Boat got funky

[WideOpen]

We were going to the lake in Branson, MO this past Thursday and Friday staying on a houseboat, so I whipped into the HobbyTown in Springfield and bought the grandson a boat to run. It is a Horizon Stealthwake, electric model, and we bought an extra battery. It ran great right outta the box and he probably ran it through about, I'm guessing, six battery charges. Then it started being not the same. It was still fast, but noticeably not as fast. We packed it up and came home. Yesterday he took it out to the pond and it seemed back to being fast again, then it'd not be as fast then fast again then not fast at all and the steering wouldn't work and it just went in circle's. I tried to steer it in my manipulating the Trim knobs on the controller and they also seemed, for the most part, nonfunctional, finally-finally got it in. We let it dry out overnight and it seems to be working ok here on the table, not sure about the speed of-course. Plan to take it back over to the pond and try it. Any thoughts as to what is happening though. I understand it is a low end model, only $170, but that was really the only one they had that was the size we wanted, big enough for a lake, small enough for a pond.

 

[WVNed]

You need to range test the radio. I suspect if it looses communication it may slow and go in circles.
Turn the boat on and have 2 people, one carry the boat and the other the transmitter. Walk away from each other and check how far you can control it from. Just move the rudder every few seconds.

 

[tntpoof]

You need to range test the radio. I suspect if it looses communication it may slow and go in circles.
Turn the boat on and have 2 people, one carry the boat and the other the transmitter. Walk away from each other and check how far you can control it from. Just move the rudder every few seconds.

I very in doing this.. put a piece of high visibility tape on rudder(as you walk turn wheel see when you loose signal).. secure boat in elevated condition.. do the walk . I think either the rx got water in it or servo 4 rudder is failing. a brushed motor will slow with pack #

 

[WideOpen]

When we were at the lake we took it much farther out than how big this pond is, so I am reaching it ok. What is the rx and can I dry it out? And what does "pack #" mean?

 

[WVNed]

The rx is the receiver. The part of the radio in the boat. What he is saying is brushed motors slow down the more times they are run. The number of packs through the motor.
It steered on the lake and doesn't now. Unless you are standing in the same room with it. What things did before they broke dont tell you much.

 

[WideOpen]

I think it will work - we'll run out and try it. It is basically a brand new boat - we only used it one day; I'd hope that motor isn't already worn out.

 

[WickedFog]

Just to get you into the lingo...
Tx - transmitter or radio
Rx - receiver, which is where all the small 3 wire connectors are hooked up
ESC - electronic speed control. It is what the battery connects to and controls the motor speed/direction.
Servo - little black box housing a motor with a connecting rod that turns the boat's rudder.
RTR - Ready to run, no assembly required.

If you are noticing problems with the steering and throttle, you might try calibrating the ESC and resetting your steering end points. I don't know what radio system that boat comes with, but you can look it up on Youtube and find out how to set everything up. This will just eliminate that as the culprit and should be done even on RTR vehicles.

 

[WVNed]

Did the antennae fall down into the hull out of the tube? It works while you are holding it in air but not on water.
Are you using the stock charger? It takes 12 hours to fully charge a battery.
Did any of the throttle trim knobs get turned?
https://www.horizonhobby.com/on/dem.../dwdaaffb22/Manuals/PRB08015-Manual-MULTI.pdf

 

[WideOpen]

Did the antennae fall down into the hull out of the tube? It works while you are holding it in air but not on water.
Are you using the stock charger? It takes 12 hours to fully charge a battery.
Did any of the throttle trim knobs get turned?
https://www.horizonhobby.com/on/dem.../dwdaaffb22/Manuals/PRB08015-Manual-MULTI.pdf

No, the antenna is there. So I took it to the pond and it steered fine but ran very-very sluggish. While I was running it I checked to make sure the throttle speed was up to 10, it was. But while it was running, I turned the throttle speed down and back up to 10 - and it ran and steered and everything real good.

 

[WickedFog]

Ok, that boat has it's own radio system. It calibrates itself when you turn it on. I don't think I have ever seen that before. Very strange. But in the instruction manual it simply says to make sure the boat is off. Set the throttle trim to 0 and throttle travel range is at 100%. Turn on the transmitter. Then turn on the boat and wait 3 seconds before touching any controls.

So if you are turning on the ESC with this stuff set differently, or touching the controls before the calibration happens, its calibration would be off. I dunno. I don't have many RTR radios. See screenshot below...

 

[WickedFog]

Or maybe you just got some vegetation wrapped around the prop shaft and also interfered with the rudder?

 

[WideOpen]

no on the vegetation - and I can assure you, from your instructional post - we were doing it wrong! dang instructions!!!

 

[WickedFog]

no on the vegetation - and I can assure you, from your instructional post - we were doing it wrong! dang instructions!!!

Well, I hope this helps.

 

[WideOpen]

we just went out and ran it and followed the/your instructions and it worked perfect - big thanks to you all!

 

[WickedFog]

we just went out and ran it and followed the/your instructions and it worked perfect - big thanks to you all!

Well good. Time for some fun!

 

[WideOpen]

yup, took it out again.