P-spec tunnel

[John Crouch]

Personally, I am not in this only to win a class. Electric boats interest me, I would like to be able to run some boats that don weigh close to 20 pounds and are smaller in size. I didn't want to run nitro and have to start buying exspensive fuel and all the stuff for starting the engines and have to start lugging a car battery to the pond to spin them up with. This seems like a good class to start because I can get the motor/speed controller for less than $200 and get the boat in the water for about $500 or a little more total. Do I want to win races, well that's a silly question, who doesn't? But I don't want to go to the race and be lapped by all the other boats either. I just want to be competitive and have a fair chance, that's all. I am just asking the guys here that have been doing the Fast Electric stuff for a while for some technical help while I learn just like a lot of guys have asked me about gas boat setups that are new to the hobby have.

I really enjoy this hobby very much, I think in the last few years I finally figured out that it is not about winning every race, but the friends that you make and the times you share doing this great thing that we love to do. If I can win a few things along the way, great, if not, I still had one hell of a time doing so.

Enough of me on the soapbox, I just know that I cannot wait to run my FE boat and have some fun with these guys at the ponds this year!!!!!

 

[Doug Smock]

John you'll have a blast and that's a great group of guys to take you where you want to go.

Mike build your boat to the local rules and go have some fun. This is just a bump in the road!!Boys will be boys.

I apologise for taking part in the rules discussion on your thread.

If I can help you just ask. In a PM or email. LOL

Good luck fellas!!

Doug

 

[John Crouch]

John you'll have a blast and that's a great group of guys to take you where you want to go.

Mike build your boat to the local rules and go have some fun. This is just a bump in the road!!Boys will be boys.

I apologise for taking part in the rules discussion on your thread.

If I can help you just ask. In a PM or email. LOL

Good luck fellas!!

Doug

Hey Doug, no appologys required, Man!!! And by the way, it was cool meeting ya last August at the Old Dominion D12 points race. The guys here are great to race with, Some of them are just like extended family to me and that's what I enjoy so much about this.

I am glad that the rules got discussed here, Now I know that my boat will be leagal with no issues, can just go race and have some fun.....

 

[lohring]

I raced NAMBA stock outboards for years. I see P spec tunnel as a replacement for the NAMBA A OPC class. The nitro power unit was a readily available, inexpensive outboard engine. The boats were readily available and easy for beginners to build. It was a great introduction to model boating. However, winning in the class was very hard. All the best racers in my district ran the class. There was always pressure to "improve" your engine a little to get an edge. At the national level this was stopped with engine inspections. At the local level, protesting under the NAMBA rules mostly worked to keep things legal. The alternative is modified classes where costs will be much higher.

I believe that so far the P spec tunnel rules are ignoring some of the lessons that were learned over years of stock outboard racing. As a beginning, the rules should have specified a spec POWER PLANT, that includes the ESC and the motor as a unit, not a spec motor alone. If the racing gets serious, inspections will be required. For every careful and sensible racer like Brian, there are 10 people like me trying for that little edge. It won't work, but some will resort to "improving' their power plants. I believe I have already seen an example of this. You need to decide what is OK, like better connectors and low resistance, high capacity batteries (This gets expensive again.) and what is not, like increasing the motor's KV.

So far, the spec boats are not raced in the numbers stock outboards were. Even in my district there are still more A OPC tunnels than P spec tunnels racing. This will change as more racers get exposed to good, moderate cost electric boats. It took around 10 years for the gas classes to become dominant in many areas, and electric would take the same time if the only factor was the people involved. However, electric technology is moving very fast. Manufacturers are selling some great RTR electric boats with new ones arriving monthly. What "spec" should be will be a moving target. The rules need to be built to respond to this.

Lohring Miller

 

[Doug Smock]

Hey Doug, no appologys required, Man!!! And by the way, it was cool meeting ya last August at the Old Dominion D12 points race. The guys here are great to race with, Some of them are just like extended family to me and that's what I enjoy so much about this.

I am glad that the rules got discussed here, Now I know that my boat will be leagal with no issues, can just go race and have some fun.....

Thanks John, it was a pleasure meeting you as well.

Honestly it was the people (nitro, gas and FE) that drew me to that race.

Paul and I had a great time and are going to try to make the trip again this year. B)

Mr. Miller.

Excellent post sir.

Thank you.

Doug

 

[John Crouch]

Thanks John, it was a pleasure meeting you as well.

Honestly it was the people (nitro, gas and FE) that drew me to that race.

Paul and I had a great time and are going to try to make the trip again this year. B)

Doug, You are so very correct, Most of the guys in this district would do anything to help a fellow boater!!! I know over the years there has been a lot of the "Nitro VS Gasoline" stuff supposedly going on. Personally I have never owned a nitro boat, I have nothing against them, just I work on cars for a living and the gasoline engines work better for me. I also just dont want to spend the extra money now for the starting equiptment and the cost of nitro fuel as well. That's why FE really got my attention after watching some at the 09 winter nats and watching the guys run them. I really think that this will be the next "HOT" class in model boat racing, even more so as the price of batteries, controllers and motors come down in price.

I only make it down south for the winter nats, it's the only long distance race that I can afford to make but I hope to see you guys back up here again this summer hopefully.

 

[HTV Boats]

This has been one of the most informative threads on setting up a tunnel for the P-spec class. Mike and Bill seem to be taking the plunge (no pun intended) and there are soo many more of use that run .21 stock/sport and mod tunnels that are very interested in this class as the crossover looks logical as we understand the boats lowers and props. Motor ESC and battery wars are what concerns most. We are racers and want to be competative without having to constantly buy new hardware. Some of the discussion here eludes to the fact that the powers to be making rules have issues. We seek writting in stone and the concrete is still wet. I run nitro and gas and also like the idea of race rigs I don't need a trailer within a trailr for. FE is not going away and will take over eventually but the growing pains are forthcomming. Tunnels like their nitro K&B counterparts of the 70's and 80's will build into quality racing. (Go to Charleston) Question is do we get asymilated or make our owh rules for just outboards and get away from FE politics?

Mic

 

[Doug Smock]

You have a PM Mic.

Bill how did you make out on your tunnel build this weekend?

Doug

 

[obrien]

Just to had my 2 cents, I don't want to spend more money on the aquacraft and propboat esc's due to the fact that I have had a few fail. When I can buy a turnigy 120 for $50, it doesn't make sense to pay $80 on an esc that I have had bad luck with in the past.

 

[Doug Smock]

Man Jeff that's unfortunate.

We've been racing those controls for nearly four years in D13 without a single failure.

I wonder what we're doing differently?

How are the Turnigy 60 amp controls?

Doug

 

[obrien]

Maybe the new ones are better. I have stayed away from them for a while. But you know how it is when you have a bad taste for something. I don't know anyone that has tried the 60s yet. When I make another order, I may get one to try. Maybe the new esc's are better. I haven't run any in a while. Both the black jack and sv I had were running mild setups. Several of the guys in our club that were running the UL1's were having esc failures on a regular basis.

 

[SeanKewley]

I think that those of you in the minority who want to legislate what is best for all in regards to the ESC should at least attend one national event before making any assumptions. The NAMBA FE nationals are being held in FL this summer. Come and see for yourself. It might help disperse some of the falsehoods that many of you have.

 

[Doug Smock]

Let's get the conference call set up Sean!

http://www.impba.net/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=153&func=view&catid=28&id=306

 

[SeanKewley]

Let's get the conference call set up Sean!

I agree.

 

[Bill Britton]

Got 99% of all the stuff I need for my FE tunnel. Only the water jacket and batteries have not arrived yet. Lower unit/motor assembled and built already as well as all bullet connectors installed.

Building the radio box this week.

 

[DPeterson]

Help

I registered for the IMPBA forum today. It says I am a new member. However it does not take my login information. Am I to wait longer before it is set up? I would also like to be in on the conference call if we can schedule.

Doug

 

[Doug Smock]

Help

I registered for the IMPBA forum today. It says I am a new member. However it does not take my login information. Am I to wait longer before it is set up? I would also like to be in on the conference call if we can schedule.

Doug

Contact Kevin Sheren Doug, he'll fix it if there is a problem.

517-321-6230

517-230-5932 (cell)

[email protected]

D.

 

[DPeterson]

Thanks Doug, I'll give it another day and then make the contact.

Doug

 

[Kris Flynn]

Hey Bill,

Can't remember what hull you are running? Vision?

Sounds like things are building up over there in the outboards again!!

Kris

 

[Bill Britton]

Hey Bill,

Can't remember what hull you are running? Vision?

Sounds like things are building up over there in the outboards again!!

Kris

I'll be running a Lynx.

Lack of outboards has never really been an issue here in FL. Most of your toughest competition is from here.