first real boat - traxxas spartan vs hk genesis

[Delray]

I am looking to buy my first fast electric RC boat. I am looking at a traxxas spartan or a HK genesis. The spartan is ready to go however the genesis would require a speed control, servo and radio setup. I would need to buy new lipos in either case. A friend of mine is building a kyosho hurricane 900 ve (with 1045kv motor) so i would want to be faster of course :)

What do you think?

[Turbo Dan-O]

Go with the Genesis! Finish it out with some nice parts and you will be ahead of the game. Way nicer and faster hull also!

Edit: What part of TN are you from?

[gsbuickman]

if it's your first boat you would probably have more fun with the rtf spartan. Its a great boat and pleanty fast for a beginner, especially with 6s piwer.

Imo if you decide to go all in and build a catamaran, I wouldn't go with a Genesis from Hong Kong I would go for the real thing, a Fightercat Daytona. the Genesis is just a cheap knockoff clone of the Daytona. I've seen one too many problems with the shoddy construction a lot of the Genesis hulls exhibit. . hands down a fighter cat is a much better choice than anything from Hong Kong.

[Delray]

Go with the Genesis! Finish it out with some nice parts and you will be ahead of the game. Way nicer and faster hull also!

Edit: What part of TN are you from?

West TN near Memphis

[Delray]

if it's your first boat you would probably have more fun with the rtf spartan. Its a great boat and pleanty fast for a beginner, especially with 6s piwer.

Imo if you decide to go all in and build a catamaran, I wouldn't go with a Genesis from Hong Kong I would go for the real thing, a Fightercat Daytona. the Genesis is just a cheap knockoff clone of the Daytona. I've seen one too many problems with the shoddy construction a lot of the Genesis hulls exhibit. . hands down a fighter cat is a much better choice than anything from Hong Kong.

I will have a look at the Daytona.

[gsbuickman]

If you are a fan of catamaran hulls, I would also consider the Aeromarine mean machine.
Its a 29" hull that flat gets with it when you set it up correctly and it's really easy to do just let us know what kind of power you want to run.

[Delray]

At this point i dont think i could say that i have a hull preference. I am not opposed to building a boat from the bare hull. In fact i have a brand new atomik p1 35" vee sitting in the garage thats missing everything.

The problem for me in both cases is that i dont really know what to order. Also i can do some drilling at home but if i have to lay fiberglass or carbon fiber or paint anything beyond basic rattle can my skills are not great.

I thought about buying a esc and motor for the atomik hull i have but then i would need drive cable, rudder, prop, etc. The stock parts are kinda high and since there are already holes on the back i dont know if aftermarket stuff would line up and if not how i would patch and redrill.

I think i would be better off with a rtr or artr and selling off my atomik hulls and two barbwires to help offset the cost.

[pistol18]

I've had a blast with both my aquacraft cats, first the motley crew then the very similar(practically identical) Lucas oil.
Both boats run and turn great and replacement/upgrade parts are readily available. Good boats to learn on and I've had success getting some new FE boaters hooked on our great hobby!

[Turbo Dan-O]

Well, if you are open to other hulls I can say that the Pursuit is an awesome boat. I bought one a couple of months ago and have been having a blast with it! Good price, nice hull/hardware, and it comes just about ready to rock. Wish I had started with this one!

BTW Delray, if you get on Facebook look up "Fast RC boats of Tennessee". Just a little page I started. Need to get something going around here!

[boilo56]

Well, if you are open to other hulls I can say that the Pursuit is an awesome boat. I bought one a couple of months ago and have been having a blast with it! Good price, nice hull/hardware, and it comes just about ready to rock. Wish I had started with this one!

I agree totally!

[Delray]

I think this is what I have decided to buy. It is going be around $500 which would pay for a ready to go spartan but I think this boat with all the upgrades should be better than a stock spartan. Thoughts?

Genesis boat
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...arehouse_.html

ESC (180 amp)
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...dProduct=74083

XT90 connectors and cord
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...dProduct=64406
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...dProduct=71977

Servo
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...dProduct=67802

Radio
Use current radio

Batteries (2 of these)
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...dProduct=71878


Upgrades:

Strut
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...prod=ose-80975
Coupler
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...oct-ocfhe5mm18
Drive Dog
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...rod=oct-oc6dmm
.187 flex shaft
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...?prod=ose-1190
Prop Nut
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...od=oct-oc6pnmm[/QUOTE]

Unsure about the right prop.

[Turbo Dan-O]

IMO, don't use those connectors. I have been using these 6.5mm bullets for a while now with no issues. Cheap but they get the job done. http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...irs_10pc_.html

And please don't start out on 6s. Been there done that and it wasn't pretty! That stock motor will not handle that anyways. Get some 2s(or 4s) packs and a couple of good props and start learning this stuff first. That boat will run good on 4s.

Man, I wish we could talk you into a pursuit!

I'm sure others will chime in...

[Delray]

IMO, don't use those connectors. I have been using these 6.5mm bullets for a while now with no issues. Cheap but they get the job done. http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...irs_10pc_.html

And please don't start out on 6s. Been there done that and it wasn't pretty! That stock motor will not handle that anyways. Get some 2s(or 4s) packs and a couple of good props and start learning this stuff first. That boat will run good on 4s.

Man, I wish we could talk you into a pursuit!

I'm sure others will chime in...

I like the size and looks of the genesis better but if the pursuit is a much better boat then i would buy one of those. What makes it better?

[lt130th]

I like the size and looks of the genesis better but if the pursuit is a much better boat then i would buy one of those. What makes it better?

Typically, "better" translates to fun factor. A hull that is overpowered & pushed faster than it's designed or built for will result in less of a good time when it's frequently going airborne or rolling over. It's also discouraging when the internals come loose every time it goes airborne or hops over a turtle, or the rudder hits something & rips the transom off. These are things that happen less in a "better" hull. Lots of people modify RTR hulls, but you'll almost never get one to perform as well as a better built hull like a Fightercat, MHZ, HPR, etc. For example, see post #25, here: http://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/...Geico-29-Build . If you aren't looking for a challenge, don't go that route. That means getting rid of those Venom/Atomik hulls is a good plan. They'll require more work than you can imagine. It sounds like the boat which meets your wants/needs is something you aren't ready to build yourself, yet. There are a few members on this forum that have built many boats for others in your shoes. Ask around & you might be able to get your hands on a much, much "better" boat for the $$$ you are prepared to spend on a Spartan or Genesis...that will run circles around your friend's 900VE.

[jester_s1]

It's easy to over power an inadequate hull and get lots of speed. The tradeoff is its stability in the water and its durability in crashes. I've learned that already as many others have.

Since this is your first build, I'm going to recommend going with a good deep V hull. A deep V can run in rougher water conditions than anything else can in the same size, and it will be more forgiving of driver errors. Even when you've moved up to higher performing hulls like a catamaran or hydroplane, you'll still find your trusty deep V useful on windy days or as a backup or rescue boat.