Beginner help needed
I have two 64mm EDF Flydragon engines with 50A ESC battery packs. (I think they are batteries) I am brand new to rc anything! I purchased the engines for a school science project but I don't see how to turn them on. I think I need a receiver and controller but I don't know how to tell if what I am seeing online will be compatible with these engines. How can you tell? I was hoping to buy engines with a simple on/off switch as I don't need to fly around...I just need to throw a motorized foam aircraft body and see if it goes further with engines.
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You can purchase a simple servo tester to plug in to your esc to control the motor, look up motion RC website, maybe contact them and they will help you. -
lashrew Why not fly it around too!
You might better your chances for a second flight! I'm just saying, it might be one pricey flight.
Kidding/Seriousness aside, maybe post a photo of the parts that you have, it will be easier to help you and point you in the right direction! Though what Steve R said is correct.Comment
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I have been a judge at both high school and grade school science fairs. (I am a retired engineering professor).
IMO for anything to be a valid science project it needs at minimum to have measurable results and a demonstration that the results are reproducible.
We need a better description of your experiment to be able to help you effectively.Comment
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Thank you all for the responses! I do have a few questions about the servo tester though. How do I know that the servo tester I'm using will be compatible with my esc? I have two separate engines that each have an esc, so can the servo tester take two esc's and still be able to turn both of the engines on and off? This isn't really a school project that is held by my school , it's more of a "can I jerry-rig a foam glider into a powered one". And since I'm home schooled this project is counting towards my science curriculum.
Here are some images of what I'm working on:
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Simply yes, it will work. Everything is pretty standardized now. Some servo testers have multiple outputs so you can plug more than one ESC in. Like this... GT Power Servo and ESC Tester [GTPCCPMSRV] Motion RC
Really you can just use a Y connector too.Comment
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Thank you for your help!Comment
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I believe I need a charger to charge the 50A ESCs. But I'm not sure if the chargers I am seeing online will work with the batteries on my ESCs. How do I know which ones will work?Comment
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First off, batteries and ESC (electronic speed controllers) are totally different things. The batteries need to connect to your ESC, which will need to be connected into your receiver. Batteries are classified by their capacity (mAh - milliamp-hours) as well as number of cells. Each cell is 3.7V nominal. Manufacturers denote how many cells are in a battery by using "S". For example, a 2S 5000mah, would be 7.2V and have 5000mah of capacity. Typical RC batteries are LiPo (Lithium Polymer) Chemistry. You'll see most chargers sized based on how many cells they are designed for. I hope this clarifies at least some of the basics for you.Comment
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The thing that's connected to the fan motor by three wires is an electronic speed control (ESC) not a battery. A battery to power the fan needs to be connected to the two wires (red and black) that come from the other end of the ESC. The thinner wires (red, white, black) also coming from the ESC need to go to a receiver or a servo tester (apparently you have a servo tester already but it isn't in the picture). The servo tester sends a signal to the ESC which tells the ESC how much power to send to the fan. Your picture does not show a battery. That ESC will take from a 2S to a 4S** batttery, which will need a connector compatible with the yellow connector on the red/black pair
Without knowing exactly what your connector is, il looks to me like the battery you need is something like this:
(which is overpriced but if you search around with Google you will find others like that at a reasonable price).
You will need to be able to charge the battery. I'd look for an inexpensive charger that has the correct connector and can handle a 4S pack..
** 4S means it has 4 cells in Series.
Be careful, LiPo batteries can catch fire if mistreated and the fire can be very nasty and difficult to extinguish.Comment
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lashrew You're getting closer and closer to having an rc plane. It sounds like your goal is to get this thing flying, why not go a little further and fly it with a transmitter and a receiver? Otherwise it seems like you are going to toss this thing into the air, if you've balanced the center of gravity correctly it will fly off with your motor, esc, and battery, into the sunset. Or into a grass field, crash and start a small fire with your equipment. I don't want to thwart your learning experiment. But as I said you're getting much closer to an rcplane. It is model aviation. It could spark a life long passion.Comment
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Ok, thanks everyone for all the good info.
SanExup, do you think this controller and receiver would work? I hope to not start any fires but I will make sure to have an extinguisher on hand...lol.
Would I still need the servo tester to fly? Or does the controller and transmitter replace that?
Kallend, I am still looking for a more economical battery charger...thanks for the tip...I'm sure I'll find something soon.
F106DeltaDart, thank you for the detailed battery info. It's good to have a detailed view of things...even if I don't understand all of it yet!
Thanks everyone.Comment
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I have the servo tester, battery and ESC connected to the turbine. The turbine beeps and twitches intermittently when attached to the battery, so I'm assuming that means it has power and is standing by. When I turn the knob on the servo tester nothing happens. What am I missing? TIA. Comment
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Plug the red black white into the left side of the controllerComment
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That worked!! Thank you!!Comment
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Cool!
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Do you have a local r.c. plane flying club you can visit. I take it you are in the USA so google AMA clubs near you and speak to the club chairman or secretary and pay the club a visit. Here in the UK our local club helps local colleges with students who have r.c. plane related projects. In the USA visit the Flite Test website and work your way through the beginners series you tube videos as they contain a great deal of information in easy to understand formats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOzi...OkJFHV&index=1 and/or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLzS...OkJFHV&index=3Originally posted by lashrew View PostComment
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I will look for a club near me... that sounds interesting. ThanksComment
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I bought this transmitter and receiver but it doesn't seem to sync up. I've followed the instructions but the light never changes to solid when syncing...it just continues to flash without ever reacting to any input. Is it usually easy to sync a transmitter to a receiver? The instructions are simple and clear. I'm not sure why it's not syncing.
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