Speed controller hell

[Chris 1]

Hi all,
As the title suggests I am having major problems with lipo/electronic speed controller electric plane.
It has not been used for a couple of years and seems to have blown the speed controller, I have bought a new unit that worked for one test... now its toast too
can these things be repaired or are they just one use units? What can be blowing them?
Thanks,
Chris.

[JetPlaneFlyer]

What makes you think that the speed controller is 'blown'.. Did smoke come from it or is it noticeably burned?

If they are burned then the most likely cause of two failing one after the other is that something else is wrong and is causing the ESC to fail; reverse polarity on the battery, too high voltage battery, short between the three motor wires or burned out or seized motor.. there are a few possibilities.

ESCs usually cant be repaired if they burn out.

Some more details of your set up would help narrow things down. The most likely item to have failed after being stored for two years is the battery, not the ESC.

Steve

[flydiver]

Something is not right or you are doing something wrong. As indicated, details needed.

For most folks and ESC is not a repair item > replace.
They 'seem' simple enough but are actually pretty complex items.

[Chris 1]

Thanks for your replies guys, I have Lipoly Overlander sport 25c batt...2200mAH 11.1V 3S

Motor 910 Kv
Speed controller 30A Top Gun Etronix

A little bit of background info first...
Myself and my father used to fly this aircraft up until my Fathers death about 2 years ago, I have now rebuilt the craft and am ready to test fly it once again.
I used the battery and motor for a few weeks a couple of years ago with a JP 30A speed controller without any problems up until I crashed the Aeroplane

I have rebuilt the Aircraft and recharged the battery only to find that it worked for about two minutes. I have checked the battery voltage with my Avo Meter and found it to have charge, however the speed controller output is zero and the motor is not working. I then replaced the JP speed controller with the Etronix unit and the motor worked for a minute or so but has died again.
I am not sure if I am charging it correctly as the instructions on my Fusion Elysium LX60 B Pro charger may as well be written in martian for me.
It does say charge end after an hour or so and I think that it is the same settings as we used a couple of years ago when myself and my father used to fly it.( it seems to display the same values as are on the battery)
Hope this makes some sense.

PS No smoke came from the ESC and it does not look damaged at all, only the fact that I know voltage is going in and not coming out makes me think it is dead.

[JetPlaneFlyer]

Almost certainly the problem is your battery. If the battery was stored fully charged for two years then pretty much for sure it's toast. Is the battery swollen and slightly 'puffy'?
Even if a damaged battery charges up properly the voltage will likely drop when you put it under load, so the ESC automatically cuts the supply of power to the motor. This is called 'Low Voltage Cut-out (LVC), it's a safety feature to prevent over-discharge of the battery.

After charging the battery should show close to 12.5 or 12.6V. This will at least show that the charger is doing it's job but doesn't necessaries mean the battery is ok.

I'd recommend getting a new battery, even if there does prove to be other issues your old battery is likely to need replacing anyway. even if by some miracle the old battery is ok then it does no harm to have two.

[Chris 1]

Thanks very much indeed for the info, I will order up a new one and see what that brings.

Many thanks,
Chris.
( The battery looks ok, ie no swelling to look at)

[dgjessing]

If you disconnect the motor, do the servos work OK?

[Chris 1]

The servos work with the motor connected or disconnected.

Thanks,
Chris.

[Chris 1]

Hi All,
I have got a new battery and still have no response from the motor, I was wondering if I can check the motor with my Ohm meter?

The only markings on the motor are BC3536/9 910 KV

I am wondering if the motor is U/S could that maybe damage the ESC electronics?

Thanks,
Chris.

[JetPlaneFlyer]

Is the ESC arming when you power up the system?
You should get a series of beeps from the motor to indicate it is arming. If you aren't getting any beeps then double check that the ESC is plugged into the 'throttle' channel on the receiver. Also make sure that the throttle is closed all the way when you power up. Move the Tx throttle trim to fully closed to be sure that the receiver is getting a 'throttle closed' signal.

You can do a basic check with a multimeter on the motor. You should have minimal resistance (a few milliohms) between any two of the three motor wires and you should have near infinite resistance between any wire and the stator. Failing any of these tests would indicate a burned out or shorting motor winding. You should also be able to smell the burned windings if it had burned out. But that seems unlikely if the motor was working before you put it away.

[CHELLIE]

Originally Posted by Chris 1

Hi All,
I have got a new battery and still have no response from the motor, I was wondering if I can check the motor with my Ohm meter?

The only markings on the motor are BC3536/9 910 KV

I am wondering if the motor is U/S could that maybe damage the ESC electronics?

Thanks,
Chris.

Hi, Here is how you can test your motor.
http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35216

also use Turnigy Plush or Sentry ESC, they are inexpensive and are the best ESC for the money, they have been Bullet proof for me, its all I use and have had no problems with them.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...ontroller.html

Also, Make sure the Polarity on the esc and receiver are correct.

[Chris 1]

Many thanks to everyone who has helped me on this one...It is working once again.
I think it was the throttle cut setting on my transmitter that was not sending the signal to start the motor (well at least that is all that I changed...I think )
I am a complete newbie to the whole thing as my Father used to do most of the setting up, Actually he did most of the flying too which explains how the aircraft survived until I had a go. Oh well looks like it will be first outing soon then

It is all balanced up and now has bigger wheels to help on the ground ....here goes nothing


Thanks again to everyone, I am sure I will be back with more pointless questions.

Thanks,
Chris.

[JetPlaneFlyer]

Good that you got it working. For safety reasons the ESC has to see a fully closed throttle signal from the receiver before the ESC will arm itself, it sounds like that was the issue. Curious though why it should have ran for a minute or two previously, maybe that problem was down to the battery.

Anyway you have two batteries so now you should be able to have twice as much flying. I'd suggest you do an extended ground run up to full power on the old battery to make sure it's working ok. Old batteries very often cause the ESC to trip out on LVC when the battery is under high load, you don't want the motor cutting out on you in flight just at the wrong moment.

Good luck.

[pattern14]

Originally Posted by Chris 1

Many thanks to everyone who has helped me on this one...It is working once again.
I think it was the throttle cut setting on my transmitter that was not sending the signal to start the motor (well at least that is all that I changed...I think )
I am a complete newbie to the whole thing as my Father used to do most of the setting up, Actually he did most of the flying too which explains how the aircraft survived until I had a go. Oh well looks like it will be first outing soon then

It is all balanced up and now has bigger wheels to help on the ground ....here goes nothing


Thanks again to everyone, I am sure I will be back with more pointless questions.

Thanks,
Chris.

No questions are pointless; NOT asking for help is a sure fire way to disaster. Do you have someone to give you a hand with getting her in the air (friend, nearby club or hobby shop proprietor etc)? An experienced pilot is invaluable for those early flights. Good luck.

[Chris 1]

Thanks JPF, I will give the old battery a thorough test before trusting it in the air. I have roped my Wife and Daughter in to help out, however they are as green as I am so I am expecting another pile of parts to come home

Maybe I will manage a take off and landing and amaze us all

I will report back after its first cra...flight

Thanks,
Chris.

[riverrat]

Chris.

Good luck!!

Please report back,
& let us know how
it went?

Regards
Jimmy

[Chris 1]

Hi All,
Well the first hop went better than I thought, it started its run well and the bigger wheels (4") helped soak up the bumps. It did pull off to the right, so maybe needs trimmed out to run straight before I go for a takeoff run. It gathered speed well then sort of hopped up an inch or so and turned on its own axis before dropping back down and snapping the undercarriage off. This was always something we found on most landings.
To remedy this I have used Araldite to bond the bracket in to its mount and mounted outriggers to give a, A wider track for increased stability and b, a little bit of suspension on landings. ( I have used two short bits of Meccano for the outriggers)

Hope to go for another hop soon

Thanks,
Chris.