RunRyder - Trex motor and esc getting hot

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Beginners Corner > Trex motor and esc getting hot

roadhogtri
Heliman
Location: Bakersfield, Ca

I got my first electric heli (Trex 450CF) and trying to learn as I go, so bare with me. I bought it used with a few upgrades. I believe the main gears have been upgraded as they are the dark blue set. I have the light blue set as well. The pinion gear is a 13T, stock motor 430L and stock esc. After a 4 minute hover the motor and esc are so hot that I can't leave my finger on it for more than 2 seconds. The battery pack (2200mah 25c) gets pretty hot also. I've had electric planes in the past , but this is my first electric heli and never had heating problems before. Any idea?

I almost forgot. Do I need a step down regulator for the gyro/servo? Thanks.

05-21-2008 06:44 AM

Way2slow
Veteran
Location: Jeffersonville Ga

Timing is probably set to high timing. How good of a pilot are you? If you are still learning and not do any of the 3D stuff change your timing to 2 Pole, you will still have plenty of power for normal flight and the battery will give you twice the flight time.

Check you backlash between pinion and main gear also, it might be tight.

05-21-2008 12:20 PM

Pistol_Pete
Elite Veteran
Location: Tampa Bay non-Buccaneer

I'm going with ESC...what are your settings?

<><>...the lunatic is in my head...<><>

05-21-2008 12:40 PM

HOMEPAGE

metzlda2
Heliman
Location: Lakewood Ca USA

Mid timing on the ESC and a 12 tooth pinion should bring the temps down.... You didn't say which gyro and tail servo you have....

05-21-2008 06:34 PM

Way2slow
Veteran
Location: Jeffersonville Ga

Mid timing will give more power, but from the sound of it, he's just learning and low timing will work much better. Low timing on the align will give almost twice the flight time as mid timing. I'm running the align 35X ESC with 430XL motors in both my 450's on low timing and both run a hellave lot longer than they do on mid timing, and have plenty of power for normal forward flight. One has a 13 tooth pinion and one has a 12 tooth pinion.

I run low brake (disabled); low-timing; middle cutoff voltage; Heli 1; medium speed throttle response and a 2,200 mAh battery seems to last forever before my low voltage alarm goes off set at 10.2 volts and my motor/esc barely get warm to the touch.

05-21-2008 10:24 PM

roadhogtri
Heliman
Location: Bakersfield, Ca

My timing is set at low and the voltage cut off at 70%. I'm just learning and doing forward with a lot of hovering. The gyro is a logictech 2100t with an HSG-5083MG. Do I need a voltage regulator for this set up? I do have a 12T pinion that I could try.

05-22-2008 01:02 AM

metzlda2
Heliman
Location: Lakewood Ca USA

You should be Ok with the gyro/servo combo on the stock ESC.No voltage regulator needed

05-22-2008 05:43 AM

mchammer
Veteran
Location: California,USA

if you run too low of a headspeed on the rex it will get hot.
you want to run at or near 100% power in idle up 2 it will run way cooler.my idle 2 curve is set to 100,100,100.after 5min hard 3d motor is warm to the touch.battery is warm not hot.esc is barely warm.

Peace Through Superior Firepower!!!

07-22-2008 07:38 AM

mchammer
Veteran
Location: California,USA

the higher headspeed will seem scarey at first but it will be more stable in flight even if you are just hovering.

Peace Through Superior Firepower!!!

07-22-2008 07:40 AM

bigdog714
Senior Heliman
Location: Chardon, Ohio U.S.A.

No one recommends flying an ESC at a 100% flatt line. You should reach your desired head speed at 85% max, at 100% you have no throttle left, during a climb out your head speed will drop and the tail wont hold.

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Align T-Rex 600EP
Align T-Rex 600N

07-24-2008 12:41 AM

fenderstrat
Elite Veteran
Location: Aston,Pa

have you checked the gear mesh and belt tension?..have you checked your pitch set up to make sure you dont have too much and are getting 0 pitch at mid stick??

sorry just saw that way2slow mentioned this,but have you checked it?

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07-24-2008 12:52 AM

bigdog714
Senior Heliman
Location: Chardon, Ohio U.S.A.

The timing settings are good ideas, and fly without the canopy for better air flow, almost nothing creates more heat than just hovering around, once you start flying some simple circuits you will see a drastic change in the temp.

Logo 14
Align T-Rex 600EP
Align T-Rex 600N

07-24-2008 01:02 AM

mchammer
Veteran
Location: California,USA

Quote
No one recommends flying an ESC at a 100% flatt line.

At 100% you will find that any speed contoll doesnt work as hard.
Below is a quote directly from Castle creations.

Quote

A speed controller controls power to the motor by turning full throttle current on and off really fast, 11 to 13 thousand times per second (Pulse Width Modulation or PWM). The percentage of each on/off pulse that is off compared to the part that is on determines how much power the motor sees. I.E. With a pulse that is 50% off and 50% on the motor will see 50% power*. Because each on pulse is 100% of full throttle current, a system set to pull 20 amps at full throttle through a Phoenix 10 will not last if you are throttled back to the point where you only see 10 amps on a wattmeter. The ESC in this case is still switching 20 amps, which it can’t do for long. Actually it is worse than the simple example above. Because an electric motor will always to try to pull as much power as is available to get to its rpm (volts times Kv), when you are running the motor below its Kv speed by switching power on an off, each on pulse will actually be way over the full throttle amp draw. That is why ESCs work harder at partial throttle than full throttle and why we underrate our ESCs. We underrate not so they can handle more current than their rating at full throttle, but so they can handle extended partial throttle operation with no problems

Peace Through Superior Firepower!!!

07-25-2008 04:30 AM

mchammer
Veteran
Location: California,USA

Quote
during a climb out your head speed will drop and the tail wont hold.

if your tail wont hold it is probably due to other issues ie:low headspeed,gyro issues.

Peace Through Superior Firepower!!!

07-25-2008 04:31 AM

emag remrofni
Key Veteran
Location: Los Angeles California

The 430l is known to be an inefficient motor (ie it runs hot.) It's nothing really bad but you should see if anyone at the field has an infrared temp gun to see how hot it really is getting. E motors can be as hot as 160 and still be fine. Esc shouldn't be hotter than 135ish and the battery should not be more than 140 degrees. Many factors can motor temp such as ambient temp and gear mesh. I think this should be your next upgrade though.

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07-25-2008 04:42 AM

Pistol_Pete
Elite Veteran
Location: Tampa Bay non-Buccaneer

Quote
you should see if anyone at the field has an infrared temp gun to see how hot it really is getting

better yet get your own at

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ct...temnumber=93983

These folks are all over california.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ct...l_stores.taf#CA

<><>...the lunatic is in my head...<><>

07-25-2008 03:11 PM

HOMEPAGE

bigdog714
Senior Heliman
Location: Chardon, Ohio U.S.A.

Go here,

http://video.helifreak.com/?subpath...le85hvpart1.wmv

Logo 14
Align T-Rex 600EP
Align T-Rex 600N

07-26-2008 12:45 AM

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Beginners Corner > Trex motor and esc getting hot

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