Originally Posted by Pocitelli

I'm putting together my second EasyStar and last night when checking all my wiring/connections, I plugged in the esc to the battery and got this weird clicking sound. Power was going to the receiver (new Spectrum), but it wasn't blinking like it should for me to bind my transmitter to.

I couldn't tell where the clicking was coming from, it was either the ESC or the batter to esc connection. I had just finished soldering a new ec3 connector to the esc to plug into the batter, double checked my polarity which was correct, etc.

After 3 or 4 times of unplugging and replugging in the battery, the connection at the ec3 smoked and my battery got really hot. I'm suspecting the polarity on the esc might actually be wrong. Black wire is usually negative and red is positive and I had it all right, but now I'm wondering if the Thunder 18 Castle Creations esc's wiring was reversed.

Any ideas - my lipo is probably toast and I suspect the esc too.... What's weird is the light on the receiver was going on, so it was definitely getting power through the system.

Stumped....

I'm afraid that I'm a bit stumped with this one too. Maybe you could offer a picture of your whole setup just before plugging your battery in?

I wouldn't think that the fault would belong to your ESC, though. If it were some unbranded thing coming out of the depths of cheap Asian factories, I might believe it. But Castle makes good stuff and I'd always trust their equipment.

Yes, just like that picture. Red lead on the bottom, black on top.
Connected Red to positive and black to negative. Yes, is is a
1800 3S Lipo also.

must be a short in the connector somehow.. (if the EC3 smoked)

I think you're right, the clicking may have been some sort of arcing of the connection in the ec3 connector.

i couldn't see the liftof

Originally Posted by AshtonFlyer

Red lead as shown here, or other way up? Silly question maybe, but was it a 3s LiPo?

Ashton

Can you post a close up of the picture. I can't tell but it looked like I saw a + sign on the black wire insulation just before the solder joint on the ESC.

I got My EZ flying again today- had a couple decent flights on it- glued my rudder control rod to Horiz stab where it was flexing and replaced my control horn that was broke on my elevator-- also went from 6x4 prop to 6x5.5- everything seems to work and the plane turns both directions again. No real big difference noticed with prop switch- 2200kv motor.

Poticelli- Bummer on your wiring dude...

Originally Posted by Eagle202

Ashton

Can you post a close up of the picture. I can't tell but it looked like I saw a + sign on the black wire insulation just before the solder joint on the ESC.

According to the user guide the red is positive.
http://www.castlecreations.com/produ...nderbirds.html

With all castle creations that I own mybe 10 red is pos .

Plus I would think the esc or bat would smoke before a connector be it any kind of connector.
I have never heard of a connector smoking.

Originally Posted by 2500GENE

According to the user guide the red is positive.
http://www.castlecreations.com/produ...nderbirds.html

Gene

I understand your train of thought. According to the standards of DC voltage Red is always positive and Black is always negative unless someone who did the wiring assembly did not pay attention and mixed it up.

I have seen incorrect wiring practices numerous times. I thought maybe someone made a mistake this time.

The issue was probably a loose connection which arced and fed back into the ESC. Which is too bad for Pocitelli

Sorry Vince - that pic came direct from the CC website - I think I see what you mean though.


Still working on the ground-up restoration of son's HS - ye gods, the epoxy is a slow dryer! (but strong as an ox when it gets there )

With a few evenings of care, it might even be airworthy again

Had some time to work on the theory of Universal Landing Gear MkII last night..

Steel and CF tube are out - they really don't mix well. I've picked up a set of the landing gear axle-holder thingies from LHS and am going to try Inanimate Carbon Rod (3mm, to be exact) - just need a few circlips now.

Should be ready for testing by Easter weekend - weather not looking good though

Originally Posted by AshtonFlyer

...

PS: what's that white tape I can see? Looks very useful

That stuff comes under the general heading of "tarp tape" at my local farm and industrial supply dealer. May also be available at stores catering to campers. Used for repairing, reinforcing or joining plastic tarps. 4 or 5 colours available, has some stretch but not heat shrinkable like many of the filament packing tapes commonly used on our foamies.

I don't crash as much now and mostly need it to protect the foam from cosmetic damage more than structural deformation, but, sooner or later I will test that too.

Hello, greatings to everybody here. Nice huge (series) thread.
I purchased an EZstar MK1. It was in sale and come up for a nice price, so it's time to join the group of EZ flyers.
I want to equip it for FPV so I have a couple of questions before starting building it. I've read a lot of posts, very helpful but at least a couple of answers were unanswered.

1- First the motor. There is a little clearance for the prop and I have understood that the max usable (without cutting a slot) is a 6". I have several motors to use, including a Suppo like 2212-06 2200Kv, an EMAX 2212 1600Kv and others with lower Kv. My doubt is that the Suppo is by far too powerful and mabe the 2212 fits better. The real doubt is that with a so little propo the efficiency will be low. What would be the max flying time with a 3s 2200mAh? Is it there a better solution?

2- I've read that many people use to cut the two sections below the wing to have more sace to fit things. Do this weakens the fuselage? I think yes and will be less crash resistant. Your experience?

I'm thinking of not gluing the fuselage for the first flights until I'll have a better idea of the best config and weight distribution. At first I'd like to mount it using some fibre tape. It should be strong enough to keep the fuse on even it will add some weight. Correct?

Thanks for your support.

Al

Originally Posted by asimmetrico

Hello, greatings to everybody here. Nice huge (series) thread.
I purchased an EZstar MK1. It was in sale and come up for a nice price, so it's time to join the group of EZ flyers.
I want to equip it for FPV so I have a couple of questions before starting building it. I've read a lot of posts, very helpful but at least a couple of answers were unanswered.

1- First the motor. There is a little clearance for the prop and I have understood that the max usable (without cutting a slot) is a 6". I have several motors to use, including a Suppo like 2212-06 2200Kv, an EMAX 2212 1600Kv and others with lower Kv. My doubt is that the Suppo is by far too powerful and mabe the 2212 fits better. The real doubt is that with a so little propo the efficiency will be low. What would be the max flying time with a 3s 2200mAh? Is it there a better solution?

2- I've read that many people use to cut the two sections below the wing to have more space to fit things. Do this weakens the fuselage? I think yes and will be less crash resistant. Your experience?

I'm thinking of not gluing the fuselage for the first flights until I'll have a better idea of the best config and weight distribution. At first I'd like to mount it using some fibre tape. It should be strong enough to keep the fuse on even it will add some weight. Correct?

Thanks for your support.

Al

1. A 2200 kv rating (kv is roughly analogous to the "gear" in an automobile transmission) is good for that size prop and the speed of the Easy Star. A higher or lower rating will be less effective. My approach is to copy what someone else has done and make adjustments in the direction I wish to go. But there are calculator programs available that will predict performance. Remember though, that any single number is not the whole story on "power" - there are several variables that interact.

2. The key here is whether the weakness you've introduced is significant. Cutting anything does reduce its strength somewhat. You can often cut things in the middle of a structure so long as the outer edges are intact. That's why trusses work, and why electricians cut holes for wires in the middle of studs instead of toward the edges.

3. The RR version comes taped instead of glued. That's how I would do it.

Originally Posted by EZCanuck

I don't crash as much now and....

Be careful what you say - you're tempting the gremlins. Only yesterday the words "Watch this" slipped out while I was flying and we all know what happens next. Fortunately it was only an old Stryker and not my beautiful blue-wing Easy Star.