Castle Creations Open Discussion V2.0

[Patrick del Castillo]

Feel free to post any questions about Castle Creations speed controls here!

Patrick del Castillo
Castle Creations

[highflier]

I just have two simple question?

1) Are the the CC 35amp BL controllers changing to a 40 AMP model?

2) Is the above product on backorder?

I ordered one. (not directly from you. That appears to be a mistake but it has been over 3 weeks with no sign of it yet.:mad:

Highflier

[Patrick del Castillo]

Highflier -- no, we will still have the 35 amp unit available. We have a new 45 amp unit that is now shipping.

Thanx!

[Looooeeee!]

Hi Patrick,

Is the new Phoenix 8 going to have the same level of user adjustability as all the larger Phoenix's?, Also how soon, and how much for it retail?

I'm still pleased with my Ph10


Looee

[Pat Daily]

Oops--I just posted a thread before I saw this one. I am using twin 280BBs and wondered which Castle ESC would support them at 10-15 amps each and hopefully is programmable for cutoff at low voltage. I checked the Castle website and am not sure which would do it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Pat

[jmbig]

I amthe old teckie type in sacrmento with i think 10 of yours and the new Ph 35. I rebuilt a lrk the bell outrunner was out .009 so i
bored a new hole trued to 1/10 got a Rhom thru adj 6 jar it still out some but runs fine with your controler. I built another outrunner 2.3l inches dia sure does have torque a 14x9 cam at 5.2k on 15 amps 2 11 volts.Have played with some others when your controler pings the winding you sure can tell what is going to happen but 2 years design is long but she works fine nothing goes wrong I have used about 4 lbs of wire. THANKS CU JOHN

[kepople]

I need to replace an ESC for my Hacker B20L that failed over the weekend. I have a Schulze 25be and did not like the very high LVC and the fact that it gave NO warning of cutoff. I got lucky in most cases and was able to save the airplane, but on the 3d planes I fly it just a matter of time.

Does the new CC BL controller that Esprit is selling give some indication it is going to quit?

Also, what other vendors are there for the controllers.

Thanks
Kirby

[jcstalls]

Greetins Patrick.

I just picked up your 45 from my favorite distributor of your products, Joe at Leisure.
I am going to use replace the 25 that came with my Voyager E AF0203T.

I am not going to mount it with tape on one side, instead I will float it so it has full cooling on both sides, but secured so as not to bang around on anything.

Now, what I am conserned about is running 4 servos constantly with the bec and heat. I do have a UBEC that I am considering using and disableing the CC bec.
I hope to have this setup flying and trimed and bring it on down to the MWE.

Any thoughts and/or sugestions with this?

Thank you for your time, and a great product.

Jared

[Patrick del Castillo]

highflier - No, the 35 has been changed to use the same board as the 45, because the 45 board has a better BEC design, but it will remain a 35 amp controller. And no, the 45 is not on backorder right now.

looooeeee - The Phx-8 board design isn't yet finished, so I can't comment except to say that it will have the same microprocessor chip as the Phx-10, so I don't imagine that anything will change... but I can't guarantee that. :)

Pat Daily - 10-15 amps on a 280BB? That will be pushing them pretty hard! I'd suggest the 35P, it has the same programmability as the 7P and 20P, but will handle 30 amps with ease.

jmbig - Thanx. yes, two years of development is a long time, and I'm not done quite yet! Still some more enhancements to add to the controllers, but I'm very happy with the performance of the Phoenix controllers to date.

kepople - You can setup all of the Phoenix controllers for a "soft cutoff" which will throttle down the motor to keep the voltage ABOVE the cutoff. Just land after you notice a loss of power, and you should be just fine.

jcstalls - You didn't mention how many cells you were running on your Voyager -- but you should be just fine with up to 8 cells. The 45 uses a dual BEC setup, so even if one of the BEC chips overheats and shuts down, the other will take over. It takes a LOT of abuse on the BEC to get it to shut down. I think at 8 cells or less you should be OK. At 10 cells, you should test it on the ground before flying to be sure that the setup works correctly!

Thanx, and keep 'em coming!

Patrick del Castillo
www.castlecreations.com
Castle Creations

[Megowcoupe]

Hey Pat

Somewhere along the way, I opened up my mouth and said yes to a motor that may be a little problematic- a Velkom 2014/27. The specs I saw on the motor show that it's got a rating of 30A at 30 sec. and highest efficiency at around 19A. I'm contemplating an EDF application in maybe a Vasa 65- two ways to go- KAN cells at around 15A (no problem on the controller), or HR 4/5 AUP cells- where I'd probably be looking at 25A or so. I'm guessing 8 cells or so- haven't got the motor yet. Do I slag the controller which will probably be in the efflux- or do I bite the bullet and get something larger and heavier? I used to get away with running the Pixie 20 on a Promax 4014 on a 7 cell CP 1300 pack- and I think I was pulling 26-27A HOC, but I had to use a bit of throttle control on that motor to not slag it. I do have a Pegasus 35 lying around as well, but it's a bit bigger than I'd like.

TIA

Sam Brauer
Stamford, CT

P.S. Are you working on some brushless controllers for more than 16 cells- in the 40A or so range? Existing controllers are awful pricey...

[jcstalls]

Thanks Patrick,

I will be running on 8 cells right now, so all is good.

Another little curiosity poped up last night rigging the 45, there is no arming switch like on my 25. I tend to be a saftey nut.
Any reason why not?

Would you suggest adding one to the esc or rx or both?

Thanks again,

Jared:D

[BEC]

I can answer that last one: Astro Flight has the switch added. None of the CC controllers come from them with a switch.

The switch only shuts off the flow of power from the BEC regulator to the radio, it does NOT, I repeat does NOT disconnect the drive battery from the power side of the controller. The safest thing is to only plug the drive battery in when you are ready to fly and disconnect as soon as you can after landing.

That said, one way to simulate what the AF switch does would be to get a 6 inch servo extension and wire a switch into the positive lead, then plug that in between the Phoenix and your Rx.

[jcstalls]

Welp,

That explaines the differences.

That is a very good point to post about the drive battery power.
I always keep the power unpluged untill I am ready to fly.
Even when I have the saftey switch unarmed, I still consider that the prop or fan could become alive. It has never happened to me yet, but still.

Thanks again,

Jared

[scirocco]

Hi,

I have a Pegasus 35 in a Trendy sailplane, s480 3.45:1. Probably not ideal, but it was a good deal! I'm not sure, but I think it's the older version (non-programmable).

Even without a brake, the prop folds after maybe 5-10 secs slow windmilling. Is the windmilling doing any harm?

With 10 cells and 4 HS81s, I'm using a separate Rx pack.

It's diet time for the Trendy, so I'm going back to 7 cells initially and maybe 8. Should I have any concerns about using the BEC again? Looks safe according to the 35P manual, but I can't find the corresponding info for the older ESC.

Thanks for running these threads!

Al

[Patrick del Castillo]

Megowcoupe: Well, I wouldn't suggest a Pixie-20 for that application. :) That said, the new Pixie-20P would more than likely handle it just fine, but the older Pixie-20 probably wouldn't.

jcstalls: Bernard got to you quicker than I could! I don't put switches on my controllers because I don't trust them. :)

Scirocco: The windmilling of the prop won't harm anything, so you don't really have to worry about it at all. The BEC didn't change between the P35 (standard) and the P35P, so the BEC ratings for the two controllers are the same.

Thanx guys!

Patrick del Castillo
Castle Creations
www.castlecreations.com

[Megowcoupe]

Pat

If you're going to be at the WRAMS show, I'll drop by and say hi- might pick it up then if not sooner.

Sam

[The Tellurian]

Hi Pat

Is it possible to have a Pixie 20 upgraded to a Pixie 20P? I would very mush like to have set end points. If so want would be the cost?

[pullin-gs]

...just bought a Phoenix-10....curious what the "8" is?
Will also be needing a 40amp+ brushless controller. What is in the future at CC with 40amp+ products?

Thanks

Pullin'

[Dave Hederich]

Patrick, you responded in the now closed thread that the soon-to-be-released, ultra-high-frequency version of the Pixie-7P would have a switching frequency of 400kHz.

Wow! I was expecting more like the JMP's 100kHz. Could you give us a rough idea of the benefits we might see on a small, brushed motor with such a high switching frequency? There is speculation that it would extend motor brush life. I would be very much interested in buying one of these at the Toledo Show if you are going to have them there.

[Patrick del Castillo]

Sam - We will be at WRAM, Booth #136

Tellurian -= Yep, $15.00, same as flat rate repair/replacement.

PullinG's - The Phoenix-8 is still on the drawing board (haven't even finished the PCB layout yet) so I'm not sure when we will be introducing it. It will be smaller and lighter than the Phx-10, and should have similar features.

Dave - Should have them by May, but it depends highly on my engineering time.... I have to finish the software, and with all of the other projects I'm working on, getting time to do development on the high frequency Pixie is getting tough. :)

Thanx guys!

Patrick del Castillo
Castle Creations

[chris hinz]

Hi Pat,

I see you have a link for the Northwest Model Expo on your site. Will you be there?

Chris

[jcstalls]

Hi Patrick,

What would you suggest for programming options with your 45 for my Voyager E with the new Astro 020 and 8 cells?

Thanks, Jared

[Patrick del Castillo]

Chris - Yes, I will be there. Hope to see you!

jcstalls - Fixed throttle, or governor mode (try the low range governor first,) 4.0V cutoff, soft cutoff. The cutoff settings will ensure that the rotor does not ever completely shut down when the batteries get low. Standard advance (best with Astro.)


Thanx guys!

Patrick del Castillo
Castle Creations
www.castlecreations.com

[kushal_22]

Pat

I have the 35AMP esc and I have a mega 16/15/2 Motor I am going to Prop it with a 5.6x4.5 Vario WHat would be the best setting in the ESC to get best Performance from the motor? I am not that Great with algerbra and i would figure this is what I am going to bneed to figure this out? WHat do i need to know to figure this out for myself......NEXT TIME:D

Kush

[Lance]

Patrick,
I have the p-10 that comes with the newer astro 010's. Is this upgradeable to the newer versions you offer with the upgraded software/firmware? If so, does it also fall under the $15 category, or is upgrading the "astro phoenix" not an option? I've got a CP Piccolo that I'd like to be able to utilize the governor feature for....as well as the timing feature should I go with a small hacker sometime soon.

Also...I may be mistaken, (going back to my fundamental electronics tinkering days...) but I think you may need to slide the decimal point to the right a spot on your site, where it gives the resistance rating for the Phoenix 10. It shows to be just 20% of the resistance of it's big brother the 25....which has twice as many fets. :)

[jcstalls]

Thanks Patrick.

Good price, great product, and outstanding service!

Jared:D

[ifrichard]

Patrick,

You have a link to the Mid Winter Electrics - San Diego, CA on your web site; will you be there?

My story:

I have a Phoenix 10 for use with a Hacker B20-22s 4:1. I use it with 8 volts of 2000 MaH Li-Polys and 4 Micro servos. The micro servos are 2 Hitec 50s in the wing and 2 GWS Picos for rudder and elevator. This plane has about 2 hours of flight time and a 12oz AUW

I am considering building another 3D plane with a 14 oz AUW and 4 servos only this time with 12 volts of 2000 Li-polys and a Hacker B20-15L 4:1. I had been thinking about using 4 Cirrus CS-20BB servos or the Hitec 55s. Obviously, I intend to pull too much current from the 2000 Li-polys.

My other questions:
1) What speed control should I use for this setup? The Phoenix 10 or 25? The batteries will certainly limit any continuous draw of 15 amps.
2) Does the Phoenix 25 have more BEC capacity over the Phoenix 10? At 12 volts rather than 8, the BEC is a big concern.
3) Do you have an entirely different better idea?

Thanks, Richard

[JohnT1]

Ok guys,

I just picked up the cc pheoenix 45, which I hope will handle the 10 cells.

a couple questions with this esc and the 16/15/2.

1. what is the recomended timing advance low, standard, or high? I'm assuming high

2. what is the recomended PWM Swithching Rate 11, 22, or 41khz?


John

[Mighty Mik]

I have a still pristine Pico Stick, and recently bought a Futaba 9C, so i thought it would be fun to program a slot for the PS. The ESC on the PS is a Pixie-7 (non P)...and i found that in setting it up that I had to reverse the throttle 'servo', as full down on the stick was full thottle! I seem to recall this might be a Futaba thing, but anyone know for sure?

[muss51]

I just purchased mcalc, and now I'm trying to find suitable power setup for the XL3200 using your pheonix controller. With this prog. I find it hard to restrict prop size and amps.
What prog. do you use ?
I don't want to be able to do a vert. climb or hang on the prop type of power, I just want about 60-70 degrees of climb and light wt. as possible.
How do you find this combo ?

[basmntdweller]

I posted on the main earlier before I saw this thread. Anyway, I want to run 3 LiPo's on my IFO. Your esc as well as most others only rate the bec section for up to 8 cells which would be about 10v nominal. The 3 cell LiPo's would have a nominal 11.1v. Is this still acceptable? I haven't been able to find any ESC's rated for this level on the bec.
Thanks,,, basmntdweller

[fwilly]

In the Phoenix 25 manual it says that on 9 cells the max number of servos you can run with the BEC is 3. My Mini Flash has 4 cs 20 servos. I plan on using a 9cell HE CELL pack. Could I get away with using that many servos since they are nimh cells and should have a slightly lower voltage? I haven't made the packs yet so I could drop it down to 8 cells.
thanks
Mike F

[highflier]

I have a CC 35 controller that is programmable for timing advance. I noticed in the manual that it recommends the advanced timing for the Mega motors. Stateing slightly higher current draw but improved performance. Would this not be similar to lower timing value with a larger prop to increase current draw?

Just trying to figure out how to make the most of this versitile controller.

My current guess is for speed use a smaller prop and advance the timing and for climbing power, up the prop and lower the timing. If that is right it is almost like having 2 motor choices.

Highflier

[Parkflyer]

fwilly,

I have the Phoenix 25 on 4 servos, 2 Hitec HS55 and 2 Expert SL260 on 9-Hecells in my Miniflash. I've got about 25 flights with no glitches or any bad behavior. The ESC doesn't get warm.

I don't know if it's recommended but it's been working well in mine. Oh yea, you're gonna like 9 Hecells!

Grant

[Fred Bronk]

Cirrus (GWS) Servos tend to draw more power than others. Servo selection and free linkage/movements will make a big differnce too. FB

[ifrichard]

More thoughts on BECs:

I agree that the GWS Pico BB servos use more current than a Hitec 50. I have made some rough bench measurements and saw a 20% decrease in current with the Hitecs. I did not realize that the Cirrus 10 was the same as a GWS Pico. They do have different specs.

Another item that should be considered is the flying time. I fly Li-polys with 4 servos and the plane is usually up for 15 minutes. My glitches usually occur after 8 or 9 minutes of flight. And they seem to be related to enthusiastic use of the servos, like during an aerobatic stunt.

And yet another factor may be the outside air temperature along with positioning and cooling of the voltage regulator chip.

[Bolter]

Hi,
My local hobby shop sold me a CC Pixie-20 to use in a Mini Laser. I want to start with the stock set-up (300)motor and 7cell 500maNiMH and it uses 4 servos. The instruction sheet recommends only three servos on 5-7cells. Can I get away with the 4 micro servos?

Also, I was wondering if it would work in a Projeti with stock 400 and 8cells. They suggest a controller that can handle 25 amp short burst. Hobby Lobby suggests the Jeti 18 and I've read one reviewer using this set up. I'm a bit confused:(

Thanks for any help:)
Bolter

[Kou]

Patrick:

I have been having a problem with my Phoenix 25 and just wonder if you can provide some insight. I have this problem since I got the controller but never got a chance to post it.

What happen is that the motor choke up (cutoff for a very very short period of time) during flight. It can happen anytime during flight and seem to be independent of the stick position. It also happen to my Phoenix 35 but much much less.

On the Phoenix 25, I fly it with both the JR receiver and the Berg receiver. I also try it on the Mega 16/15/7 and the MPJ2535 and the choking problem persist. I also try different timing advance but did not seem to help.

I have 2 Phoenix 25 and if memory serve me correctly, they both have the same problem.

MK

[Batty]

Hi,

I have the CC Phoenix 35 which I bought at the AMA show in Pasadena last month. Here is my setup:

Wattage CAP 232, 10 cell CP1700 SCR, Mega 16/15/4, 10X7 prop.

Excellent combination, however I crashed last week due to pilot error and have since rebuilt it.

Flew it again today, but for some reason the motor cut out in mid flight. I landed and tested the motor. It ran flawlessly, so I took off again, but again the motor cut out after 2 mins or so in mid air. I managed to land and tested my battery. It still had enough charge. The power was present for all controls, hence it must be the speed controller that was cutting out the motor.

My question is:

1. Could a crash somehow program the speed controller to mess up the cut-off voltage?? BTW, I never programmed the CC speed controller before.

2. How do I find out what's wrong with the speed controller?

Thanks in advance

[Stelio]

Patrick,

I have an ECO 8 that I fly with 7 and 8 cell packs with a brushed motor and Jeti 300H.

I am just about ready to switch to brushless and I am not sure which Phoenix model is appropriate 25(surge 40), 35(surge 40), or 45(surge 60)?

The brushless motor I have is an Ikarus 250-4H sensored, will it work with the Phoenix models?

I hope you can answer these questions.

p.s. Maybe I will see you at the MWE2003!

Stilianos Jackson
SEFSD.ORG webmaster

[Fred Bronk]

Batty, the 10-7 is way to much prop for that mega unless you have it geared. If it is DD you are pulling way to many amps and cooking the motor.
If it is geared, the crashed may have shorted a winding in the motor somehow.

Stelio, yes the Pheonix ESC will work with a sensored motor. For the ECO and 8 cells, get the 45 for since that is a high draw setup.

[Batty]

Fred,

Sorry I forgot to mention that my motor is 2:1 geared. I read a lot of articles on ezone and lots of people are using 10X7 on 2.5:1 gb. I may try 9x6 and see what happens.

Also, if the windings were shorted out, would'nt the motor stop running at all?? Right now, the motor runs fine but cuts out after a while. I have'nt tried running it at slow speed for a longer duration yet. I'll do it first thing when I get home.

Thanks

[highflier]

Well after much waiting I finally got together my new plane completely setup.

CC Phoenix 35
Mega 16/15/4
7 x 5 APC E
1700 AU 8 cell pack
GWS Reciever 4 channel Naro
2 hitec 81mg servos
on a WW Zipper

I am getting constant glitches during flight. Both throttle and Elevons. I changed Motors to a Aveox 3 turn but the problem persists. Prior to Getting the CC 35 I had a Zagi 20 ESC with a brushed motor and did not have this problem. I put to 16/15/4 into another plane and did not have a problem. Thus I have to assume that it is something with the CC ESC.

Any suggestions on how to fix above issue?

One other problem I had. Once I pluged in the battery with the throttle at 10% and the LED on the Controller just flashed non stop (steady rate) prop never spun. I unpluged the battery and set throttle off and tried again. Same problem. After about 30 minutes of sitting the problem cleared itself.

Oh just incase layout is in question. Receiver and antenna on left wing and ESC on right wing, battery is front and center

Help Please!:mad:

Highflier

[evan]

I have a Mega 16-15-6 with a Phoenix 25, the brake has been set at a Hard Delayed function but the propeller continues to run albeit on low speeds even after the throttle has been shut down (sure its not windmilling). 9X6 & 8X4 folding props are used and this happens regardless of battery types and configurations. Any Ideas on how to correct this?

[highflier]

Evan mine was doing the windmilling thing also. That is why I tried the 10% throttle when I pluged it in. I was trying to fake out the low throttle setting. It did not work so don't try it. See above post. :D


Highflier

[evan]

highflyer,

I'm sure mine was not windmilling. The motor was still powering the prop at very low rpm even after cutting the throttle. I'll try out your technique of trying to fake it out though, seems like a good idea :)

[Patrick del Castillo]

Ouch! Guess this will teach me not to go away for a few days!!!

Ok, starting from my last post:

Kushal: Nope, too high current for that motor/ESC combo. Try the 3 wind motor.

Lance -- Hmmm... I don't want to start a flood of controllers for update. But yes, $15.00 will cover the upgrade to a full featured Phoenix.

JCStalls: Thanx for the kind words!

IFRichard: Yes, I will be at the Mid Winter Electrics. 1) If you think you will be at >10 amps at full throttle, I would suggest the Phx-25. 2) The Phx-25 has the same BEC capacity as the Phx--10, but the Phx-35 and Phx-45 have double the BEC capacity of either the Phx-25 or Phx-10. 3) You could use 4 HS-50s. They have a very low current draw, and would be Ok for 4 at 12V of input. You might also be ok with HS-55s, but they would tax the BEC a little more. However, I wouldn't try the Cirrus servos on that setup at all.

JohnT1: With the Mega motor, you want to run the 11khz switching. With the 2 turn 1615 motor, use the standard advance, not the high advance. The 2 turn is low inductance, and runs better with slightly less advance.

[Patrick del Castillo]

Mighty Mik: Yeah, it's a Futaba thing. :)

muss51: I use Motocalc. I have it on every computer here. It's pretty accurate, (especially 6.0 and later) and I rely on it daily. Remember, larger prop means higher amps and stronger climb. Higher gear ratio means lower amps. Higher motor winds means lower amps.

basmntdweller: The Phoenix controllers have very capable BECs. They are attached to a full copper plane that runs through the entire PC board, and to the negative wire to the battery. So they have a good amount of copper to dump heat. I know that many users are running 3 LiPoly cells on Phoenix setups with no problems. However, you didn't tell me what type and number of servos you are running, so it would be difficult for me to comment on your particular setup. Remeber that good airflow over the controller will help, as well as good free moving linkages. Any binding in a linkage can be disasterous when using BEC.

fwilly: CS20s are pretty hard on the BEC circuit, I'd suggest you try the 8 cell setup, just to be safe.

highflier: That is a guideline, and doesn't mean that all Mega motors will run with more power at high timing settings. Use the normal timing setting unless you ABSOLUTELY need more power. And there is no guarantee that the high timing setting will give you any more power.


Bolter: We have to rate our controllers for the worst case, so you will probably be just fine running 4 servos. See my comments above about cooling air and linkages!

Kou: Not sure, does it cause you problems? Are you seeing glitches on the other radio channels at the same time?

Batty: Best thing to do is to send it in and let us test it out for you. We'll be able to determine if there was any damage to the controller.

Stelio: The Phx-35 or 45 is what I recommend for the ECO-8. The Ikarus motor will work fine with the Phoenix controllers, but you might be a little down on power and efficiency compared to some of the more modern motors.

highflier: Too much motor and prop for that little 1700au pack! Try propping down to a 6x3, or using a higher current capacity pack like CP-1300SCRs.

evan: You might want to send it in for us to check out.

[Kou]

Pat:

No, other channel seem to be OK. The only thing that bug me is that it sometime 'hiccup' when I am on my way up a loop and you can definitely see the problem. The interesting thing is that it happen on both my JR and Berg receivers and they are both good receivers. The 'hiccup' also happen at different sites and different motor. What is interesting is that the MPJ2535 seem to have more 'hiccup' and the timing is set to adv. I will try it with normal timing next time.

It is really cold out there so I probably will not be flying for several more weeks. Once I get the plane up in the air again, I will get some more data.

MK

[ifrichard]

Patrick,

Very informative.

[jcstalls]

Hi Patrick,

Crashed the VE on its third hover, ouch. I was having a problem with it going up or down. I know one problem is that I still had the ratchet on, which I will be removing. The other was dumb thumbs and lack of skill. I am also wondering about the governer mode settings.

I set up the 45 per your recomendations, low governer mode.

Could you explane a little on the two settings for this, low verses high.

Present setup for the VE with the Astro 020 3T
Cutoff Voltage: 4.0
Current Limititing: Standard ?
Brake:off
Throttle: Governer Low
Timing: Standard
Cutoff Type: Soft
PWM Switching Rate: 11 KHz

Thanks for your time,

Jared:D

[windface]

Hi Patrick I have a viper twin with 2- 16/15/4 2-ph-25 6.5/4 prop.and one pack of 8-1900scr in the watt meter I see like the motors split the power. (25 amp 200 watt.total)if i use 16 or 18 cell in this set up (1300cp) did you thinck is beter to use two of 8 or 9 or one pac is ok. for the bec :confused: and if your reply 2pac can i keep the two bec on funtion? wat part of the board generate more heat?


Thanck in advance Gustavo.

[fwilly]

If I switch to hs55 servos will I be able to run 9cells?
thanks
Mike

[Patrick del Castillo]

Kou: Hmmmm... I haven't had a chance to bench test the MPJet motors, so it's really hard for me to guess at what's happening. It may be one of two things: The controller is losing sync with the motor and is shutting down power to resync (would have to be really noisy for that to happen,) or the receiver is squelching and momentarily killing the signal. However, the way I understand the Berg receiver, that shouldn't happen. You might try using the standard advance, it generates a little less noise in the system and might help relieve the problem. Other possible things to try are: Check your connectors for poor fit or poor solder joints, check your motor connections for good electrical contact, and check your battery packs to ensure that they are in good shape (no burned welds, etc.)

jcstalls: The difference between high and low range governor is the range of the RPM control. Low speed governor will govern between 12000 and 30000 (approx.) RPM on a four pole motor, and high range between 18000 and 50000 (approx.) RPM on a four pole motor.

windface: No problem with putting two BECs in parallel, even with two separate battery packs. As for which side gets hotter, actually the top side (with the LED) has the BEC on it, which generates heat, and the back side has the MOSFETs, which also generate heat. So, neither side is favored for any one installation.

fwilly: Yes, you should be able to go nine cells with the HS-55s.

Thanx guys! Keep 'em coming!

Patrick del Castillo
Castle Creations
www.castlecreations.com

[RCheroske]

Hey Pat, I just got my Phoenix 35 yesterday and had a couple head scratchers. (Mega 16/15/3 in a Corona w/3 81mg servos)

1. How do you mount the controller and give it good cooling? Normally I'd just stick velcro on it but the mosfets are on one side and the programing LED is on the other side.

2. Setup 7 - How do you tell what kind of motor you have to set the switching rate for? ( I set mine for 11kz which seems to work.)

Otherwise I had no problems setting up the Phoenix 35 and it worked the first time out.

:D

[KrisS]

Hi Pat,

I want to run the Mega 16/15/2 with the CC Phoenix 35 on 7 cells NiMH AUP and CAM prop 4.7x4.7.
Can the Phoenix handle the current or better run only on 6 cells?

Thanks, -Chris-

[jperch]

Pat,

I recently purchased a Griffin 55 controller to be used with the stock setup as describedin the instruction manual for the E3D. Basically a Kyosho Endoplasma motor, Great Planes GD600 gearbox, on 10 cells. I am using the RC3000 cells. Gary recommended a 50 amp controller so I got the Griffin. I connected everything to a Hitec Electron 6 Rx. I had a problem with glitching. I could move the Tx around and the throttle would jump around. No other channels seemed to jump, just throttle. I tried various placements and arrangements in the plane, no luck. I replaced the Rx with an old Airtronics and it did not glitch. The problem is that I did not want to switch all my servos to work with the old Rx. I also tried a GWS micro 4 channel Rx and that also did not glitch. I wanted the GWS Rx for another project. I ended up replacing the Griffin with an Astro ESC that can also handle 50 amps. It does not glitch with the Hitec Rx. The problem is that the Astro ESC does not have BEC.

I know this is a difficult one to trouble shoot but any advice you can give me to try would be helpful.

Joe

[PDK]

Hi Pat, I am interested in getting one of your 25amp brushless controllers. Do you have an outlet here in Australia, or do we get them directly from you?
Best regards Phil

[cloudbuster]

I have the Hacker B20 22S and the phoenix brushless 25 esc,
do I have to change the timing to run it with my hacker or is it already with the timing that the hacker need?

[Kou]

Pat:

I did fly today in 10 degree weather and this time I reprogrammed the controller to standard adv. I don't have any hiccup in three flights. I hope that is the problem. By the way, I just got another Phoenix 35 so I have a total of 4 Phoenix controllers. Have been quite happy with them.

MK

[ISoar]

The Castle Creations web site page for the Phoenix 25 specifies a resistance of 0.0065 Ohms, yet the user manual specifies 0.013 Ohms.

Which is correct? Makes a difference in MotoCalc.

Either way, you should adjust the manual and/or website to make them agree, and you might want to check the manual and pages of the others while you are at it.

Thanks.

[Sent via e-mail also.]

[houdini]

I'm using a CC Phoenix 25 with a Mega 16/15/4 on my flying wing. I just finished a flying lesson and only twice when I throttled all the way back would the motor stop running. When I throttle back (and even with the throttle trim all the way down) the prop keeps spinning. It is not windmilling; I can easily hear and see the prop/motor under power when flying a low pass.

I'm using a Hitec Laser 4 with 555 receiver. This radio does not have throttle endpoint adjustments and I have to have the thottle trim all the way down for the motor to stop. I keep it in that position permanently.

When I hold my wing and run the motor for a few seconds then cut the throttle, the motor always stops running completely. But when it's in the air with the motor running for longer periods and I cut the throttle, it doesn't stop.

Am I doing something wrong? After I turn everything on, I wait a few seconds then give it a few full-throttle blips (I read to do that in a previous thread), then I launch it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Houdini

[Fred Bronk]

Pat, setting up the P45 in a heli with gov mode and a LRK outrunner and so far it won't spin up.

I have the settings set to low-gov and 11hz with stock timing and 16 cells.

It will turn slow, but labored.

Do you know which setting will work (hz-gov-advance)?

Also, is there a setup when using the gov like the Kont?

Thanks!

[usare]

Do you have any dealers in Australia?

[Pork Tornado]

Patrick,
I just ordered a pixie7 from you for use on my mini Speedwing (which i fly on a three cell lipoly pack and burn up many GWS motors in the process). I sent you an e-mail asking what your reccomendation would be for a twin Freddie with 2 falhauber 1524 motors 11.8:1 turning a 9x7 prop, powered by a three cell 1020 kokam lipoly pack.

Do you (or anyone else) know if a special ESC is required for coreless motors? Does anyone know where I could find information on how a coreless motor differs from a standard brushed motor?

Thanks,
-=PT=-

[ifrichard]

PT,

I have been using a Mikro Design's GFS 10 amp standard ESC and 12 volts of Li-poly with a coreless Orion Elite Modified for 20 to 30 hours of flying. No problems. Yesterday, I flew a Pixie 7 with another coreless Orion Elite Modified direct drive in a 2 li-poly cell powered glider and it also worked without any problems.

For your information, I have burnt up one of the Orions either from the 12 volts or runnning backwards. Brushes are burnt and the commutator is worn.

You may want to wait for Patrick's reply on using the 12 volts with the Pixie 7.

To my knowledge all the standard ESC's will work with coreless. My two applications above definitely work.

[Fred Bronk]

Coreless motors tend to need a higher khz for better operation.

[Patrick del Castillo]

Hi Guys!

Ok, in order:

RCheroske: Should be fine to mount the FET side down. The 11khz rate is great for the Mega motor.

KrisS: Well, you are looking at about 38 amps on 6 cells, and about 47 amps on 7 cells... I would suggest you use 6 cells unless you are using the 45 amp phoenix. BTW, you are really pushing the motor hard, make sure it gets GOOD cooling air!

jperch: Not sure.. I haven't benched the Electron 6, so it's difficult to say what the problem might be. Have you tried the Griffin with a battery instead using the BEC?

PDK: Only if your local dealers can order from Horizon Hobby (our distributor.) Otherwise you would have to order direct from us.

cloudbuster: The Phoenix controller automatically modifies timing to match the motor that it is connected to... So timing will be optimized for the Hacker automatically.

KouKou: LEt me know if you see any more strange behaviour!

ISoar: .0065 is correct. I have a feeling Brenda made a typo. :)

houdini: Hmmm... the throttle blip from off to full-on prevents any changes in the endpoint adjustments on the Phoenix. It's possible that there are some temperature related problems. Transmitters can drift a little with changes in temperature, and so can ESCs. You might try arming the controller with the trim half way, then you can give a click of down trim if the system drifts a little.

Fred Bronk: Hmmmm... Never had anyone have any problem with startup on a LRK motor. Does the motor move pretty freely? Are you sure your motor connections are good?


usare: Not right now, but any dealer who is a Horizon Hobby dealer can order any of our controllers from Horizon.

Pork Tornado: There are the french JMP controllers that were specifically design for use with coreless motors, and we are working on a 400khz controller (based on the P7P design.) The main advantage of a higher frequency controller is that brush wear is lower than with a standard controller. The main disadvantage is price. $$

Thanx guys!

Keep 'em coming!

[jperch]

Pat,

I did try disabling the BEC on the Griffin per the instructions and used a separate Rx pack. No luck.

Joe

[Parkflyer]

Quote
cloudbuster: The Phoenix controller automatically modifies timing to match the motor that it is connected to... So timing will be optimized for the Hacker automatically

What???? I have a Phoenix 25 and the instructions tell you how to program for different motors depending on number of poles. Is this an enhancement?

Grant

[Patrick del Castillo]

jperch: Hmmmm... You could always send it in and let us test it. I have very very few problems with the Griffin controllers, so I'm a little bit at a loss as to what might be causing your problem.

Parkflyer: Actually, the different timing settings are more of a "hint" to the controller about how to optimize the timing for a particular motor. The timing (for example) will be less advanced for a Hacker motor in any given setting than for a Mega motor with the same advance setting. The controller does some measurements on the motor at powerup, and determines what the best timing for that motor would be.

Thanx guys!

Patrick del Castillo
Castle Creations
www.castlecreations.com

[All__talk]

Hi Patrick

I just received my Pegasus-35P as a replacement for my failed 35H (reversed motor timing :( ), great service, thank you.

I’m seeking some advice on setting it up in my Eco8, I have programmed it for fixed throttle end points to avoid using idle up 1 as a controller initialization setup. The trouble is that my radio signal at 0 and full stick doesn’t match the fixed end points (I’m using the Eclipse 7), causing my throttle to start at about ¼ stick and go full well before full stick. This make setting up throttle and pitch curves very difficult, not to mention the loss of control resolution due to only using about half the stick travel.

Resetting the EPA’s seems to be the solution, and the lower point is easily done buy adjusting the lower EPA to the point that the controller will just initialize at low stick. But as of yet I cannot think of a way to set the full stick EPA to the specified 1.75ms.

I thought of a possible solution using the programming mode, as it requires a full stick signal. Is the full stick signal required by the programming mode the same 1.75ms used for the fixed throttle? And if so can I tune my upper EPA so that the controller will just enter programming mode at full stick and then be assured that it is hitting 100% in fixed throttle mode?

Any help is much appreciated

Gary

[jperch]

Pat,

Thank you very much for your offer. However, I am currently using that particular ESC in my Kyosho T-33 with a different Rx. I have not flown the T-33 yet, but I have tried really hard to get the thing to glitch on the ground and I can't.

I think what I would rather do is purchase another Griffin later on and try it. If it glitches also, I will let you know and use a different Rx.

Thanks,
Joe

[All__talk]

Me again

Patrick, would you recommend no cutoff or 6V (10 cells) with soft cut off for my Eco8?

Gary

[Basketcase]

Hi Patrick, this weekend, while flying my Zagi 400X with a Mega 16/15/4, Phoenix 25, APC 7x5 prop and 8 17005/4AUP cells something strange happened.

I had been flying the same plane with a Mega 16/15/6, a different Phoenix 25, the same 7x5 prop and batteries. Never any problems.

I switched to a new Mega 4 turn with a new Phoenix 25. Flew three flight with a 6x3 prop then switched a 7x5. Flew for about 5 minutes, then landed and check the temps, motor and battery were not even warm. Launched again, flew for a couple of minutes then while flying at partial throttle it suddendly went to full and I had only elevons. Nothing to do but fly it till the LVC cut off.

After landing the motor would not start and the LED on the esc was flashing. After unplugging and replugging the battery everything seemed to be back to normal. the motor and batteries were warm.

With that setup I am probably pushing the 25 amp limit of both the Phoenix and the motor. Isn't it supposed to shut off if the limit is reached?

I guess I'll try it again with a smaller prop and see what happens.

Thanks,

Wayne

[highflier]

Wayne,
You basically are at the limit. I use the same combination but one more cell and i draw 26.5 AMP (thus I use a higher rated ESC)

I would test an 8 cell pack for you but I do not own one.
Flying full throttle is actually easier on the ESC then partial throttle. With a CC 25 I would recommend backing the prop back to a 6 x 5 or 6 x 4. Or better yet go my route and get a CC 35 and and the extra cell and it will go like never before. I run out of eyesight before I run out of Vertical.

As far as the exact problem you saw I will deferr to "Da Man", Patrick.

Highflier

[o2hypoxic]

Hi Patrick!

Just wanted to let you know that the Phoenix 25 and the
16/15/4 Mega motor I got from you at the NW show are
working great! My ZAGI is hyper! Thanks again!

Mike

p,s Get that pylon ship going yet?

[Patrick del Castillo]

Hi Guys!

Thought I'd catch up before I leave for the MWE....

All__talk: Yes, the range for setting up the controller in programming mode is the same as the fixed throttle response, so you can use that to set your EPA endpoints. Also, you should use either the 4.7 or 6.0V cutoff with a soft cutoff in you heli.

jperch: Let me know if I can help!

Basketcase: Well, it should NEVER go to full throttle unless commanded... So I think maybe there was a problem with the clock on the Phoenix, which made the controller think that you were commanding full throttle. You might consider sending it in and letting us check the clock resonator for you. It may have happened because the Phoenix got severly overheated -- the setup you listed would draw around 28-30 amps with the big prop...

o2hypoxic: Thanx! Glad you like your setup! I'm still working on the Pylon racer, can't get enough time with everything else going on! (And all I have left to do is mount the servos and the motor/controller.)

Thanx guys!

Keep 'em coming!

(I won't be back until after MWE, so please bear with me.)


Patrick del Castillo
Castle Creations
www.castlecreations.com

[mimai]

Hi Patrick

I have an odd problem with a Pixie14. I had planned to use it in a Switchback (gws100c, 8-cell 720 nimh pack, fma e5 receiver, Hitec eclipse). In this set-up, the motor cuts out when it starts drawing a little over 2 amps. The voltage looks okay on the wattmeter. If I swap in a Pixie20p (using default programming) using the same pack, it all works fine.

The Pixie14 appears to work fine with a geared 280 set-up (drawing about 3 amps) and small gsw motors. The Pixie14 was originally running a Speed 400 drive in a Push-E Cat which drew around 13 amps.

Is there any reason for the controller to not work in a particular set-up? Is there anything else I should check in the set-up that doesn't work?

mike i.

[IncredibleITGuy]

I just bought an Astro Flight 020 and it came packaged with
803HC controller. I heard this was a Phoenix 25 Sensorless brushless controller.....

After downloading the programming instructions for the controller, I managed to get it into the first stage of programming mode 2 short flashes and a pause.

I can't make any headway after this point. If I move the stick up and wait a few seconds it starts blinking repeatedly as if it has accepted my answer of 'yes' but when I return the stick to middle position, it blinks twice as fast and goes nowhere after that point.... and if I were to move the stick down all the way, it seems to exit programming mode all together and activates the motor.


Any ideas? I would really like to set my BEC cutoff, as well as my throttle type, advance, and cutoff type (soft).

Until then it is not safe to fly my heli, as it will drop like a brick out of the air when it loses power.

Thank You,
Ryan

[ifrichard]

Patrick,

On a Phoenix, can connectors, like mini Deans, be used between the brushless motor and the ESC? This is so I can use the same ESC in multiple planes.

Second question: What is the voltage to the Rx from the BEC in the Phoenix series?

Thanks, Richard

[wwldo]

Is there any problem using the Phoenix 25 on a Astro 010 motor, I want to buy the larger ESC so I can use it on larger motors later on...?

Larry:D

[Basketcase]

Hi Patrick, thanks for the reply.

Thanks also to Highflier, I'm doing what you recommended and it's working. :)

Maybe the 7x5" prop was the problem, I've flown it four times since then with a smaller 6x4" prop without any loss of throttle control.

Kinda scary that it went to full throttle when it really needs to shut down from overcurrent. Since it seems to be okay now I'll just keep flying it unless it happens again, then I'll send it in.

Wayne

[Stelio]

Originally posted by Stelio
Patrick,

I have an ECO 8 that I fly with 7 and 8 cell packs with a brushed motor and Jeti 300H.

I am just about ready to switch to brushless and I am not sure which Phoenix model is appropriate 25(surge 40), 35(surge 40), or 45(surge 60)?

The brushless motor I have is an Ikarus 250-4H sensored, will it work with the Phoenix models?

I hope you can answer these questions.

p.s. Maybe I will see you at the MWE2003!

Stilianos Jackson
SEFSD.ORG webmaster

Hi Patrick,

I was a pleasure meeting you at the MWE 2003!

After following your advice: "Stelio: The Phx-35 or 45 is what I recommend for the ECO-8. The Ikarus motor will work fine with the Phoenix controllers, but you might be a little down on power and efficiency compared to some of the more modern motors. "
I picked up a Phx-45 from you during the MWE.

I don't now how much knowledge you have about the Ikarus 250-4H and even though you suggested some more "modern" motor I am "stuck" with this one because it came with my used ECO 8 I bought a year ago.

So now I have some questions about the programmable options, considering I will be using the Ikarus motor:

PS 1 - Cutoff Voltage: For the 7-8 cells that I have now I will keep default.

PS 2 - Current Limiting: Like PS 1 I suspect the default setting should be fine.

PS 3 - Brake Type: This should be disabled by default because I plan on using Governor Mode in PS 4.

PS 4 - Throttle Type: Low or high? I plan on having the rotor spin at 1200-1300rpm for mild flying.

PS 5 - Electronic Timing Advance: I am considering option 3 (low advance 0-5 degrees) since my goal is mild flying with long duration. Would option 1 or 2 be better or even advisable for this motor (Ikarus 250-4H)

PS 6 - Cutoff Type: I am thinking option 2 (soft cutoff) because I am using it with a heli, or does it matter?

PS 7 - PWM Switching Rage: 11KHz, 22KHz, or 41KHz? I have no idea other than guess at 11KHz.

Thank you in advance.

Stilianos Jackson
SEFSD.ORG webmaster

[ifrichard]

Hi Patrick,

I am concerned about stripping gears with fast throttle changes. Could you consider a soft throttle programming control for the Phoenix series? Not just soft start, but soft acceleration.

[gregw]

Hi Patrick,

I am running a Corona with a Mega 16/15/3 and a Castle Creations PHOENIX-35 ESC.

Today, I was hovering at around 10 feet height when suddenly, my Corona just fell to the ground.. I removed the canopy and saw that the light on the ESC was blinking. Servos were all working, except the throttle wasn't.. I know the battery wasn't low voltage because I've flown only 3 minutes and there was plenty of power left in the RC2400 pack. Both the ESC and the Motor was warm, but not hot. I detached the battery, waited a few seconds, and then plugged it in again, the ESC light was still blinking and the throttle still didn't work.. I tried it again, but this time, waited about 1 minute before plugging in the battery again. This time, the ESC seemed to be working normally.

The same problem happened again in a later flight.

I'm using 7 cell RC2400 packs and the normal behaviour is that I will be in ground effect for almost 2 minutes before the rotor spins down and the cut off happens. I've also decreased the cut off to 4.0 volts, but this still happens.

Any idea what happened? Should I send it back for repair?

-- edit --
Tried flying again today, and the same thing happened on my 2nd battery pack. :( Luckily, the Corona's tough and so far, the only breakage is the shrink wrap on the battery pack.. I'm probably going to stop flying until I have a solution to this..

Greg

[srogers316292]

I have a Pixie 7P I just recently bought. It acts like a Pixie 7 with a power on LED. I cannot get the LED to blink. When the 7p starts up, it is supposed to blink the LED slowly after it initializes. This one does not. It just keeps the LED on.

Because the programming depends on the LED blinking, I cannot get the unit into programming mode.

Other than that, during initialization I get the two beeps on the motor and I'm able to control the motor with throttle settings.

Anyone have any ideas?

[CWallace]

Patrick,

I have an old version of the phoenix 35 that is hard starting in
govenor mode. Can the frimware be upgraded by you by sending it in. My Phoenix 45 works great!!! (I'm assuming that since the 45's came out in Dec, that they are all ok?)

Thanks

Chris

[GBR2]

I'd be buying a lot more Pixie 7P and 20P ESC's if there was a brake option in the software that could be turned on or disabled. I think this would make these controllers a lot more versatile. Any chance that the software can be changed to include this option??? If so WHEN???

[Patrick del Castillo]

Hi Guys!

Sorry it's been so long since I posted last -- no sooner as I got back from MWE that I had to start preparing for WRAM. But now I'm getting caught up, and thought I'd do a quick post again...

mimai - sounds like it may be a noise related problem. The P20P has more filtering than the old P14, so it may be masking a noise problem with the setup...

IncredibleITGuy - That is an Astro version of the controller. It is setup specifically for the Astro motors, but does not have the same programming features as the Phoenix-25. We are working with Astro right now to create a heli version of the Astroflight controller.

ifrichard - Yes, you cna use good quality connectors between the motor and speed control with no problems. The BEC voltage is 5.0V, +-5%.

wwldo - No problem running a bigger controller on a small motor -- just weighs more. :)

Basketcase - Been watching to see if anyone had the same problem as you -- haven't seen one yet. Glad the 6x4 fixed it. Feel free to send it in for a checkup if you want.

Stelio - The only changes I would make is timing advance at default setup (the motor will run better with a little more timing) and leave the PWM at 11khz.

ifrichard - There is already a torque limiting feature in the Phoenix for throttle position changes. You shouldn't have any problems with the gears.

gregw - See my post in the helicopter forum.

srogers316292 - Send it back for a replacement. The LED driver must be stuck on.

CWallace - Send it in for a free upgrade.

GBR2 - Hmmm.. Can't be done with a software change, the hardware has to be changed to add a brake. I'll be upgrading the S25 eventually to add the programming features of the P20P, would that work?

Thanx guys!

Keep 'em coming!

Patrick del Castillo
Castle Creations
www.castlecreations.com

[GBR2]

Adding the Pixie 20P programming to the Sprite 25 would work for me. I'd like to see more cutoff levels though. So you'll have this all done, what tomorrow??

JUST KIDDING!

[Dave Thrams]

Patrick,
Could you give me some idea of the staus of the Phoenix-60 brushless, sensorless controller?

I've been waiting since last June for one as a replacement for my inoperative Dragon-55.

I tried e-mailing you a month or two ago but got no reply.

Note: I have a new e-mail address: dt99223@gbronline.com

Thanks
DT

[CWallace]

Patrick,

I did some modifications to the P45. Added heatsinks to the main
bank of Fets, and small Aluminum plate to the Fets on the
other side (BEC Fets?). Back into my ECO 8 and .....still had BEC Shutdown. Finally gave in and put in a receiver Bat (yes, cut the red wire).....Controller runs cool and trouble free.
I guess 10 cells is just too much with all that a 4 servo Heli with Gyro has going on.

Also added heatsink to P35 with c40 12s Hacker in Corona and had zero shut downs, even with 8 cells cruising low and slow
(one minor burp, but all was well). This was still one hot! (And I mean of the warm variety) Controller.

Also, in Gov mode with the P45, I get surging of the motor that causes the tail to waggle. If I raise the throtle position, it stops...but then I'm at what seems like WOT

Also sent you PM.

Thanks

Hope this helps

Chris Wallace

[dave morris]

strange behavior on a 010. setup is a 010 on 3.75 to 1 gws and 11*7 apc on 10 720 nimh. flying well dozen of flights. Then went to start a flight and thottle did not sound right. Did not want to start, turn some back and forth, pulled it back try again, then comes on but would not go back to idle, throttle up then down and try again and all is well. Now I have had problems with the wires on 010's before getting nicked by the armature but that usally is the end of flying, this seemed to resolve itself. I read what you were saying about partial throttle being harder on ESC than full, I spend most of the time at 1/2 to 3/4 but even at full power max amps are 6. My guess is maybe some RF noise causing glitching but was wondering if you had any ideas that may relate to the ESC?

Question 2: I plan to run a astro 010 in a DF app, no way to get cooling air to the ESC, and I want to run 3s2p lipo (1200 ma) cells. I don't know what the current will be, but I am guessing around 8+ max. Again I am hoping to run at less than full throttle (thats the plan anyway) cant decide if I should go with the 25 amp vs 10 amp just to give myself some head room.

Thanks
Dave Morris

[kelvin]

I just bought your new Phoenix 45. What timing setting should I program for a Jeti 15/3? I'm more interested in efficiency and duration.

Thanks

Kelvin

[CharlieS]

Hi Patrick,

I have a Phoenix 45 that I'm planning on using in an electric conversion (Sig Somethin' Extra). I want to use 10 cells with a Mega 22/20/2 geared 3-1 on a 10x8 drawing near 45A. I will use 4 HS 85 servos. My question is will I be able to reliably use the BEC or should I not take a chance and use a receiver battery. Given the problems that CWallace has had I'm not sure what to do.

Thanks,
Charlie

[jofo]

I have a Phoenix 25 controller in use with a MiniAC Extreme brushless motor. Pulling no more than 22A maximum with a 10x6 prop with 8-1300SCRs.

My problem:

The motor is not reliably shutting off in the low throttle position. It is not getting hot at all, well ventilated fuse. Seems very sensitive to low throttle position, motor comes on with a just a click or so of increased throttle. Any suggestions?

thx

jofo

[kelvin]

Originally posted by CharlieS
Hi Patrick,

I have a Phoenix 45 that I'm planning on using in an electric conversion (Sig Somethin' Extra). I want to use 10 cells with a Mega 22/20/2 geared 3-1 on a 10x8 drawing near 45A. I will use 4 HS 85 servos. My question is will I be able to reliably use the BEC or should I not take a chance and use a receiver battery. Given the problems that CWallace has had I'm not sure what to do.

Thanks,
Charlie

Check out this link to another Something Extra project. Most everyone is using a larger motor and more cells. The 22/20/2, as used in an E3D, is a 450-500 watt motor.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=75001

Kelvin

[Patrick del Castillo]

GBR2 - How do you want it to ship?>

Dave - The Phoenix-60 sill be shipping in about a week and a half. Still waiting on the control boards (bare PCBs) to come in.

CWallace - Fets on the top side? There are no fets on the top side.... just FET drivers and BEC chips. The BEC chips are the ones in the SOT-223 package (three legs on one side, one fat heat sink leg on the other.) Yeah, 10 cells, four high torque servos and a gyro is kind of a big load on the BEC. I think the battery is the way to go. The Hacker controller will run cooler at 45khz switching rate.

dave morris - odd behavior on the 010 -- not sure why, could be a bad motor connection. The 010 is not really much harder on the controller at partial, the 010 has a good amount of inductance. The 10 amp controller should handle the ducted fan, but you might want to get one of the newer ones with the heavier (20 ga) wire instead of the 23ga.

kelvin - Leave it at the default timing. It will work just fine for you.

CharlieS - Well, CWallace is running it in a heli, a very different application. In a heli, the controller doesn't get much cooling, and all the servos provide continuous high torque. In an airplane, the servos are under a lower torque load, and you shouldn't have any problems.

jofo - The low end of the controller response is set when it is first powered up, so you should get response with the first or second click of throttle. Once the motor has been started, the controller no longer adjusts the bottom end. So if you pwer up the controller, then allow it to arm and then start the motor, you shouldn't have any problems.

[jollyroger]

Uhh, ahh, well I'm embarrased to say this , but I connected the battery pack wrong to the esc and let out the "little smoke". I am going to stop by your booth at Toledo and see if I can buy up to a better one and trade in this overcooked unit.
Uhhh, Ohh, Hi Pat! haha it's this little problem I had with a battery hookup! I hope you won't mind:o . I needed to upgrade anyway, so's I'll stop by at Toledo. John Z.