couple of days.

[Quicksilver]

thanks, I'm wondering because with mine porpoising like it is, I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong. I still havent touched my villain yet this year, the shaft is still about negative 3 degrees or so. gotta fix that. You're still not using any turn fins or tabs right? If so I would say the villain does in fact have some potential...maybe even dare I say, for racing. :w00t:

[Quicksilver]

Ok wow, 40 minutes later and I fixed the strut angle. It now is positive 3 degrees or so, but it goes to neutral. For any future villain modders, dont use the SV27 strut it has so little adjustment that anything over a few degrees requires modding the transom. This time I cheated and used some washers on the bottom screws.

[kahnen]

I am useing one turn fin on the right, no tabs though right now.

[Quicksilver]

That's good, I did some work today, I extended the rudder post and mocked up some turn fins. They might be too big but I figure you can always cut more off and they are very sharp. The rudder should work much better, the stand off is about 1 1/4" longer now.

If anyone has suggestions on the turn fins please tell me. :)

[kahnen]

Your extended rudder looks good.

I like your idea of attaching the turn fins from the side and just bending them to be 90 degrees to the bottom. Seems much easier then trying to find a good place to put the on the transom. Wish I would have thought to go that route :smile: Course be careful not to hit something and rip them out. definately reinforce the area with wood or fiberglass. How long are they? They might be to long, I used the dimensions of these:
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=ose-monofins
70mm long.

BTW I'll get those pics up tonight when I get home.

[kahnen]

Heres some inside pics, excuse the mess.:sorry:

First one shows the battery holder for the lipo.
Next is the lipo going across the hull, this way limits me to only an inch or two forwards and back adjustment.
Last is when I run nimhs.

[Quicksilver]

thanks for the info. I'm still debating where to put the fins. My second idea is place them on the hull extensions(have no idea what to call those), either directly on the bottom or on the inside. They're 50mm long(just the exposed blade) and 30mm at maximum width. It was fun making them, basically just used some snips, a file, and sand paper. I also sanded off the blue anodized strut. I like it matching the rest of the hardware and I removed some of the flaws.

In respect to the inside of the hull, I think your motor might be farther forward than mine. I have to take some new pics......lost a hard drive.

[kahnen]

My motor is placed further forward than yours. I remember thinking that when you posted pics of yours.

With Nimhs I was using them to balance my CG aft. The boat without batteries was just about 30% balanced with the motor (700 motor) forward like that. Now when I run lipo, I wish it was setup like yours with the motor weight in the aft so I could use the lipo wieght in the front with more room to adjust to balance it.

[kahnen]

Well I got a chance to run it today with the 42mm prop and I was pleased with the speed I gained. I didn't have a camera person with me but I was gonna do it myself. Got the boat in the water, turned the camera on and started to go. Did a few laps for the camera, then turned it off to run the boat and enjoy it. After the run, I walked back to the truck and went to veiw the recording and guess what, I NEVER PRESSED THE RECORD BUTTON.:doh: :cursing: So I didn't get any video, I plan on going tomorrow to run again so hopefully tomorrow. Add on more thing to the checklist, camera on, camera recording......

[kahnen]

Well heres the video of todays run with the 42mm prop. :bounce:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URH_QC25YqM

[Quicksilver]

Nice run! Definitely got some speed now.

My boat's all ready to go now, just need time to run her.

[Quicksilver]

oh here's today video. The water was rough, but the boat handles so much better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUeAnoz6zZ8

[kahnen]

Nice, yeah that water looks pretty rough to get any real speed out of it.

[Quicksilver]

yeah, I'm gonna get some more props as well.

[kahnen]

Well, heres the latest video. Using a 45mm prop. I've been trying to wait for a less windy day, all weekend has been pretty windy here. I couldn't wait any longer so I took my chances with the wind :smile: The chop was real nice but the wind was pretty strong so I had to go about half throttle in to the wind but down wind/across wind she would fly. Wasn't all glory today though, I had a mishap with a rock and scraped up my new paint! Oh well, least that was all it did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UEyUTejeWw

[Quicksilver]

Seems like she flies now! In the same boat as me, new mods and too much wind and chop to test them out.

Nice job with the rock, made a nice noise.:lol: