New throttle/ESC problem?

[My Local I.T Guy]

Hi Guys

Here I am, club numpty, just smashed my new mentor into my desk as it shot across the office and landed on the floor, shredding up a cardboard box that was in its path...

So, problem is, I got everything hooked up, all servo's working perfectly, plugged in my lipo into ESC, all powered up correctly and gave me the correct beeps etc, tried very gently giving tiny amount of throttle to rotate the prop and got nothin.....

No movement at all, but I can here it wanting to go...

Tried again, battery off, battery back on, give it tiny throttle, nothing..... Crap, push the throttle all the way and the ESC just started beepiing like a nutter then the prop kicked in at full throttle and the mentor shot across the room and before I could blink, I had the left aileron in my hand and the plane was on the floor, luckily the battery unplugged itself as it fell on the floor (If that was a deans plug it would not have come off and would have done a ton of damage)

Is there any normal obvious reason why an ESC wont power up, then goes nuts on full throttle after a ton of beeps or am I going to have to pour over the manual to figure it out the hard way?

Oh, this is the new plane I was hoping to fly this weekend too, so will now have to fit proper hinges to the ailerons and re-attach the horn that came off.. Great how the only thing that got broken was the part of the plane I grabbed, if I'd left it, it would have zero damage.... These things are tough!!!

[Darren]

Richard

That doesn't sound right, there are a few reasons why the ESC could be behaving like that but I'm afraid you're going to need to get stuck into the manual unless you can tell us what make & model the ESC and hope that someone knows about that model as programming, beeps & modes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

[My Local I.T Guy]

Hi Darren

Its the one that came with the Mentor, a Multiplex BL-54 brushless controller.
It says in the instructions that the "Out of the box" config is for a 3cell lipo and the brake is "off"

I'm using a 3 cell lipo as instructed in the manual/1 A4 page that came with the ESC that was already pre-installed.
This is the radio-ready kit, although now it needs a new aileron lol

[Trevor]

Some ESCs (like my Turnigy ones) go into program mode if you move the throttle stick while they are booting up. You can program them for slow/fast start and other things. It's possible you might have started moving the throttle before it had finished booting and put it into program mode, then more throttle waggling made it think the programming had finished (signalled by a series of beeps) and it started the motor. Just one possibility.

[alan]

If you are using a futaba radio I believe you need to reverse the throttle channel.
Now you know why you should leave the prop off for the first test! You can also imagine that you would not be able to get your hand out of the way of a device carrying as much power as a small circular saw so ALWAYS keep your hand out of the prop arc when connecting the battery.
Elapor foam mends really well - cut three slots in aileron and wing for mylar hinge, using a scalpel, fit the roughened mylar hinges and fix with thin cyano.
Regardless of safety, running up a powerful electric motor indoors is curiously satisfying with dust and papers flying everywhere.

[My Local I.T Guy]

Thanks Guys...

I was seriously careful here NOT to stand in front of it and connected the battery with everything plugged in correctly.
Looking over the Futaba manual (10CG) it has something called Adjustable travel limit for channel 3, this was switched on, so I've now switch this off.

Why do I need to reverse the throttle channel? Is this a futaba thing?
There isnt anything inthe manual at all about having to reverse the throttle channel for any radio types.

I've now strapped it down with bungee's so it wont happen again, unless it pulls the entire 3ft of toolbox over and nosedives into the floor with the toolbox attached to its undercarraige!!!

I really wish I had video'd what happened because it was soooo "fasst" its hard to remember the exact sequence of joystick wiggles vs beeps then the crash...

I did howeve, power it up, then wait for it to beep itself silly, 2 beeps, then 3 beeps for 3C lipo, then 2 more rising beeps (as in the manual) but then its meant to beep every 30 seconds to remind you its live, but I didnt get any of that... It was silent.

[Nutz]

Sounds like reverse panic throttle syndrome, if it is a brushless motor dis connect one of the 3 wires so it cant go full power on you or take the prop off when setting up.

[alan]

[quote="My Local I.T Guy"]Thanks Guys...


Why do I need to reverse the throttle channel? Is this a futaba thing?
There isnt anything inthe manual at all about having to reverse the throttle channel for any radio types.

Google "futaba throttle channel reverse".

[My Local I.T Guy]

Thanks Guys

Seems all I cant find is lots of peeps saying they have to reverse the throttle on Futaba radios for Electric ESC controlled models.
Would have been sooooo helpful if multiplex had put this into their bloomin manual somewhere, anywhere....

I'll take the prop off completely and put some yellow tape on the shaft so I can see it moving, if/when it starts moving.

Thanks Guys U da beeeeest

[Lofty]

Thats the thing with Multiplex stuff, they want you to USE all there gear

[My Local I.T Guy]

Funny you should say that, I rang modelspot to see if it would help, pointing out that there is zero mention of anything like this in the instructions and all they had to say was "Well if your using somebody else's radio, thats your responsibility"

Cant say I was impressed with that response....