HorizonRC.Com Review: Pro Boat Formula FASTech

[Mr97braden]

what is better high voltage cut off or low voltage cut off?

[theplayer9812]

does it use 2 batteries?

[barto249]

Have you had any over heating problems with the lipo packs in it?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@barto249 Nope, and I've run a lot of packs through this boat. I even took it with me last year to the lake on vacation where I ran 3-4 runs a day and no issues.

[thetraxxasman]

hello i have a set of SMC lipo packs 5200mAH 7.4v 24c and a set of 7.2v 3300 ni-mh packs and am considering buying your dynamite lipos i have a proboat fastec brushless boat. which charger should i buy to be able to charge all these batterys ? they all have deans connectors and i would like to be able 2 charge 2 at a time

[barto249]

is nimh 7.2v 5000mAh (60 cell battery to strong?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@barto249 I'm assuming you meant a 6-cell pack with 7.2V. If so, no, that is fine but you'll need 2 of them as this boat runs off of 2 battery packs.

[benchmade556]

so basiclly lipo batteries give rc boats more power

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@benchmade556 Its more than just more power. They're more efficient, they have a flatter discharge curve so it stays faster longer, they don't degrade if you run them more than a couple times a day, they're easier to maintain... I could go on-and-on!

[aussiebloke1914]

what do u think is better the proboat fastech or the widdowmaker or even the minicatracingusa velocity series mono plz relpy

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@aussiebloke1914 The only one of those I've been able to drive has been the FASTech and I love it! The Pro Boat Shockwave 26 is pretty fun too!

[tyler1234040]

how much they cost

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@tyler1234040 The Formula FASTech is $299.99

[SuperJetski1]

I just purchased one and was wondering if you could use 4400 NiMh, or would that be to much.

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@SuperJetski1 Oh no, those will work just fine.

[pilots05]

I am going to purchase a boat here in the very near future I was wondering what your opinions were on the Fastech and the BlackJack26. Is one better than the other? What are the pros and cons of each. Thanks

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@pilots05 I'd say if anything the FASTech is a little quicker but the Blackjack might be a little more stable. It all has to do with the tendencies of a V-hull vs a Catamaran.

[therealjakedanger]

when buy LiPo's for the formula fastech what is the most i can go in mAh and in C's

with out damaging the esc or motor

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@therealjakedanger There is no limit. The issue isn't capacity or C-rating, it's voltage you need to be aware of.

[therealjakedanger]

you guys are out of the 5300mAh 25C LiPo's (DYN5360D), what other LiPo's can i use on the proboat formula fastech brushless, and hi high can i go on mAH and C,s on a batt?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@therealjakedanger DYN5352D would be another option, just a little less capacity.

[therealjakedanger]

even though in the video u said there was not much difference in top speed using the lipo's, you still recommend them, right?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@therealjakedanger Absolutely. And while the top speed was similar the LiPo was quicker and it accelerated better too. Plus the latest generation LiPos are even better than what I ran there!

[therealjakedanger]

im confused in the video did u first run two 7.2v 4200mah and then the second run, run two 7.4v 5000 mah LiPo's or did you run one 7.2v 4200mah and one 7.4v 5000mah LiPo at the same time

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@therealjakedanger First run was with the NiMH packs, then I swapped to LiPos, two of each.

[therealjakedanger]

with the DYN4066 or the DYN4064 can you charge both LiPo's at the same time and how long does it take using this charger

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@therealjakedanger They are single-output chargers so you can only charge one battery at a time.

[therealjakedanger]

you gave me the same # on the ultra charge as the first one

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@therealjakedanger Sorry, DYN4066

[therealjakedanger]

im serious about ordering the proboat formula brushless from you guys, but i would like to know what is all needed for the boat and any other products you suggest to go with it

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@therealjakedanger You'll need the batteries and charger and that's about it. I would really recommend the Dynamite 5300mAh 25C LiPo's (DYN5360D) or the Orion 4600 45c packs (ORI14022). The Dynamite packs will have a little longer run time while the Orions will have a little better performance. For a charger either the Dynamite Passport AC/DC (DYN4064) or the Passport Ultra (DYN4064) are both excellent. I use both those packs and the Passport Ultra charger myself and am very happy.

[therealjakedanger]

is there much difference in speed

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@therealjakedanger They're pretty close

[therealjakedanger]

I really like the proboat formula, but i can not decided if i should buy the brushless or the nitro, any opinions or facts would be greatly appreciated

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@therealjakedanger I'm personally more of an electric fan myself. Plus with Nitro you may have noise ordinances in some areas that could cause problems that you wouldn't have with an electric boat.

[xxneixx]

Which is more stable on choppy waters Deep V or Catamaran? this is a big question for me.. anyone knows? or difference?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

@xxneixx A catamaran is going to be a little more stable due to the additional amount of hull in the water. There's a flip side to that too though as the cat will also have more drag and be a touch slower too.

[101quadrider]

how long was your runtime for the proboat batterys

[HorizonRCdotCom]

I want to say it was 10-12 minutes, but that was nearly 2 years ago now.

[justiniousrowe]

Can you use two lipo packs with same mah and c rating but different brands?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

I wouldn't recommend it

[justiniousrowe]

To be able to use lipo batteries, do you have to use the programming card so its safe to use?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

Yes, otherwise you risk over-discharging and potentially damaging your packs.

[MlodyVaradero]

I buy formula this week. This is a very beautiful and fast boat. I have Outlaw 7.5 out of Nitro and Saint Tropez Cruiser. I have one question.Can I take one battery pack 14.8 Lipo Turnigy 5000? One pack recharges faster than two.

[Ponsi37]

is 7.4v all you need to know to buy a lipos for this boat? i know mah is for run time but what is the c rating for?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

C-rating refers to the current-carrying capacity of the battery itself. The higher the C-rating the more load it can handle. For something like this anything that would be rated at 20C or higher will be fine.

[kyle2058]

but did u use the 2 losi battries at the same time or just one by one

[HorizonRCdotCom]

You need to run 2 batteries in this boat at one time.

[HorizonRCdotCom]

I used 2 Losi 5000mah LiPo packs with the adapters shown. Since this was made Dynamite has some out with some killer LiPo packs that work awesome. They're 5300mAh capacity and come with Deans connectors pre-installed. The P/N is DYN5360D

[kyle2058]

ok so u used 2 losi battries right?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

Correct

[ryerye700]

wondering if you knew a good prop upgrade for this boat. to make it alittle faster?

[ryerye700]

Can this boat out of the box handle 2 8 cell batteries

[HorizonRCdotCom]

It would need to be a hump pack first of all as the battery tunnel is only setup to handle a 6-cell stick or side-by-side pack. I'm not sure if the ESC can handle the voltage, I'd call into product support to find out.

[mbheater]

how much do lipos cost

[HorizonRCdotCom]

Depends on how much runtime you're looking for. Dynamite has a 15c 2600mAh LiPo (DYN5350) for about $45. That pack does not have a Deans connector though so you'll want to swap that out on that pack. You can go with a larger pack such as the 25C 5300mAh Dynamite LiPo (DYN5350) for only $89.99. This pack even comes with Deans connectors so it's plug and play.

[AIRFORCE2143]

Dose it use 1 battary or 2?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

It uses 2 batteries, either 2 6-cell NiMH packs or 2 LiPo packs

[AIRFORCE2143]

wow that was fast thanks alot!!

[HorizonRCdotCom]

We aim to please :)

[AIRFORCE2143]

do you know anything about the AQ rio ep 2.4GTz boat??

[HorizonRCdotCom]

I sure don't, sorry.

[jjt963]

do you need that for the miss elam 1/12 brushless hydro to or not

[HorizonRCdotCom]

What are you asking, I don't understand your question.

[jjt963]

the pigtail attachment to connect the battery to the boat

[HorizonRCdotCom]

Only if you're going to use batteries with an EC3 Connector such as the Losi packs I used here. If your battery uses Deans connectors it will plug right into the ESC.

[jjt963]

so do you know if the miss elam neads that connector or what

[HorizonRCdotCom]

The Miss Elam comes with Deans Connectors preinstalled on the ESC.

[MrLakeboyz4]

Which is faster blackjack26 brushless or the fastech brushless?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

They're really close but I'd have to give a slight edge to the Formula FASTech due to the Deep-V design (Less hull in the water).

[PipSqueek6]

I am pretty new to the rc hobby and all i have is a mini desert truck. How can you make this boat faster and for how much?

[popboybn]

its already fast man "BRUSHLESS"

[ARPY150]

well with out spending big money on a new moter and speed control all you can do is get 2 lipo batts and play around with your trim tabs and the trim of your moter. Also if you get a metel prop that increaes your speed by 2-3 mph

[kickerll360]

now i have bought your miss elam nitro and let me tell ya 2 mounths and it is just about to be fire wood i am geting a FFT in a week so what parts should i buy with it

[kolbyrowland]

its r

unning wet

[jarvisli9]

formula fastech

[jarvisli9]

When you put the 4200amh batteries , how fast does the boat go? I was wondering because i have a formula fastech. Can you tell me what kind what batteries i can use for the boat?

[rcowner153]

Rc driver magazine got a radar pass at 30 mph with the nimh and 33mph with (maxamps) lipos.

[wellcraftboat34]

that's a cool boat

[wellcraftboat34]

that a cool boat.

[pauliz]

Hi, how long can you drive with two 5300 Lipos?

[RKALAFUT623]

whats the most volts this can run on for nimh? could i do 7 cell?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

The highest voltage the ESC can handle is the dual LiPo setup we show. The way the battery tunnel is configured there isn't enough room for a 7-cell pack to fit in there unless you used a 7-cell hump pack. The problem with a hump pack is that the extra cell up high on the pack will raise the center of gravity and could possibly negatively affect the handling of the boat. I'd stick with either a 6-cell NiMH or a 2-cell LiPo.

[TooooCoool]

Can I use 2 3-cell 2450mah on it . I just bought the miss elam brushless and the blackjack brushless.

[RKALAFUT623]

have u ever tested the supervee27 if so which do u like better. im leaning more towards the fastech because it looks more stable on the water. the supervee looks like its in the air more than the water if u know what i mean. but the supervee is much faster. and ive been told the supervees steering is much better. so if anyone has anything to say please reply.

[HorizonRCdotCom]

I haven't driven the Supervee or know anyone who has, sorry. Looking on the product page I don't see a speed reference, so I'm hesitant to state that it's faster than the FASTech. The FASTech absolutely rips. I actually took it to a party and there was a pond nearby. People who had never driven any RC vehicle before were able to be successful with the FASTech, and have fun doing it.

[SuperVeeMan]

i own a super vee and a fastech. if you trim a supervee well you can get to handle waves almost as well as the fastech

[RKALAFUT623]

1 or 2 batteries?

[HorizonRCdotCom]

The Formula FASTech runs on 2 packs, either 6-Cell NiMH or 2-Cell LiPo.