walt wrote:
Quote:
915 Watt Hour battery is now available from Defender Marine for $875. This is the most powerful battery you can get for the 403 Ultralight and could power the motor for an entire day at extended speeds
hopefully all the numbers here are accurate. FYI, an electric motor that uses 403 watts ("extended speeds") will go through 915 watt * hours of battery in 2.27 hours.
FE, what is the fastest speed you have actually measured with the dual Honda's - no current, no wind? You mentioned that you changed to props to something with higher pitch and this wont allow the outboard to get up to its rated rpm so they also will not get up to the rated HP (with a gas outboard, you need the rate of those explosions to be as high as possible to achieve rated power). With the 2.5 hp Suzuki mounted in the back and one person running the TI from the rear seat, you get up to 7.5 to 8 mph (Stringy also is getting about that same speed - I have some video of that I need to edit and post).
So even though FE has two outboards, each starts off with less HP than the Suzuki (2.3 for the Honda vs 2.5 for the Suzuki) and the HP of the Honda's was further reduced by going to a prop not matched to the application. Every time I see that high speeds posted, I always wonder if that is some calculated theoretical speed.
I can't speak for anyone else's figures but everything I've posted here on the 403 is actual, accurate, observed empirical data and not just theoretical. I've stated several times that you can't judge the Torqeedo's range solely on theoretical electrical calculations because in my experience it readily surpassed those. I almost didn't purchase this motor based on other's theoretical calculations and this is one of the primary reasons I posted this review. There is more misinformation about the Torqeedo 403 than useful information, mostly from people who don't own one. I felt that this needed to be balanced with real observed data from someone who actually owns, uses, and tests the motor in actual, typical conditions on an actual, typical Hobie TI.
Extended speeds for the 403 is anything over 4 mph (motor alone) as I've stated earlier. Maximum speed is about 6 mph with my average loaded TI. I can go all day with my 533 Watt Hour battery, never mind one with 915 Watt hours. When I say all day I'm referring to a typical day's outing which is about 15 to 35 miles over 5 to 10 hours for me. This typically includes some use of the motor alone in no wind, some sailing in light to moderate winds with or without the motor, some use of the mirage drive with or without the motor, and even some rest time. It obviously does not mean running the motor non-stop exclusively at full speed for an entire day, let's be reasonable. That is certainly not the typical use of a Hobie TI. I've been very clear about this before. We're discussing the use of a Hobie TI and AI here, not a powerboat. The TI and AI are dual to tri-powered boats and that is the usage we obviously should be discussing.
I've also clearly stated more than once in this thread that if maximum sustained speed at a maximum range is your primary concern, then the 403 was not meant for you. It has many, many, many advantages over an outboard, but this is not one of them. So please let's not continue to beat that dead horse. If you need to go as fast as possible for as long as possible then buy an outboard, or two, or three. If you want almost every other advantage, then buy the 403. This is why the 403 is such a good match with the Hobie TI or AI. It does not assume you need to go very fast and very far. If someone
really needs to go fast for long distances then you would probably be better off with a boat more suited to that.
For my use of the Hobie TI, which is day sailing on a very large body of fresh water, in all types of conditions but the most severe, the 403 is, in my opinion, clearly, and I mean clearly, better than a gasoline outboard for this type of use. See my full review here for the reasons why. I typically travel 15 to 35 miles per outing in winds ranging from 0 - 25 mph and waves ranging from 0 - 4 feet. If this sounds anything like your type of use, then carefully consider the 403. For ocean off shore use in more extreme conditions, or for more than 30 miles per outing it could still work, but an outboard would probably be better suited, especially if you need to cover large distances as quickly as possible or need to use motor power exclusively hours and hours on end for the entire day.
So pick the right motor for your purposes but please don't try to rule out one or the other for everyone here based solely upon your own requirements or preconceptions, or for uses other than the what's typical and expected for a Hobie TI or AI.
If anyone has already ruled out the 403 for your specific use and wishes to discuss the use and application of gas outboards exclusively, then please start a gas outboard thread.