Help! FPV Camera plugged into 35A ESC JST Plug?

I set up my Bushwacker for FPV, and plugged an AKK AIO straight to the ESC JST Plug, thinking it would be all good. During Flight I noticed I was loosing power and maintaining some servo control. In order to get power back I had to drop throttle to zero and neutral out all control surfaces. After the first occurrence I started back towards the field, the second occurrence happened on my base turn to get to the airfield, managed to save it for about 10 feet, then happened a 3rd time, and had a 1st person view of a lawn dart.

Would the camera over draw the ESC and cause it to zap power form the motor like that. This was my 1st FPV flight with this setup, and 1st time this esc and motor combo had an issue. I Plane on rebuilding the the setup, and using a BEC run from the battery for the camera, eventually, but in the meantime, I am migrating the camera to my Arrow, want to know if powering from the ESC is a bad Idea.

Equipment:
Camera: AKK AIO 7-35V input
35A Flite Test ESC (PackC)
Power Pack C Motor
3s 3200MAH SMART G2 Battery
6 servos: 1 Elevator, 1 Rudder, 2 Aileron on Y Cable, 2 Flaps on Y Cable
Lemon RX Stab+ 6 Axis RX - Running 3 Axis Gyro
 
Last edited:

FlamingRCAirplanes

Elite member
I set up my Bushwacker for FPV, and plugged an AKK AIO straight to the ESC JST Plug, thinking it would be all good. During Flight I noticed I was loosing power and maintaining some servo control. In order to get power back I had to drop throttle to zero and neutral out all control surfaces. After the first occurrence I started back towards the field, the second occurrence happened on my base turn to get to the airfield, managed to save it for about 10 feet, then happened a 3rd time, and had a 1st person view of a lawn dart.

Would the camera over draw the ESC and cause it to zap power form the motor like that. This was my 1st FPV flight with this setup, and 1st time this esc and motor combo had an issue. I Plane on rebuilding the the setup, and using a BEC run from the battery for the camera, eventually, but in the meantime, I am migrating the camera to my Arrow, want to know if powering from the ESC is a bad Idea.

Equipment:
Camera: AKK AIO
35A Flite Test ESC (PackC)
Power Pack C Motor
3s 3200MAH SMART G2 Battery
6 servos: 1 Elevator, 1 Rudder, 2 Aileron on Y Cable, 2 Flaps on Y Cable
Lemon RX Stab+ 6 Axis RX - Running 3 Axis Gyro
No, those cameras use so little power that they would not do anything, they use like 10% of what a servo uses, something else is wrong, it almost seems like the battery went bad.
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
I have not looked at what voltages your equipment runs on.
My FPV equipment runs on the same voltage as my main flight pack, 3S, 12V. I power my FVP equipment by the balance plug on my flight pack. It's just quick and easy to plug it in and go.
 

FlamingRCAirplanes

Elite member
I have not looked at what voltages your equipment runs on.
My FPV equipment runs on the same voltage as my main flight pack, 3S, 12V. I power my FVP equipment by the balance plug on my flight pack. It's just quick and easy to plug it in and go.
No his camera runs off 5v max
 

Hondo76251

Legendary member
I prefer to run a separate BEC for camera generally speaking but if you want quick and dirty you can run your camera straight off the battery balance lead, depending on the voltage it can handle. Most of my little cameras can run on 1s so I use a pin header into a single cell of the balance lead or run the camera off a separate 1s battery. Others can run on 12 or more volts and sometimes even have the voltage displayed in the OSD. Those i can also run from the balance lead but use all the cells.

Again, not the preferred method, but something that can be done.
 

SSgt Duramax

Junior Member
You could try powering it from a second battery, depending on the voltage required. My little AIO camera runs off RX voltage, so I could either power it off the RX or I could use a second battery. I read horror stories about brown outs caused by the camera pulling too much current (probably overdramatized and exacerbated by other problems) and I decided to power with separate 1s batteries. The down side of that is, when your battery dies, you really have no indication and you are flying blind. Better have RTH capabilities!

Disclaimer for you Karens: You should always technically be flying within LOS and a spotter anyways, so this should theoretically be a minor inconvenience and a non issue.
 

Hondo76251

Legendary member
Id say you might have been pushing the limits of what the BEC can handle, especially if you have a servo that might be binding on something a little and drawing more than normal.
 
Id say you might have been pushing the limits of what the BEC can handle, especially if you have a servo that might be binding on something a little and drawing more than normal.
This sounds like that may be the case, I always thought the JST on those ESCs bypassed the BEC, but maybe not.
 

Hondo76251

Legendary member
This sounds like that may be the case, I always thought the JST on those ESCs bypassed the BEC, but maybe not.
Yeah, guess i dont know for sure either. Ive had a few with the JST lead but ive never used one that i recall.

You can have a brownout just from having a few binding controls if you're already near the limits even without the camera. I typically figure one amp per servo so most any plane i put flaps on ill run with a separate BEC, especially if ive got FPV gear on it.
 
Yeah, guess i dont know for sure either. Ive had a few with the JST lead but ive never used one that i recall.

You can have a brownout just from having a few binding controls if you're already near the limits even without the camera. I typically figure one amp per servo so most any plane i put flaps on ill run with a separate BEC, especially if ive got FPV gear on it.

I am sure running a 6 axis gyro weather in 3 axis mode or not would add to that draw. So I may just use a 2 cell battery and power the camera separately, or Use a BEC.

Although most BECs are 5 volt, since Most receivers are 5v(I think), which would mean I would not only need a T for the BEC but also for the Camera, unless I still use the JST, and run the Rx off the BEC. I feel I am over complicating this.
 

Hondo76251

Legendary member
I feel I am over complicating this.
😂

Really dealers choice once you start adding equipment what you want to power what, make it as simple or complex as you want!

Like i said, ive got things that run at both ends of the scale from the sketchy, twist the wires and stuff them into the balance lead for a quick flight with an AIO camera, to the adrupilot powered pixhawk with lidar builds.

This is my preferred setup for a dedicated basic FPV platform:

I typically power nothing critical from the ESC. I figure if im already installing separate BECs why risk having the ESC go out and take some important component with it? Typically gear, flaps, bomb drop etc.

Camera and RX gear I'll run together on BEC, typically 12v.

Receiver and whatever is in the tail (ele rud) ill put on another 5v BEC.

Ill put whatever is in the wings on its own 5v bec as well (typically because wings are removable)

I'll usually run any FC i have on its own bec as well, though for simplicity sometimes ill run it on the bec for the wing servos (just so its on separate one from the receiver)

The theory, for me, when flying fpv is that i want a little redundancy. I dont want one failure leading to a lawn dart scenario. I want ample power to all the components so that one failed or sticky servo doesn't take out the whole circuit.

Does it have to be this complex? Heck no, its just what i prefer if im setting out to build FPV.
 
😂

Really dealers choice once you start adding equipment what you want to power what, make it as simple or complex as you want!

Like i said, ive got things that run at both ends of the scale from the sketchy, twist the wires and stuff them into the balance lead for a quick flight with an AIO camera, to the adrupilot powered pixhawk with lidar builds.

This is my preferred setup for a dedicated basic FPV platform:

I typically power nothing critical from the ESC. I figure if im already installing separate BECs why risk having the ESC go out and take some important component with it? Typically gear, flaps, bomb drop etc.

Camera and RX gear I'll run together on BEC, typically 12v.

Receiver and whatever is in the tail (ele rud) ill put on another 5v BEC.

Ill put whatever is in the wings on its own 5v bec as well (typically because wings are removable)

I'll usually run any FC i have on its own bec as well, though for simplicity sometimes ill run it on the bec for the wing servos (just so its on separate one from the receiver)

The theory, for me, when flying fpv is that i want a little redundancy. I dont want one failure leading to a lawn dart scenario. I want ample power to all the components so that one failed or sticky servo doesn't take out the whole circuit.

Does it have to be this complex? Heck no, its just what i prefer if im setting out to build FPV.

Never mind, I am clearly not overthinking this, just making a hobby out of it.

:D
 
Thought just hit me, I had a similar issue with my mini f22, running a 4 cell 850mah 75c on a 35a ESC on an f pack motor with 5x3x3 prop. The ESC would over heat if I had the battery blocking the air duct underneath the plane, and all but the servos would stop, similar fix had to zero throttle and let it glide a bit before I got power back.
I wonder if this ESC was so close to that thermal failsafe that the camera put it over the threshold, it did not have great airflow behind the fire wall in the bushwhacker.