Esc

[WAXER128]

Does a battery eliminator circut (BEC) replace the on/off switch on an electronic speed controller? What are the pros and cons of a switch or BEC?
Thanks,
WAXER

[patmat2350]

Nope.
BEC takes your main battery voltage (fed into the ESC through the big fat wires), regulates it to 5V, and sends it up to the Rx through the red wire in the "servo" lead.

All the middle pins in the Rx (red wire connections) are connected, so the 5V also flows to and powers any connected devices, like servos.

SOME esc's have a power switch on this 5V circuit... turn it off, and the whole system shuts down... handy! If not, then the ESC's brain keeps running (and slowly draining the battery), unless you disconnect the main line. Bummer, because that means unplugging big wires, or having a switch in the main capable of carrying full motor current.

Some ESCs with BEC don't like being back-fed (like if you also have an Rx battery feeding the Rx at a slightly different voltage)... Mtroniks comes to mind... smoke is possible when you do this!

Pat M

[Ghost 2501]

Nope.
BEC takes your main battery voltage (fed into the ESC through the big fat wires), regulates it to 5V, and sends it up to the Rx through the red wire in the "servo" lead.

All the middle pins in the Rx (red wire connections) are connected, so the 5V also flows to and powers any connected devices, like servos.

SOME esc's have a power switch on this 5V circuit... turn it off, and the whole system shuts down... handy! If not, then the ESC's brain keeps running (and slowly draining the battery), unless you disconnect the main line. Bummer, because that means unplugging big wires, or having a switch in the main capable of carrying full motor current.

Some ESCs with BEC don't like being back-fed (like if you also have an Rx battery feeding the Rx at a slightly different voltage)... Mtroniks comes to mind... smoke is possible when you do this!

Pat M

If you wish to run a seperate power source for RX and using Mtronics esc, REMOVE RED WIRE from the servo plug of all esc's.

if running more than one BEC esc, remove the red wire off all but one of the esc's if you wish to use the main battery to power rx as well. IF YOU DONT YOU MAY FRY THE RX which isnt good news! however unplug the battery from the feed junction when not in use. you may have turned the main esc off but the others will still draw power

I did this with a ship after a regatta and had to replace the battery,

[retoabcr]

....

[pkboo]

Waxer I've got a toggle switch on the battery connection with the ESC. Switching on/off is switching Rx, servo's and motor on/off. The one I use right now does not have BEC but I connect it directly (with a servo cable!) to the battery pack, all 9,6V of it! The toggle switch is still the master switch though. No burnt Rx, no burnt servo because the ESC aswell as the servos draw whatever they need. I've seen 9V square bats connected as a power source to the Rx instead of the usual 4.8 or 6.0V. I've never had any problems this way although I cannot guarantee it'll work for all Rx's. Good luck --> Eugène

[steveciambrone]

Look at your RX it might have a BEC built into it. Some do.

Steve

[Ghost 2501]

does that work like a suicide switch being servo activated??

I was trying to read Ghost 2501 message and got lost.! Some esc's will only take 6 volts if you are not running the bec!!!! If you are running micro bearing type servos, still use 6 volts and no more voltage. I run a DuBro on-off switch for rx ,servo for safety reason ( prop cut ). My esc's are 60 amp Rc-hydros without bec and run 9 volt servos like 3003 without trouble for 8 years. Ok, now you had better read info on servo box as to amount of max. voltage, some servos like 3001 take only 6 volts and just make a 4-aa's and solder them together. I would make 2 sets, one for spare. Wear and tear on servo and rx from 9 volts on said equipment is none, just work faster. Now as far as heat shrink on rx power packs ( factory type ) are fine if you have alot of room but if you don't, you'll probably have to make packs different to match available room. I clear tape mine so i can see if wires are not fraided or broken. It is a never ending process to make sure all equipment is on the up and up, but worth every second! Forgot, the DuBro switch is a best need item on your list, no matter size of esc!

its simple when you break it down.

its actually two posts in 1.

part 1- If you wish to run a seperate power source for RX and using Mtronics esc, REMOVE RED WIRE from the servo plug of all esc's.
Your rx is probably designed for 4.8v, the central pin of the 3 pins in the sockets of the rx are the live feed, mating with the red wire. if you have 4.8v comming through more than one of these, depending on how your rx is wired, you mat give it 9.6v if you have a regular battery pack installed as well.

if running more than one BEC esc, remove the red wire off all but one of the esc's if you wish to use the main battery to power rx as well. IF YOU DONT YOU MAY FRY THE RX which isnt good news! however unplug the battery from the feed junction when not in use. you may have turned the main esc off but the others will still draw power

removing the red wire of the additional esc's removes their bec feed to the rx, leaving just one bec power source, the main esc. as regarding un plugging the them from the battery, they may NOT have an on/off switch, meaning that they will be consuming power. what I did with Celestia, (which has 3 esc's one main (with bec active) and two others with bec disabled, (red wire removed) )was leave the two secondary ones turned on, even though I had turned off the main esc. the secondary ones were in standby mode, waiting for a signal from the rx (which never came) because of this, they took the 6v gel cell down to 1v!

[LtDoc]

...so in other words, it's not a bad idea to put a switch in there, or unplug the thing, right?
- 'Doc

[Ghost 2501]

...so in other words, it's not a bad idea to put a switch in there, or unplug the thing, right?
- 'Doc

yep, the vipers in Celestia are all switched, I just forgot to turn 2 off