2026 Speed Challenge - Gadeirus

Gadeirus

Active member
Screws arrived today so I was able to put the finishing touches on the model. Motor, esc, and Rx are mounted, everything is turning in the correct direction, about all that's left is to fly. Hopefully tomorrow evening if the weather cooperates. I'll only be testing on 2S and 6x4.5 propeller.

I have some 3S batteries and 5x5 propellers at hand. Not sure what would happen if I tried to feed the FT 1806 a 4S battery.

2S battery looks positively tiny in there, though I intentionally designed the fuselage to be able to hold larger batteries:

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Put it on the scale. Ready to fly with the 2S battery it comes in at 319g. Not bad compared to my CAD model which said 299g, and that doesn't include things like glue, tape, pushrods, screws, and so on.

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Keen to see how this flies, though I'm already planning the next variant(s)
 

Gadeirus

Active member
Well, no luck. Despite it still being 100° out at 6:30pm I drove out to the park to give this thing a try. Had everything ready to launch and as I go to run up the motor it just sits there and pulses. Wiggled wires, tried a different battery, no difference. I'm gonna assume I need a new ESC, later tonight I'll pull things apart and check for damaged wires, etc.
 

Gadeirus

Active member
Did some checking, does indeed seem to be the ESC. Hooked it up to another 1806 and got whacky results as well. Tried the same motors on a different ESC and they seem to work fine. Trouble is, my other ESC is only good for 12A, so I guess I need to order up a new ESC. May order another, bigger, motor while I'm at it.

What are we doing for budget ESC's these days, Skywalker? Something else? Might see about getting a 20mm or 22mm motor. Recommendations appreciated (y)
 

RickHunter

Elite member
I personally had some bad experiences with skywalker esc's in the past and completely stop using them. On most my scratch builds I have been using aerostar esc's from hobbyking. A bit more expensive, but I have not had any issue with them.
 

Mr Man

Mr SPEED!
Did some checking, does indeed seem to be the ESC. Hooked it up to another 1806 and got whacky results as well. Tried the same motors on a different ESC and they seem to work fine. Trouble is, my other ESC is only good for 12A, so I guess I need to order up a new ESC. May order another, bigger, motor while I'm at it.

What are we doing for budget ESC's these days, Skywalker? Something else? Might see about getting a 20mm or 22mm motor. Recommendations appreciated (y)
Maybe take the heatshrink off and see if one of the motor wires is loose…
 

telnar1236

Master member
I tend to just go on Amazon and search ESCs then get the cheapest option that meets my needs. You get some sketchy things sometimes (I have a 120 A ESC that is clearly just two 60 A ESCs strapped together and synchronized) but the only ESC failure I've had recently was an E-Flite ESC which should have been the least sketchy of the lot. Flycolor seems to be pretty cheap and reliable. ZTW Beatles are very low profile but tend to have overheating issues without very good cooling in my experience
 

Gadeirus

Active member
Well, failure again. Brand new battery, brand new esc, motor pulses and won't run all the way up. Motor gets really hot, too. Tried two different FT 1806 motors and they both do the same thing. Chances of both 1806's being cooked? Oddly enough, the 1806 I put in my Dad's plane has done the same thing....are these just junk motors?
 

Houndpup Rc

Legendary member
I tend to just go on Amazon and search ESCs then get the cheapest option that meets my needs. You get some sketchy things sometimes (I have a 120 A ESC that is clearly just two 60 A ESCs strapped together and synchronized) but the only ESC failure I've had recently was an E-Flite ESC which should have been the least sketchy of the lot. Flycolor seems to be pretty cheap and reliable. ZTW Beatles are very low profile but tend to have overheating issues without very good cooling in my experience
I usually do the same thing😂👍 (I tried ones from Aliexpress, but they are junk in my experience and fry after a few flights)
 

Gadeirus

Active member
Does it beep or refuse to spin? Could be an ESC calibration issue if it's beeping
Sometimes it'll pulse and then beep, almost like the esc is resetting or something? It's just weird that it does the same thing with multiple batteries, esc's and motors. The batteries are brand new, one of the esc's is brand new, the motors are not though. About to order some random 1806 motors off of Amazon just to try, I can always use more gear.
 

Houndpup Rc

Legendary member
Sometimes it'll pulse and then beep, almost like the esc is resetting or something? It's just weird that it does the same thing with multiple batteries, esc's and motors. The batteries are brand new, one of the esc's is brand new, the motors are not though. About to order some random 1806 motors off of Amazon just to try, I can always use more gear.
I got one of these and they seem to be very good quality! Though make sure you fix any ESC issues or it will go up in flames....Literally!! (Don't ask me how I know😉😂😂)
 

telnar1236

Master member
I got one of these and they seem to be very good quality! Though make sure you fix any ESC issues or it will go up in flames....Literally!! (Don't ask me how I know😉😂😂)
Same brand that I used for the pylon racer to test my laminar flow airfoil and that I have specified for the twin fuselage design I'm thinking about building, though both of those were 2306 motors. Seemed reliable and efficient and it survived getting smashed into the ground after my ESC exploded on the pylon racer
 

telnar1236

Master member
Sometimes it'll pulse and then beep, almost like the esc is resetting or something? It's just weird that it does the same thing with multiple batteries, esc's and motors. The batteries are brand new, one of the esc's is brand new, the motors are not though. About to order some random 1806 motors off of Amazon just to try, I can always use more gear.
Sounds like the ESC might be going into overcurrent and resetting. If the motor spins freely, then the most likely explanation is one of the 3 leads is broken internally. Might also be an issue with startup torque - you could try flicking the prop to get it spinning and seeing if it works then - explanation there would be too much weight in the prop if it starts spinning after that. Also worth making sure the motor isn't binding on anything, whether the screws to mount it to the airframe or some leftover hot glue
 

FishbonesAir

Elite member
Thanks, I'll do some more checking. Ordered another motor from Amazon to try. I swear, I'll have another plane designed and built by the time I have the electronics sorted...
Amazon... I get some stuff there, but for motors, my preferred sources are: altitudehobbies.com
team-legit.com
Flitetest
Getfpv.com

More or less in that order. I also use Amainhobbies.com and for micros, Buzzardmodels.com is the *best!*

Addenda: Altitude is a favorite, because he's local, and his prices are good.
 
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