Show us ya HTB Radio box's

[Kris Flynn]

Hi All,

Just after some tips on how you guys mount your radio box's to the hull and also how you set them up inside? Particularly looking at the 290 but others will be good or the holding down part.

Cheers

Kris

 

[Black & Coke]

Hi All,
Just after some tips on how you guys mount your radio box's to the hull and also how you set them up inside? Particularly looking at the 290 but others will be good or the holding down part.

Cheers

Kris

Hey Kris, how's it going down there? You missed a great World Championship, hopefully you can make it next time. Anyway, my radio box in my HTB 290 is fastened down with velcro and also has a piece of 90 degree aluminium at the back which is stuck to the hull with two sided tape. I find that this works really well as it will not move anywhere once the cowling is on. Also, once it is stuck to the velcro and left in place it is pretty stuck on and takes some serious pulling to get it off. Sorry no pics as i left the boat with Deryl in South Carolina.

Terry (Bermuda)

 

[Jerry Wyss]

First let me say that I think Mark Hopper is one the greatest people on the planet. He serves this hobby well and makes Great products, well engineered,, all except the 290's radio box. My problem was by the time you get the taping flange cut down to where it fits inside the cowl you don't have any more than 1/8" for tape, outside the plexy cover.

It's too tall for my tastes also, so I cut 3/4 to 7/8" right off the botton,, opened up the upper half of the hull right under where the radio box sits and epoxied it in that opening.

I make fiberglass sheet stock with 4 to 5 layers of 2oz cloth pressed between to heavy, waxed sheets of glass. Many different parts can be made with this stock and this is just one of them. I cut a piece of this stock that would sit (cover the box opening)

just below where the original plexy cover would rest, tack it with CA and leave it with the opening uncut for now. Then I made a rectangular ring that would epoxy to the the area where the original plexy cover would have sat and also bond (epoxy) it to the cover I tacked in. Clean up the edge (inside where the new plexy will sit) and once the epoxy has cured cut out the first cover piece leaving 1/8" ledge where the new plexy cover will tape down.

What this does is give you a 3/8" to 1/2" flange to tape to,, it does make the opening a little smaller but it's still much larger that the L Y N X box opening. I hope you understand what I just wrote,, too late to do a "project in process" pictorial.

JW

 

[Jerry Wyss]

With plexy cover installed,, hard to see,, closest end is outa focus

 

[JoseBaquero]

jerry cool working.. 100pts

 

[topfuel443]

I have 3 HTB290's and have built plenty more. I have never had any problem with the radio box fitting under the cowling, as long as it is centered right. Its close, but it seems to work ok for me. I like the radio boxes, typically plenty of room for most any set-up.

As for mounting them to the boat, I use silicon just like the instructions say. Its works flawlessly, holds great, and is easy to remove and clean-up should you have to.

Here is a little word document I made with tons of pics showing radio box set-up. Did this for a bunch of customers of mine.

Just another perspective.

~James

290___260_Radio_Box_how_to.doc

 

[Kris Flynn]

Hey Terry,

We might just make it over there as part of our honey moon so I hope the race is on AFTER the 14th of March... somewhere like the 20th or 27th would be great!! HINT HINT

Jerry, that is some work! I am a little upset that the radiobox has put presure on my cowling and has caused some cracks on my awsome paintjob! I thought that this may have been due to it coming loose after a crash but I dont know...

James, I didnt see silicon in the instructions But I may use the mounting method I have, PLUS some silicon to hold it down even stronger ICant use the velcro as it will put it up too high for the mechanism I have now.

I also found it a litle squashy to have a 3rd channel needle because they can't go accross ways as they are too long...anyway, I will make do with what I have now unless someone posts a REALLY good setup for me for 2 HS-81's and a standard size steering servo I will be very greatful.

Cheers guys

Kris

 

[Tim_Duggan]

Kris,

I'm using a HS645 for rudder and HS 81's for throttle and 3rd channel. I'll try and get a pic of it for you. My boat uses the HTB radio box and it's attached to the hull with "Roof and Gutter" Silicone sealant. I have the servo's mounted high enough that the 5 cell 2/3AA pack fits underneath the servo's. The linkages clear the top of the Sullivan tank too.

After building Lynx radio boxes, the HTB is a piece of cake! I just wish finding the water leak inside my hull was as easy.

 

[kesso2118]

Kris,

I'll takes pics of mine and add to this post if you are still looking for ideas?

I am using the stock HTB Radio Box, 1/4 Scale Steering Servo and HS81MG Servos for throttle and 3rd Channel Mixture. I also have on a rod coming out the back of the box for the radio switch. To make this arrangement possible, using rubber pushrod boots, I had Ken Retallick make me a fuel tank with a low profile to give me enough room to send everything out the back of the box.

I use silicone as the primary "fastener" for the radio box but in the near future will probably epoxy some aluminium angle to the hull at the front of the radio box and fasten the box with some screws, for some extra security.

The original radio box in my boat had the sides cut down and it was impossible to make it watertight!! The new box is working well.

See you at Finley in June for the NSW Country Champs.

Regards,

James

 

[Craig Murphy]

Hi All,
Just after some tips on how you guys mount your radio box's to the hull and also how you set them up inside? Particularly looking at the 290 but others will be good or the holding down part.

Cheers

Kris

Don't know if I should be showing you this.... after all you are the competition you know.... LOL

Basically it's epoxy to the hull, not going anywhere.....

 

[Tim_Duggan]

Here ya go Kris.

gallery pic.

Sorry about the quality - the camera batteries were flat so I had to use the phone. The rails the servo's attach to are glued and screwed.

Tim.

 

[tnrcboatracer]

Have any of you considered using 3M VHB foam tape to secure the throttle and 3rd channel servos to the side of the radio box? Use 1 sided servo arms and put the clevis toward the center of the box. The steering should still be in a solid mount, but the VHB works great for the small servos. Just be carefull if you need to remove the servo, as the adhesive is stronger than the servo case. It is best to actually cut the foam with a piece of dental floss. I use the VHB tape to secure the Lynx radio boxes to the box well in tte deck. The tape is only 0.045" thick.

 

[Tim_Duggan]

I use the 3m tape for rear sponsons on riggers (and have used it to hold steering servo's in pan cars), but never considered using it to hold servo's in a tunnel's radio box.

The only possible problem I can think of is that it makes the vibration grommets on the servo case "redundant" and therefore the servo may be under more stress from vibration / jarring. Thats speculating though - it may be fine. It didn't seem to bother the steering servo's in the pan cars when I raced them.

I have found it's good to go overkill on tunnel's radio boxes. The extra weight isn't usually an issue because we usually need ballast up the front anyway.

Tim.

 

[kesso2118]

Hopefully, this link will take you to 3 photos of my Radio Box set up, I'm new to this photo posting caper, so I hope it works??

http://www.intlwaters.com/index.php?autoco...si&img=2634

Regards,

James