HobbyZone ZIG ZAG RACER 2 User manual

HobbyZone®products are distributed exclusively by
Horizon Hobby, Inc.
4105 Fieldstone Road
Champaign, IL 61822
©2004 Horizon Hobby, Inc.
6503
hobbyzonesports.com
HBZ3412
605482 14372 8

Instruction
™
Instruction Manual
TM

Get ready to have a BLAST with
your ZIG ZAG RACER 2™
—the high-performance, highly maneuverable, self-righting
speedboat from HobbyZone®. You'll have hours of fun zip-
ping across the water, racing with friends and playing Zig Zag
Water Soccer. But before the fun begins, it’s very important
that you read this manual completely and follow the directions
carefully. That way you'll be sure your Zig Zag fun is safe
and successful.

Welcome
to the World of
Crash damage is not covered
under the warranty.
Be sure to read the warranty
on page 26 and "Warnings and
Safety" on page 24 before you
proceed to Step 1.

Step 1
4
1. Remove transmitter back cover by
pushing down with thumbs, as indicated
by the arrows.
2. Install batteries. Use fresh 1.5V “AA”
batteries only.
3. Watch polarity. Replace cover.
4. To test, switch on transmitter—LED should
glow brightly.
5. Replace batteries when you hear
low-battery alarm (beeping sound).
Needed for Step 1
"AA" Heavy-Duty Batteries
(x8 included)
Transmitter

Step 2
5
Install Battery
IMPORTANT – Prior to installing battery, the
transmitter must be turned on and your
Zig Zag boat placed on the included stand.
1. Lift canopy slightly and turn sideways to uncover
battery compartment.
2. Attach battery to connector in boat and place
battery in compartment.
3. To secure battery, stretch rubber band over the
top of the battery and connect to hook.
4. Make sure battery and connectors do not inter-
fere with movement of wire pushrod.
5. Reposition canopy and secure it by fitting
canopy peg into the front alignment cavity in the
hull and inside the five hull alignment posts.
Note: Always make sure your transmitter is on
before you install the battery. After you are done,
make sure the battery is unplugged prior to turning
off the transmitter.
Hull Alignment Posts Rubber Band

Step 3
6
Motor Test and Battery Discharge
CAUTION: Keep everything clear of the propeller.
A moving propeller can cause injury.
1. The small lever next to the throttle stick (left
stick on transmitter) is called a throttle trim
lever. With your boat on the stand, transmitter
turned on, and battery installed, make sure
the throttle trim lever is in the center
(neutral) position.
2. If motor is running, gradually move the trim
lever down until the motor stops.
3. Move throttle stick (left stick on transmitter)
up. Motor speed will increase as this
stick is moved up.
4. In order to fully discharge the battery, run
the motor at high speed until it shuts off. If
there is not enough charge in the battery to
power the propeller, then proceed to Step 4
(on next page).
5. When finished with the motor test, be sure to
disconnect the battery first then turn off the
transmitter.
Throttle Stick
Throttle
Trim Lever
Rudder Stick
Rudder
Trim Lever

Step 4
7
Important: Charge the battery shortly before
running the Zig Zag Racer 2. If you charge the
battery 12–48 hours before use, charge again for
30 minutes right before you run. Stop charging
immediately when the battery becomes warm,
indicating it is fully charged.
Charging the Zig Zag Battery
Note: Never charge a hot battery or a battery
that is already charged. Always discharge before
every charge. See Step 3 for instructions on
discharging.
See "Warnings and Safety" on page 24.
1. The charger supplied with the Zig Zag Racer 2™
has a built-in timer. Plug the battery into the
charger, and then plug the charger into the
wall. The LED indicator should glow constantly.
After about 3 hours, the LED will turn off. At
this time, the battery is charged and ready
to use.
2. To charge another battery, the charger must
first be unplugged from both the wall and the
battery to reset the timer.

Step 5
8
Right Rudder Left Rudder
Back of Boat Back of Boat
Rudder Test
NOTE:
The small lever under the rudder stick is
called a trim lever and is used to adjust
the "neutral" point of your control stick.
To do this, place the rudder stick in
neutral (center) position. If rudder is
not aligned straight ahead, use the
rudder trim lever to center it.
Move the rudder stick
(right stick on transmitter)
side to side. The rudder should
move as shown in the drawings.

Step 6
9
Choosing Your Location
CAUTION: Parents, do not allow young children to
go the lake or pool unsupervised. Be safe and
stay away from steep grades near shorelines
where you or those with you could slip and fall
into the water.
1. Choose a location that is not being used by
swimmers when you are running your boat.
2. If you choose a lake, be sure there is no moss,
grass, weeds or debris present that could get
wrapped around the propeller or trap your boat
offshore.
3. Make sure the shoreline is clear and relatively
flat so you can easily launch, operate and
retrieve your boat.
DO NOT mix radio control
boating and swimming.
DO NOT swim to retrieve
your boat.
Do not operate your boat near
moss, grass, weeds, brush, etc.

Step 7
10
Range Test
You will need two people to do the range test:
one to hold the transmitter and one to hold the
Zig Zag Racer 2™.
1. One person holds the transmitter; the other
person walks 100 paces away with the boat.
2. Extend the transmitter antenna completely and
turn the transmitter on.
3. Plug in the battery and close the hatch cover.
4. As the first person moves both of the trans-
mitter controls at the same time, the other
person watches to be sure the boat's motor
and rudder controls operate smoothly.
WATCH OUT! The person holding the boat should
hold it so that the propeller does not come in
contact with any part of their body.
If model does not range test correctly, do not run.
Call Horizon Hobby Product Support Staff toll-
free at 1-877-504-0233 for directions on how
to proceed.
WATCH OUT! The person holding the airplane
should hold it so that the propeller does not come
in contact with any part of their body.

Step 8
11
Launching and Running
Before launching, make sure no one in the area is
operating another radio control vehicle on the
same frequency. Your frequency is marked on the
back of your transmitter and under the boat canopy.
1. To launch your Zig Zag Racer 2™, turn trans-
mitter on, install charged battery and place and
release the boat in the water.
2. Advance throttle (left) stick partially so boat
moves slowly. Move rudder (right) stick to
right to turn the boat to the right. Move rudder
stick to left to turn the boat to the left.
3. Practice running the boat at slow speed,
making right, left, and figure-eight turns. As
your ability to control the boat improves, grad-
ually increase the speed. With a bit of practice,
you'll see your driving skills improve quickly.
Left Turn Right Turn

Launching and Running (continued)
•Your Zig Zag Racer 2™ has no reverse. Be sure
to plan ahead while driving so you don’t get
your boat stuck in a dead end.
•Running time with a fully charged battery will
be approximately 10–15 minutes, depending
on your driving speed.
NOTE: When you notice your boat running much
slower even at full throttle, it’s time to bring your
boat to shore. Slower speed indicates the battery
is low, and you have only 2 or 3 minutes of
running time before it completely stops. Make
sure you allow the motor to cool for 5 minutes
between battery exchanges.
CAUTION
• Do not run your boat into hard objects or
onto shore or the rudder and propeller can
be damaged.
• Keep hands and fingers away from the
moving propeller when launching or retrieving
your boat.
• Do not swim to retrieve your boat.
• If the canopy of the boat becomes dislodged,
you may need to remove water from inside the
boat. Remove the drain plug at the back of the
boat and drain the water, then replace the plug.
Step 8
12

Trimming the Rudder Control
Step 9
13
If moving
left, then
move trim
lever to the
right.
If moving
right, then
move trim
lever to the
left.
#1 #2
If boat veers to
the right, bend
this way.
Bend Point
•After launching your boat, check to see that it
is running straight.
•If your Zig Zag Racer 2™ always turns to the
right when rudder stick is at neutral (centered),
move the trim lever below the stick to the left
until it drives straight. See drawing #1.
•If the boat always turns to the left when the
rudder stick is at neutral, move the trim lever to
the right until it drives straight. See drawing #2.
•If the boat still turns in one direction after
moving the trim lever the full amount in the
opposite direction, you will need to adjust the
rudder linkage wire.
If the boat still turns to the left, use your fingers
to bend a greater angle in the wire.
If the boat still turns to the right, use your fingers
or a pair of pliers to slightly straighten the wire. If boat veers to
the left, bend
this way.

RACING AND GAMES WITH THE ZIG ZAG
14
Racecourse Setup
The Zig Zag Racer 2TM is available on six different frequencies (channels). This means that up to six people can
race at the same time.
You can use the orange buoys that come with
your Zig Zag Racer 2 to set up a racecourse.
1. Attach butterfly-shaped steel anchor to orange
ball by first removing the tape that holds the
fishing line in place.
2. Push the white plastic plug firmly into the hole
in the ball.
3. Toss this assembly into the water in the
desired location. The line will unwind on its
own until the anchor hits bottom, and the buoy
will float on top of the water.
CAUTION: Do not swim to retrieve buoys.
For retrieval method, see page 18.
4To mark the course, use two or three buoys set
in a line or in the shape of a triangle. You
should allow 20 to 30 feet between them if
possible. See drawings below. Vary the
racecourse shape to sharpen your skills.
Setup Options
#1. Oval #2. Triangle
#3. Figure 8 #4. Slalam
#5. Zig Zag

15
Racing Options
1. After you've set up your course, drivers launch
their boats and then stand in a line on the
shore a minimum of 6 feet apart. Do not walk
between a driver and his boat or you may
cause radio interference.
2. To start, boats should be launched and lined up
together near the racecourse (see drawing A),
ready for the starter's "Go!"
3. Another way to start is for each driver to hold
his or her boat at water’s edge. At "Go,” drivers
release boats and head for the first buoy
(see drawing B).
Note:
Race length is determined in advance by the
number of laps or by the amount of time (10
laps or 5 minutes, for example).
123456
123456
6' 6' 6' 6' 6' 6' 6'
B.
A.

Zig Zag Water Soccer Setup
16
When you can consistently maneuver your Zig
Zag Racer 2™ at both low and high speeds, you
can add to your racing fun by playing Zig Zag
Water Soccer. Here’s how you set up your boat
and "playing field."
1. Attach bumper to front of boat using the three
screws provided. Secure the screws but do not
over-tighten.
2. To set up your playing field, place two buoys
(with anchor attached) in water approximately
50 feet apart to mark the two goal lines.
50 feet

17
Playing Zig Zag Water Soccer
Zig Zag Water Soccer can be played with one,
two, or three players on each team with each boat
on a different frequency.
•Game begins by tossing the third orange ball
(w/o anchor) into the middle of the "playing field."
•Each team tries to score by using their bumper
to push the ball past the goal line.
•To make the game more challenging, the
bumpers have been designed so the ball pops
loose when you exceed 4–5 mph. Because of
this, easy "sprints" to the goal line are not pos-
sible, and your competitor has time to catch up
with you and steal the ball. Just as in real
soccer, each team will be most effective when
using strategic offensive and defensive plays
and teamwork.
•Game length is made up of two 4-minute
halves. The team scoring the most goals wins.
If neither team scores, there is a third 1-minute
playing period. After one minute, the team
that scores the most points or is closest to the
goal line is declared winner.
Goal line marker buoy
NOTE: For best results, it is easiest to move the
ball when the throttle is in low position.
123456
Orange ball
Goal line marker buoy
50 feet
Team #1
Drivers
Team #2
Drivers

Retrieving Buoys
18
The bumper provided for Water Soccer can also
be used to retrieve the orange buoys.
Remember—do not swim to retrieve the buoys.
1. Attach bumper to front of boat using the three
screws provided. Secure the screws but do not
over-tighten.
2. Re-launch your Zig Zag and steer it to catch a
buoy in the bumper.
3. Carefully pull the buoy towards shore. The
anchor will create some drag that will slow
your speed and hamper maneuverability.
CAUTION: Do not swim to retrieve the buoys.

19
Small Crack
Maintaining the Zig Zag Racer 2
•The Zig Zag Racer 2TM is designed to be self-
righting if it is tipped over during racing or
while playing water soccer, as long as the
canopy is fitted properly to the hull. If the
canopy is knocked out of place, immediately
drive to shore, empty any water from the boat
and put the canopy back into place.
•Be careful not to hit other boats or objects
broadside at full throttle with the nose of your
Zig Zag or you can damage the canopy. Small
cracks can be taped, but if you get a large
crack or break a piece out of the canopy, it
must be replaced with a new one.
•The rudder shaft can be damaged if you run
over an object, another boat or hit the shore.
Be careful when bending it back into position.
•After each run, drain any water out of the boat
before running again.
•Be sure to allow motor to cool for 5 minutes
after a run, between battery exchanges.
Carefully bend rudder
back to original position.