using a mobile phone with gps, and a gps receiver, in a plastic bag inside the boat, average speed was 10.5mph, top speed 11.4mph, quite fast for a brushed motor, and the boat is quite heavy. Next step is a test with a 2:1 gearbox, and a larger prop.
My set up is recorded in detail previously if it helps anyone!

This is what 8.76mph looks like!.


am35

This is how I measure my speed - I use a Garmin Geko 201 outdoor hand held gps.
We tried it on my friends boat week last sunday, we could have got a better recording, but most of the lake was frozen.
The gps is turned on & setup for max speed then wrapped in a polythene bag & put safely in the boat. When returned to bank, the max speed is recorded, very handy but not the cheapest, you only need one in a club or a bunch of boaters. I've put up a couple of pics to show what the speed is, on this run it was 14.1 kph converted to 8.76 mph (not as fast as you think!), but when the water is a bit more liquid I'll try for a better speed with new batteries.


am35

This is how I measure my speed - I use a Garmin Geko 201 outdoor hand held gps.
We tried it on my friends boat week last sunday, we could have got a better recording, but most of the lake was frozen.
The gps is turned on & setup for max speed then wrapped in a polythene bag & put safely in the boat. When returned to bank, the max speed is recorded, very handy but not the cheapest, you only need one in a club or a bunch of boaters. I've put up a couple of pics to show what the speed is, on this run it was 14.1 kph converted to 8.76 mph (not as fast as you think!), but when the water is a bit more liquid I'll try for a better speed with new batteries.


am35

What is required is a GPS data logger, they are quite cheap now but you need to get one that takes data every couple of seconds.this may fit the bill

http://www.globalsat.com.tw/eng/product_detail_00000090.htm


Peter

well all is not lost stephen! Nightowl, a new forum member, is a good friend. He has a GPS on hio moblie phone, and has given me permission to put it in the boat (now its fully refurbed, and does not leak anymore!), it has the capability of holding the highest MPH, so I am looking forward to doing this, will report back soon hopefully.
As this is a !quiet" forum, maybe someone else will come back with some results on how to do the test!
Paul
(maybe somethimng we can do at the next funday? Guess your speed, then record it, see who is the closest!)

HI Paul,

I was kind of hoping there might be others that would reply too! in my case I just guessed the speed, so not very technical!

On the form you fill in for the power setups I added in two reference speeds to make it a bit easier:

3mph is the average walking speed
12mph is the average running speed

Going on that basis I guessed at about 8mph, it is much faster than walking speed, but I am sure someone could out run it if they wanted too.

I do know there is gps equipment you could put into the boat to measure the speed, however the only gps thingy I have will not record the speed, so unless I am on board the boat watching what the mph readout is at top speed there is no way of telling!

Maybe someone else has something more technical??....

Fireboat. 😎

COME ON PEOPLE!!!!

Several of you have stated MPH in your power set ups, so did you guess, or have something that measures,

Many thanks! 😀