move battery tray's - back or fwd?

[bsrichard]

I'm relatively new to r/c boating, at least on these types of fast electric boats.

I'm planning on removing the stock battery trays and replacing them with just plastic hooks that I can epoxy to the boat and using strong rubber bands. I've read on different threads/sites some folks recommend moving the CG on the BJ26 by moving the placement of the batteries either forward or a bit aft of the stock location. Which is better, or makes the boat more stable and helps improve speed?

Also, i'm planning on using hockey tape to seal up the hatch as others have suggested when running it. But i'm afraid if I use the tape, won't it pull off the standard decals that come on the boat once I have to remove the tape?

I've had a couple of incidents where the boat flipped or took a header into the water after running into things and I'm trying to get the batteries more secure and help prevent water coming in.

One other question, I got some minor damage to the very front of the right part of the hull (right at the point), where the fiberglass got nicked off. Damage isn't structurally bad, just a bit unsightly, what is best material or way to fix it? what materials do i need to buy/look for ?

thanks for any advice offered.

[Apples1]

Not sure on how to fix the point. maybe some 2 part apoxy and white paint, secondly remove the trays completley, i personally epoxyed a small 1 inch wide 2 ply to the base of each sponson to give me a flat surface to Velcro my packs to, thirdly my COG changes every run depending on weather and lake conditions and other things like the prop you are useing and stut / hardware position, lastly i havent had any problem with the hatch tape pulling the decals off.

good luck

[kookie_guy]

also not sure about the fix.

like said above, get rid of the trays.

what I did was laminate and cut out some carbon fiber plates (also to give me a flat surface to work with) and put velcro down the whole surface. With velcro it's easy to adjust battery position, and it holds VERY well.

For hatch tape, I use scotch brand clear tape. it holds well, but also comes off easy. I buy it in a bulk pack that lasts me all season.

[bwells]

What is the best way to remove the stock battery trays. A set of needlenose pliers and wiggle till it breaks loose but what about the epoxy to the side of the hull? A knife seems slow and hard to get through the epoxy.

[kookie_guy]

What is the best way to remove the stock battery trays. A set of needlenose pliers and wiggle till it breaks loose but what about the epoxy to the side of the hull? A knife seems slow and hard to get through the epoxy.

I used a small pair of precision snips to cut sections and then wiggle GENTLY with needlenose pliers. Then used a knife to round off sharp corners that were left behind, simply for visual appeal. Anywhere the epoxy looked thin after I was done, I just mixed up some fiberglass resin, and brushed on a small layer. Most important, take your time, don't rush it.

[Meniscus]

Another recommendation, regardless of taping the hatch, is to make sure you have some flotation on the hatch itself. If for some reason you hit something, like a fish or turtle, and batteries come loose, which could happen at high speed and tumbling, then you won't have to watch the hatch sink.

While I'm thinking about it, make sure you place lots of flotation in the hull if you haven't done so already, the more the better in my opinion. Just ensure you allow area around the batteries for if they get hot and certainly make sure everything is secure so that you do not risk flotation touching the driveline, motor, ESC, etc. Also, this will help in the event you do flip and get any water in the hull. The extra flotation, especially towards the transom, will result in the hull floating higher in the water and not swamp everything.

Just a thought and not meant as an insult. You mentioned you were new to FE boats and simply wanted to share some info that may prevent frustration and money in the future.

There are many members here that are more than willing to help anyone, you just have to ask the question. Remember, there are no silly questions when it comes to having fun on the water.