a very limited number of boats and
drivers will be affected. The longer we
wait to address this, the more boats and
racers will that be affected.
The second proposal has to do with
cell voltage. NAMBA Fast Electric rules
have always referred to cells by their
“Nominal” voltage. This was okay with
NiCads and NiMH round cells, but
LiPo’s work differently with regards to
maximum voltage. There is definitely a
voltage level you do not want to cross in
the name of safety. Because of this, I
feel it is necessary to propose a change
in the voltage rule from “Nominal” to
“Actual”.
If successful, this proposal will help
racers stay compliant with regards to
safe charging practices of their LiPo’s,
as well as give the race organizers a rule
that can actually be “teched” simply
with a volt meter.
There is also wording in this proposal
to set up “Pre-Tech” inspections with
regards to voltage checks before a SAW
or 2 lap boat makes a run. “Pre-Tech”
procedures were implemented at the
November 2014 SAW’s event at Legg
Lake in California and it was a widely
accepted practice.
Lastly, this is not a proposal to allow
High-Voltage LiPo’s which have
recently hit the scene. If and when
members want to address this, there will
a need to change FE Section 28, page 1
regarding what constitutes an official
Lithium Polymer cell for competition.
In this edition of the NAMBA
Propwash
, you have the opportunity to
have a say and vote on these proposals.
Please take the time and do so. Thank
you very much for your time.
If you have any questions, I can be
reached at
.
PROPWASH
March 2014
5
Two Fast Electric Rule Proposals from District 19
By David Newland
NAMBA FE Chairman
The first proposal addresses self-righting boats. The reason for this proposal is to
see if the membership wants to specifically exclude self-righting boats from
competition. There are not many being run now, but those that are running have either
flood chambers or buoyant hatches large enough to flip the boat over.
My concern with these self-righting boats is the amount of distraction they create
on the drivers stand with the drivers, pit men and the race announcer. In my opinion,
they take more attention to manage and therefore get a disproportionate amount of
attention to see if the boat is going to flip, or worse yet, right itself and keep going to
gather points.
We have tried to address this at race event drivers meetings as far as what
constitutes a dead boat. However, the self-righting boats in my opinion are still a
distraction and I feel a rule proposal is necessary to see what direction we would like
to go with this situation. It is being addressed early enough that if the proposal passes,
