MFA 'Electro-Boat Throttle' Pt. no.692

This is another of my 'vintage' radio items... an MFA 'Electro-Boat Throttle' Pt. no.692

I bought this in 1984 ( for the rather expensive price of £39.99 ) to go into a 3ft. long Thorneycroft Motor Torpedo Boat.

This is one of the first-available 'genuine' Electronic Speed Controllers, with SMOOOTH linear control - from 'barely spinning' - to full speed.

Suitable for up to 12v and only 14A, it does not have a thermal cut-out, or a one-touch set-up button... and does not provide a regulated power supply to the receiver.

You need to spend five minutes twiddling the adjustable 'pots' and setting transmitter trims... and a receiver battery. ;)

However, the MTB was powered by a battery that I was given - a Tamiya 6v 4A 'lump' - from a Hilux !

I simply took a feed from that battery to the reciever, and could play for over an hour without any problems.

10 years later, I made a powered yacht in which I fitted this ESC.

It was a semi-scale Fisher 37 motorsailer - and the 380 motor drove a 50mm propeller running off a 6v 10Ah lead acid battery.

Again, I took power wires directly from the drive battery to power the receiver.

Duration, with a 380 motor on only 6v - and with sails to help - was LONG...! :)

Sadly, the motorsailer was wrecked I was when sailing it in poor weather - it hit a weir...

The pictures of the 'Boat Throttle' show it after I have just soldered new wires - and fitted new ( Tamiya ) nuts and bolts.

I am soon going to employ it in only the third model meant for it - in 24 years...!

Beforehand, I am going to try it in my Grasshopper - with a flux ring fitted to it's 380 motor...

I need some acetone to remove the gooey stain on top - there was once a servo operated switch stuck on top of it...