SCALE HYDRO STARTER

[mark couty]

What electric starters are ya'll using for your scale hydros. What brand , how many volts where did you get em, etc,etc. Thanks.

 

[SayMikey]

What electric starters are ya'll using for your scale hydros. What brand , how many volts where did you get em, etc,etc. Thanks.

Sullivan 24 volt I use a Makita conversion works great on 18 volts

 

[mark couty]

What electric starters are ya'll using for your scale hydros. What brand , how many volts where did you get em, etc,etc. Thanks.

Sullivan 24 volt I use a Makita conversion works great on 18 volts

Can you elaborate more on this setup. NEWBIE here !!

 

[Hydro Junkie]

He has a Sullivan 24 volt starter that is set up to run off of an 18 volt drill battery. I've seen it and it works really well too. I have a Sullivan 12 volt starter that also works real well hooked to directly to a 12 volt battery or through a power panel. I bought mine 20 years ago at a local hobby shop, though you can find them at Tower and several of the mail order parts houses

 

[Bill Gibson]

Mark, im also using a Sullivan 24 volt starter...mine has a Speedmaster bolt on handle/w switch which is much easier to use than tryin to wrap your hand around the motor can to hold the stater to start the boat.....i believe the handle assembly is still available!! I plug mine into 2 small 12 volt motorcycle batteries wired in series.

 

[kcvnd]

Mark, im also using a Sullivan 24 volt starter...mine has a Speedmaster bolt on handle/w switch which is much easier to use than tryin to wrap your hand around the motor can to hold the stater to start the boat.....i believe the handle assembly is still available!! I plug mine into 2 small 12 volt motorcycle batteries wired in series.

I saw Mikey's and had to buy one! Very slick! Only problem is the **** switch on the speedmaster handle sticks on every once and awhile.

 

[SayMikey]

What electric starters are ya'll using for your scale hydros. What brand , how many volts where did you get em, etc,etc. Thanks.

Sullivan 24 volt I use a Makita conversion works great on 18 volts

Can you elaborate more on this setup. NEWBIE here !!

http://www.afineredgemfg.com/ slick setup,if i did it over id use a 12 volt starter and 18 volt pack. I also use a Speedmaster handle mine never sticks go figure

 

[Bill Gibson]

What electric starters are ya'll using for your scale hydros. What brand , how many volts where did you get em, etc,etc. Thanks.

Sullivan 24 volt I use a Makita conversion works great on 18 volts

Can you elaborate more on this setup. NEWBIE here !!

http://www.afineredgemfg.com/ slick setup,if i did it over id use a 12 volt starter and 18 volt pack. I also use a Speedmaster handle mine never sticks go figure

Mine is over 15 years old..same deal...actually the only problems ive ever had with any Sullivan starter was the stock switch sticking...you know, the 2 copper plates with the black sponge material in between em! My Speedmaster deal has yet to fail me....now having said that, watch what happens!

 

[Lennard Cuenco]

Hey Mark,

the guys have you pointed in the right direction..

I would only add that it makes sense to have more than 12 volts to start larger motors like .67's in scale boats

I use a sullivan dynatron (sullivanproducts.com) that I bot locally at a hobby shop, wired to 24 volts (Two 12 volt gel cells), speedmaster handle wired with Monster Speakerwire (huge gauge wire covered in clear casing). All my motors have steel rods so I'm not scared to use a 24 volt system anymore, tho I do check the upper rod bushing when I remember.

The makita battery conversion looks very trick and I wanted to do the same to my system but I had questions first.

In the photos it seems like the starter would be resting on the battery which might stress the plastic adapter plate. I swear I have seen setups where the dynatron is resting on the handle rather than the battery itself. (This true guys? or am I gettin senile?) More importantly, has anyone dropped their makita batteried starters in the pits? This happens all the time and I'm wondering if the battery goes bouncing in the lake while the starter bounces in someone's bbq. My starter has gone flyin around in the pits when ppl are frantically trying to start boats runnin over stuff trying to beat the 30 second count...LOL! My starter is pretty much bullet proof as currently setup and I would worry about that plastic battery adapter if I switched over...just tryin to be pragmatic here...also, I think I might miss the 24 volts vs. the 18 volt setup tho it may be overkill, I don't want my loaded engine to stop my starter...

uh..thats all I could think of..

=)

 

[kcvnd]

Hey Mark,

the guys have you pointed in the right direction..

I would only add that it makes sense to have more than 12 volts to start larger motors like .67's in scale boats

I use a sullivan dynatron (sullivanproducts.com) that I bot locally at a hobby shop, wired to 24 volts (Two 12 volt gel cells), speedmaster handle wired with Monster Speakerwire (huge gauge wire covered in clear casing). All my motors have steel rods so I'm not scared to use a 24 volt system anymore, tho I do check the upper rod bushing frequently.

The makita battery conversion looks very trick and I wanted to do the same to my system but I had questions first.

In the photos it seems like the starter would be resting on the battery which might stress the plastic adapter plate. I swear I have seen setups where the dynatron is resting on the handle rather than the battery itself. (This true guys? or am I gettin senile?) More importantly, has anyone dropped their makita batteried starters in the pits? This happens all the time and I'm wondering if the battery goes bouncing in the lake while the starter bounces in someone's bbq. My starter has gone flyin around in the pits when ppl are frantically trying to start boats runnin over stuff trying to beat the 30 second count...LOL! My starter is pretty much bullet proof as currently setup and I would worry about that plastic battery adapter if I switched over...just tryin to be pragmatic here...also, I think I might miss the 24 volts vs. the 18 volt setup tho it may be overkill, I don't want my loaded engine to stop my starter...

uh..thats all I could think of..

=)

The adapter plate is aluminum. The battery does not come off easily so no worries there. Plenty of power with the 18 volts, It has been used on my 67, 101's and Zenoa's.

Sooo I am the only guy with a sticky switch? One time I ran the the boat, ran out of fuel, retrieved the boat and came back to find my starter still spinning. I gues I was a little overzealous to get the boat in the water before checking the starter.

 

[mark couty]

Can you guys post pics of your starter set ups ? Thanks, Mark.

 

[mercguy]

What electric starters are ya'll using for your scale hydros. What brand , how many volts where did you get em, etc,etc. Thanks.

Sullivan 24 volt I use a Makita conversion works great on 18 volts

Can you elaborate more on this setup. NEWBIE here !!

http://www.afineredgemfg.com/ slick setup,if i did it over id use a 12 volt starter and 18 volt pack. I also use a Speedmaster handle mine never sticks go figure

Mine is over 15 years old..same deal...actually the only problems ive ever had with any Sullivan starter was the stock switch sticking...you know, the 2 copper plates with the black sponge material in between em! My Speedmaster deal has yet to fail me....now having said that, watch what happens!

I have had a Speedmaster type switch go bad after awhile but is easy to change. The best setup is to install a Ford starter solenoid in line so it takes all the current and the switch on the starter will last forever. Rick (Georgia Scale Boater) uses this setup and it works great.

Bill

Bill

 

[Lennard Cuenco]

the adapter plate is delrin...it doesn't break...! how cool...

 

[glenng]

Hey Mark,

the guys have you pointed in the right direction..

I would only add that it makes sense to have more than 12 volts to start larger motors like .67's in scale boats

I use a sullivan dynatron (sullivanproducts.com) that I bot locally at a hobby shop, wired to 24 volts (Two 12 volt gel cells), speedmaster handle wired with Monster Speakerwire (huge gauge wire covered in clear casing). All my motors have steel rods so I'm not scared to use a 24 volt system anymore, tho I do check the upper rod bushing frequently.

The makita battery conversion looks very trick and I wanted to do the same to my system but I had questions first.

In the photos it seems like the starter would be resting on the battery which might stress the plastic adapter plate. I swear I have seen setups where the dynatron is resting on the handle rather than the battery itself. (This true guys? or am I gettin senile?) More importantly, has anyone dropped their makita batteried starters in the pits? This happens all the time and I'm wondering if the battery goes bouncing in the lake while the starter bounces in someone's bbq. My starter has gone flyin around in the pits when ppl are frantically trying to start boats runnin over stuff trying to beat the 30 second count...LOL! My starter is pretty much bullet proof as currently setup and I would worry about that plastic battery adapter if I switched over...just tryin to be pragmatic here...also, I think I might miss the 24 volts vs. the 18 volt setup tho it may be overkill, I don't want my loaded engine to stop my starter...

uh..thats all I could think of..

=)

The adapter plate is aluminum. The battery does not come off easily so no worries there. Plenty of power with the 18 volts, It has been used on my 67, 101's and Zenoa's.

Sooo I am the only guy with a sticky switch? One time I ran the the boat, ran out of fuel, retrieved the boat and came back to find my starter still spinning. I gues I was a little overzealous to get the boat in the water before checking the starter.

Yes, You are the only person I've heard of with that problem. Get another switch

 

[Larry K]

Guys - I think it's time someone threw in a plug for the KISS method. While I can appreciate the convenience of a slick power panel & the latest hi-tech rechargeables, what really makes a starter happy is amperage. For years I've used a Sullivan starter (first a Hi-Tork & then a Dyna-tron) and nothing more than a good 12 volt car battery. A group 65, 650 cca battery will start every boat in the pits all day long without ever loosening a glow plug! (I prefer to check & tighten glow plugs in a quiet moment between heats rather than during the ensuing madness that occurs after you're on the clock.) While I am hooked on my Dyna-tron, I think a good, high capacity battery will make any brand of starter look good. Just something to think about, especially for newcomers or anyone on a limited budget!

Larry

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Time to make Larry smile then. For the record, Larry, I didn't get a power panel until August and I to this day haven't used it. That will change next summer, but just thought you would love to know there are still some that like the KISS prinicple

 

[Bill Brandt]

IMHO the Dynatron with a Speedmaster handle configured with the Makita battery system is the only way to go. I've had em all and now I just use 3 of these systems in my family pits.

One of the neatest things about them is not needing to move batteries and cords to a power panel around.

Add to this an RCCats glow igniter system and you have the ultimate in portability and reliability.

As far as trying to save on cost, I see it like radio gear. It's going to be with you longer than any motor or powerplant that you usually don't have a problem in spending 3-4 times as much on.

And Kevin, me thinks you may have been born with a loose switch, lol.

Happy Holidays to All,

Bill Brandt

 

[Glenn 787]

Currently setting up my Dynatron with 4 lipo batteries at 22.8v. It's going to be a lot lighter than lugging around the 2 12v gels. Another guy in our district went with 2 lipos at over 28v. Worked flawlessly all season.

 

[f16man]

I simply changed out the peuny wire that came with the starter and replaced with good stuff, remember basic electronics , more surface area more amps......also need more than the 7 amp batts that hobby shops usualy sell.