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Thread: UL-1 motors old and new, very different

  1. #1
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    Default UL-1 motors old and new, very different

    Was at the pond today play for maybe the last time. A friend was there, El Presidente of GRMM Club in Canada. He had a Bling Rocket setup for LSO with an OLD UL-1 in there.
    When I looked at the rear end I was impressed! So much copper that you can NOT see the laminated stack at all. The rotor has a different construction also.

    I took a pic or two and went home, compared it to a UL-1 motor I bought 8 months or more ago and to say the least it was jaw dropping.

    I'm guessing here but, possible they changed from D to Y? or just cut the amount of copper in half? Who knows but pictures say a million words so I'll let you look and see for yourself.

    These motors are a world of difference. The pic of the new motor with the 2030kv stamp may need to be downloaded and zoomed to see what I mean.

    The old motor looks like it was wound by Steve Neu, the new one??? Nevermind...

    Please Aquacraft can you bring the UL-1 motor back to what it was!
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Nortavlag Bulc

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    Ray, hows the weight between them?

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    Problem is, I don't own the one in the first pic. I'll see if I can get him to remove it from his boat sometime. I took the other picture with my crap camera but, I am shocked at what I saw at the pond two Sundays ago.I wish I kept my one old UL-1 motor can from waaay back.
    Nortavlag Bulc

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    I think they may, MAY, have traded off some of the copper for steel but, that's a guess.
    Nortavlag Bulc

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    Why does the first one look like it wet through a blender/chopper/cement mixer?

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    Oh and I still say spec'ing those motors was a huge mistake. There are way better variants for the same price now.

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    For 100 millionth time.....available in a RTR is part of the picture.

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    I suppose because he used clear silicone to seal the waterjacket... Looks like the dogs breakfast. He has had that boat and motor for quite a few years. His nitro Jae Rigger on the other hand is spotless! Go figure he started as nitro so electrics are more secondary toys to him I'm assuming.

    Quote Originally Posted by photohoward1 View Post
    Why does the first one look like it wet through a blender/chopper/cement mixer?
    Nortavlag Bulc

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    Quote Originally Posted by T.S.Davis View Post
    For 100 millionth time.....available in a RTR is part of the picture.
    I love getting your neck hair to stand on end. Wait....Do you have neck hair?

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    I know he has a neck at least.
    Nortavlag Bulc

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    Doesn't effect me as I don't race anymore but I hate to say I say this coming. I honestly think the quality of Aquacraft products has gone down. I think it would be impossible to do a thinner layup on the newer hulls, still haven't figured out the flex shaft issues, now as I've been reading more people are burning up the UL-1 motors.
    Thanks for the pics Ray, was just about to buy a new one for my whip, think since I'm not really constrained by rules I'll give one of the small Leopards a try.
    We just choose motors that have about the same KV and size to keep it competitive between like style boats. We just like running an oval and passing each other, no winners no losers. I don't want to beat up on the UL-1s too badly with my Whip.
    If my boats upside down then who owns the one I thought I was driving the last two laps?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ray schrauwen View Post
    Was at the pond today play for maybe the last time. A friend was there, El Presidente of GRMM Club in Canada. He had a Bling Rocket setup for LSO with an OLD UL-1 in there.
    When I looked at the rear end I was impressed! So much copper that you can NOT see the laminated stack at all. The rotor has a different construction also.

    I took a pic or two and went home, compared it to a UL-1 motor I bought 8 months or more ago and to say the least it was jaw dropping.

    I'm guessing here but, possible they changed from D to Y? or just cut the amount of copper in half? Who knows but pictures say a million words so I'll let you look and see for yourself.

    These motors are a world of difference. The pic of the new motor with the 2030kv stamp may need to be downloaded and zoomed to see what I mean.

    The old motor looks like it was wound by Steve Neu, the new one??? Nevermind...

    Please Aquacraft can you bring the UL-1 motor back to what it was!
    I thought I might have the older version but I just checked: no such luck, mine was bought brand new two years ago for my Minicat USA's Samurai Cat, looks just like the one I bought last month for my BBY Zephyr. They both look like the one with the "2030kv" stamp.
    I just want to understand how can they cut the amount of copper? Unless it is a different wind? I have couple of others but they are stored at my Mom's home, will check too.
    Of course I don't push my motors like you guys do, but it is a pity that they changed the way how it is made. How long ago since you guys noticed the change? Just curious...

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    I will have too take a look i have one coming in 30 min or so , i will take a pic for comparison . I'm looking at converting TS2 nitro 3.5 k & b too a 2030kv ul1 on 4s .

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    Its picture # 2 however will still be using it for the Top Speed 2
    IMGA0012 (2).jpgIMGA0015.jpg

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    2008 NAMBA P-Mono & P-Offshore Nat'l 2-Lap Record Holder; '15 P-Cat, P-Ltd Cat 2-Lap
    2009/2010 NAMBA P-Sport Hydro Nat'l 2-Lap Record Holder, '13 SCSTA P-Ltd Cat High Points
    '11 NAMBA [P-Ltd] : Mono, Offshore, OPC, Sport Hydro; '06 LSO, '12,'13,'14 P Ltd Cat /Mono

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    Can we maybe not be too quick to condemn AQ if there is even a hint of a production variation. AQ has a spec. The manufacturer is required to meet spec. AQ doesn't actually manufacture the motors. If the supplier can save a few bucks and still be within spec................they're going to do it. That's how my industry works too. Most every industry works that way. Even Neu motors have evolved. All the cans are different now.

    Another thing that's mysterious to me is always the assumption that another manufacturer is going to or would have always produced the same same same motor for us. Let's say it was a Leopard motor that we spec'd for all these limited classes. They start selling us a lot of them. Then the company finds a cheaper way to do it. Different bearings, another way to wind it that's easier, cheaper steel for the shaft. They're going to make that change. Simple accounting here guys. Do any of you really believe a company just supplying motors is suddenly going to be super concerned about our precious limited classes? Naive. At least with AQ and Proboat there is someone watching the end product. It's limited but they do have some allegiance to the boating community.

    I'm not defending any changes that the AQ motors have experienced. I have no affiliation with AQ. I just don't think it's fair to always assume the worst of a company that has clearly put a lot of effort into our little hobby.

    Not really a rant. Call it preemptive because these motor threads always deteriorate into company bashing.

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    I totally agree with your point of view, my curiosity was thirst for knowledge. I posted to ask when the change was made, if there was really a change because I was surprised my two years old motor looks exactly the same as the one I bought a month ago.
    I too loath company bashing and realize the bean counters in the end have the say, we saw that with Detroit...

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    I think its all related to heat-shrink on the wires.

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    I had two different tp motors, same specs. Made within a year of each other. The new one appeared to have better copper windings that came all the way to the rear bell casing. Upon closer inspection i found the can length had been shortened some and the windings and rotor spaced slightly different in the can as well. Based on that i could have assumed all kinds of things. Turns out the motor had changed, the can was shorter making it look like the new one had more copper and the magnets and rotor position had changed slightly. Visiting tps website confirmed all this. jumping to conclusions like this ends up with bad information getting to newer guys like me. It looks like one persons opinion was already changed here based on wrong conclusions being drawn. When i first started out here iwas swayed back and forth a lot based on what turned out to be wrong information. My hard earned money spent on the wrong things as a result. Hopefully people will be more careful in the future and aquacraft did and still does an excellent job on there rtr stuff

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    That was kinda my point. Now if those were the motors we spec'd and the guy with the motor from a year ago beats the guy with the motor a week old the guy that got beat thinks it's the motors fault. Even though it's pretty close to the originals output. Just looks different.

    I just remembered this.....I think it was Al Waters that told me...........the first race happened when the second guy showed up. The first rule was made by the guy that lost.

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    I am not bashing AQ....! Sorry to ruffle your feathers T. I have 5 sitting on the shelf. My club doesn't race spec. We just call it small open. It's actually a 4s open class. Most of us are running Neu 1515/1y 2200 or The Leopard 4082/3y 2200. We run m445-447 or H5-H7 props. Pull about 100 amps and get between 50-60mph depending on the hull style. They never get hot.
    But I can always swap in the AQ motors for traveling to events.

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    Oh yeah one other thing. I totally agree with Terri. Damn that hurts a bit!

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    I didn't really think you were Howard. It's just where these threads always end up. We're overdue for someone to claim they have the best most obvious motor choice with the best service hands down. Anything else would be stupid.

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    Hopefully that doesn't happen. I wasn't my goal to cause trouble. I was just taken back by what I saw and wanted to share it. Hey man, I won a class at the cup with a 1800Kv AQ motor and I really like the motors. I've just had bad experience with LSH & the 2030kv motor.
    AQ makes some nice stuff like the Motley Crew, Doby has his just humming. They (AQ & PB) have done nice things for our hobby and I hate to be one to muck it up. I'll just prop down and keep working on my setups maybe try the 1800kv motor instead.
    Nortavlag Bulc

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    The internal resistance of the original 2030 motor was 0.014 Ω . If the latest motor has less copper it's resistance should be higher, anyone want to measure the IR of the latest motor.
    Mark

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    Either way i'm still using the new motor for this application , it will sever me well for what i need . NO BASHIN thanks guys :)

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    I had 2 of the same leopard motors both 4082's 1600 kv , can anyone tell me why they feel so different , one is more notchy than the other .

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    Quote Originally Posted by Savage Skidoo View Post
    I had 2 of the same leopard motors both 4082's 1600 kv , can anyone tell me why they feel so different , one is more notchy than the other .
    I have two TOTALLY "different feel" Leopard 4082, 2200kv motor. One can be turned relatively easy, and it is the "typical feel " of all other Leopard motors that I own. The other one is a "Gold FineDesign" labeled and it is like a 6-pole , you can barely turn it by hand. I asked this question for two years and the only answer I got was different magnet strength---which I believe but also doubt that it can cause THAT MUCH difference.
    So my question is that let's just say Leopard is not using the same grade of magnet, how can they allow such variance in their spec even for Chinese junk?!
    One has to compare this motor with other Leopard motors to realize what a HUGE difference I am talking about.

  29. #29
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    That feel may mean something if it's made overseas but, with Neu motors I know they changed something but, not lower magnet strength that would lead me to the same question.

    I have a 1521 in my hand I just got in the mail from Chilli and it is not nearly as difficult to turn the shaft by hand as the other one I had made a few years earlier. Am I worried, no because it's a Neu motor and I know I can trust them. With some stuff from overseas, I dunno what to trust??
    Nortavlag Bulc

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    Another thing. As much as I would like these motors to be near bullet proof like a Neu they simply aren't.

    We're pushing them to the edge. Many are at least. We're for sure pushing them beyond their intended use. They are GOING to fail. Might not be on the first second third or 50th run but they are going to fail.

    A Neu will fail too if you keep pushing it beyond it's design point. Might not be the first second third or even the 100th run but it's going to fail too. Eventually. The difference is that the Neu is designed for much higher output. Getting to edge of the that envelope is a longer journey.

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