Motor and ESC Testing

[alan0043]

Hi Everyone,

I have been during some searching on how to use a servo tester to test your esc and motor. But I was sure Josh had a video on using a servo tester for motor testing. But I could not find it. I have a new motor and want to test an older esc to see if the esc is any good. I remember one time when I tried testing a motor that I burnt up an esc. I still remember the burn marks on my fingers when things went wrong. I don't want to repeat the same mistakes. Can someone point me in the right direction on a video.

Thank you for any help,
Al

 

[JasonK]

if you burned up the ESC, you likely had the power wires back words, or the ESC has insufficient current capability for the motor in question.

YouTube search isn't finding me a video on Flite Test's site on testing an ESC/motor. you hook it up just like you would in a plane, but use the servo tester instead of the receiver.

 

[Merv]

To use a servo tester to test an ESC, plug the ESC into to servo side of the tester.

The pins on the servo side lay in the same plane as the ESC side. In other words is the pins are lay flat on the ESC side, they will also be flat on the servo side. Don’t plug the ESC in vertically.

The pos & neg pins from one side of the tester are connected to pins on the other side. In other words, they run straight through, it doesn’t matter which side is powered.

Be sure to remove the prop from the motor, you don’t want the prop to start unexpectedly.

 

[alan0043]

Hi Guys,

Thank you for the help. I gave the ideas a try and nothing happened. I should have said the motor did some beeping and was doing a little twitching but would not start up. I remember that this esc needed to be calibrated ever time you would put a battery into the plane. Maybe the same thing is going on. I tried to turn the servo tester all the way up and then back down to off. Hoping I was recalibrating the esc but still no luck with the motor wanting to start. How long do you put the throttle or in this case the servo tester fully on ? Time wise ? 5 to 10 seconds ? I am a rookie about rc planes. Just starting into the hobby.

Thank you again for the help,
Al

 

[JasonK]

Hi Guys,

Thank you for the help. I gave the ideas a try and nothing happened. I should have said the motor did some beeping and was doing a little twitching but would not start up. I remember that this esc needed to be calibrated ever time you would put a battery into the plane. Maybe the same thing is going on. I tried to turn the servo tester all the way up and then back down to off. Hoping I was recalibrating the esc but still no luck with the motor wanting to start. How long do you put the throttle or in this case the servo tester fully on ? Time wise ? 5 to 10 seconds ? I am a rookie about rc planes. Just starting into the hobby.

Thank you again for the help,
Al

if your calabrating the ESC, you start with throttle at full, wait for the first beep set, then go to minimum, wait for second set of beeps, then it should be calibrated.

 

[alan0043]

if your calabrating the ESC, you start with throttle at full, wait for the first beep set, then go to minimum, wait for second set of beeps, then it should be calibrated.

Hi Jason,

Thank you for the help. I followed your instructions with no luck. I have a feeling that the esc is bad. Is there a way to test the esc without the motor ?

 

[JasonK]

Hi Jason,

Thank you for the help. I followed your instructions with no luck. I have a feeling that the esc is bad. Is there a way to test the esc without the motor ?

not without electronics you probably don't have handy, but if you swap the ESCs between motors and the issue stays with the ESC, the issue is probably the ESC, if the issue stays with the motor, the issue is probably the motor.

 

[alan0043]

not without electronics you probably don't have handy, but if you swap the ESCs between motors and the issue stays with the ESC, the issue is probably the ESC, if the issue stays with the motor, the issue is probably the motor.

Thank you again for the help.

 

[alan0043]

not without electronics you probably don't have handy, but if you swap the ESCs between motors and the issue stays with the ESC, the issue is probably the ESC, if the issue stays with the motor, the issue is probably the motor.

Hi Jason,

Thank you again for your help. Good news. I swapped out the esc in question with another esc and the motor started up just fine.