Spartan, tear it down to build it up

[PeterTRAXXAS]

...and I'm collecting all your notes about what you feel the Spartan needs. Good stuff.

[martin]

If they can get all the problems resolved & they are very serious problems Not just say a shaft problem that other manufacturers have had where they send a new modified shaft & the promlems are cured. The boat still has potential providing they sort these problems out properly & its not just a band aid solution. What about the boats that are still sat on the shelves in shops that customers are still buying completelly oblivious to these problems who wouldnt be buying if they knew of these problems. Ive spoken to a number of model shops in the UK that have Spartans on their shelves & asked about any problems on this boat & they say they know of none & that its a fantastic boat. I also spoke to the UK Traxxas importer & asked the same question & they knew of no issues & were suprised when i told them of the various problems that were very well known by this point, Thanks.

[GeoVW72]

Good points JPriami

martin: we're a little past the time frame of the Proboat MG issue, but still valid point to be noted on how other manufactures handled an issue.
Agreed that there are many issues, I have worked through many and I am approaching the core. The fix will definitely not be just a band aid.
You bring up a good point on Spartans sitting on the shelves, the 2 are still on the shelf at my local H-town.
Perhaps you counting your chickens before they hatch Peter.


More testing done this evening, had an audience. usually do it in the morning, but people fishin' and I respect their wants.

ambient: 38*f

Run#1 2x 2s
esc: 56* motor: 80*
max amp: 59 speed: 28mph

Run#2 2x 3s
esc: 68* motor: 100*

YT vid

YT vid

Run#3 2x 3s
esc: 86* motor: 123*
amp: 150 speed: 44
YT vid

Run#2 was broken into to parts as I tested the though on moving the packs aft. The only time I see moving the packs aft is when you're running stock or 4s, which I do. On 6s it creates violent instability, with the same load/speed.
Run#3 was a little more varied in speed to confirm what we already knew. The 150A spike was what it took to pop the hull out of the water, rest of the peaks are around 114A.

Equipment has lasted this far, hitting the core tomorrow

[Brushless55]

hey Geo, will you try a bigger prop next time on 4s?
I'm wondering how things would go with like a M445 or bigger

[Panama Jack]

hello Peter. I am really concerned with the spartan boat as I allready burnt my ESC. I cant see this boat runing stock on 6s for any one. See I am in Panama and my boat runs on 90F amient temps. Unlike most of you USA peeps that have frozen lakes and 30f ambient temps.

My first run on the stock NIMH packs my my boat over heated and went into limp mode in 2-3min of running. Then I had to do mayor modifications to the ruder and cooling system, to be able to run it on 6s and even then some runs ended short because it would go into limp mode.

To me the boat was not ready to be launched into the market and as proof you have many members here on the same boat. and I am really upset as this has been one of those purchases that end up in the closet cause it never worked correctly, or just dump more cash into it to make it work.

Is there going to be a recall? is the next shipment of boats going to be difrent? what about the boat that have already been sold, are we going to be able to send our old electronics for the new better ones?

Thanks

[§Bodo§]

Nice to have you here Peter. We all hoped that Traxxas take care of the customers.
So if you already read at least the threats mentioned by JPriami the main problems are identified and also a solution has been pointed out.
This leads to the question, if we can expect an updated version of the Spartan in the (near) future. Will there be any modification on the boats that will hit the market probably in late april, or even later? If so, what modifications are done/planned?
Regards
Bodo

[JPriami]

You mean threads not threats right Bodo?

[§Bodo§]

Of course, you are right. Excuse my english. This language is not my native tongue. But who knows, maybe your threads are threats for Traxxas?

[Brushless55]

Of course, you are right. Excuse my english. This language is not my native tongue. But who knows, maybe your threads are threats for Traxxas?

we just tell it like it is

[GeoVW72]

Brushless55: I don't have a M445, but I do have a P220 to try out.
Panama Jack: ambient is also a good point, I consider my testing so far one big * as it is not under "standard" conditions. I suspect that the setup I have will not work in 3 months. I am trying to get the temps as low as possible

Testing was good today, chine walking gone


ambient: 38*f

Run#1: 2x 2s
esc: 55* motor: 79*
max amp: 49 speed: 28 mph

Run#2: 2x 3s
esc: 69* motor: 96*
amp: 87 speed: 42

Run#3: 2x 3s
esc: 77* motor: 110*
amp: 97 speed: 44

Finally got the inside of the hull pretty dry, thanks to dag-nabit and JPriami for the inspiration:

filled the hatch tabs with silicone and ran a bead, to keep the wave that comes over the transom from swamping the boat. But the water on the deck was getting in so:

took about 3' of medium tubing and cut a slit in it, put it on the top deck of the boat to raise their lip even further and today there was only a few drops in the hull not .oz

I'll try the larger prop on 4s and I guess I'll have to enlarge the motor outlet to get more flow

[JPriami]

Chine walking gone? Were you in a little choppy water? Or glass? My boat stock was good in chop. Sucked on glass.

[GeoVW72]

Chine walking gone? Were you in a little choppy water? Or glass? My boat stock was good in chop. Sucked on glass.

For the most part gone. little choppy, started a little bit when I ran over my own wake, same as you. but if it did start it, it settled down instead of getting out of control.
was going good so maybe it hit the 5-0 and survived.

[JPriami]

Sweet.
I've got to finish testing the one boat. And got 2 different props to try on mine.

[Brushless55]

another thing you can do to help keep water out, is use clear electrical tape to tape the hatch down

[GeoVW72]

another thing you can do to help keep water out, is use clear electrical tape to tape the hatch down

Yea, Yea, that is the right way to do it, I guess I'm just lazy.
not sure what you could do with the transom though, unless you do dag-nabit's mod to a t