45" Dumas Scarab

[Ken_NJ]

Hmmm, OK. Well I guess I learned how to do something I didn't necessarily need to do. Mark it up as another skill.

[srislash]

No Ken, I've never done anything except grind the bevel and I've never had a cable unravel. And most of my boats I pull the flexes after every time I run and store them in the hull so the moisture drys out.

Ditto. But use anti seize on the treads of your collet.;-)

[Ken_NJ]

Yup will do. Guess I read old online information.

Soldering up the motor and ESC connections. Pain in the a**. Almost ready for a water test, hopefully next weekend.

[srislash]

Guess I better get going on mine eh? Just need a bit more spare time.

[Ken_NJ]

Why not! Get going!

Went back in the thread to see when I started, about mid May, so took me 2 1/2 months to get this far, and I was lazy at times not working on it. Even if it runs OK, I still have a lot of work to do painting and all.

On the subject of painting, was thinking about using Duplicolor Enamel. White, black, red and clear. Have to check with Callie Graphics if clear enamel can be spray over their graphics.

https://www.duplicolor.com/products/premiumEnamel/

[flraptor07]

Ken ya know all in all 2 1/2 months is pretty quick for a build as involved as yours was. For paint if you're going enamel, I've found good old Rustoleum is as good as it gets! The only thing is it takes a good 24hrs. before you can handle it, that's probably why it shines so good..

[Ken_NJ]

I know people use Restoleum over on RC Groups, I'll have to check into it. This might be my first boat I finish in less than a year!

Now the 8 gauge wires from the Swordfish to motor are giving me trouble. I have to extend them to reach the motor so have to solder a stub on them then bullet. Total length will not be more than 6 inches. Any tricks to soldering a butt splice with 2 8 gauge wires? Or how does anyone else do it? I'm usually good at soldering, not this thick stuff though.

[flraptor07]

Ken, that 8ga. is a PITA the only thing I can tell ya is it takes 3 times as long to get it hot enough...

[Ken_NJ]

I agree. Good then it's not me. Best results have been the 100-140w soldering gun so far, even that is a PITA.

[Ken_NJ]

Going to try the first run Thursday evening. I have the motor wired in Wye config which is 730Kv. Batteries are 8s. So that is +/- 23,360 rpm.

Motor also does Delta which gives 1,280Kv, but that gives 40,960 rpm at 8s. The motor is rated at 30,000rpm so cannot do 1,280Kv unless I drop down to 5s which gives 25,600rpm. Don't have the right batteries to do that.

One prop I have from Shawn is x450. Still putting things together. Going to take this slow since it's new to me. I don't have an ammeter or temp gauge yet. Anything I need to know? Watch out for? Have not connected the program box yet either.

[srislash]

Didn't I send a 448 as well.

[Ken_NJ]

Yes, have that one also, will bring it.

[Ken_NJ]

Need some help on this program box. I connect the ESC receiver lead into the program box, connect the main batteries to the ESC, connect a battery to the the program box and the display comes on. Nothing happens if I press any of the buttons. So the box is not communicating with the ESC, why?

This ESC does not have a BEC but it does have a red & black wire that says it goes to the program box but nothing happens.

What am I doing wrong here?

[flraptor07]

Might be a silly question but did you turn the switch on? Oh I see whats wrong, the wire with the yellow tag on it plugs into the program box instead of the battery

[Ken_NJ]

Not silly. I did turn it on. Per the instructions the ESC is disconnected from the motor which makes sense.

One thing I don't get is this lead on the ESC that says 'Lead to Heifi program box NOT to any battery'. It has a red & black wire in the pos and neg position. Plugging that into the box in place of the battery I and I get no power on the box.