To change some control throws on my SCORPION, I plugged in a 4.8v battery to the rx battery slot, and did not plug in the 6S main battery. This allowed me to make changes without worrying about bumping the throttle. The changes worked fine, but the entire time the 4.8 v were applied the ESC was emitting an intermittent chirp. Can the ESC be damaged, or deprogrammed using this method?
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It won't harm the ESC, however what it may do is to set the ESC into programming mode and you may find when you reconnect your flight battery the motor will not run because the ESC is now set in programming mode. You may have to re-initialize the ESC to get the motor to operate. I'm not saying this will happen in every case. I'm saying it can happen and it may.
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Thanks, Martin. Could it allow the motor to run, but not reach it's full power? If that is possible, I will re-initialize each time I do this procedure.Originally posted by Martin.MotionRC View PostComment
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Yes, it is possible for the motor to run and not reach full power. I've done the same thing as you, thats how I know what happens. I too connected a 4.8v battery to the RX to carry out servo adjustments and I didn't disconnect the ESC from the RX. When I reconnected the flight battery, thats when I discovered the ESC had gone into programming mode.Comment
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I've done this a few times for the same reasons. It "shouldn't" do a thing to the ESC. That beeping is just telling you that there is no power going to the ESC. Entering programming mode (and throttle calibration mode) generally requires the ESC to see full throttle on power up. The internal BEC uses some sort of "step-down" voltage circuit before delivering power to the TX. When going the other direction (ie, plugging in a RX battery only), that circuit won't do a "step-up" in voltage and can't power the ESC.
Take for example, the latest twin engined Flightline P-38. It has 2 ESCs and normally, runs on 2 flight batteries. If you plug one in and don't get to plugging in the other for a while, you get that beeping coming from the one that doesn't have a battery attached. It's telling you the ESC has not armed and is waiting for power. It doesn't hurt it nor does it cause any changes in it.Comment
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I suspected that was what the ESC was trying to tell me, as there was no change in the chirp pattern, just a constant rythymic chirp. Thanks for the info.Comment
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Might be best just to pull the ESC from the RX. That would prevent any issue from occurring.Comment
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Interesting thing about ESCs...
Most will pass power in any direction.
You can windmill the prop and maintain control (as long as the prop is turning fast enough) if the battery falls out of the plane.
I've done it.
Yes, its best to unplug the ESC if its not diode protected from reverse current though the BEC and you are powering the RX with a NiCd or LiFe for testing.
Probably no effect on programming if you did not move the throttle stick.
Yes, the RX power battery can turn the prop by supplying the ESC though the BEC. (with some ESCs)FF gliders and rubber power since 1966, CL 1970-1990, RC since 1975.
current planes from 1/2 oz to 22 lbsComment
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I put a new ESC in my twinstar, the motor does not run and the ESC is fast beeping. What do I do next? Do I need a programming card?Last edited by corsair167; Jul 6, 2016, 06:39 PM.Comment
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It should work on factory default settings right out of the box. Programming is only for changing some of the parameters to your specific needs. Fast beeping could mean several things.Originally posted by corsair167 View Post
1. Is the plug going to the throttle channel the correct polarity?
2. Do you have the correct model memory selected?
3. Is throttle and throttle trim at the bottom?
4. Are all 3 motor wires connected and secure?
5. Battery charged?
6. It isn't an OPTO ESC, is it?
7. Try a re-bind.Comment
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1,2,3,4,5,7, are all YES don't know what an optical esc is. REALLY GOOD INFORMATION THOUGH....Comment
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An Opto ESC is one that has no BEC and thus does not supply power to the Rx. In that event, you need an external BEC with its own battery or some other suitable power supply for the Rx. What kind of ESC is it?Originally posted by corsair167 View Post
Oh, doesn't a Twinstar need 2 ESCs (2 motors)? What about the other one?Comment
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An opto ESC is one that has the leads into the RX isolated by an optical (usually infra red) devices. This is done to keep any RF noise that might be generated in the ESC from entering the RX via the control leads (copper wire). There is no "electrical" connection between the ESC and the RX. It is all done optically with infra red diodes (optically with light).
What this means (Opto) is that that BEC's are not usually included in the ESC as there is no way to transmit (carry) the BEC power across the opto sensor to power the RX and servos. This is a good feature in high powered speed controllers.
That is a good question, what ESC are you using?
Are you aware that most OEM have programing cards for their ESC? This is usually $10 well spent! (I can't count beeps and blips as my music teacher can attest to as she screamed, KJD you are tone deaf!)
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Yes, an ESC for each motor, powered by 1 battery. ESC's are black, no name. one esc has red wire cut also.Originally posted by xviper2 View PostComment
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The ESC's are no name but are 30 amp. I have a ElectriFly 30 amp on the left motor now and it just fast beeps too. I don't know what Programming card to buy as I don't know what kind they are. Are cards specific to brands or amperage?Originally posted by KJD View PostComment
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Pulling the left ESC out of the "Y" connector for the left motor out of the RX and left motor ESC still fast beeping and the right motor runs fine,Originally posted by Prowler901 View PostComment
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You say the left one is an Electrifly. Does that mean the other one is different? Although it's generally wise to use identical ESC's on multi-engines, using different ones should still work.
You should rule out the "Y" by swapping sides with the ESCs. The "Y" could be bad or the ESC could be bad. Or you could test each ESC individually by plugging into the Rx. You can't test the one that you cut the red wire without using an external Rx power supply.
Programming cards are usually specific to certain brands and types of ESCs. One will not work universally. Besides, most ESC can be programmed via the "beep" method. Try to find the instructions for your ESCs. They will tell you how to do it. Start by setting to factory defaults.
PS, it's not absolutely necessary to cut one red wire on a twin engine. Dynam typically just leave them intact and just "Y" the 2 ESC throttle lines.Comment
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