SeaKing 180 V3 & Leopard 4082 X2 Performance Issues

Howdy!

A few weeks back I picked up a second hand Traxxas Spartan and have been having a blast with it... until the XL540 locked up solid. So I did what anyone who likes speed does and upgraded. Dropped in the SeaKing 180 V3 and the 1600kv Leopard and after wiring it up took it to the water to find that it seemed awfully slow. Though understanding the 1600kv Leopard wasn't going to spin as fast as the 1800kv XL540, it seemed like something was hindering it from spinning at full RPM (<30mph on a pair of fully charged 8000mah 3S). Tried different 3S batteries, same issue. Tried a different TX/RX combo thinking it could have been the stock Traxxas units, no dice. Calibrated throttle input. Nope. I haven't found anything out about the SeaKing's programming that would limit the throttle input, so I am at a loss. Have a new CNC metal prop coming later this week and am hoping to be able to get the most out of the purchase!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards.

My guess is it's a throttle calibration issue. Lots of possibilities, but it's the most common issue after an ESC swap. Make sure your throttle trim is set to 0 on the Tx. When completed, you should see a green light on that ESC at neutral, that disappears as soon as you pull the trigger, and then lights up again when you get to 100% throttle.

Could be a binding issue. Is the motor aligned properly? The flex cable should slip into the collet with minimal to no deflection.

Could be a throttle channel reverse switch and a pair of reverse motor wires.

How are your batteries wired to the new ESC? Are you using a series harness to make your 3S packs 6S voltage? A simple mistake there could result in only 3S voltage which would be a HUGE drop in performance. How many beeps does the ESC make while arming when it's counting the cells?

Finally, not a major hindrance to RPM, but make sure the timing on your ESC is set for 11-15* to match the Y wind Leopard motor. This is not your problem, but should be set regardless on a new ESC.

The various Tx/Rx combos you tried...are they still Traxxas? I don't own any Traxxas boats, but I DO have Traxxas vehicles...and, something I've learned about Traxxas electronics (not counting servos) is that they DON'T "play well" with other brands. If you replace the Tx/Rx with something other than Traxxas, you're pretty much 'forced' into replacing the ESC with a non-Traxxas ESC. Likewise, if you replace the Traxxas ESC with one from another brand, you're pretty much 'forced' into relaxing the Tx/Rx work something other than Traxxas.

I learned this the hard way, after attempting to replace the Traxxas TX/Rx in my Rustler 4x4 work Futaba...it went all 'screwy', similar to your current situation. Similarly, I've read (in the Traxxas & RCC forums) of several other people's experiences after swapping the Traxxas ESC & motor for non-Traxxas parts, can but still attempting to use the Traxxas Tx/Rx...they've all reported 'screwy' behavior.

I can only assume that there's some sort of "proprietary data" being transmitted bi-directionally between the Tx & ESC. Remember that the Traxxas TQi & Velineon electronics are NOT unidirectional...they ARE bi-directionally...and, I believe they NEED to have that bi-directional communication in order to properly work. Spektrum's S.M.A.R.T. technology is similar, except that the Spektrum system doesn't force you into using only S.M.A.R.T. electronics...you can combine S.M.A.R.T. and non-S.M.A.R.T. electronics, as well as electronics from other brands. Unfortunately, with Traxxas, their "system" is not only proprietary, but it appears to "require" certain 'components' (ie. Tx, Rx, & ESC) to function...and, if any one of those three is missing, who knows what it will do, other than not working correctly.


~ More peace, love, laughter, & kindness would make the world a MUCH better place

The ESC is recognizing all 6 cells, and voltages are normal. Alignment is perfect. Regarding the motor wires, are you saying the motor wires to the esc could be switched? I don't think this is thr case, but which wires could I switch to test this?

I will set the timing to what it is supposed to be.

As mentioned in another comment, the other TX/RX I used were a second traxxas RX and a Traxxas TX.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by THook33

The ESC is recognizing all 6 cells, and voltages are normal. Alignment is perfect. Regarding the motor wires, are you saying the motor wires to the esc could be switched? I don't think this is thr case, but which wires could I switch to test this?

I will set the timing to what it is supposed to be.

As mentioned in another comment, the other TX/RX I used were a second traxxas RX and a Traxxas TX.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by THook33

Regarding the motor wires, are you saying the motor wires to the esc could be switched? I don't think this is thr case, but which wires could I switch to test this?

I will set the timing to what it is supposed to be.

As mentioned in another comment, the other TX/RX I used were a second traxxas RX and a Traxxas TX.

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No...I am saying that the "problem" is probably that you're trying to still use a Traxxas Tx & Rx with a non-Traxxas ESC. I'm not 100% certain...but, if I'm correct, just as I couldn't use a Futaba Tx & Rx with the Traxxas ESC. I'm fairly confident that you can NOT use the Traxxas Tx & Rx with the non-Traxxas ESC. Just as the "data communication" between the Tx & ESC was preventing me from using my combination, it might also be what's preventing you from using yours.

Do you have non-Traxxas Tx & Rx? If so, test this out. Take an already-bound non-Traxxas Tx/Rx combo (Spektrum, Futaba, FlySky, whatever-you-have). You can leave the Traxxas Rx in the boat for now...just unplug the connectors from the Traxxas Rx, and plug them into (the correct ports on) the other Rx. Then, connect a battery (preferably fully-charged) to the ESC, turn off the Tx, turn on the ESC and test.

Again, you MIGHT have to swap 2 of the 3 connections between the ESC & motor, and you MIGHT have to reverse the throttle on the Tx...not say you WILL have to do this, only that you MIGHT. The easiest way to know if this had to be done is by reprogramming the ESC before you test the non-Traxxas Tx/Rx. Change the setting for option "1", from '2' (forward & reverse), to '1' (forward only). Once that's done, THEN you go about testing the alternate Tx/Rx. If, after changing the ESCs programming of option "1", and using a different Tx/Rx, you're still having the exact same problem, then it might be the ESC having problems. However, if all is good, then you know the problem IS the Traxxas Tx/Rx. Alternately, if nothing happens when you pull the throttle, but the motor spins when you apply 'brake', then THAT'S when you know the ESC-motor wires need to be swapped and/or the throttle needs to be reversed on the Tx.

Regarding the ESC-motor wire connection, and Tx throttle switch setting, there are four possible combinations - wires as they are & Tx throttle set to 'Nor', 2 of the 3 wires swapped & Tx throttle set to 'Nor', wires as they are & Tx throttle set to 'Rev', and 2 of the 3 wires swapped & Tx throttle set to 'Rev'. Only 1 of these 4 combinations will be "correct", as the other 3 WILL be "wrong". It's just a matter of determining which combination is the "correct" combination...well, that, and reaching the Traxxas vs non-Traxxas problem.

Sorry for the extremely long post, but sometimes it takes a LOT of words to explain what's potentially causing a problem (or multiple problems), as well as what needs to be said to correct the problem. I come from an 'era' where products came with thick manuals that explained everything, as opposed to today's 2-4 page "quick-start guides".


~ More peace, love, laughter, & kindness would make the world a MUCH better place

Quote:

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Originally Posted by THook33

The ESC is recognizing all 6 cells, and voltages are normal. Alignment is perfect. Regarding the motor wires, are you saying the motor wires to the esc could be switched? I don't think this is thr case, but which wires could I switch to test this?

I will set the timing to what it is supposed to be.

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Try changing the throttle position switch on the Tx if it has one. If the prop is not spinning counter clockwise, switch any two ESC/motor wire connectors to get the correct rotation. Then try calibrating the ESC again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Panther6834

No...I am saying that the "problem" is probably that you're trying to still use a Traxxas Tx & Rx with a non-Traxxas ESC. I'm not 100% certain...but, if I'm correct, just as I couldn't use a Futaba Tx & Rx with the Traxxas ESC. I'm fairly confident that you can NOT use the Traxxas Tx & Rx with the non-Traxxas ESC. Just as the "data communication" between the Tx & ESC was preventing me from using my combination, it might also be what's preventing you from using yours.

Do you have non-Traxxas Tx & Rx? If so, test this out. Take an already-bound non-Traxxas Tx/Rx combo (Spektrum, Futaba, FlySky, whatever-you-have). You can leave the Traxxas Rx in the boat for now...just unplug the connectors from the Traxxas Rx, and plug them into (the correct ports on) the other Rx. Then, connect a battery (preferably fully-charged) to the ESC, turn off the Tx, turn on the ESC and test.

Again, you MIGHT have to swap 2 of the 3 connections between the ESC & motor, and you MIGHT have to reverse the throttle on the Tx...not say you WILL have to do this, only that you MIGHT. The easiest way to know if this had to be done is by reprogramming the ESC before you test the non-Traxxas Tx/Rx. Change the setting for option "1", from '2' (forward & reverse), to '1' (forward only). Once that's done, THEN you go about testing the alternate Tx/Rx. If, after changing the ESCs programming of option "1", and using a different Tx/Rx, you're still having the exact same problem, then it might be the ESC having problems. However, if all is good, then you know the problem IS the Traxxas Tx/Rx. Alternately, if nothing happens when you pull the throttle, but the motor spins when you apply 'brake', then THAT'S when you know the ESC-motor wires need to be swapped and/or the throttle needs to be reversed on the Tx.

Regarding the ESC-motor wire connection, and Tx throttle switch setting, there are four possible combinations - wires as they are & Tx throttle set to 'Nor', 2 of the 3 wires swapped & Tx throttle set to 'Nor', wires as they are & Tx throttle set to 'Rev', and 2 of the 3 wires swapped & Tx throttle set to 'Rev'. Only 1 of these 4 combinations will be "correct", as the other 3 WILL be "wrong". It's just a matter of determining which combination is the "correct" combination...well, that, and reaching the Traxxas vs non-Traxxas problem.

Sorry for the extremely long post, but sometimes it takes a LOT of words to explain what's potentially causing a problem (or multiple problems), as well as what needs to be said to correct the problem. I come from an 'era' where products came with thick manuals that explained everything, as opposed to today's 2-4 page "quick-start guides".


~ More peace, love, laughter, & kindness would make the world a MUCH better place

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Well, no luck. Having set the ESC to forward only, I then tested a Spektrum TX/RX combo and found it to be no different. Am borrowing a SeaKing 180 from a friend this weekend to see if it might be the ESC itself. Will update.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by THook33

Well, no luck. Having set the ESC to forward only, I then tested a Spektrum TX/RX combo and found it to be no different. Am borrowing a SeaKing 180 from a friend this weekend to see if it might be the ESC itself. Will update.

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Some might think this the "wrong" thing to say, but I hope it is the ESC. If it's brand-new, you can contact the seller, and get a replacement. If you bought it from Steve, his CS is outstanding. If you can't get an exchange, then you could contact Hobbywing CS. While they can be a bit more difficult to get in touch with, one contact had been made, getting a warranty replacement is equally simple. I had a car/buggy Spec ESC that went "poof" the third time I connected a battery. They knew it was defective, and they replaced it without question...even though they never could focus out what caused it to go "poof".


~ More peace, love, laughter, & kindness would make the world a MUCH better place

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Panther6834

Some might think this the "wrong" thing to say, but I hope it is the ESC. If it's brand-new, you can contact the seller, and get a replacement. If you bought it from Steve, his CS is outstanding. If you can't get an exchange, then you could contact Hobbywing CS. While they can be a bit more difficult to get in touch with, one contact had been made, getting a warranty replacement is equally simple. I had a car/buggy Spec ESC that went "poof" the third time I connected a battery. They knew it was defective, and they replaced it without question...even though they never could focus out what caused it to go "poof".


~ More peace, love, laughter, & kindness would make the world a MUCH better place

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We shall see. I just find it peculiar that it works perfectly otherwise.