Pimp your ESC

[RipAir]

howdy!

any one else have some sexy pimped ESC's to show?

heres mine sofar in a before (left) after (right) shot


- added roughly 1mm of acrylic coating, against oxidation and splash water
- shorted the signal ground to the main ground wire, slightly reducing weight and complexity by only requiring 3 wires
- redid the heat shrink, adding rigidity and allowing a better heat exchange through the open section
- signal wire recessed within the heat shrink, to prevent any kind of stress on the relatively thin wire or solder joint

any tips or inputs are always welcome

cheers!

 

[LitterBug]

Mine are all exhibitionists that like hangin out naked or in clear clothing!

Here's my LittleBee Pro x4 hangin' it all out under the flashing dance floor lights of the SPR F3 EVO.



Cheers!
LitterBug

 

[RipAir]

hot! shake that thing!
love it how the light reflects in the solder

 

[rockyboy]

Cool! Can you share some more about the acrylic covering you're using for waterproofing? I've been using CorrosionX HD but it smells awful, looks horrible, and actually caused some problems with a receiver/gyro unit for me.

 

[RipAir]

i use toluene free acrylic spray from electrolube, which is dedicated for PCB's, therefore heat resistant (since components can get warm/hot) and even glows under uv light (to check if everything is nicely coated)

doesnt smell like flowers either, but never had problems with it
does the one you use maybe conduct? try nicely coating a non conductive surface and test it with your meter

ive never coated a gyro yet, so maybe i cant directly pinpoint all the possible issues
if its a mechanical gyro (that isnt implemented in an IC) i could imagine that there could be venting holes, to equalize air pressure with temperature changes

but i wouldnt use something like acrylic to effectively make something water proof
since it gets relatively hard/brittle you can get the occasional crack/chip in the coating (specially with the sort of crashes you can get with a drone)
so id only use it for splash proofing and corrosion ofc

for water proofing id rather look for something slightly softer, that can flex during impacts etc
just dont use hot glue that tends to leak along the contact areas to other materials
theres certainly dedicated potting materials, but i tend to just use any soft to very soft epoxy (depending on the amount of penetration points) and pot the whole thing
but that will obviously also make the PCB rather unserviceable

only problems you can have is with mechanical parts or certain sensors like barometers (that need to measure the air pressure)
and always test for conductivity! never know what additives all those brands could be adding to "improve" theyr product

ps: heat exchange might also need consideration with certain components

 

[LitterBug]

Prop/Debris Strike on ESC

I prefer to keep my ESCs clearly covered for several reasons.
1) keep foreign debris out of the electronics
2) makes them easier to clean
3) No worries that debris may short out or change electrical properties
4) gives impact protection
5) Hold junk together and in when smoke or impact hapens
6) Clear covering makes it possible to see if/where you let the smoke out
7) Can add some strain relief to the wiring and solder joints

Even so, SHtuff happens:
Hit a race gate and then the ground with a FlexRC Owl 118. Had RotorX 3030T props on DYS 1306 4000KV motors which impacted this DYS XM20A ESC Through clear plastic shrink tubing Knocking a critical black component off the board. (cap or res?)

#1 motor was dead and it was clear there had been impact. Component contained for awesome post wreck autopsy.

Cheers!
LitterBug

 

[RipAir]

evil going by the size it looks like a cap, luckily not too unlucky since you can check the other ESCs for the according component type and replace it relatively easy

but good addition with the clear heat shrink, since it could make the difference between finding an issue before or after dusk
and ofc also helps prevent future issues

maybe one might even start considering kevlar

 

[mjmccarron]

Hit a race gate and then the ground with a FlexRC Owl 118. Had RotorX 3030T props on DYS 1306 4000KV motors which impacted this DYS XM20A ESC Through clear plastic shrink tubing Knocking a critical black component off the board. (cap or res?)
View attachment 72583
#1 motor was dead and it was clear there had been impact. Component contained for awesome post wreck autopsy.

That looks more like a diode to me. Look closely for a stripe or etched line on one end. If you solder it back on, make sure its the same way it was originally.

Mike

 

[LitterBug]

That looks more like a diode to me. Look closely for a stripe or etched line on one end. If you solder it back on, make sure its the same way it was originally.

Mike

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!! Diode it is as seen on the de-stickered clear clothed replacement.

Cheers!
LitterBug