Update on version 3. Testing begins tomorrow. Too windy today to get a baseline in. New way to mount the batteries to reduce stress on the motor mount block.
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Having a kort nozzle might help to keep the tow rope out of the prop.
How thick are the Manta propellor blades compared to the FR prop, and could that contribute to increased power usage, but maybe a bit safer for toes that bump the moving prop?
Is fine control of the throttle critical on tow boogie? Considering the vx3 remote for possibly better waterproofing, but it seems to have less throttle resolution than maytech.
I blades are about the same thickness as the flying rodeo. The area of blade looking from the back is more than the flying rodeo.
Smooth throttle control definitely helps as any hard increases in throttle is translated to your hand holding the rope. Yes you can hold on to it during that burst in power but it’s uncomfortable.
Once I get more time I’d like to play around with nozzles and prop guard’s. Even just thicken the portion of the rope closest to the tow boogie so it has resistance to flex.
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So cool!
Do you use a parallel battery connector for the Lipos? Also, for your first build you mentioned a white plug that the power cord can pass through. Are these things I need to add to my list of things to buy?
Thanks so much!
Perhaps less flexible and also more buoyant? I have used pieces of pool noodle before on the rope when doing sketchy towing things with small outboard motors. I wonder if this is the same material as the pool noodle foam?
Ok, so you’ll want a series connection if you decide to use a 120kv motor. A series connection will make your 2x 6s 20A batteries into a 12s 20A battery. A parallel connection would make your 2x 6s 20A batteries into a 6s 40A battery. You want to go with the former. You can make the adapter your self.
Also I looked backed at my posts. That white cable gland I used is NOT necessary on the batteries. It was my attempt to introduce more water proof measures for the batteries. In summary it does nothing as the plastic is not nearly as heavy duty as it implies.
You would still need cable glands (the PG9 for 8 awg wire) for the outter plastic housing.
For that tow rope, that rubber is quite pricey! I think maybe pipe insulation is more than sufficient. I will play around with those ideas another time. The windy season is upon us and kiteboarding takes priority.
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Also I had questions on how to wire up the vesc 75300.
I think the pictures are very straightforward. I should have made the phase wires a bit longer but it’s fine.
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Love what you’re doing! …been collecting components to do my own efoil build. In the meantime, I want to get on the water. I’m convinced the tow boogie is the way.
So, I’ve been provided wires with the Maytec remote. One side mates with the receiver, but the other doesn’t connect with the vesc without modification.
Did you clip the vesc end of the wires and add the white two and three pin female pin head connectors?
Yes, that’s what I did.
Stripping them is tricky bc they are so thin so be careful.
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I’ve been wondering the same thing. Is this related to what FlightJunkie posted when he first got his Trampa VESC? Do you need to switch out and the solder JST ph 2.0 connectors on the VESC side for the Maytech remote wires?
Ah that is what I forgot to put in my google doc for completion items. This is what I used.
750 Pcs 2.0mm JST-PHR Connector Kit with 2.0mm Female Pin Header and 2/3/4 Pin Housing Connector Adapter Plug (JST Connector Kit) Amazon.com
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Is 3d printing the whole mast/plate/motor mount a good option (strong enough), or would you recommend getting an axis mast+plate? What length mast have you settled on?
I’ve ordered a maytech esk8 remote, because I thought I might be able to use the extra function/switch as a clunky way to steer it back to me (when no one else is around, and I’ve just ridden some ocean swell). You could add a steering flap that drops down and turns the boogie one way when the transistor/relay switch is activated on the remote.
It’ll probably need a long receiver aerial on a flag pole so that the range is reasonable, I’m not sure how far you can get out of the maytech setup.
The rope getting caught in the prop was a concern of mine today when trying out Valhalla’s setup. Especially if you have to pull the boogie back and redirect it when learning. Last thing we want is rope in prop. I think it might be worth it to spend a bit more to get a floating rope. I’m trying to find a cheap wakeboard floating rope. It seems many of them are coated and float.
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I wonder if the Manta prop would be closer to the FR in efficiency with a collar to fit the smaller diameter hub? Yasef was seeing fairly close consumption on his remote, but without accurate vesc logging.
So I’ve tried 3D printing the assembly but it broke. Again there are a lot of forces acting on it and it’s best to have something solid. I’ve designed another mount that hasn’t had any issues with spider cracks and can be adjusted for most masts fairly quickly. I’ll release it in the future once I get more time. The biggest forces on mine is the constant slamming up and down off sets. Sometimes it comes down from quite high up and slaps itself on the water. Currently the mast portion is solid but I need to rework the arm for my own personal one. The one I made for my friend is a beast. I definitely got up to some speeds on it that made me squirm. Handing that one off to him on Saturday.
Regarding the new motor hub for the manta I did try it and I think efficiency did go up. I’ll get some log data once I find time. I’m too busy riding than recording. I do recommend the manta overall because of its price and it’s performance matches well with the tow boogie. In my opinion anyway.
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Sounds like I’d better make some solid padding for my battery pack, so it doesn’t bounce around in the pelican case. It looks like it’s going to get a hard time jumping over swell 
. This thing is gonna be fun
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Picked up an axis mast and manta prop. What length would you suggest cutting it down to?
I do mine to where the midline of the prop is about 8 inches from the bottom of the board
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Where did you get that? Did you buy it or build it?
OK, it’s time to check in with my progress in copying this build. For me, this is a great intermediate step towards building my efoil.
By the 6th session tuning the tow boogie and after several iterations adjusting the battery box location, adjusting the tow rope anchor mount location on the board, the tow boogie began performing as desired.
On my first day out I made friends with a drone pilot who volunteered to record the experience. Here is the introductory video including the first sessions using the Skydito 2 drone:
From my GoPro mount after all the fine tuning:
First impressions:
It works. Yeeeew!
Once the foil board lifts out of the water, the tow boogie accelerates quickly
Yep, confirmed. The slingshot effect is a blast!
Initial mistakes made:
- Critical finding: I learned to hold the tow rope from the nose of the board, or along the centerline of the board. It took me a few sessions to realize this simple adjustment would improve the tow’s straight-line performance dramatically
- Did not wet the box mount straps before use (the straps will stretch once wet)
- Must anchor the tow rope from the lowest, rear-most point on the board. After adjusting the mount location, the tow boogie was no longer lifting out of the water
What I’ve done right:
- Box is watertight and seals are holding
- Box mounts are holding firm, and are correctly located
- Boogie board has good rocker in the nose
- Good VESC connection from within the aluminum box
- Mast is anchored well on the board
- Motor mount is firm
- No prop or pin issues
- No tangle issues with the tow rope
- After following the Maytec remote waterproofing steps in the forum, the remote functions without issues. Also successfully added the overvoltage chip to the remote. However, I don’t have enough experience with the remote to know if this mod will extend it’s life.
- Motor isn’t leaking (after opening and filling with Corrosion X)
TBD:
- Mast mount is approximately in the center of the board. I believe this the optimal location, but not sure.
- I have not yet been out in choppy conditions. What little chop I have experienced has been difficult to manage steady acceleration without amplified bouncing of the tow boogie and loss of control
My hydrofoil setup is a 5’ JP Austrailia prone board:
Gong Surf Foil Allvator V2 Curve Alu Carbon:
Thanks @Valhalla for the instruction and tips!
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Congratulations Brandon! Definitely inspiring!
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