Brand New Castle Phenix Ice 100 -will not Run

ravikoth · Sep 21, 2009, 11:28 AM

Hello

I have recently Purchased a Castle Creations Phoenix ICE 100 ESC from Advantage Hobby, Now i have the following problem. I am using the following Setup.

1) 4S 5000 Lipo Pack.
2) Little Screamers JS 1400 EDF motor 4100KV - 6 Pole
3) ARC 28-47-1 4100KV edf motor - 4 Pole
4) Castle Creations Phoenix Ice 100 ESC.

Now i have installed both the motors in a 70mm Ducted fan unit. However when i throttle up from anywhere between 1/2 and above throttle the motor starts to pulse and the rpm increase and decrease extremely fast while i maintain a steady throttle. It is almost a pulsating motion. The ducted fan Unit lurches forward and relaxes without any corresponding throttle input from my Side. When i replaced the Castle Creations ICE 100 with a Turnigy 80 amp ESC, both the motors run Smoothly.

I then tried various settings on the ESC such as timing & Switching Frequency. however to no avail. Is there a Solution to this problem, It is highly frustrating that a 50$ ESC is performing better than my 130 $ state of the art ESC. I did not program using the castle link, however do have access to one.
Is there something i should do to eliminate this problem. Is there some ESC setting or Firmware that has to be updated. I am at my Wits end.

Thanks & regards
Ravi Kothari.

RC Man · Sep 21, 2009, 12:18 PM

Things to try:

1. Decrease timing
2. Change to soft cutoff
3. Disable the current limiter
4. Manually set the low voltage cutoff to 11.2v

If you still have a problem there is a new software version coming out soon that may help.

ravikoth · Sep 21, 2009, 09:49 PM

Hi RC man,
Tried everything, guess i will have to wait for the new software. Bummer cause i wanted to fly soon. Its surprising that such a new product is not updated.
thanks for your reply.

Patrick del Castillo · Sep 25, 2009, 01:18 PM

Ravi,

It sounds like you are hitting soft cutoff -- either current cutoff, or the low voltage cutoff. Have you checked your data logs???

pepernicka · Sep 26, 2009, 04:12 PM

Hello,

I have this problem on AXI 2814/6D motor too.

pepernicka · Sep 26, 2009, 04:14 PM

My meen is very long cable to motor.

Looknup · Oct 15, 2009, 06:42 PM

I have the exact same problem on a plane with an Ice 75 and a Rimfire 42-50-800. It pulses at 80% of throtle, if I advance to 100% power increases but it makes a noise that scares me. Sounds like a vibration, but I find no vibration, I feel no vibration when I check it on the ground, but still the noise. It is not the soft cutoff.

Andy W · Oct 16, 2009, 09:48 AM

What kind of connectors are you using between the battery and ESC?
Also, what is the voltage at that connection when you are trying to run at full power?
..a

Fast Guy · Oct 17, 2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Looknup

I have the exact same problem on a plane with an Ice 75 and a Rimfire 42-50-800. It pulses at 80% of throtle, if I advance to 100% power increases but it makes a noise that scares me. Sounds like a vibration, but I find no vibration, I feel no vibration when I check it on the ground, but still the noise. It is not the soft cutoff.

Sounds like the motor is going out of sync at full power. Castle is aware of this and has new software comming to fix it. Have the same problem with an Axi 5345/14 at 1/2 throttle and a HV 110 ESC.

Looknup · Nov 04, 2009, 06:38 PM

Sorry for the slow response--I just spent a week in Mexico and am happy to have been out of the loop.

Andy, the connectors are 3.5 bullet connectors. I also suspect a connector issue and I resoldered one of the bullet connections on the ICE. I will try it tomorrow. --I just re-read your comment. I resoldered the bullets connecting the ESC with the motor. You were talking about the battery to the esc. I am using a Dean's Ultimate there and it looks ok. the voltage is just below 21 volts with a 5S lipo. Watts as I remember were about 800. I am going from memory on both so its not exact. What are you thinking I might see there that would identify the problem?

Fast Guy, I got the same explanation from CC support and I just downloaded the new software and updated the firmware, but haven't tried it yet.

Patrick del Castillo · Nov 04, 2009, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Looknup

Sorry for the slow response--I just spent a week in Mexico and am happy to have been out of the loop.

Andy, the connectors are 3.5 bullet connectors. I also suspect a connector issue and I resoldered one of the bullet connections on the ICE. I will try it tomorrow. --I just re-read your comment. I resoldered the bullets connecting the ESC with the motor. You were talking about the battery to the esc. I am using a Dean's Ultimate there and it looks ok. the voltage is just below 21 volts with a 5S lipo. Watts as I remember were about 800. I am going from memory on both so its not exact. What are you thinking I might see there that would identify the problem?

Fast Guy, I got the same explanation from CC support and I just downloaded the new software and updated the firmware, but haven't tried it yet.

Looknup -- if it is a sync problem, the software update to fix that problem is not yet available. It is in Alpha testing right now.

We should have a public Beta real soon.

smok · Nov 10, 2009, 05:57 AM

Hello Patrick,

I am a happy CC Phoenix user since some longer time. I hear these issues with settings for some outrunner types - would it maybe make sense to change the defaults to more relaxed/safer ones like "0 deg advance", 8 or 12kHz PWM etc. and maybe also to introduce an option to configure a static advance ( most motor vendors publish the recommended settings ) - and then leave the tuning options with some warning to test after changing etc. ?? This way you might avoid the plug-and-play user compains that things do not work out of the box, while still having the tuning possibilities left as an open option for anyone else...

Just my 5c. ( I happen to work in support, albeit of an altogether different technologies - and we often come up with suggestions for development folks for changes intended just to avoid most common issues and also with new supportability ideas and so on.. ).

Cheers,

/K.

( a happy CC user.. )

Sep 21, 2009, 11:28 AM	#1
ravikoth RAVI KOTHARI Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bombay,India Posts: 29	Brand New Castle Phenix Ice 100 -will not Run Hello I have recently Purchased a Castle Creations Phoenix ICE 100 ESC from Advantage Hobby, Now i have the following problem. I am using the following Setup. 1) 4S 5000 Lipo Pack. 2) Little Screamers JS 1400 EDF motor 4100KV - 6 Pole 3) ARC 28-47-1 4100KV edf motor - 4 Pole 4) Castle Creations Phoenix Ice 100 ESC. Now i have installed both the motors in a 70mm Ducted fan unit. However when i throttle up from anywhere between 1/2 and above throttle the motor starts to pulse and the rpm increase and decrease extremely fast while i maintain a steady throttle. It is almost a pulsating motion. The ducted fan Unit lurches forward and relaxes without any corresponding throttle input from my Side. When i replaced the Castle Creations ICE 100 with a Turnigy 80 amp ESC, both the motors run Smoothly. I then tried various settings on the ESC such as timing & Switching Frequency. however to no avail. Is there a Solution to this problem, It is highly frustrating that a 50$ ESC is performing better than my 130 $ state of the art ESC. I did not program using the castle link, however do have access to one. Is there something i should do to eliminate this problem. Is there some ESC setting or Firmware that has to be updated. I am at my Wits end. Thanks & regards Ravi Kothari.

Oct 15, 2009, 06:42 PM	#7
Looknup Whose plane is that? Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Logan UT Posts: 5	Same problem with ICE 75 I have the exact same problem on a plane with an Ice 75 and a Rimfire 42-50-800. It pulses at 80% of throtle, if I advance to 100% power increases but it makes a noise that scares me. Sounds like a vibration, but I find no vibration, I feel no vibration when I check it on the ground, but still the noise. It is not the soft cutoff.

Nov 04, 2009, 06:38 PM	#10
Looknup Whose plane is that? Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Logan UT Posts: 5	Sorry for the slow response--I just spent a week in Mexico and am happy to have been out of the loop. Andy, the connectors are 3.5 bullet connectors. I also suspect a connector issue and I resoldered one of the bullet connections on the ICE. I will try it tomorrow. --I just re-read your comment. I resoldered the bullets connecting the ESC with the motor. You were talking about the battery to the esc. I am using a Dean's Ultimate there and it looks ok. the voltage is just below 21 volts with a 5S lipo. Watts as I remember were about 800. I am going from memory on both so its not exact. What are you thinking I might see there that would identify the problem? Fast Guy, I got the same explanation from CC support and I just downloaded the new software and updated the firmware, but haven't tried it yet. Last edited by Looknup; Nov 04, 2009 at 07:04 PM.

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Sep 21, 2009, 12:18 PM	#2
RC Man A man with too many helicopter Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Illinois Posts: 10,710	Things to try: 1. Decrease timing 2. Change to soft cutoff 3. Disable the current limiter 4. Manually set the low voltage cutoff to 11.2v If you still have a problem there is a new software version coming out soon that may help.

Sep 21, 2009, 09:49 PM	#3
ravikoth RAVI KOTHARI Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bombay,India Posts: 29	Hi RC man, Tried everything, guess i will have to wait for the new software. Bummer cause i wanted to fly soon. Its surprising that such a new product is not updated. thanks for your reply.

Sep 25, 2009, 01:18 PM	#4
Patrick del Castillo Registered User Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Olathe,KS,USA Posts: 2,284	Ravi, It sounds like you are hitting soft cutoff -- either current cutoff, or the low voltage cutoff. Have you checked your data logs???

Sep 26, 2009, 04:12 PM	#5
pepernicka Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 9	Hello, I have this problem on AXI 2814/6D motor too.

Sep 26, 2009, 04:14 PM	#6
pepernicka Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 9	My meen is very long cable to motor.

Oct 16, 2009, 09:48 AM	#8
Andy W That sickening crunch.. Join Date: Jun 1999 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 39,804	What kind of connectors are you using between the battery and ESC? Also, what is the voltage at that connection when you are trying to run at full power? ..a

Nov 10, 2009, 05:57 AM	#12
smok Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 8	Hello Patrick, I am a happy CC Phoenix user since some longer time. I hear these issues with settings for some outrunner types - would it maybe make sense to change the defaults to more relaxed/safer ones like "0 deg advance", 8 or 12kHz PWM etc. and maybe also to introduce an option to configure a static advance ( most motor vendors publish the recommended settings ) - and then leave the tuning options with some warning to test after changing etc. ?? This way you might avoid the plug-and-play user compains that things do not work out of the box, while still having the tuning possibilities left as an open option for anyone else... Just my 5c. ( I happen to work in support, albeit of an altogether different technologies - and we often come up with suggestions for development folks for changes intended just to avoid most common issues and also with new supportability ideas and so on.. ). Cheers, /K. ( a happy CC user.. )