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Thread: Finishing "THE GECKO"

  1. #1
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    Default Finishing "THE GECKO"

    20200418_100810_compress91.jpg20200418_100720_compress42.jpg20200418_100707_compress87.jpg20191110_141831_compress28.jpg Got my goodies back from the powder coater. It took me a little over a week to get things cleaned up, even after all the masking and plugging of holes. I was thankful they stayed open and working during this weird time. Had to cut the clutches down quite a bit in order to make them fit, as shown in that last picture. Now just sealing penatrations and installing parts. Trying to remember how i put it together the first time. More to come, stayed tuned!

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    I usually turn down my MBP collets too. Bulky for sure.
    Vac-U-Tug Jr (13mph)

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    I’ve turned down some H&M couplers. Too long for spec motors.
    Nortavlag Bulc

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    20200420_190407_compress20.jpg20200420_190314_compress3.jpg Here's a couple shots of the receiver housing before i bury it in the transom. Foam and liquid tape, yeehaw!

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    20200423_054714_compress80.jpg20200423_054656_compress77.jpg20200423_054838_compress68.jpg I never took any photos of the rudder as i was machining it. What a pain in the butt! It turned out less then perfect and the powder coating covered up all my mistakes. Anyways, here it is all dolled up.

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    20200423_054904_compress68.jpg20200423_201252_compress50.jpg20200423_201133_compress57.jpg20200423_201113_compress57.jpg Well gang, we're getting right down to it. I've been chasing a leak somewhere in the port side strut. I think i have it figured out now. Should have a dry boat shortly.

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    Wow, talk about BaLing! Gorgeous!
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse J View Post
    Wow, talk about BaLing! Gorgeous!
    Thank you Jesse, been a long road. Took her out last weekend for the shake down. I am more then pleased. She does great for what she is. I'll have to try and get some new pictures up and possibly some video.

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    Do you have any whole boat shots? Yes action shots are always loved!
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    20200525_070551_compress54.jpg Not quite as quick as i thought she'd be. However, she is under propped considering her weight. The day before, i lost the port side speed control. Brand new sf220+ smoked! Lucky i had a back up that still worked. My SF graveyard still growing hehe!

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    20200612_081527_compress67.jpg20200612_081527_compress67.jpg20200612_081531_compress87.jpg20200612_130316_compress57.jpg20200612_130300_compress76.jpg Well kids, i got good news and bad news (for me that is...) she ran a best of 74.3 and was quite possibly on her way to a high 70 low 80 pass when catastrophic failure reared its ugly head once more. She made a "ratatatatatatat"of unbalanced ness, and when she only wanted to turn left i knew then i had cooked another speed controller. This is a real bummer because i have no idea where to get another sf220+. This all being said, there is clearly a problem. Granted the motors are the same kv in theory, they are not a matched set or of the same batch for that matter. When i turn the motors by hand i can feel the newer motor has more resistance then the other, and this is the problem side. Data also said one side was a few thousand rpm behind the other, i forget which side but i will certainly pay attention this time. I have some homework to do and would appreciate anyone's thoughts or suggestions on my problem. All in all I'm still pretty happy with performance, she is a beast on the big end! Anyone know where i can score a sf220+, I'm in the market, haha!

  13. #13
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    Scott, what hull is this? What motors, not matched? Same brand?, props, batts (voltage, c rating, matched?)... complete setup please. When you bench test, does one motor start first? When you blew the esc’s, how long did you run before checking temp? Esc & motors? How long are your motor leads, battery leads? Need all the data bro..

    I’ve done a number of twinsies.. not just double trouble but trouble squared.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse J View Post
    Scott, what hull is this? What motors, not matched? Same brand?, props, batts (voltage, c rating, matched?)... complete setup please. When you bench test, does one motor start first? When you blew the esc’s, how long did you run before checking temp? Esc & motors? How long are your motor leads, battery leads? Need all the data bro..

    I’ve done a number of twinsies.. not just double trouble but trouble squared.
    Pro boat"Miss Geico" with a trued bottom, no negative angles. Motors- TP 4030 3267kv, one purchased in late'16 early'17 for a single setup only ran a handful of times. Second purchased late'17 early'18 for the "Gecko build". Esc's- SF220+, purchased from OSE brand new for"Gecko build". Batteries- Revolectrix blend 435 4400 70c x4. 2 in series then paralleled 4s. Battery leads uncut w/ castle 8mm bullets and 16awg lead going into 47 resistor one battery each side for anti spark. Capacitors- Kill Mode RC 3 pack 10awg leads 3-4"long soldered as close as i could get to esc board w/o melting things. 20191025_054507_compress77.jpg20191025_054455_compress20.jpg20191025_054419_compress80.jpg20191022_173838_compress29.jpg
    External bec- Castle wp2.0 connected to 16awg parallel jumpers w/ 1.5 or 2mm bullets, can't remember which size. Now, i should tell u the battery w/o the anti spark lead on the left side (problem side) has a cell that lags a tenth or 2 of a volt behind the rest, meaning when the others read 4.20 it reads 4.0 or 4.10 but will eventually reach full capacity. I know this is not helping my situation, and i do charge them to 4.35 per cell. No motor leads cut as i believe they are consider part of the windings on tp motors. No motor leads cut on speed controllers, i need the length to reach the motors. Now, like i mentioned in previous post, when motors turned over by hand, the newer motor (left side/ problem side) has more resistance. This tells me that although the motors are the same kv, the windings are a touch different. Data also said there was a 2-3k difference. I don't know how much this matters, but it can't be good. Temps on motors were about 80-100?f depending on air/ water temps and run time with problem side running 20?warmer. If rt side is 80?, problem side is 100?. Same goes for the speed controllers with temps reaching 100-130?. Problem side runs about 20? warmer. Both incidents happened on first pass. I'd cruise to my starting destination, turn around then ease into her till wfo for a solid 4-500'. Both passes netting best mph #'s. Props- Dasboata ABC 1615 cut down to 36mm. Rpm in the 40k range. Although i don't know the weight of her, i can tell u, she weighs more then double that of a stock, fully loaded Miss Geico. I know i am pushing the envelope with the rpm so i expect there will be problems, but this one should be avoidable. The right side with older motor, no problems, even after limping her in after the first incident. I think I've covered about everything. Thank you for taking the time and an interest.

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    Just to be clear, you rotate the motors not attached to flex (I assume .150”)? How do the free flexes turn unattached to the motors? Teflon liner or no? Have you tried switching motors? I don’t use sf escs; too many failures for me. I’m still pondering the situation... still need more details.. do you always use same two pack on each side? Are they bridged, meaning 4s2p splitting off to each motor?

    Thems rpms! This makes reducing the difference even more critical.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse J View Post
    Just to be clear, you rotate the motors not attached to flex (I assume .150”)? How do the free flexes turn unattached to the motors? Teflon liner or no? Have you tried switching motors? I don’t use sf escs; too many failures for me. I’m still pondering the situation... still need more details.. do you always use same two pack on each side? Are they bridged, meaning 4s2p splitting off to each motor?

    Thems rpms! This makes reducing the difference even more critical.
    .187" w/ Teflon liner. 20200614_061516_compress45.jpg
    Picture of me turning motor over by hand. The difference in the 2 motors can be felt by touch. My Df explorer does not have these problems w/a very similar setup. Each side spins within about 25 rpm of each other at about 45k. Yes 4s2p. Yes tried swapping motors side to side, no have not tried completely different motors. I will not run the motors i have together again. Yes packs have designated sides. Yes, i too am starting to obtain a massive SF graveyard. Hope this helps you help me.

  17. #17
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    It sounds like you haven’t tried this: Try spinning the prop while free from motor, and then try spinning motor free from flex shaft.
    One of the biggest challenges with twins is getting the stuffing tubes bent the same AND aligned to the motors the same. This is why I say twins are trouble squared... the need to match. I suspect the added resistance is in the shaft, especially if you switched motors side to side and the port remained the trouble side... did I read your details correctly?

    Is your df explorer a twin also?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse J View Post
    It sounds like you haven’t tried this: Try spinning the prop while free from motor, and then try spinning motor free from flex shaft.
    One of the biggest challenges with twins is getting the stuffing tubes bent the same AND aligned to the motors the same. This is why I say twins are trouble squared... the need to match. I suspect the added resistance is in the shaft, especially if you switched motors side to side and the port remained the trouble side... did I read your details correctly?

    Is your df explorer a twin also?
    After the first incident i tried that just to make sure something wasn't in the stuffing tube or something had changed. Honestly when rotating free of the motors during setup the right side seemed to have just a touch more drag. I will try this again before condemning anything. Agreed, getting the stuffing tubes and motors symmetric and aligned IS a challenge. I missed it a lil bit on the explorer, and it does fine, nailed it on the Gecko and I'm having trouble, go figure. No the resistance I'm talking about is clearly in the motors. I noticed this right out of the box but didn't think it would be a problem and I'm still not 100% but they are suspect. No when i switched up, right side would not work. This is how i diagnosed esc failure and not motor. Sorry if i was unclear or am being unclear now. 20180211_123711_compress33.jpg20180211_123828_compress2.jpg20180211_123728_compress41.jpg20200523_195507_compress26.jpg20200523_195956_compress26.jpg
    Yes, "The Exploder" is a twin(my first). Build and rebuild thread coming soon. Thanks for your input, it is appreciated.

  19. #19
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    Glad to hep, if I can!

    So, interesting.. the left side is free rollin.. so no the last physical alignment possibility is the motor coupler to flex shaft.. is this as well aligned as the port side? If that all checks out, I’d try switching motors..
    not sure how much sleuthing you want to do, but I recommend at least confirming that all your physical alignment is peachy before going to buy matching pairs of motors and escs.
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    Did you resolve?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse J View Post
    Did you resolve?
    I believe so. Data on the hurt controller said i had big voltage drop. Part due to the lagging cell and part due to not having my bullets tight enough. Oops! Put some sf 220x in her. Redid a couple things. Testing today. 20200704_221616_compress48.jpg

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    How’d testing go?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse J View Post
    How’d testing go?
    Surprisingly it went well. Thank u for asking. Both sides showed same temp, same rpm, same current, same voltage. She only ran 70mph but did it several times. The sf220x are 90 grams heavier and she knows it. She is severely under propped, so next time out in going to steal the exploder's props (dasboata 1715). I'm also contemplating a 3 blade prop. The Gecko is a fat girl.

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    20200719_081025_compress75.jpg20200719_081035_compress59.jpg Well it was a good day at "Camp Gecko". I stole the Dasboata 1715's from "The Exploder" (while it's under construction) and threw em on The Gecko. This was just what the doctor ordered! She jumped on plane and boogied to an 80.8 mph! Checked data and never even got warm. Needless to say, I was excited!

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    nice
    Vac-U-Tug Jr (13mph)

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    Quote Originally Posted by fweasel View Post
    nice

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    It would be great to see some 80mph vids! Congrats on the speed!
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse J View Post
    It would be great to see some 80mph vids! Congrats on the speed!
    I could not agree with you more! Heading out to the lake for 4 days to put a beating on some hot boats, big and small. So there is gonna be some good video in order. I will keep you posted.

  30. #30
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    No vids?

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