Do ESC and motor manufacturers need to match?

Mode 1

Active member
Hi All,

Do motor and esc manufacturers need to match or can I use an emax esc with a motor from another mfg?


Thanks!

~ Dave
 

d8veh

Elite member
Many ESCs are programmable. You have to see the manual for how. For best performance, the pulse timing needs to match the motor. As a general rule, the more poles in the motor, the more advanced you need the timing. There should be guidance on that in the ESC's manual.
 

Bricks

Master member
As said above the big thing is make sure the ESC can handle the amperage of the motor and the C rating of the battery you are planning on using. . d8veh stated about timing not really a necessity and most ESC`s will run any motor in stock settings.
 

sprzout

Knower of useless information
Mentor
Don't need to worry about it. I've got a HobbyStar 1400kv motor running with a 36 amp Castle ESC, and it works just fine. :) I've also had a 30 amp Emax ESC running with a Turnigy 1300kv motor; No issues whatsoever, provided I ran it with the right prop, right battery, and didn't try to over tax it and let out the magic blue smoke. :)

If you're worried about it, there are some online calculators like Ecalc (http://ecalc.ch) that will allow you to benchmark your setup without actually putting a load to anything. It's not perfect, but it will at least get you a good idea of "this is a flying time bomb" or "I don't have a big enough propeller".

The nice thing about places like Ecalc is it gives you a chance to mix and match equipment before you purchase, as well, so you know that you'll need something like a 6s battery and a big whopping 60 Amp ESC for a couple of ducted fan motors (and I'm just kind of pulling something together out of thin air with that; your mileage may vary depending on the plane, motor or motors, etc).
 

Mode 1

Active member
Is it possible to crimp 2mm bullet connectors to the ESC if the esc didn't come with connectors pre-soldered?

Kind Regards,

the guy who can't solder ... yet
 

d8veh

Elite member
d8veh stated about timing not really a necessity and most ESC`s will run any motor in stock settings.
Sorry to have to be pedantic, but you need to qualify that statement. It's true that an ESC that you've been using on one motor will probably work with a similar motor, but similar means the same or similar number of poles. Note that an inrunner will most likely have a lot fewer poles than an outrunner.

If your ESC was set up with 25 deg advance timing for a typical 12 or 14-pole motor and then you replace it with a 4-pole motor , it would run inefficiently. The current might be the same, but less of it would be converted to motive power and more would be converted to heat, so you'd end up with less output power and a burnt motor.

You have to consider current and efficiency together. If you had 100% efficiency, you could run a motor with any current you wanted, and it would never burn. The only thing that matters is the amount of current converted to heat. Say you have a motor running 20 amps at 80% efficiency. You'd have 4 amps heating the motor. At 16 amps and 50% efficiency, you'd have 8 amps heating the motor, so lower current isn't always better. Efficiency changes with speed and timing.

With any ESC, you should always check that you have the optimal timing selected. If it didn't make a difference, why do the ESC manufacturers put it in the programming and in the manual?
 

d8veh

Elite member
Is it possible to crimp 2mm bullet connectors to the ESC if the esc didn't come with connectors pre-soldered?

Kind Regards,

the guy who can't solder ... yet
I wouldn't advise that. Find someone that can solder. It's not difficult. All you need is a bit of flux, solder and an iron able to provide enough heat - say a 60W one or more. Hold the wire in the connector; put a bit of solder on the tip of the iron to help transfer the heat; keep the iron in contact all the time; allow the wire and connector to heat up, then add the solder, which will melt into the space between the wire and the connector; when the gap is full of solder, you can take the iron off. The most common mistakes are waving the iron around like a magic wand and using one that can't provide enough heat. The iron should be in contact with the joint before, during and after adding the solder. If the iron can't provide enough heat, the heat gets conducted away faster than the iron can provide it so you can't get the joint hot enough to fuse the solder.

When stuck, I have done this sort of soldering over a gas ring and even with a cigarette lighter. You keep the flame on the tip of the bullet with the wire resting inside, trying not to let the flame near the wire. It's a bit awkward to hold the two together. It normally means resting it on something. When hot enough, add the solder and watch it flow into the joint. when full, switch off the flame and keep everything still while it cools down.
 

Mode 1

Active member
I wouldn't advise that. Find someone that can solder. It's not difficult. All you need is a bit of flux, solder and an iron able to provide enough heat - say a 60W one or more. Hold the wire in the connector; put a bit of solder on the tip of the iron to help transfer the heat; keep the iron in contact all the time; allow the wire and connector to heat up, then add the solder, which will melt into the space between the wire and the connector; when the gap is full of solder, you can take the iron off. The most common mistakes are waving the iron around like a magic wand and using one that can't provide enough heat. The iron should be in contact with the joint before, during and after adding the solder. If the iron can't provide enough heat, the heat gets conducted away faster than the iron can provide it so you can't get the joint hot enough to fuse the solder.

When stuck, I have done this sort of soldering over a gas ring and even with a cigarette lighter. You keep the flame on the tip of the bullet with the wire resting inside, trying not to let the flame near the wire. It's a bit awkward to hold the two together. It normally means resting it on something. When hot enough, add the solder and watch it flow into the joint. when full, switch off the flame and keep everything still while it cools down.

Thanks d8, a soldering station will be purchased in the next week or two. I appreciate the feedback!