Are standalone BECs effectively obsolete these days?

[GooberRC]

So I recently got back into RC after a few years away. Back then I would routinely wire up a Castle BEC in addition to the ESC BEC. There was way to do it safely with a diode and some clever wiring that someone else gave me the know-how on. I can provide some links if anyone is curious....

Now that I'm back, I rarely come across any mention of separate BECs unless for large models with tons of high torque servos. Is it safe to say that the ESC BECs we get in the current lineup of Freewing and Flightline PNPs are reliable enough to not even consider a Castle standalone? What do you guys think?

For reference, I recently ordered a T-33 and the 1600mm Corsair. The T-33 is on the bench right now and the Corsair will follow in about a week or so. Would hate to lose either of them to equipment failure obviously, but don't want to take on unnecessary expense and complication if I can avoid it.

[Alpha]

GooberRC Welcome back to the Hobby!

Modern foam electric PNPs from every major brand nowadays uses either an ESC with an integrated BEC (usually 5V@3A), or for larger ESCs, a separate UBEC (usually 5V@8A). Which of these is installed by the factory depends on the specific model and its voltage/amperage parameters as identified by the product developers (of which I am one).

Suffice to say, for our Freewing and FlightLine birds, we use whichever the math and our testing identifies is necessary. The T-33 and Corsair are among the top five in their respective classes in terms of popularity in their stock form, so I wouldn't worry too much about the stock components being up to the task.

Some users still opt to install larger UBECs, such as 10A and 15A variants for added peace of mind, but most often on larger aircraft particularly balsa models being outfitted with electric power systems.

As you venture into modern electric setups, you'll notice that high voltage systems such as 8s and above, will often use "Opto" ESCs. This term identifies ESCs without an internal BEC, and thus the use of an external means to power the electronics is necessary, either by a UBEC or a receiver battery regulated to the correct voltage for that specific electronics setup.

Finally, and I'd guess you already know this but just in case anyone else is reading: If configuring your own power supply, do not simultaneously use both an external UBEC and an ESC with an integrated BEC. The ESC's red wire will need to be removed, so that its BEC does not interfere with the UBEC. Unless using an uncommon redundant system, your receiver will only want a power supply from one source, not two. If you're wiring in a UBEC, obviously that is the source you'll want to use.

[GooberRC]

Thanks a lot Alpha. That puts my mind at ease for my upcoming maidens :-)

Yes, in the past I have used a redundant system with a diode strategically placed so the two BECs did not interfere with each other. It worked well but always felt like overkill, even back then. I'm glad to put that behind me on my RC return!