ics-100 & 3-cell lipo

Smoke, do i smell smoke?

Just kidding. Don't know about your specific speed control but a lot of them are rated on the input side as to what the BEC can handle. You may find it works OK for a bench test, then quits in flight.

remove my-wife to reply :-)

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regards Alan T Alan's Hobby Web Links

| The spec on my ics-100 speed control says the max input voltage is | 9.6v. If I use my 11.1v 3-cell lipo on this speed controller will it | damage it? Just wondering about these "max" specs as the speed 280 | motor I'm running with my lipo is rated at 6v but seems to be happy.

Others have already answered, but ...

Your 11.1 v LiPo pack will actually go up to 12.6 volts or so.

(Of course, to be fair, your 9.6 volt NiCd pack will start out at 11.2 volts or so.)

That voltage limit is probably more about the BEC than the ESC. If you put 10 volts into a BEC and your receiver and servos use one amp, that's (10v - 5v) * 1A or 5 watts of heat generated in the BEC chip. If you put 15 volts into it, that's (15v - 5v) * 1A or 10 watts of heat generated ...

My guess would be that your 3 cell LiPo pack probably won't fry, especially if it gets plenty of cooling, unless you run too much current through it. But I don't suggest risking it.

There is a huge difference between a length of copper wire and an assembly of voltage-sensitive electronic components. When an ESC says "maximum XXX.Y Volts" they mean it.

I would not be surprised if the lifespan of your 280 motor isn't SEVERELY shortened by running a 3-cell LiPoly.

You are correct Mathew Kirsch, The life of the 280 motor is definitl

in question. There is a reason for max recomendations I suggest yo follow them sir, if you wish to use them much longer. You may get awa with it for a flight or two but the law will catch up to you. This i exactly why people gobrushless. I am very happy with my 12mm Feiga with Castle Creation's Pheonix 10 brushless esc. It's a direc replacement for the GWS IPS and LPS motor.

I understand your need to go 12V but I've got 2 brushed motors tha were rated for 7.4V and they didn't last long using 8.4V, like 1 flights each. It's why I went brushless. It's the last motor I wil have to buy (Is what "they" tell me).

Good Luck ...Momcr

-- Major Mom Cr

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Well, no they don't.

I have run several 8 cell ESC's on 3s LIPO, and teh only problem I had was after ten minutes on a 4 servo model, the BEC overheated and shut down. Electronics as fine, but model spun in with no control at all.

I have flown it since with bigger (still 8 cell) ESC and more cooling and its fine.

Also the motors - especially cheap can motors - thrive on 3s LIPO provided the prop size goes down a fair bit (or gear ratio goes up) they are actually more efficient in the main.

Spped 280 is a low KV motor wnd will do well on 3s LIPO BUT only if geared - on direct drive you end up with a silly small prop whizzing at

Well I've got motors rated at 6v, and 7.2v running fine at 12v plus.

If you understand electric motors, you realise its no big deal. They rev faster. That's all.

The limiting factors are brush bounce at high RPM (mostly 30K RPM plus) and overheating due to excessive current draw. Reduce the current, and the motors last very well thank you.

Of course if you keep the same gears and props on and bump the voltage from 7 to 12v, they will last about 5 minutes if that....

propbuster- I would be less concerned about an el cheapo ESC and a $2-3 motor than I would be relatively more costly LiPo packs that could become a fire hazard if abused. The ICS-100 ESC has low cutoff voltage, designed to provide a minimal reserve for the R/C system. It isn't designed to protect a LiPo pack from discharging to an undervoltage condition. Cutoff voltage is just over 3V, okay for one LiPo cell, but certainly not for 3.

Abel