ESC help please

[lgr333]

I have 6 Aquacraft RTR’s like the tug and the Bristol Bay. With the exception of the Bristol Bay the ESC’s provide very little reverse. Basically there is no effective reverse. The Bristol Bay’s reverse worked ok but the over motor and boat speed was too much so I put in a slower rpm motor. The less power caused me to lose reverse. I have 6 of these ESC now setting on a shelf. My question is, is there a way I can fix these ESC or do I have to just junk them?

Thanks

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

I think if you search or read around the threads on the Bristol Bay, and the Atlantic Harbor tug, here, most recommend changing the propeller out to get more reverse.
The stock propeller seems to be more of a racing propeller than a scale boat propeller.

Look around for a three blade propeller about the same diameter or slightly larger.

;)


http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=444813

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=673361&page=2

[lgr333]

Thanks for responding all help is appreciated. I found the threads you are referring to, however I can actually see a difference in prop rpm from full forward to full reverse. Even with a 4 blade 40mm prop turning 40 rpm in reverse just isn't enough to even slow down any forward motion. My first tug I changed out the ESC and got the Hitech stick radio and receiver. Ever thing worked find. Now I have actually been able to compare 6 ESC (Aquacraft) and they all limit the power to the motor in reverse to about 10% (I don't really know the percent, but it's a small amount). The Bristol Bay has a higher RPM motor so the reverse SRPM is more acceptable. However, I put a 550 low rpm motor into the boat and now I've lost reverse again. Four of the 6 boats have different esc now and those four boat work great even with the stock radios.

All help is appreciated and thanks for your time

[boat_builder]

I totally agree with Umi. I have the Atlantic Harbor Tug and the stock ESC was a joke. Hardly any reverse at all. I changed the ESC to a Duratrax unit and the difference was dramatically better right off the bat.

Since then I have installed a 40mm 4 blade Raboesch prop and a 55turn 550 motor and it runs very well. Plenty of gusto and still very good run times. I had to modify the skeg for the new prop to fit but it was an easy mod and well worth the results! :)

In my own opinion, the stock ESC's that come with the Aquacraft Boats are very hit and miss but maybe more miss than hit. I myself have two of them sitting on my work bench collecting dust. One from the Atlantic and one from the Pro Fisherman Bass Boat. Same sad story with both, hardly any reverse. I would sell them but I feel like I would be ripping someone off if I did. :D

[Ghost 2501]

those esc's, ya saving them simply for emergency lakeside use?

[Prins Willem]

Don't toss the old esc units. FE guys can use them. A fast reverse can be bad in a hydro or crackerbox. You want to post on the FE forum. They would work well for budget racers or somebody playing around with a Nikko or Radio Shack upgrade.

[lgr333]

Thanks for all the responses. You confirmed what I guess I already knew, but was hoping it wasn't true. Would have been nice if the was an adjustment screw or something. I'll hang onto them for now. They seem to work ok for small boats if there's room to put them in. Last night I discovered I had a need for a two ESC setup on a twin prop project I am working on. I'll try them there and see how that works.

Thanks for the help

[Shaun Hendricks]

You could also build a simple relay to trigger on reverse current from the ESC and then it would put full power to the motor in reverse. That might give you other issues though.... :D

[tim slocum]

This is simple and probably thought of already,but, how do you have the trim set on the throttle? Wouldnt adjusting the trim add more reverse? I know there would be a trade off in forward,but for scale ships it shouldnt be too bad.

[boat_builder]

This is simple and probably thought of already,but, how do you have the trim set on the throttle? Wouldnt adjusting the trim add more reverse? I know there would be a trade off in forward,but for scale ships it shouldnt be too bad.

I tried that on the ones I had and it wouldn't work. I had to have the throttle trim set all the way towards reverse just to get the motor to rest on neutral and not try to run forwards. They had alittle bit of reverse but the design of the ESC just isn't that great. Thats what I've found with them anyway. :(

[lgr333]

Yip, I agree that these ESCs are the pits. With only one I found a work around. After some how managing to end up with 6 and all 6 work the same, poorly, I conclude the aquacraft ESCs are all worthless. Aren’t people complaining about them?

I did try all kinds of mix and matching and adjusting to get livable results out of the ESCs, but nothing help. I bought a Hitech Ranger stick radio hoping I could more reverse with more throw from the stick verses a trigger. I swapped wires, I adjusted trim nothing help. Bottom line it’s definitely the ESC and they are bad.

However, I am working a twin prop project with no rudders. I plan on trying two of these ESC in this boat. I’ll put one on channel 1 the other on channel 2 each controlling a motor. I hope with two prop in reverse I get results I can live with.

Thanks for your time and all the responses.

[boat_builder]

Yip, I agree that these ESCs are the pits. With only one I found a work around. After some how managing to end up with 6 and all 6 work the same, poorly, I conclude the aquacraft ESCs are all worthless. Aren’t people complaining about them?

I did try all kinds of mix and matching and adjusting to get livable results out of the ESCs, but nothing help. I bought a Hitech Ranger stick radio hoping I could more reverse with more throw from the stick verses a trigger. I swapped wires, I adjusted trim nothing help. Bottom line it’s definitely the ESC and they are bad.

However, I am working a twin prop project with no rudders. I plan on trying two of these ESC in this boat. I’ll put one on channel 1 the other on channel 2 each controlling a motor. I hope with two prop in reverse I get results I can live with.







Thanks for your time and all the responses.


Considering the difficulty I had with getting one of the two ESC's I'vr got to find neutral with the throttle trim (both ESC's required a different trim setting) I hope that you can get them both "sincronized" properly with out one motor trying to run while the other is neutral. :)

[mfr02]

Some controllers are designed to give low power in reverse. It could be that these controllers were intended for fast boats rather than the types they were put into.

[boat_builder]

I agree with Lgr333, I think that they are just poorly thought out and offer very poor service. I'm not sure how many amps they can handle, but it can't be much because mine always got really hot when using them on plain ole' 550 silver can motors. The stock motors dont draw that much current so that leads me to believe that they wont handle many amps. Given their crummy design and performance, I'm afraid that if they were used for a fast boat drawing a decent amount of amperage they might go up in smoke faster than I realized they were junk which was pretty "fast". :D :D :)

[P_J_Glor]

I bought one of these for a Pro-Boat Shockwave 26 and reverse has been fine.

http://cgi.ebay.com/50A-ESC-Speed-Controller-Water-resistant-for-RC-Boat_W0QQitemZ290146534547QQihZ019QQcategoryZ34056 QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p163 8.m118

Pete G.

[boat_builder]

I bought one of these for a Pro-Boat Shockwave 26 and reverse has been fine.

http://cgi.ebay.com/50A-ESC-Speed-Controller-Water-resistant-for-RC-Boat_W0QQitemZ290146534547QQihZ019QQcategoryZ34056 QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p163 8.m118

Pete G.

How long did it take you to get it from Hong Kong? I usually don't buy from outside the USA or Canada so I have no clue about shipping times from other countries.

[P_J_Glor]

Less than a month, if I recall correctly. I paid with paypal, so I didn't have to wait for the money to get to them before they started shipment. Actually the stock ESC looks very similar, but I believe had a lower amp rating, and I wanted to try a motor with fewer turns, so I got the 50 amp unit. The stock unit also had a good reverse.

Pete G

[lgr333]

I believe these ESC will work ok on high rpm motors or even in really small boats with no weight. I may have not explained it earlier, but I ran the ESC in a Bristol Bay with the original 550 motor. The ESC work ok in forward and reverse, however the Bristol Bay ran way way too fast putting up a big ole rooster tail. So I replaced the original 550 with a low rpm 550. Now the Bristol runs at about the right speed forward, but can barely back up from a dead stop and there is no stop from forward motion. I also tried the ESC with the original radio and two different radios. Hopefully I find a use for them. I'll know this weekend if they'll work in my two esc, two motor, two prop setup.

Thanks

[lgr333]

Pete G. I looked at the ESC you referenced. Have you had a chance to use yours much. I wondering how they hold up. $30.00 total to my front door isn't that bad.

On a side note I read the questions from potential buyers at the bottom. A person name Doyle listed his zip code as 98370 which is about 10 miles from me. I just found that a bit unique.

[P_J_Glor]

I have only made a few runs on a 6 cell 3300mah NIMH battrery and 19 turn 540 motor. I was getting chatter at high speed, but was told it was caused by interference with my am receiver. By "chatter," I mean that the motor wouldn't stay at full throttle -- it would almost get there, drop out, start again, drop out, and start again, very rapidly. I bought an fm unit, but haven't changed it over. I don't believe the chatter was caused by the ESC as it seemed I was getting some rudder "glitching" too. Most of my building has been scale, so the ESC would probably be fine for a cabin cruiser or workboat. The ESC did get warm to the touch, but not into thermal shutdown. After I changed fom the stock to a smaller prop I didn't have that problem.

Haven't taken the boat out lately, because work keeps getting in the way, as well as Christmas lights, decorations, etc.

I will probably use the stock ESC for a cabin cruiser that I plan to refurbish [emphasis on "plan"]. If I really want speed, and to be competitive, brushless has become much more affordable. There is a thread on the runrunner racing forum in the hydro section about using motor/esc combos on 15" sized boats that only run about $30.00 for motor/ESC and shipping. They are listed on ebay as "helicpter motors" but seem to work well for the micro hydros.

Pete G.

[lgr333]

Thanks for the feedback. I went crazy with this hobby which all started because of grandkids. I now have over a dozen boats that I play with like tugs and work boats. No complete model building for me right now, but I have a couple of hulls I am completing like the Tuna clipper and a harbor tug.

I know what you mean about work interferring with good quality hobby time, it just ain't right.

Have a good day.