Tweet
I do wish to find a hull which has a single battery tray, so I have the choice to run any of my batteries in any which way. About my only stipulation I have made for myself.
-
-
Well, if you're worried about liking a boat but it has two battery trays on each side, you can still run one battery on one side and put another battery to balance the boat out. You connect to one battery and the other as a dummy battery. So you don't have to be restricted to getting a boat with only one battery tray. However, with two trays you can run, for example, two 4S 4000mah batteries in parallel and now you get a 4S 8000mah which equates to double the run time. Find at least two to three boats that you are interested in and post it and we can all give our opinions to help and guide you with your choices. Of course, you'll have to give us what you want, what your looking to get out of it, how you intend to use it to race or sport running, you want speed but stability, there's also tuning the boat although it takes time testing and testing, some are less challenging and easier than others to tune and trim the boat out. However, whatever you chose you will have plenty of support and threads here . . .so much wealth of knowledge here on just about everything in the sport of boating. . .it truly is amazing how much knowledge I've gotten here. I have many different boats but one of my favorite boat is my $245 Joysway Offshore Infinity. I have boats that costs much much more than my Infinity but, why I love it is because it is not too small and not too big that I can take it any pond , the anywhere. on vacations and down here in FL anywhere, the ponds could be filled with alligators. With my Infinity, although I have upgraded the equipment in it, when it flips over I don't have to use a rescue boat, swim of fish for it. I simply push the trigger forward and pull it back and it flips itself over. Also, it's great when I have friends over with no experience, they can drive the boat and we don't have to worry about flipping it. That's why I have two of them as well as two Super Mono X for the same reason.. . .actually have 8 self righting boats in different sizes and types. ..fun indeed. In fact, one goes 60mph+ because I like speed like most of us. But some don't care for it so much. So what I'm trying to say is it will be your boat but to know the abilities of different types of boats will help you decide what you to get.Comment
-
BTW, I've heard great things with SMC batteries so you're good there. But I assure you, as you progress in this hobby, I'm afraid you will need more batteries. . .I've spent a fortune on them but I'm happy. . .now my wife not so. She doesn't understand spending as much as $200-$300 on a pair of lipos will benefit me . . .but then I don't understand her spending $200 and beyond than I care to mention on handbags/purses or shoes either. . . so we're even and happy on our own rightsComment
-
Boats with two side trays typically handle better. The weight on the sides dampens the side-to-side roll inertia. Really important with a hydro. Many suffer from excess sponson walking..Comment
-
I really love the appeal of hydros, the water in which I will mostly be boating on, is fairly calm. So feel I should be ok. Not really a huge selection from what I have researched outside of the ul1 and ul19, in artr form that is. Would a bby kit be out of my realm for a first time boater, though I have many years of surface experience?Comment
-
Thunder29 has a recent post where he is selling a fiberglass Popeye. This boat has very good speed potential! There are a bunch of threads on the forum dealing specifically with this boat. I almost bought one, but wanted the carbon fiber version which wasn't available. I went with a DF Vortex 34 Hydro bare hull and heavily modified it. You should look at Thunder29's thread, it's a good boat!Comment
-
I've actually been messaging him about it lol.Comment
-
I can see you and I think alike!! I just checked out the forum quickly, everything you'd want and need to know is in there.
I'm running my DF Vortex on 8s, 4074 1050kv. Running 445 - 447 props. That's the "little motor". I also have a 4082 1250kv to make things interesting! Get at it my friend!Comment
-
Nobody ever asks. Any plans to race? An 8s Vortex is un-raceable. The Popeye runs just okay. It's not a good race boat.
There are 4 IMPBA clubs right there in Illinois. If you want to know what will put you on the water with others it might be worth checking in with them.
Noisy personComment
-
Agreed. The Popeye needs some big time sponson changes to be race ready. It's a shame there is no 8s class for boats this size. When propped properly, 8s runs much less current. I think you race guys have the "lower running costs" solutions all backwards! It's high current that kills batts, ESC's and motors. So your rules do a good job of keeping the profits up on suppliers of such parts.
What the rule should do is require data loggers on all boats. Then verify that a Max Wattage was not violated. So the Vortex 34 and boats it's size, should be limited to 3000W Max. If the sport wants to curtail costs, then regulating wattage is the only way to do it. Right now, the guy with the deepest pockets is going to win most the time. He can afford to push the boundaries, blowing stuff up along the way. Think of wattage regulation like throttle plate restrictions in NASCAR. Then it's down to boat setup and most importantly, great driving skills.Comment
-
Sorry Hardrock for hijacking your thread to make a political statement regarding sanctioned racing.Comment
-
No problem sir. If anything it's more information for me to know. I currently have no plans on racing, this is my first boat and looks as if there's going to be quite a learning curve for me from the surface stuff I'm used to. I did strike a deal with the Popeye, so it will be my first. If I do in-fact enjoy this as much as what I once did my surface stuff, I may migrate into racing.Comment
-
I have raced for years in full sized boats, including the Unlimited class, which was the Miss Budweiser. In fact, my brother had a stint as driver in the Bud. All sactioned racing, whether little or big boats, is steeped in political BS. I found that the back-scene politics caused me to lose my appetite for sactioned racing. I know have my GPS and data logger, as well as some friends that we all race together. Maybe you can get some of your mates to get boats too...
Glad you are moving forward on the Popeye. It's a good ready made boat, but can be made to run much faster. It's flighty, meaning it gets too much air under it, causing it to flip. There are posts on the forum that talk about air dams and how they can bring stability to the boat. All of this is the real fun of the sport, learning and working it out! I envy you getting a new start, there's nothing like that first run!Comment
-
Oh, just run the hull stock first... you'll learn and know what to do after that. Learning props is the first course, it's everything to a hydro! If I can help, just ask...Comment
-
congratulations pulling the trigger on the Popeye purchase. It will be a good boat for sport running yet it has great possibilities in making it run better and I think it's a nice looking boat as well. Part of fun of this hobby is when you get into the part of how to make your boat run better, faster. . .the tuning and the challenge for experimentation. Hope you got a great deal on it while helping a fellow boater that is in a slight bind and could use the $$$$.. .most of all you'll get a lot of support for this boat. I've thought of getting one before and perhaps I will still get one . . .soon as I see one for sale on the for sale section. Keep us posted on how you like it and I think you'll love it!. . .it's addictive. .Comment
Comment