trying to get started in rc

[ttopmustanggt88]

whats the best way to get started in rc. want gas or nitro. i like the tunnel with outboard style or the catamaran. dont wanna spend tons of money for first boat. should i buy new or used?? thanks for any info.

[BoatDoc]

most of us around here are in to nitro and gas...so you're going to hear a lot about that. you said you didn't want to spend a lot...what's your idea of a lot of money? you can get a small RTR boat for around $200 and go up from there. right now there are no outboards in that category. i think my old o/b tunnel had a final cost of around $600 when i built it...but that was almost 10 years ago. the mean machine .18 is an RTR catamaran but as of yet...it hasn't gone into production, much to the dissapointment of everyone around here :( i'm sure that whatever you're into...we can help you out!

[scorpien boats]

My first boat that I built was a Dumas hotshot sprint tunnel...

I built it for a total of $230 with a used k&b outboard

and it runs great, You save ALOT of $$$ if you build it yourself ;)

[scorpien boats]

btw I have a 1988 Mustang GT

[Chris LaPanse]

Well, the money limit rules out gas ($850 minimum new), but for nitro there are many options. One boat that comes to mind immediately is the Aeromarine Mean Machine 18. It keeps getting delayed, but it should be a great boat when it comes out. For a mono, the Nitro Hammer is the boat that comes to mind.

[BoatDoc]

hey scorp...you got away pretty cheap! my first boat was (and i still have it) a prather 31" deep vee with a k&b 3.5cc o/b. i bought it for $150 used from my high school shop teacher. recently i added up the cost to build a new one for my buddy and it was something around $700!!! my 2nd boat was a dumas hotshot, great fun until the steering failed and i didn't have time to recover it :eek:

[ttopmustanggt88]

well im looking at around 300 to 350. never built nitro powered rc but would love to try to. im thinking i could get alot more for my money if i bought used but i dont know the first thing to look for when buying a rc boat. i can get a nitro hammer that has new motor rtr for 250 is that bad?? are the deep v the cheapest?? do the cats and tunnels start to raise cost?? i love cats but everyone i see is way to rich for my blood.
how about this???
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=19166&item=5946981484&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

or this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=19166&item=5948118422&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

or?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=19166&item=5947932025&rd=1

orhttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=34058&item=5947939573&rd=1

[scorpien boats]

my tunnel wasn't expensive... $85 off tower for the kit...

you can buy a new hammer for 250...

those boats look fine... (i have never run a thunder tiger tho)

[Ron Olson]

Out of the 3, I'd go for the 3rd one. The first person doesn't know what he has for sure because it would be a Lap Cat, the II is a 7.5 version and I don't think that they made a III. The Thunder Tiger motor has carb problems. The Dumas Hot Shots have been around for many years, an old design but I still see them doing well at races.
Keep us filled on with what you decide on as we know that you'll have a ton of questions after getting a boat.
BTW, the Mean Machine 18 is scheduled for release in mid-February but we've heard that before. :)

[CFRACR]

Ron's right about the mean machine, when it finally hits the market it should make for a fine starter package for under 400.00.

Here's one for 425.00
http://hyperprod.bizhosting.com/_bruzer_15_mono.html
No feedback on it as of yet, but there boats look fine.

As for buying a used boat to get into r/c well............. that can be good & that can be bad!!! If you have someone that can help you (hands on) then that would be a bonus. Problem is buying a used boat from ebay you never know what your gonna get for sure. If you have no experience then a problem boat would be a disaster to you.

So my advice would be that if you can buy new, with instructions ect. That will make it a bit easier to get started. If you have a club or know someone that has some experince and will help. Then go with something used that you think is a good deal!!

[CFRACR]

Wanted to ad here.........

Those boats look ok, the third one is already closed. Did you get it?
As for the Thuder Tiger engine, I own two TT's & love them. But they are not that model engine. So If Ron says they have problems I would believe there is.

And............(There should be some sort of disclaimer for newbies looking for used boats)

When looking for a used boat take this into consideration. A hull from a known major company that produces fiberglass models would be a safe choice. BUT, buying a kit boat from someone is gambling!

You are taking a risk so to speak because you don't know the building experience behind the person who built it. Thus they may not have built it right. Trust in this, there are boats that pop up on ebay that look great (paint job), have a nice engine & good radio gear, but run like crap!!! Because the person building messed up & there is a major flaw in the hull. This of course can usually not be fixed & the hull is garbage.

This being a problem for a newbie because a person with little to no experience could have a hard time. Thinking that the boat runs bad because its something their doing wrong. Going with a prebuilt glass hull from a company with a good reputation would eliminate the possibility of a defective hull.

[ttopmustanggt88]

loving all the info thank you guys so much. ok so im pretty good with my hands. working on cars ect. where should i start if i wanted to scratch build a boat of my own. like for instance. what hull to buy. what motor. running gear? radio? ect ect.

[scorpien boats]

well... the first step is to find out for sure what type of hull you like...
(tunnel,cat,mono,hydro/outrigger,ect) and go from their...

[ttopmustanggt88]

cat is my favorite but i dont know where to start from there. i also know to get fiberglass not plastic. and nitro not electric. thats about as far as my knowledge goes. as to what cat or what size motor. or what radio or running gear thats where i get stuck.

[CFRACR]

cat is my favorite but i dont know where to start from there. i also know to get fiberglass not plastic. and nitro not electric. thats about as far as my knowledge goes. as to what cat or what size motor. or what radio or running gear thats where i get stuck.


Building a fiberglass cat may be a little more than you want to get into, especially for a first boat. If you really have settled on a cat then here's a good place to look. They will help you with everything that you need.

http://www.aeromarinerc.com

Its a shame that they have not released the MM-18 yet in RTR. It would fit you & your situation like a glove. Look on the site & look at the Mean Machine description. If this is something that you would want, give them a call and let them know. You may find something else there that you want also. They have lots of cats to chose from & all the hardware that you may need.
One stop shopping so to speak. :D

[scorpien boats]

If you think you can handle it I would give it a shot... first make plans,then build it in wood and then lay fiberglass... (maby just in the place where the engine is (so it dosn't eat through the wood))

[Ron Olson]

If you've got the time to wait depending on where you live (it's cold and snowy up here), you could get on the waiting list for the MM 18. Remy is now saying mid-February as the delivery date for the RTR boats. Do a search on the Mean Machine 18, I have some pix posted of one of the pre-production boats.