rc hydros esc (again)

[Joe Friars]

Hey all: I am trying to set up one of these old timey esc's. This one particular version is the OPTO. The instructions say that this version does not use the red wire, leading me to believe that I need to use a separate battery to power the rx because it does not have a BEC. Is this correct? The LED would light up on the speed control, but I could not set it up because I had no power to the rx. Have I got it right?
Thanks
Joe

[Mulisha]

If you have no throttle or steering but power to esc then yes I would assume it needs a seperate power source to the rx

[TheShaughnessy]

Opto means mo bec so yes you need external power

[Mulisha]

Opto in radio control (RC) contexts means Opto-coupler. On the ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) ie. Motor Controller, the power used to drive the motor is electrically isolated from the power used to control the servos. This is supposed to reduce radio interference between the motor and receiver as light signals are used between the motor and receiver circuits. As a result, the ESC requires separate battery packs, one of the motor and the other for the receiver.