The only problem I've noted using a much bigger ESC (apart from its weight) is it may be set for a higher number of cells than you plan to use (example: a secondhand ESC set for 6S when you only use 3S). This can cause strange problems like the motor not running at max or the ESC cutting out before the LIPO is down to its lower voltage limit. So always check its battery cell count with a configuration card or the (frustrating) music beep method.
Great video. I use the same term when I explain the Motor-ESC-Battery system, that the motor PULLS current through the ESC from the battery. Also, great recommendation to always have 20% excess capacity in the ESC. Thank you!
I just stuck a 30 amp ESC into my latest FT Mini Arrow with an EMAX MT2204 2300kv motor/6inch prop. Bench testing results made me chuckle. Thing is going to rip at 360 grams!
I'd prefer to put a Wattmeter in line between the battery and speedo, for bench testing. Using e-calc or whatever is all well and good IF everything is to the spec it claims, but there is always that rogue motor that draws a lot more than it should - especially if the ground has jumped up and hit it!
Absolutely! I like to have a slightly bigger esc than required. I liken it to doing 60 miles on the highway, you don't want to be redlining your car motor, you want to be cruising. Same also applies for hifo amplification, best to have more power in the amp than speakers are rated for for cleaner sound
@@-BUFFALOMan no he means having head room in terms of the rms output of the amp being a higher rating than the rms of the speaker and running the amp at let's say 75% of its rated output rather than 100%. the amp runs cooler and as has little chance of distorting the signal and damaging the speaker
This is sort of something i want to delve into a bit more,I'm a total noob to fpv,but i'm an electronics technician. Your right that the motor will draw what it needs as far as current is concerned,the voltage fed to the motor will always be peak battery voltage as that's how pwm works. I have the idea that the ESC input signal from the flight controller will be the same no matter what flight controller is used as this is basically a power conversion ie low signal power to high drive demand. Even all in one controllers can have the onboard ESC parts removed to save weight if external ESC units are fitted. I am looking at some older drones that have 2s 20c rated batteries a hubson 501,it has separate ESC units,my thought is change out the ESC units to higher current rated types,also upgrade the motors,even if a conversion plate is needed for the new motor to mount to new screw holes using the old screw holes to hold the conversion plate. Fit bigger props,use a larger cell count battery with a higher C rating for faster spool time,and also maintain the original flight controller board and or the Vtx voltages with a smps buck converter or a linear regulator. To get a higher drive power ,longer range with a lighter body . My issue is with the C rating ,even just changing out the 2s 7.4v battery of 20-30c to a higher C rated battery what if any issues could arise,i don't see a problem,i just foresee a drone that might be a bit zippier,or the motors "might" over heat,but again they "the motors" should be more than capable of utilising a more available current source,therby allowing again a faster spool up time ,if anything the higher C rated battery would be under less stress and or heating due to the lower internal resistance not causing thermal runaway from current demands. Please let me know what you think of my ideas,i was going to build a drone but if i can start with a partially built item ie strip out either low rated ESC or onboard ESC and motors,a bit like not using a cheap pc all in one video/sound card and opting for separate items to plug in,when people did that. Also i'd take the heatshrink of of any controller and add heat sinks to the mosfets then seal the electronics with either a conformal coating spray or the silicone rubber solution for electronics use,in case any one reading this bathroom silicone rubber is no good as it gives off acetic acid(vinegar) and will eat away copper like ferric chloride used to etch pcbs,fish tank silicone is fine too as it too does not give of nasty copper or fish killing nasties. Sorry for the length of this ,but i wanted to convey the full idea of my proposed plan clever or dumb,i think it could be done and i may yet cannibalise a cheap ebay drone preferably analog as i have a EV800 box viewer. Subscribed and enjoy the vids.
I just went from a 30 amp ESC to a 70 amp .ESC on a 2200 4s batt for my carbon Cub s.thats rated for 3 or 4s.Any ideas on whether its better to use the 70amp esc or should I continue to use the 30 Amp esc?
100 % correct Lee, but the prop motor KV is super important, if you overprop the motor specially in hi KV motors, the motor will get hot degrading over time the lacquer of the motor in the best case or melting the lacquer, making a short in the stator windings and burn the esc. So a balance combo is golden.
I was on the same page as this here, but then I have burned out 2 motors with ESC's 50% larger (all with recommended batteries and propellers). Then with the latest new motor, when hitting the throttle, the motor would immediately stall. Down to the rated ESC and works fine. It makes me thing that some motors will pull more amps then they can consume without damage.
@@Painless360 What kind of setting? All 3 different ESC's and motors bought new. All flew at least once. One burned up at launch, one on a fly by and one jst quit working. The motor would beep without starting on large ESC and has been working ever since with the same type ESC of said rating. I still think some motors will pull more amperage then they can tolerate.
Couldn't we use a clamp meter to measure the ESC for what it draws? Been having a bit of a play with some DC ceiling fan motors and it totally fascinates me how similar they are compared to what we use for quadcopters and scooters. In fact most are rated 24v and for a bit of fun it I reckon we could use a flight controller ;)
You could use the clamp meter to measure the current draw from the motor, I.E. clamp between motor and esc, one wire of the three, then multiply what you see by 3, you can't measure all three phases at once and get a meaningful reading, alternately you could use three meters, one on each wire then add them up, same result, 3 times as expensive. This is on the AC setting or better still if it offers it the AC RMS setting. If you measure above the esc, that is between the esc and the power supply you need to set it to DC current and you will see the motors current draw plus a little more, that little more being the conversion inefficiency of the esc, which is the heat dissipated by it in watts expressed in terms of the small difference in current reading shown on your meter (as compared to when you measured the motor current) multiplied by the supply voltage. You may need to read all that three times, sorry ;)
I have not yet constructed the drone that I painstakingly acquired parts for starting in 2016 or so. But, after watching some TH-cam videos, I was not sure if I made a mistake in purchasing ESC devices that were rated for the same current as my motors, as several videos stated that is advisable to use ESC devices rated at (Approx.) 20% above the motor rating.
If you have a setup for a brushless heli, how would you go about that? Would you need 2 esc's or can you get a brushless esc with 2 independent outputs.
I had the same question, I was worried that higher rated ESC will provide too low a resistance and won't regulate the current going to the BLDC motor. In reality, that is only a problem if you are using a higher voltage than the BLDC motor is rated for, or when the motor is running at max power and it heats up before the ESC heats and reduces power to protect the circuit.
I'm retired but I trained as an electronics engineer but spent most of my career in IT. th-cam.com/video/3hZyJcdEg2A/w-d-xo.html covers a lot of the common questions... Happy flying
@@Painless360 Thanks, you seem to have too much of a good personality for that job. I hope you occasionally give yourself a little pat on the back and realize how much of a Positive impact you have had on So many people..How many times Your efforts have turned frustration into Flight...Good on Ya Sir.
I just recently got an RC boat and this answered a lot of my questions however doesn’t the certain cell battery also affect how much the motor pulls? That still don’t get and I wonder if if you have a video about. Because say at 2S it might pull 20 A and it’ll want that full 40. Unless that’s not how it works.😂
A motor is a constant speed device and will have a specific speed it want to turn at and a power level (in watts) it can dissipate safely. Watts = volts x amps so if you increase the voltage, the current goes down typically. But, a motor is usually designed for a specific set of voltages and prop sizes to make sure that it can handle the current that it pulls and the power it needs to spin the prop. See the motor thrust tables for how things like current, voltage and prop affect thrust.. Best of luck!
Good evening, I'm new to the RC world and am currently building one of my first few bait boats. So if you can answer my questions, that would be very very helpful and I would be very happy. So, I have 2x 12V 6800rpm brushed motors, 12V 7.2AH gel battery. I bought two 12V 320A ESC-s. And my question is, would the ESC-s be “overkill” and would they drain the battery faster than, for example, a 2x 12V 40A ESC-s or does that have anything to do with it? Kind regards
Hello Sir, I have brushless motor with 1250KV and maximum current is 70 and in the data sheet mentioned for 70 ESC, my question is can I use 40 Amp ESC for my motor just to test it?
I am new to RC and am trying to find an electric motor to replace the .20 gas motor my stick build plan calls for. My trainer has a 50 x 9 inch wing and should be approximately 3 LB when completed. Can you help?
can i use this same brand but with 50A for a quadcopter with 4 1855KV motors and one 6S LiPo battery? The motors are rated at 35A max. Please it's urgent.
Adding "duty cycle" to my drone-speak is Sexy! Right? Anyone? Echo echo echo... Now lets us show the opposite: a 50A 2207 with a 15A ESC: Engage Safety Squints and Pepsi Extinguisher!
Random question... I see people buying battery packs for ebikes with different amp specs. Is it possible to have device that simply would electronically change volts ? From say 48a to 60a ? Assuming you have capable battery.. Similar to chip in vape mod with wattage adjustments?
Motor max power = current x voltage 10% headroom on esc just nice Overprops, lesser pitch/blades. Underprops, higher pitch/more blades. Manufactures dint gave any power/max speed - torque curve, just do the math. Loading must be less than base/platform.
It is like a mother feeding a baby...the mother is never going to force feed the baby but if she doesn`t feed the baby enough it will start crying for more.
The only problem I've noted using a much bigger ESC (apart from its weight) is it may be set for a higher number of cells than you plan to use (example: a secondhand ESC set for 6S when you only use 3S). This can cause strange problems like the motor not running at max or the ESC cutting out before the LIPO is down to its lower voltage limit. So always check its battery cell count with a configuration card or the (frustrating) music beep method.
Great video. I use the same term when I explain the Motor-ESC-Battery system, that the motor PULLS current through the ESC from the battery. Also, great recommendation to always have 20% excess capacity in the ESC. Thank you!
I just stuck a 30 amp ESC into my latest FT Mini Arrow with an EMAX MT2204 2300kv motor/6inch prop. Bench testing results made me chuckle. Thing is going to rip at 360 grams!
I'd prefer to put a Wattmeter in line between the battery and speedo, for bench testing. Using e-calc or whatever is all well and good IF everything is to the spec it claims, but there is always that rogue motor that draws a lot more than it should - especially if the ground has jumped up and hit it!
Great explanation! Other utube videos only confused me. Thank you!
Absolutely!
I like to have a slightly bigger esc than required.
I liken it to doing 60 miles on the highway, you don't want to be redlining your car motor, you want to be cruising.
Same also applies for hifo amplification, best to have more power in the amp than speakers are rated for for cleaner sound
@@-BUFFALOMan no he means having head room in terms of the rms output of the amp being a higher rating than the rms of the speaker and running the amp at let's say 75% of its rated output rather than 100%. the amp runs cooler and as has little chance of distorting the signal and damaging the speaker
@@-BUFFALOMan Yes, but you don't run the amp at full output, that's the point.
That makes it too easy to blow your speakers. As many can attest to!
@@axelbrendel4091 if you set it up correctly there is no chance of blowing your speakers. if you over drive them then of course it causes damage
This is sort of something i want to delve into a bit more,I'm a total noob to fpv,but i'm an electronics technician.
Your right that the motor will draw what it needs as far as current is concerned,the voltage fed to the motor will always be peak battery voltage as that's how pwm works.
I have the idea that the ESC input signal from the flight controller will be the same no matter what flight controller is used as this is basically a power conversion ie low signal power to high drive demand.
Even all in one controllers can have the onboard ESC parts removed to save weight if external ESC units are fitted.
I am looking at some older drones that have 2s 20c rated batteries a hubson 501,it has separate ESC units,my thought is change out the ESC units to higher current rated types,also upgrade the motors,even if a conversion plate is needed for the new motor to mount to new screw holes using the old screw holes to hold the conversion plate.
Fit bigger props,use a larger cell count battery with a higher C rating for faster spool time,and also maintain the original flight controller board and or the Vtx voltages with a smps buck converter or a linear regulator.
To get a higher drive power ,longer range with a lighter body .
My issue is with the C rating ,even just changing out the 2s 7.4v battery of 20-30c to a higher C rated battery what if any issues could arise,i don't see a problem,i just foresee a drone that might be a bit zippier,or the motors "might" over heat,but again they "the motors" should be more than capable of utilising a more available current source,therby allowing again a faster spool up time ,if anything the higher C rated battery would be under less stress and or heating due to the lower internal resistance not causing thermal runaway from current demands.
Please let me know what you think of my ideas,i was going to build a drone but if i can start with a partially built item ie strip out either low rated ESC or onboard ESC and motors,a bit like not using a cheap pc all in one video/sound card and opting for separate items to plug in,when people did that.
Also i'd take the heatshrink of of any controller and add heat sinks to the mosfets then seal the electronics with either a conformal coating spray or the silicone rubber solution for electronics use,in case any one reading this bathroom silicone rubber is no good as it gives off acetic acid(vinegar) and will eat away copper like ferric chloride used to etch pcbs,fish tank silicone is fine too as it too does not give of nasty copper or fish killing nasties.
Sorry for the length of this ,but i wanted to convey the full idea of my proposed plan clever or dumb,i think it could be done and i may yet cannibalise a cheap ebay drone preferably analog as i have a EV800 box viewer.
Subscribed and enjoy the vids.
I just went from a 30 amp ESC to a 70 amp .ESC on a 2200 4s batt for my carbon Cub s.thats rated for 3 or 4s.Any ideas on whether its better to use the 70amp esc or should I continue to use the 30 Amp esc?
Good advice as always. I learned the hard way with rc cars when I was a kid, popped quite a few esc's before i figured it out lol. Stay safe Lee
Excellent advice , well done to you.
Thanks for all the tips, Lee! 😊
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
100 % correct Lee, but the prop motor KV is super important, if you overprop the motor specially in hi KV motors, the motor will get hot degrading over time the lacquer of the motor in the best case or melting the lacquer, making a short in the stator windings and burn the esc. So a balance combo is golden.
Indeed, see the motor and prop series where Markus and I covered that in a lot of detail... Happy flying!
I was on the same page as this here, but then I have burned out 2 motors with ESC's 50% larger (all with recommended batteries and propellers). Then with the latest new motor, when hitting the throttle, the motor would immediately stall. Down to the rated ESC and works fine. It makes me thing that some motors will pull more amps then they can consume without damage.
More likely the ESC settings were wrong for the motor.. Happy flying
@@Painless360 What kind of setting? All 3 different ESC's and motors bought new. All flew at least once. One burned up at launch, one on a fly by and one jst quit working. The motor would beep without starting on large ESC and has been working ever since with the same type ESC of said rating. I still think some motors will pull more amperage then they can tolerate.
I'd suspect timing if things are getting super hot quickly.
Couldn't we use a clamp meter to measure the ESC for what it draws? Been having a bit of a play with some DC ceiling fan motors and it totally fascinates me how similar they are compared to what we use for quadcopters and scooters. In fact most are rated 24v and for a bit of fun it I reckon we could use a flight controller ;)
You could use the clamp meter to measure the current draw from the motor, I.E. clamp between motor and esc, one wire of the three, then multiply what you see by 3, you can't measure all three phases at once and get a meaningful reading, alternately you could use three meters, one on each wire then add them up, same result, 3 times as expensive. This is on the AC setting or better still if it offers it the AC RMS setting. If you measure above the esc, that is between the esc and the power supply you need to set it to DC current and you will see the motors current draw plus a little more, that little more being the conversion inefficiency of the esc, which is the heat dissipated by it in watts expressed in terms of the small difference in current reading shown on your meter (as compared to when you measured the motor current) multiplied by the supply voltage. You may need to read all that three times, sorry ;)
I have not yet constructed the drone that I painstakingly acquired parts for starting in 2016 or so. But, after watching some TH-cam videos, I was not sure if I made a mistake in purchasing ESC devices that were rated for the same current as my motors, as several videos stated that is advisable to use ESC devices rated at (Approx.) 20% above the motor rating.
th-cam.com/video/xPDc6r6nRTU/w-d-xo.html is my video in it. Best of luck
If you have a setup for a brushless heli, how would you go about that? Would you need 2 esc's or can you get a brushless esc with 2 independent outputs.
I've ever only seen one esc per motor connection... best of luck
I had the same question, I was worried that higher rated ESC will provide too low a resistance and won't regulate the current going to the BLDC motor. In reality, that is only a problem if you are using a higher voltage than the BLDC motor is rated for, or when the motor is running at max power and it heats up before the ESC heats and reduces power to protect the circuit.
Nothing to do with resistance. Glad you found the answer. Best of luck
@@Painless360 Thanks for the video! It's amazing how common BLDC (Especially around A2212 Size) motors have become nowadays, isn't it!
2212 was the motor size used on early DJI Phantoms so lots of kit started to use them.. Happy flying
@@Painless360
Thanks,..as always you provide excellent information. You mind me asking what Is your day job ?
I'm retired but I trained as an electronics engineer but spent most of my career in IT. th-cam.com/video/3hZyJcdEg2A/w-d-xo.html covers a lot of the common questions... Happy flying
@@Painless360 Thanks, you seem to have too much of a good personality for that job. I hope you occasionally give yourself a little pat on the back and realize how much of a Positive impact you have had on So many people..How many times Your efforts have turned frustration into Flight...Good on Ya Sir.
Where did you get the 40 amp esc from?
It came with a RTF kit a while back. I buy my fixes wing ESCs from 3DXR... Happy flying
I just recently got an RC boat and this answered a lot of my questions however doesn’t the certain cell battery also affect how much the motor pulls? That still don’t get and I wonder if if you have a video about. Because say at 2S it might pull 20 A and it’ll want that full 40. Unless that’s not how it works.😂
A motor is a constant speed device and will have a specific speed it want to turn at and a power level (in watts) it can dissipate safely. Watts = volts x amps so if you increase the voltage, the current goes down typically. But, a motor is usually designed for a specific set of voltages and prop sizes to make sure that it can handle the current that it pulls and the power it needs to spin the prop. See the motor thrust tables for how things like current, voltage and prop affect thrust.. Best of luck!
Hmm. Alright thanks😮
Good evening,
I'm new to the RC world and am currently building one of my first few bait boats. So if you can answer my questions, that would be very very helpful and I would be very happy. So, I have 2x 12V 6800rpm brushed motors, 12V 7.2AH gel battery. I bought two 12V 320A ESC-s. And my question is, would the ESC-s be “overkill” and would they drain the battery faster than, for example, a 2x 12V 40A ESC-s or does that have anything to do with it?
Kind regards
Thanks
I have a carbon cub s with a 2200 4s 30amp esc and i Replaced it with a 70amp esc.Any advice on whether this is a good idea?
After watching the video, what is your opinion?
is there a way to accurate test the actual current draw from a motor. I bought some 2807 motors rated at peak 55a but its still blowing up my ESCs.
Amp draw is usually specified for a certain prop size. Using a larger, or more aggressive prop will cause the current to be a lot more... Best of luck
Hello Sir,
I have brushless motor with 1250KV and maximum current is 70 and in the data sheet mentioned for 70 ESC, my question is can I use 40 Amp ESC for my motor just to test it?
No. Best of luck.
@@Painless360 thank you sir
I am new to RC and am trying to find an electric motor to replace the .20 gas motor my stick build plan calls for. My trainer has a 50 x 9 inch wing and should be approximately 3 LB when completed. Can you help?
Sure. th-cam.com/video/MJEHF_Vtuek/w-d-xo.html
Best of luck
Thank you
I have wondered how ESC controls the throttle/speed of the motor, is it PWM?
Sort of. It increases the time power is sent to each phase in turn by increasing the on time... Happy flying
can i use this same brand but with 50A for a quadcopter with 4 1855KV motors and one 6S LiPo battery? The motors are rated at 35A max. Please it's urgent.
As covered in the video, if the motor will pull less than the ESC is rated for... You're good
Adding "duty cycle" to my drone-speak is Sexy!
Right? Anyone? Echo echo echo...
Now lets us show the opposite: a 50A 2207 with a 15A ESC: Engage Safety Squints and Pepsi Extinguisher!
Random question... I see people buying battery packs for ebikes with different amp specs. Is it possible to have device that simply would electronically change volts ? From say 48a to 60a ? Assuming you have capable battery.. Similar to chip in vape mod with wattage adjustments?
I'm sure that those devices exist but they are not used in the RC Hobby. Best of luck
Pls, what ESC is best 510 750kv brushless motor
What amp rating will the motor need?
@@Painless360 It's, needs 40amp 6s
I'd go with a 50a esc. The type depends on the model type: plane, quad or heli... Best
@@Painless360 o
@@Painless360 Ok, thanks the model is a quadcopter
Motor max power = current x voltage
10% headroom on esc just nice
Overprops, lesser pitch/blades. Underprops, higher pitch/more blades.
Manufactures dint gave any power/max speed - torque curve, just do the math.
Loading must be less than base/platform.
👍👍
It is like a mother feeding a baby...the mother is never going to force feed the baby
but if she doesn`t feed the baby enough it will start crying for more.
Remember: Current is pulled by the load, not pushed by the source.
Draw = Current = Flow = Resistance = Heat
I always over engineer the power system.
And if u know youre going to fly pulling big amps from your esc, please change ure battery leads to a deans connector as it can hold more heat
Than an XT30? sure, than an XT90? no. They are rated at 60A, same as an XT60
@@m3chanist yeah the deans goes up to 90amps. Ive had the xt60 solders melted on me a few times.. always its an expensive fix lol
Yes, in most case(if i am correct).