Trying Out E-SSC

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midair02
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Trying Out E-SSC

Post by midair02 »

Here is my first venture into E-SSC. Hopefully, I will be able to test out the durability during the winter club combat. Nothing special as of yet. Motor is the Turnigy 3536 - 1400 KV. Speed control is the TURNIGY K-Force 40A. Battery is a Turnigy 4S 2650. After the initial test flight, it turned 16.8. I bumped the end point up, and it hit 18.1. I have a Phoenix ICE 50 speed control that I am going to try to set the rpm at 17.5 and see how it feels throughout the entire round. There should be plenty of juice available to hold 17.5 throughout the entire flight, I hope. And from what data Brian has, holding 17.5 through the loops would definately be beneficial. You'll lose the unloading in level and diving flight though.


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William "Dominator" Drumm III
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dditch
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by dditch »

Let us know how it goes. I have yet to log a flight with my eagle tree logger.
I tach before the flight and usually land at about 16500-16800RPM when I tach it after the round/test flight.
I'm using the cheapo Hobby city 50-60A SS series ESC cause they are cheap.
In a mid-air, we've had a few ESC's and/or motors burn up in my group.
I'm running 2 3S packs in series with a HobbyPartz monster power 15.
The Turnigy SK 1100Kv motor is lighter, but I'd already started off using the HobbyPartz which has a KV I think that is more effiient for 6S setup.
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Ed Kettler
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by Ed Kettler »

I am running that setup and it is great. I use 4s3000 just to make sure I have power reserve at the end and don't stress the batteries. Usually tach out at 16.8 +/-0.2K after flying.
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midair02
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by midair02 »

I finally got a nice day 8) to go do some testing with the Phoenix ICE 50. I couldn't get my laptop up and running so I set the ESC to Governor mode to try out first. At first, I couldn't get it to go. I played around with the magnetic poles number and it finally got turning. Not a lot of RPM's, but it turned at least. I bumped the poles number up again and more RPM. Did a little math now and figured 14 was the right number for this motor (Turnigy 3536 - 1400 KV). I tried putting in 17,500 for the full throttle setting, but it changed it to 17,465 as with the other throttle settings. I figured the middle RPM setting of 17,000 would allow you to slow down a little to match the speed of a drone. 14,000 turned out to be just about right when coming in for a landing. I tached it before I left for the field and it was at 17,520. The RPM data say 17465 for most of the time with spikes up to 17570.

Settings:

Image


On the graph, the top line is the Voltage and the bottom line is the RPM's. At 280 seconds, I did the RPM check on the ground (17,520 again) . 325 seconds was launch and climb. Since it was not windy, I did a reflex check. That's what the gaps in RPM's are at 360 seconds and 380 seconds. I was flying like a real combat match for the rest of the round and it held the RPM's very well. As the data shows, it started to drop off the last 30 seconds of "combat".

Image

I flew three different batteries worth and here are the numbers after I landed.

First: 15.1V (no load) - 17,220 RPM - 1772 mAh put back in
Second: 15.0V (no load) - 14.4V (Full Throttle) - 17,220 RPM - 1887 mAh put back in
Third: 15.0V (no load) - 14.5V (Full Throttle) - 17,280 RPM - 1793 mAh put back in

I definately liked the way the plane flew. Pulled really well through loops and turns. Much better than my initial test flight. Now to test just setting the ATV back until the RPM's hit 17,500. I'll see how much it unloads in the air and how it feels tomorrow. I'm thinking the Governor mode is going to be better for feel for the entire round. I'm thinking next order of HobbyKing will be including some Nano-tech batteries. :D
William "Dominator" Drumm III
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midair02
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by midair02 »

Here's the graph's from the test flights I did today. I might have to run more of the top off to get better performance towards the end. The graphs show that using the ATV to dial the RPMs back has its advantages in the beginning of the round as the plane unloads some in the air. But they drop off after a minute or two. Personally, I'd rather have the power at the end of the round when I've got a bunch of streamers on my wing. :mrgreen:

I did three flights. The last flight, I set the ATV at 100% and left if there just to see what she could really do.

Image

This is a blown up view the second flight.

Image

Now to try it out in combat!!! :twisted:
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Thekid3418
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by Thekid3418 »

Great testing! Very interesting stuff!

Now, if you could answer my still unanswered question. How did you arm the ESC once you programmed it for governor mode? For the life of me I could not figure this out! Its most of why I haven't flown the e-falcon more then I have already.

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midair02
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by midair02 »

I know you have to reverse the throttle on Futaba transmitters to get speed controls to work and did that to start with. I couldn't get it to arm either. I set the throttle trim all the way back. Still nothing. Travels to 120%. Nothing. Then I played around with the number of magnetic poles in motor in the "Enter Motor/Gearing Information" section. Tried 4 at first, I think. Hey. It works. Real slow, but it works. Bumped it up to 8. More RPMs. I assumed the RPMs to poles was linear and did a little math and figured that 14 would get me to 17500. If I recall, you are using a different motor, so it might not be the same. This is for the Turnigy 3536 - 1400 KV. The travels are back to 100% and it still works. Trim is all the way down and I think it doesn't have to be.

That's how I got it to work. I did notice that the ESC doesn't get set properly from time to time. What I ended up doing to make sure everything got set, is under "Device Commands" you can read the settings to make sure that it got set to what you want. I'd completely reset the model in you transmitter and start over. You never know what you played around with in those darn computer radios. One other thing to check is that you have the current version of the CastleLink software.
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dditch
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by dditch »

Calibrate the end points.
With a normal throttle curve having full stick = 100%, Turn it on with the stick all the way up, then when you hear the first beeps, drop it down.
That usually calibrates it.
Castle has another procedure but I just do what I said above.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1190885
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by midair02 »

From what I understand, Governor mode will have fixed endpoints and you adjust your transmitter to get the full "precision" of control. Say you have 3/4 throttle on the transmitter. The ESC might read that as 100% throttle. So you would have to dial back the end point in the transmitter till they match up and you have exact relationship in the throttle stick position to the perceived throttle position in the ESC. If that makes any sense.

If you are use "auto-calibration" then the stick up and back down is what you would do.

That info in the articles is pretty much the same as what I found under each blue question mark by each setting. I just played around and guessed.

Note, there is a Governor Mode under Control Line which allows for the use of braking. Helicopter Mode did not.
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Thekid3418
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by Thekid3418 »

Its seems as though I tried that, if my memory serves me well. I would set it to governor mode in castle link, and tried all types of series for calibrating the ESC. I tried starting at no throttle, waiting for a beep, then going to full, waiting for another beep, then back down to 0 and got nothing. I also tried starting at full throttle, as well as starting at half and doing the same process as before. I just could not get it to work for the life of me!

I did get it to calibrate when running it in regular airplane mode, but that eliminated the value of my ICE Esc!

Thanks for the tips. I'll give it a shot when i'm home next (thanksgiving perhaps!)

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midair02
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by midair02 »

I tried this setup out last weekend. It flew AWESOME!!! 8) It was a little slower than my Magnum setups from what I could tell. The first round I flew with it, I got 8 cuts!!! :D Then, I decided to go for number 9. I got really close. A little too close, actually. :cry:

Image
Top wing is my E-SSC.

Durability was a factor. Covering it entirely with bi-di would have probably kept it going for the next round. Oh well. Weight vs Durability. You gotta choose. But, good news is that my wing centering pins kept the wing on straight and the battery in place. I think this way of holding the battery in will work. Will make more like this over winter to see for sure. I am also going to test out the 6 cell (2 3s 2200 mAh in series) setup too.



Build..........Build..........Build........Build.......Build.......Build......Build.....Build....Build...Build....Build...Build....Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba..Ba..Bahhhhhhhhhh.


BUILD!!!
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Dr. Kamakaze
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by Dr. Kamakaze »

William,
I'm not sure who hit who in that midair, but all I broke was a prop! Your setup looked to be flying awesome as far as speed went to me, but then again all of your planes fly well (maybe it's the pilot)! Go get 'em next weekend and show those boys how we fly in Wisconsin!! Wish I could go too...get some cuts for me!
Andy Runte aka "Dr. Kamakaze"
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by Hat Trick »

That'sa really funny looking electric motor!
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dditch
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by dditch »

midair, What was the temp where you were flying?
In the June/August time, I found that if I did not get enough airflow over my ESC, it would overheat and throttle reduce. And I was using a 6S setup running about 17A.
I'd expect a 4S pulling more current to get the ESC hotter.
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Re: Trying Out E-SSC

Post by midair02 »

It was around 60 degrees out. My setup has the ESC out in the open, getting plenty of airflow. After a full flight, the motor and ESC are warm, not hot. I am using the Castle Creations ICE-50. Way more speed controller than is needed. I am trying it out mainly for the data recording feature and the fact that it has the ability to set the RPM's in governor mode. I will be playing around with the K-Force 40 speed control over winter. It has a governor mode, too, but I have no clue how to use it to "set" the RPM. I remember Lee had something about it on the forum.
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