Bancroft PT-596 Patrol Boat - RTR

[RSRN]

Hey pdansalvish,
Thanks for the update on the watt meter, so when I get this and the results are the same/similar to your,whats the recourse. I read something from tab 28682 that installing a small cooling fan attacthed to the heat sink would help lower the temp, run bt a seperate battery. I feel that someone MRC/Motion RC should be stepping up with a mod kit that would be available to all purchasers of this boat. Any thoughts out there.

[dai phan]

Hi. I have been reading about the problem's some of you are having with the PT Boat, does anybody know anyone who has bought this boat and has NO problems. We are still waiting in Europe for the Bancroft range of boats to arrive,I was told the other day we have to wait another 6 weeks, If we wait long enough we might get Black Friday Discount. I dont want to buy a boat which gives problems, I have not the time or the energy to sort problems.

Do NOT buy as of yet until the issue is sorted out. Dai

[Egghead]

Hi. I have been reading about the problem's some of you are having with the PT Boat, does anybody know anyone who has bought this boat and has NO problems. We are still waiting in Europe for the Bancroft range of boats to arrive,I was told the other day we have to wait another 6 weeks, If we wait long enough we might get Black Friday Discount. I dont want to buy a boat which gives problems, I have not the time or the energy to sort problems.

[dai phan]

I agree and expressed that at the beginning of my post.

However, personally, I am willing to invest a little time and money to fix this sort of problem and get back into the water or air right away, rather than wait weeks or months for the dealer to fix a shortcoming. Life is short!

Complety agree that MRC has to do something about it and silence from them is not the way to handle it.

Please do a review on this boat so others do not have to go through what you are going through now. Dai

[dai phan]

I agree and expressed that at the beginning of my post.

However, personally, I am willing to invest a little time and money to fix this sort of problem and get back into the water or air right away, rather than wait weeks or months for the dealer to fix a shortcoming. Life is short!

Complety agree that MRC has to do something about it and silence from them is not the way to handle it.

I now hold off on buying anymore from MRC until there is enough evidence these boats are truly indeed RTR. Dai

[tab28682]

Easy, affordable upgrade or not, the buyers should not have to do this. This is almost 600 dollar boat. NOT a 5.99 pool toy! I really would like MRC to say something about this issue on public forum. I already have issues on my Yamato. I have yet to run the LC but others already reported some issues. The Cutter will here on Friday. Dai

I agree and expressed that at the beginning of my post.

However, personally, I am willing to invest a little time and money to fix this sort of problem and get back into the water or air right away, rather than wait weeks or months for the dealer to fix a shortcoming. Life is short!

Complety agree that MRC has to do something about it and silence from them is not the way to handle it.

[pdansalvish]

Good morning pdansalvish,
Thanks for all the info, the meter you mention is no longer available. any suggestions. This boat may turn into a money pit, oh well. Again thanks for your time. So much for RTR ,Ready to Run

I might have given you wrong link. On MotionRC's front page in the search box enter watt meter. You should get a page with the title: GT Power 180A Watt Meter and Power Analyzer. Motion has them in stock for $24.99. You have to solder some ends on the wire. Add a pack of XT60's to your order. You need one male and one female XT60.

[dai phan]

A shame you mave to mod something new, but it would not be hard or expensive to add a heak sink and a small cooling fan to each of the the brushed ESCs in the ship models. Likely to work with the air volume available in tbe interior, but might need air blown up and out of the interior.

Might not even need a heatvsink...just a 12v cooling fan running on the 8.4 lipo, blowing directly on the ESC.

If so, here is a solution for 2.50 per motor:

https://www.amazon.com/Printer-Termi...%2C207&sr=8-13

Perhaps MRC will offer improved ESCs for the ship models as a free upgrade.

Easy, affordable upgrade or not, the buyers should not have to do this. This is almost 600 dollar boat. NOT a 5.99 pool toy! I really would like MRC to say something about this issue on public forum. I already have issues on my Yamato. I have yet to run the LC but others already reported some issues. The Cutter will here on Friday. Dai

[tab28682]

A shame you mave to mod something new, but it would not be hard or expensive to add a heak sink and a small cooling fan to each of the the brushed ESCs in the ship models. Likely to work with the air volume available in tbe interior, but might need air blown up and out of the interior.

Might not even need a heatvsink...just a 12v cooling fan running on the 8.4 lipo, blowing directly on the ESC.

If so, here is a solution for 2.50 per motor:

https://www.amazon.com/Printer-Terminal-Extruder-Heatsinks-Makerbot/dp/B07JPBMNVL/ref=sr_1_13?crid=EPOOR7LQ17KW&dchild=1&keywords=micro+cooling+fan&qid=1601540897&sprefix=micro+cooling+%2Caps%2C207&sr=8-13

Perhaps MRC will offer improved ESCs for the ship models as a free upgrade.

[RSRN]

Good morning pdansalvish,
Thanks for all the info, the meter you mention is no longer available. any suggestions. This boat may turn into a money pit, oh well. Again thanks for your time. So much for RTR ,Ready to Run

[pdansalvish]

RSRN,

A watt-meter for RC is a device that plugs into your battery and into the ESC at the same time. When you start applying power, the meter will register watts generated, AMP and voltage being pulled. It provides the data in real time. I used this device when setting up my electric planes the first time. I need to know if my prop and battery is providing enough watts to fly the plane along with making sure the AMP and current draws are within spec of the ESC. I also use it with my RC cars after changing gearing ratios. Don't want to over AMP the ESC. When the issues were first reported with the boats. I wondered if the 3 motors running a full throttle were pulling more AMPs then what the ESC was rated. Also, if and when I get this boat up running I might change props for additional speed or for longer run times. Because the size and pitch of the props will change the AMP and voltage draw. Motion sells a watt-meter; here is the link: https://www.horizonhobby.com/product...r/EFLA110.html I advise getting one it you plane to do a lot in electric RC. It could save your plane, boat and car.

[RSRN]

Hey pdansalvish,
Where am I checking the amps and are you talking about using a multi meters on the anps setting. Thanks for your time. I am surprised we have not heard from alpha, the moderator.

[dai phan]

Dai Phan,

Your Yamato is definitely ESC issue. The boat was not designed correctly to allow cooling as posted above and they are using crappy electronics. What surprises me is Alpha is not posting or any of their CS representatives. I wish I had the opportunity to dial into MRC's web show on Friday and try and get our questions answered on the crappy electronics. Unfortunately, I am on the road this Friday or I would be posting questions and would keep posting until someone answered.

Substandard electronics in Chinese RTF/RTR is again the default pattern. I really want to be wrong but from what I see ... Dai

[pdansalvish]

Dai Phan,

Your Yamato is definitely ESC issue. The boat was not designed correctly to allow cooling as posted above and they are using crappy electronics. What surprises me is Alpha is not posting or any of their CS representatives. I wish I had the opportunity to dial into MRC's web show on Friday and try and get our questions answered on the crappy electronics. Unfortunately, I am on the road this Friday or I would be posting questions and would keep posting until someone answered.

[dai phan]

Good afternoon,

Put the boat in the water today ran for approx 14 at pretty much full speed. Checked the motors and ESC at 7 minutes,they were warm but not hot. At 14 minutes, the boat quit,which I assume was when the ESC detected minimum voltage. The ESC was hot and there was an electrical smell,within 5 minutes it would run again for a short period, I assume as the battery rebounded momentarily. The boat ran well.
At this point I am very reluctant to attempt water cooling ie drilling holes in the hull, may have to modify run times/speed, still seems to me that this boat should be able to handle the above performance, its not a pool toy. I did send this note to the tech rep.
Michael

On my 1/200 Yamato, after 2 minutes at 25% speed, the ESC stopped working and is HOT. After cooling it ran again but I could not run at a constant speed more than 30 seconds for fear it will quit in the middle of the lake. Dai

[pdansalvish]

RSRN,

Do the test again. Use a watt meter to check out the AMPS while at full throttle. Use a voltage checker and check the cells. With my speed boat running at full throttle I get about a 8 minute run. So, a 14 minute run at full throttle should be about right. I was targeting 15-20 minute run at mix throttle settings.

[RSRN]

Good afternoon,

Put the boat in the water today ran for approx 14 at pretty much full speed. Checked the motors and ESC at 7 minutes,they were warm but not hot. At 14 minutes, the boat quit,which I assume was when the ESC detected minimum voltage. The ESC was hot and there was an electrical smell,within 5 minutes it would run again for a short period, I assume as the battery rebounded momentarily. The boat ran well.
At this point I am very reluctant to attempt water cooling ie drilling holes in the hull, may have to modify run times/speed, still seems to me that this boat should be able to handle the above performance, its not a pool toy. I did send this note to the tech rep.
Michael

[pdansalvish]

Quick update. Received an email from CR rep Andrew. He requested pictures of the ESC. Pulled the ESC and took pictures. Noticed the ESC was set to NIHM. Anyway now waiting for Andrew/MRC to take the next action. I did inform the customer representative that I could not return the boat until next week. I have to go out of town for a funeral and will not be back until Monday.

[dai phan]

I did a tub test on mine this afternoon. Before ran up the motors I attached a watt meter between the battery and ESC. I ran my boat for about 15 seconds on full throttle before it stopped. I could smell the ESC burning. The AMP rating I registered before the ESC died was 45 amps. Which is way under what was marked. Glad I did my first run in the bathtub and not the lake. Extremely, pissed at MRC and the technical staff for not addressing this problem other than drilling holes. In my case the representation asked me to return my boat. My problem is I have the box bottom but not the top. I have to think of way to put a top on it. But, I will pack it better than the way they shipped it to me.

Great that MRC is taking care of the costumers. Keep us posted. Dai

[pdansalvish]

I did a tub test on mine this afternoon. Before ran up the motors I attached a watt meter between the battery and ESC. I ran my boat for about 15 seconds on full throttle before it stopped. I could smell the ESC burning. The AMP rating I registered before the ESC died was 45 amps. Which is way under what was marked. Glad I did my first run in the bathtub and not the lake. Extremely, pissed at MRC and the technical staff for not addressing this problem other than drilling holes. In my case the representation asked me to return my boat. My problem is I have the box bottom but not the top. I have to think of way to put a top on it. But, I will pack it better than the way they shipped it to me.