Hey guys, great forum you have here. A little about me - huge Colts fan, mechanical engineer, long history in Jeeps/offroading, fabrication, and paintball.
I'm not a super noob to RC (I've owned a couple cars, helis, and built a gas hydroplane when I was 13 almost 20 years ago), but I am very new to electric boats and feel like a fish out of water....I'm one of those mechanical engineers that if it's related to electronics, I'm an idiot. It's a mental hurdle that I've never quite been able to leap. With that said, I've been researching my ass off for the past couple weeks to determine a direction and I just settled on one today. I gave TFL NA a call and spoke to Sandy for a bit, and ended up ordering a 41" Zonda as seen here: https://tflnorthamerica.com/product/...atamaran-artr/
It's also getting thru-hull cooling to the ESC's and motors. Before I ask my questions, please note that I pride myself on having halfway-decent researching skills and have been putting a lot of time into these topics for about a week. With that said, some of the topics aren't crystal clear to me and I could use some "explain like I'm five" direction from you guys. I know, these questions are eye rollers to you experienced guys and they are probably asked frequently. I apologize in advance.
Now, in with the "WARNING: NOOB INCOMING" questions.
1) I'm told that this will come with 6mm bullet connectors. Are there batteries that will "plug n play" nicely with these connectors or will I need to run a different connector or adapter? I understand MAH and C ratings, but am unsure about what voltage I can and cannot run. I'm in the dark when it comes to LIPO connectors and am trying to educate myself, so any help is appreciated.
2) Those with Zondas, how are you mounting your batteries? Velcro?
3) I could use some general battery brand advice, as well as recommendations for someone looking to prioritize runtime while still getting decent top-end speed from the boat. I don't need to go 100mph, but 60-70 with great runtime would be awesome.
4) I need to purchase a transmitter and receiver. Again, another topic that I'm absolutely in the dark on. Sandy recommended I look at Futaba. I'm not trying to break the bank, and the 3PV looks like it will fit the bill fine for what I'll be doing. There are two receiver options - a 203 and 304 model. I'm guessing one is a 3 channel and the other is a 4 channel? Any other recommendations for a hobbyist and not a racer?
5) Battery chargers. Not a clue. I'll be using the boat on my pontoon at times so having the ability to charge from there would be great. But again....clueless here and this is a topic I haven't yet really dug into.
I'm sure I've got some more questions but those are on the tip of my head at the moment. I'd like to have the correct stuff in place so once the boat arrives, I can hook up and go. THANKS in advance to those that would like to help shorten my learning curve.
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