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ESC Question
This may sound like a dumb question. However I would like to hear what you have to say on the subject...So you have a boat that uses a 20 amp. ESC. is there any advantage or disadvantage of going to bigger Esc. such as a 30 amp. when it goes bad and you have to replace it...
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My rule of thumb for ESC's is a Minimum of 50% head room.
So if you boat runs a an average of 50 Amps you use a 75Amp ESC.
Larry
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As Larry mentioned having 50% headroom is what he prefers. So let me try to explain why. First having a higher amp esc doesn't affect performance that much. If your boat is running 20mph with a 20A esc, putting a 50A esc will not make it go 40mph with the same given motor. However, the advantage of having a higher amp esc means your system will be more efficient and in this case the esc will be less stressed and run cooler. Your motor is drawing a certain amount of amps and if it's drawing 20A then if you have a 20A esc then it's likely hitting the max your esc can handle. The current being drawn on your motor depends on the voltage of the battery, for example 3S(11.1V), 4S(14.8V). . .etc, then the esc will provide that amount. But batteries have different C rating and let's say you acquire a very high quality battery, well the motor may be able to draw a bit more with a higher amp esc because its more efficient and have more to give. So let's use your 20A esc and say your motor draws 20A then your esc is at its limit, with a better battery drawing a bit more, maybe 23A, then there's a chance your esc will fail unless you have a really good esc which provides a bit more amperage than what it's rated for. (Like the Aquacraft 60A esc rated for 2S-4S, well, I've accidentally used a 5S battery and it held for a good 4min run or so) So it's always good to have a big headroom so whatever your system draws your esc can provide it and using your suggested 30A esc will handle 23A. And as Larry suggested a minimum of 50% headroom is desirable. This way your esc is not operating at 100% and operating at a much lower percentage which means your esc will run cooler and the rest of your system will also like it and benefit as well. So again, the real advantage of having a higher amp esc is that it will be less stressed thus running cooler and more efficient. Also, in the event you may want to upgrade your motor down the road then guess what, you already have an esc that will most likely handle it.
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thank you very nicely stated...