Camera Boat

Since second run, purchased new battery with more capacity, improved turning radius of motor by changing position of servo rod pivot, improved propeller with further sanding to change blade pitch, and reinforced motor mount to make it more stable, Did the best run on afternoon of 7/10/16 in a small, but deep stream, and managed to catch some fish in action with a digital camera! The fish were only spooked briefly by the motor speeding up, but otherwise didn't mind the boat moving around. The run time was about 10 min, giving sufficient time to move around the stream. The boat did pretty well against the slight current and moved smoothly at full power. The current did make it a bit tricky to turn boat, but changing direction of the motor made turns easier. As long as there was sufficient slack, the fishing line didn't impede boat operation (but have to watch out for entanglement in seaweed and sunken wood).

6/29/16 Moved tether to stern. I'm not worried about it getting tangled in the propeller because it will have a lot of slack and be in the water until boat needs to be retrieved.

The boat was launched for the 2nd time in deeper water (about 12") and the camera recorded an eerie underwater scene resembling a barren planet. Not sure if fish were scared by the boat or there weren't that many fish present to be caught on camera. The trip was still plaqued by low battery life and weak propeller, but success with capturing video made the trip worth it. There appears to be a minor water leak near the propeller mounting that will have to be corrected.

Boat had its first test run on June 19, 2016. Launching it was a little tricky because the bottom is a deep triangle that catches on rocks and mud in shallow water, but it passed without sinking and supported my cellphone camera (which unfortunately was not configured properly so no video was taken!). The propeller is weak in pushing the boat, especially against a mild river current. The tether should be attached to the stern because having the tether connected to the bow makes the boat do unwanted turns too easily. Battery life was very low - about 5 mins - not surprising due to my recycling a 30-y.o. RC system from another toy I had. Should work on improving the propeller and battery life.