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ReddyWatts
06-23-2007, 09:47 AM
It is not easy to tape/seal the hatch on a mean machine before each run. I found some "Duck" brand "Foam Tape Weatherstrip" (closed cell) at Walmart for a couple of bucks. It is 3/8 wide by 3/16 thick and 60 feet long. It has an excellent adhesive. You get one chance to stick it on right. If you try to remove it, the adhesive is so sticky you will tear the foam. It does a really good job of sealing the hatch.

Fluid
06-23-2007, 11:59 PM
Strange, I have no trouble at all sealing my MM hatch with 3M #35 tape, and it is reusable. You will find that any cheap foam seal will leak a lot if the boat ever ends up on its lid. Live and learn.......


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ReddyWatts
06-24-2007, 12:20 AM
That is what I am trying to say. It is better than most foam sealers, because it is a "closed cell" foam with a great quality adhesive made by Duck. You do not tape across a flat surface on the MM. It has 90 degree angle seams to tape. The foam gets rid of that headache. Maybe you spend to much time upside down. j/k

Fluid
06-24-2007, 10:02 AM
Maybe your boats are just too slow to ever blow over....





j/k! ;)


Really, all it takes is a little practice to tape the MM hatch. I take less than one minute and no leaks. Personally, my electronics are more important to me than a few seconds saved with a poor hatch seal. But to each hiw own....I'm just trying to save you money in the long run based on 30+ years running electric boats. Experienced racers rely on tape, period. :) :cool:


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ReddyWatts
06-24-2007, 12:27 PM
Fluid, I appreciate you sharing things from your boat racing experiences. You were the only person back then that could explain how the controller stayed in time with the rotor position not using sensors. It is great having you here to answer the hard questions, but I learned a long time ago that there is always more than one way to do something and get the same results. When I got into brushless FE I found that there was only a racing mindset on the forums. Even all of the boat parts were for racing and very expensive. I have always looked at electrics from a different angle. I am more of a sport boater than a racer and build on a budget. I think sport boats is a good way to grow the sport. Some new members will get into the racing side, but I hope they have a good experience getting there. That is why I like the high voltage / low current setups. It is not designed for sactioned racing, but to run cool, last and learn. I am glad to see some economical controllers and motors entering the market. The racing products are way over priced. There are different angles to look at FE, racing and sport. Neither category is above or below the other. They are just different. Each promotes the other.

FYI, I had my first blowover in the first month I got into FE. I also burnt up a lot of equipment following the racers advice by running on the edge. That is why I am trying to help newcomers to have a better experience getting into FE with a reliable, easy to use fast boat. Therefore I have tried the tape thing and it works great, but the foam seal is also working great for me and easier to use on the MM. I guess a person could even use both. I know it is not what the racers do, but I like to break molds by trying something different.

smaerd58
07-02-2007, 11:22 AM
Reddy, you are hitting home with me as a newbie FE. I myself have been told about using racing gear but am leaning toward just having fun not breaking records.I would like to know are you using any cooling on your Motor and ESC for you MM build?Thanks

ReddyWatts
07-02-2007, 12:47 PM
At this point in time, the motor is water cooled but the controller is not. I am still playing with different setups. I might add it in the future, it will depend on my final temps. The controller has not been to hot. This may change when I get different batteries. More later.