First hop-ups order, any thing to add??

[t-maxxy]

Ok i need some better coolin and high speed handling, since everything is sold out at ose i have to go with kr. So far i have in my cart-hatch foam tape, 540xl water jacket(will this fit the cc motor?), nylon bolts for rudder mount, 502B54 5" rudder wit dual pickups, silicone tubing 4mm(its says 3 or 4 mm will either one work??) Now whats with the modified stut, i dont see ne difference are the bearings that much better?? Also i read the new rudder mount requires drilling anybody use this rudder? is it apita to install? Can you use the two existing holes or do they get blocked off?? I seen someone running dual trim tabs is it worth getting?? And does anyone sell balanced and sharpened props besides ose who is sold out. i need some advice on what props to get for 6s on ruff water and calm water, not for highest speed but overall performance.Thanks, Newbie

[jetnfast]

Tmaxxy - lots of good threads in the forums to peruze which will answer all you questions.

As for your mods, thats a good start. Regarding the dual trim tabs, I think they help. I have the traxxas ones, but there are some on ebay sold by changemaker or benchmark RC. They are a little longer and I think better than the traxxas ones, but very expensive. As for the balanced and sharpened props, go with an Octura x442 or Prather S215, both should work well with 6s.

I cant speak for the modified strut with bearings since I dont have one, but supposedly its quieter. The only downside I see, is they might rust faster than bushings.

[BillBessette]

You also have a onther option, on the rudder with dual pickups.

Besides the complete aluminum rudder, where you need to drill new holes, you can also use just the rudde blade, available from Benchmark. This is an expensive upgrade, but does have the blue anodize, if your going with that color scheme, as well as ease of assembly. Just change the rudder blade. Either way, this upgrade is neccesary, if your going to use 6s, so that you can adequately run water to the ESC and motor, independantly, providing sufficient cooling.

There was a good answer on the 2nd set of trim tabs, posted by Hog. When the boat reaches higher speeds the higher set of tabs tend to loose contact with the surface, therefore allowing the boat to rock side to side. With a lower set of trim tabs added, you will still have contact with the surface of the water and the boat will become more stable at higher speeds. So yes, this is a well invested upgrade, if your running 6s.

[t-maxxy]

well so far i orderd the 5in rudder, nylon bolts, cabon fiber boat stand(figure for twenty bucks cant go wrong and ill need it with longer rudder), waterproof hatch foam from KR. Then i ordered the dual outlet from benchmark for now. Come this weekend ill be ordering from BM those blingin trim tabs(two sets!!) and that tight looking motor jacket. I need those tabs i had my boat in lake ontario and was great, took it to a large pond flat as glass and would just chine walk like it was on a teeter tooter,lol!!!

[hog]

Funrcboats will sharpen and balance any prop you buy from them. I don't know how long you have to wait though. Check their website and contact them for info if you want to find out more about the service.

[t-maxxy]

just bookmarked frcboats, thanks hog. they recommend octura 440 saying same specs but cuz its metal itll be crisper response, also watch for overheating....but thats what im tryin to get away from!! 15prop 25 service=35+sh ouch!! Couldnt imagine having a spare prop selection, would be as much as real ones,lol. maybe ill just learn throttle control cuz stock plastic is way cheaper. Are they worth the upgrade?

[hog]

The metal prop will definitely make a difference, even if it is the same diameter and pitch. A metal prop will not flex under load like a plastic/composite prop will so you will see a performance improvement.

There have been a few reports here that the x442 increased operating temps, but this has not been common. If the prop isn't flexing, then you are getting the full work capability of the prop at all times, which means the load would be increased slightly. Also, even though the diameter and pitch are the same, other aspects of the prop may be different (blade shape, etc.) which can affect how much load the prop produces.

So it is possible the x442 may increase temps a bit, but there are very few reports of it causing any problems.

Is it worth $35 for a prop? In my opinion it is for the increase in performance, and because the few times I have run a plastic prop, I find they chip easily, and you would be changing them frequently anyway.

Another option is to buy a balancer, a set of small files, sandpaper, etc. and learn to sharpen your own. You should be able to set yourself up for $30-50, and then having a selection of props becomes more economically palitible.

Hog

[t-maxxy]

got my package from kintec racing. he sent the wrong rudder but ended up being a good thing cuz i fudged up my foam hatch tape ill be needing another roll so....on the bright side his carbon stand went together nicely with straps and all. This will be nice being able to carry my boat in one hand an sit it down on beach. and its higher up so now i wont have to worry about the extended rudder hitting the ground first

well im almost at thousand dollar mark two weeks into spartan,lol. Just places my order from benchmark for two set of trim tabs, water jacket, fuel tubing, dual water outlet came to 170. Then ordered a sharpened balanced x442 and tapered nut from funrcboat for 50. My order from kintec will end up being 60. And the two traxxas 6400 3s packs were 115 ea. Now i think im done for awhile....So next week i wanna get some higher rated packs!!,lol. What the price on those gens ace they dont list price on there site??

[BillBessette]

The content of this post has been removed because it is all about a website that is banned on this forum. Please do not mention the website or it's products in the future

Dadx2mj

[t-maxxy]

So what if it aint traxxas brand we cant talk about it?? Well maybe if traxxas actually made there products rtr not ready-to-modify. We wouldnt have to talk about goin else where for parts!!! Like the second set of molded trims tab bolt holes. There their, so obviously they should have tabs in them ,but they dont they make you buy another set.....if traxxas was to just go that little extra mile they would be unstoppable, but they try to cut cost too much,imo from what traxxas products(t-maxx's,revos,slashs,now a spartan) ive bought and what simple little mandatory fixes they need, yet traxxas barely updates there products mechanically, instead they come out with telemtry and new radios,lol hah!

[BillBessette]

I have to say, this is not a forum, where the contributors can express their opinions freely. Not being able to link to other sites, or products, is not an open forum. Traxxas should rethink their position on how a forum should be held. Telling someone they cannot discuss a site, simply because they don't like that site, will drive people away from their products faster than issues they may have with the product itself.

I never use bad language, or abusive languge of any kind.

I will call traxxas themselves and see if they stand by what their moderator
Dadx2mj is doing, and if they are, I will no longer buy a product from this company.

Some things mean more to me than an RC boat.

[cooleocool]

Dadx2 had nothing to do with that particular website being banned from these forums. That site was banned because of the fact that they sell knockoff Traxxas connectors. Why would Traxxas want a company that copies its products and sells them to be discussed on Traxxas' own forum?

Clearly y'all are allowed to talk about non-Traxxas products. Look at all of the non-Traxxas motors, bearings, and various hardware that is being used on these boats and freely recommended to other members.

If anyone wants to contact Traxxas about this, please feel free. As I said, they're the ones who entered that particular website into this forum's word filter; us Marshals do not have the ability to do that, we simply enforce the rules that Traxxas has put in place.

Now I suggest that this thread get back on topic.

[SkidMan]

If you not want to drole extra hole for the rudder you can bought this one.....

On my Spartan last week!!Dual water pickup and fit on the OEM rudder support!!!

[BillBessette]

Is there a way to know what you don't want us to mention, so that we may avoid getting post deleted in the future?

[cooleocool]

Is there a way to know what you don't want us to mention, so that we may avoid getting post deleted in the future?

Typically (as was the case here), the language filter will block websites and words that are not allowed to be used on this forum. That particular website was blocked (that's why it was starred out), as is the name of many of their products.

If you, or anyone else for that matter, have any more questions about this subject, please feel free to PM one of us Marshals. We don't bite--promise.

[t-maxxy]

I woulda bought that rudder you mentioned Skidman, but i seen that whole rudder assembly for cheaper, so i said why not. And now that i bent my stock rudder arm im kinda glad i got a beefier one. It was my fault though, the other night at lake my spartan was setup perfect for conditions...it wouldnt flip no matter how hard i tried!!It just would skim out do donuts while staying upright...well i was doing donuts to close to dock and waited to long to get back on throttle and rear end smacked the dock pushed the rudder toward front of boat,lol normally its the other way around. Wish i coulda got video of this one ten eighty i did, cuz yall probably dont believe me. It was the best nite i had so far with my spartan
Made me realize how important it is to change your setup for every water condition, not one is alike or consistent. Weather it be a choppy wave, a breezy ripple wave, flat glass, wind, no wind,etc,etc. Espically the wind. i learned right quick not full speed into wind, no horsing it around turning into the mind, only out of wind.
So lets see if this gets removed- Anyone try maxamps?? Am i aloud to say that??lol I seen they sell two pairs of 8000 3s with a "true 150c rating"http://www.maxamps.com/proddetail.php?prod=Lipo-8000-111-Spartan-Pair&cat=350 Now they are a bit salty at 350bucks but if there worth it, what the heck...

Edited for language abuse.

[AnthonyV]

Ive got the MaxAmps 2x 3s 6000-100c's. I have been much more impressed with my Thunder Power 5000 65/130c lipo's.

[t-maxxy]

i notices max amps claims there packs are waterproof arent they all?? Those thunder power packs specs look impressive especially the 7700mah ones but they cost 220 a pop!! I want a good battery with trx plug over 6400mah(what i have now) and over 40c rating for around hundred no more than hundred and fifty, is this possible???? Good news funrcboat got my prop order,serviced it, sent it, all in one day!!! wasn't expecting that

[hog]

That's quick on the prop turnaround, maybe they keep a few of the more common sizes dressed and ready to ship.

I also ran a couple sets of max amps batts, and no complaints really, but I don't think they live up the the hype and claims, especially considering the premium you pay for them.

Hog

[t-maxxy]

what a day. Always something new it seems when driving my spartan...A fellow at lake had his rods castes out in water with no bobbers while he sat up in his truck...i was on dock which is partly surrounded by tall cattails made it impossible for me to see his rods, so long behold i snagged his mono line and drug his rod n reel into the water,lol. The guy started yelling at me and all the sudden the spartan lost power due to the line wrapping around the flex shaft, so i immediately backed off n came to shore. Started pullin on the line to his rod and it broke,lol. So now i gotta go snorkel out there for his rod, messed up part is the old timer saw me goin close to his lines before and didnt say anything! Other than wow thats neat, i didnt think it could snag my line cuz the boat was barly in water.... i couldnt yell at the old fart he was so clueless and he said he couldnt yell at me cuz he didnt catch anything all day n was having more fun watch me,lol. He helped get the mono off my prop so i could run some more. then he started catchin fish! Weird the way things work out...
Anyhow i got my stuff in from benchmark,looks like some quality stuff, well see how it goes on, hopefully i can post up some pics when its done. Can you post pics strait from pc or do i need a photo bucket account thingy??

Edited for language abuse.

[AnthonyV]

You're not going to find a new set of MaxAmps or ThunderPowers for below $300-$350/set for the specifications you need. I also have a set of the cheapo **** 65c/130c's and they work quite well. I have had great results with them on my Spartan, XO1, and ERBE. I cannot link that specific lipo on this site because they are banned. So do a google search for them. I've had great luck with them and they are about 1/4-1/3 of the price of MaxAmp's and ThunderPowers. They do not come with warranty's though.

And yes, MaxAmp's, Thunder Powers, and other decent Lipo's are water proof.

[t-maxxy]

Hey thanks for the good info guys i really appreciate it, looks like my spartan is really coming together...I cant think of anymore upgrades than the ones already listed above other than a leopard motor esc combo, so hopefully ill now be satisfied. I cant for see any improvements in getting a new upgraded strut till mine gives. By the way i just pulled my tray out and noticed the gold rod is slightly bent upward toward the back is that normal?? The only other thing i wish i had was a page full of sticky tuning info specifically for rc boats dealing with trim tabs, turn fins, rudder and strut angles, weight placement and so on...any sites or books or threads your guys know of?? Thanks again, hopefully this isnt my last post cuz i wrote a very nasty pm to dooledool about how this forum is bias and not so open minded with there editing....there only hurting them selfs...where else you guys post at other than here???

[AnthonyV]

Yes, it is supposed to be bent/angled.

[hog]

The mods here are very reasonable about allowing open discussion about the Spartan product. There have been problems, and plenty of discussion about them here on the forum, and as long as the discussion remains factual and professional the mods tend to leave well enough alone.

I have seen very few threads or posts "gonged" provided the intent of the discussion is to identify and make others aware of potential issues, and to seek solutions to the problems, either directly through Traxxas or Castle, or through our own ingenuity and creativity.

There is one on-line retailer that is in a dispute with Traxxas over unauthorized copying of their power connector (patent infringement, I assume) and Traxxas has chosen to limit discussion of that companies product on these forums. I too find it difficult to discuss certain topics while side stepping mention of said company, but IMO Traxxas is within their rights to discourage promoting those particular products here on their own site.

I do see new members getting unknowingly caught up in discussions of these products which is unfortunate, but I assume they are receiving an explanation from the mods when their posts are edited.

Hog

[t-maxxy]

well i got my prop in from frcboats looks nice, now im still waiting on my correct rudder from kintec racing, figures the first parts ordered was the ones to get messed up and the guy is located only two hours away from me meanwhile my boat is sitting here ready to go with no dual pickup rudder....gonna be a boring weekend. Thanks kintecracing!!(not) poor communication aswell... if i woulda knew that i just woulda got the benchmark rudder or took a ride down there and picked it up myself,lol. amazing that packages further away get here quicker than the guy right next to me, gotta love it. Hey what are you guys using to clean off the outside of your hulls??? I use aerospace protect ant on my kayak thats plastic think it would be ok on spartan???

[hog]

Anything designed for use on plastic should be fine, avoid any waxes or polishes that contain petroleum distillates.
hog

[t-maxxy]

Finally got my holes drilled for the second set of tabs...looks killer!!!!

thanks again hog i used veg oil on bolts so they dont seize into plastic.(read that somewhere on here) Sweeetness!! just looked at usps expected deleivery date the rudder should be here saturday!!! Hope its the right one this time,lol. Man that was a tight fit on tabs to strut mount, im afraid a bigger aftermarket strut may interfere. Now trim tab theory....im thinking the outer ones ill set down a little for more carving power on turns when boat leans and gos slower, and inners keep flush for speed and keep bow up...or is my thinking backwards??

[hog]

No, not backwards, it is all trial and error. Your strut angle, battery weight and placement and trim tabs will all play a role in how the boat rides. All you can do is pick a starting point and make adjustments until ride and performance are to your satisfaction.

The only tip I can give you is change one thing at a time (i.e. trim tab, strut, or battery) and record each change. It is amazingly easy to forget what you have tried already.

hog

[t-maxxy]

thanks for info guys....i got my rudder intoday looks nice just gotta drill some holes now. What u guys using to fill in you old unused holes?

[jetnfast]

thanks for info guys....i got my rudder intoday looks nice just gotta drill some holes now. What u guys using to fill in you old unused holes?

Silicone sealant normally works just fine.

Those dual trim tabs look the business! If I didnt already have the traxxas ones on my boat, I would have gone with those!

[t-maxxy]

thanks jetnfast, i just got some silicone sealant,but is there any petroleum distillates in sealant?? Also wanna put out there another thanks to HOG for telling me about the balance function on my charger my cells are now with .04 of each other and getting better! Even the traxxas rep i called didnt mention anything about balance function!!!! Thanks Hog saved me alot of down time if i woulda sent that into trx... Now i got my rudder in mail!! i just gotta figure out where to mount it...i like the way mamba2200 mounted, i pmed him to ask if he used the original water cooling hole as his top right rudder mount location, any one know?? This looks like the only place for me to mount with those big trim tabs in the way. Wonder if he shaved his rudder too??? Oh well im mounting now, i wanna get out there makes some wakes,lol.

[orca44]

Good luck and enjoy your rc boating today!!!!!

[hog]

No problem t-maxxy, just doing what we all do here, share information and experiences with others and hope somewhere, somehow, it may be of benefit to someone.

Hope the rudder install is successful, and that you manage to wet the hull this weekend.

Hog

[t-maxxy]

well shes finally together, ill be polishing the rudder assembly and turn fins to match tabs once shes tuned up. Might even strip anodize off strut if i dont upgrade it first. Big thanks to everyone that helped me get this together with right stuff. Im still partial on cutting the rudder, ill see how she performs stock and cut as i feel it out...I had to put the steering linkage on the inner hole of servo horn inorder to clear the hole in hull, should i reset endpoints because of that??? Also noticed that rear top of hull is separated from stern! So i siliconed it for now and just plan on getting a hull every season at this rate! Capsizin at full throttle and ripping the hatch off when i first got it probably didnt help,lol. Any how im off to lake wish me luck,PEACE!



WOW!!! What a difference. I can run half throttle comfortably at all times and hold full throttle for a couple of seconds till i run outta room or cross my own wakes. I still ran conservativly because of low c ratin packs i have. The metal prop does make a difference,no doubt much crisper. Another reason i watched how fast i pull the trigger,lol. However now there is alot of roll and a constant turning to the right even though the rudder is striaht??? Also there seems to be a stream of water comin up from stern of boat mainly on the left side, looks like jetski the pees straight up in air, i think it might be coming from inbetween the trim tabs?? My esc caps are still very hot! I dont know y after doin the dual pickup conv.??? the only thing i can think of changin is putting the esc coolin line on the lower pickup on rudder or do the cap mod.Cuz the motor is cool as cucumber. Oh and i was surprized at how sharp it turned with less travel, musta been longer rudder, think ill trimm it a lil... maybe itll help with that roll? But still i now feel the performance is attainable just gotta tune. Its like nite n day difference with handling and acceeration, cant wait to get some higher c rated packs, will that affect esc temps?? wont be for a lil while yet cuz i put enough in this for now i just gotta have fun tuning it!! Again a big thanks to all those who helped with my questions

Alright round two, my batteries are charged all to 4.20v i might add!! I found a loose trim tab on the right side, i used the wrong bolts about a mill or two longer than what shoulda been causin the trim tab to flutter and angle upward about a degree or so. Cant beleive this snuck under my radar. But all is fixed and im goin back for another run well see how this affects its turning to the right constantly...

[MCinab]

If you not want to drole extra hole for the rudder you can bought this one.....

On my Spartan last week!!Dual water pickup and fit on the OEM rudder support!!!

Skidman, I'm using the same tubing and also plan on getting the same rudder that you have pictured above. Did you have to make the stock hole bigger to fit this tubing? I was able to get the tubing to fit through the stock hole but it was a pretty tight so im scared there might be a restriction of water flow...any insight on this?

[SkidMan]

Did you have to make the stock hole bigger to fit this tubing?

Yes!!!!

[t-maxxy]

ok so esc temps still hot enough to boil away a drop of water on them within a few seconds, im afraid to run without a halfway break for cool down. What can i do!?

[MCinab]

Yes!!!!

Figured you probably did, do you remember what size drill bit? I still want a fairly snug fit...anyone?