Using a Castle ICE Aircraft Controller in FE boats

[Mike Caruso]

Joe Ford,

Nice to see a Manufacture stand up and say what has to be said and then offer us help. Most of us boaters know why you had to quit making and selling Marine units. You can't possible fix units which where over-loaded by non knowing consumers. And a big shout out to Everyone at Castle keep up the good work Folk's

Mike

[olwarbirds]

I have a castle phoenix 200 thats been converted to watercooling etc...problem I'm having is getting it to arm. I'm using a Spek DX3C xmttr and a Spek MR200 rcvr. I know everything is working because the servo works, but the motor keeps beeping and the esc has a red flashing light. I have no doubt its something in programming or epa. Can these Esc's be used without a pistix ? I have the esc programmed for auto epa... help ... DJ

[longballlumber]

Ok folks, as promised I now have pictures of the various controllers that I have converted to water cooling.

This first one is a Phoenix ICE Lite 200 - I had 4 bars made that were epoxied on using the Arctic Silver Thermal Epoxy. At the time I was trying to get as small package space as possible for a rigger. After it was all said and done, this was still too thick.

[longballlumber]

This next one, I started with exactly the same controller as stated above the Phoenix ICE Lite 200

Only this time I tried getting the cooling tubes directly on the bus board (I think that's what it is) using the same epoxy as stated above Arctic Silver Thermal Epoxy

This was a little more tricky because I had to do some creative bending of the tube to avoid other components of the controller that wouldn't allow simple straight tubes.

[montymike]

Nice!

[longballlumber]

For this next one I used the most recent updated model of controller from Castle. In my opinion this creates a VERY nice package. I used the Phoenix Edge Lite 200 Unlike the previous model they put a short aluminum extrusion on the Lite version. I am sure this is to provide a small amount of heat transfer. What's nice on the 200 model is there is just enough room to tuck a couple of cooling tubes in the corners of the aluminum extrusion. This keeps the package same even though you've added water cooling. I also like this because I don't need to get the Arctic Silver Thermal Epoxy near the board.

[olwarbirds]

Mike, nicely done. Do you have to use a pistix for these to work in our application ?

[longballlumber]

Last but not least and because I liked the 200 amp version so well, I converted a Phoenix Edge Lite 100.

This was a little different because there wasn't enough room to put the tube inside of the extrusion, so I simply put them on the out side of the case. I think this is a nice little application.

[longballlumber]

Mike, nicely done. Do you have to use a pistix for these to work in our application ?

That is one of the caveat's with these... I am unsure of the success rate of others, but I already use a "stick" style Futaba radio's. It's what I grew up using and still prefer to use them when racing boats. I seem to recall Jay saying that he's gotten it to work with one of his "wheel" style radios, but I can't be 100% sure. Tyler is another one. I am not sure if he is using a stick or wheel radio. Perhaps those guys can chime in.

Later,
Mike

[olwarbirds]

Tks Mike, I hope so. I have a new hydro I want to run today if I can get it working... DJ

[ray schrauwen]

Yes Jay knows how to set up his radio for the air esc's, not sure which radio??

Mike: So you just take the heat off the bus bars like Castle does with the green casings. The ones with green casings XL2, etc.. have a non conductive material on one side so it doesn't short out across the case.

So it's o.k. to just cool the buss bars and not FETs directly.

[longballlumber]

Yes Jay knows how to set up his radio for the air esc's, not sure which radio??

Mike: So you just take the heat off the bus bars like Castle does with the green casings. The ones with green casings XL2, etc.. have a non conductive material on one side so it doesn't short out across the case.

So it's o.k. to just cool the buss bars and not FETs directly.

Ray,

I have no way of determining if my methods are the "best" way or not. Like you I looked at the hydra line of controllers and noticed they didn't do a very good job of making contact with the actual FET's. The problem with making contact with both the bus bars and the FET's is the height of them are very inconstant.

With all of that being said, my seem to be working fine. However, they haven't been "pushed" in extreme conditions.

Later,
Mike

[Fluid]

The easy way to connect the aircraft controllers to the receiver is with a PiStix, but Spektrum transmitters can be programmed to work without one. Some claim they have used Futabas but I have never tried it. Here are the settings on the Spektrum which work for me:

DX3S
Throttle - B 100 F 100
SubTrim - B 100
ThrottleTrim - B 50

DX3R PRO
Throttle - H 100 L 150
SubTrim - TH 100L
ThrottleTrim - minus 100


The FETs and the bars are very close to the same height and the extrusions With the thermal grease I use cover them both, or at least part of the FETs. The factory extrusions on the Hydras and non-ICE controllers do this, but not every FET is covered.



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[olwarbirds]

Jay, tks ..that worked...I did have to set my reverse trim a bit further back but its all good now..again tks bud... DJ

[ray schrauwen]

What does the "B" and the "F" denote for these radios? Just so I might try it on my Chinese cheepo radio.??

The easy way to connect the aircraft controllers to the receiver is with a PiStix, but Spektrum transmitters can be programmed to work without one. Some claim they have used Futabas but I have never tried it. Here are the settings on the Spektrum which work for me:

DX3S
Throttle - B 100 F 100
SubTrim - B 100
ThrottleTrim - B 50

DX3R PRO
Throttle - H 100 L 150
SubTrim - TH 100L
ThrottleTrim - minus 100


The FETs and the bars are very close to the same height and the extrusions With the thermal grease I use cover them both, or at least part of the FETs. The factory extrusions on the Hydras and non-ICE controllers do this, but not every FET is covered.



.

The FETs are close in height but, not that close, about 0.030" higher thant the bus. The top heat sink on the XL2 is machined so it touches the bus and FETs but, the bottom case heatsink does not touch the fets, just the bus.

I'll take pics of the xl2 innards later.

[Fluid]

On the ICE controllers the FETs are just a few thousandths lower than the bars.






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[olwarbirds]

Ray, forward and back/reverse.....

[ray schrauwen]

I modded up an xl2 finally. Changed caps out to Rubycon, 35v 680uf. Added my cooling plate material I had around (TFL battery cooling tray from Doby). Applied them with non conductive Arctic Silver. Copper tubes also glued in with same.

I'm at the point to DP270 the small board and use some Dielectric grease in that connector to repel water.

Let's see if pics load up...

1444171528700.jpg

1444171599368.jpg

[dmitry100]

Guys, are the Edge 200, ICE 200, XL2 all have the same/similar powerboards?

[Fluid]

Wow, old thread! AFAIK the ICE and EDGE will perform the same when used in marine applications. Others have modified the XL2 controllers to work too although for SAW applications the former are preferred. As to if the boards are all the same, I don’t know. Similar, but the same?



.

[dethow]

Weird this thread and question comes up right now.
I literally just broke a control board on a 200 Pheonix ICE controller. The small one. Tried to remove and the white connectors were stuck together. Pulled the connector right off the control board side. This was a brand new controller that I was dis-assembling for DP270 application.

Is there a way to get a new board? If not... should I bother keeping the rest of the controller for spare parts? Does anyone else have a spare small board and/or does anyone need this larger part?

[dmitry100]

is the control board PCB literally broken in half ? or is it just the connectors to the powerboard?

[dmitry100]

Fluid, I was just wondering if they updated the Edge 200 powerboards to newer model mosfets... Would you know the Fet chip models of either controller?

[Fluid]

I once asked Castle about getting just a control board, they said no. I have never opened an Edge so can’t comment on the components versus the ICE. I “think” that the main changes between the two types were to allow easier use in helicopters.


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[dethow]

is the control board PCB literally broken in half ? or is it just the connectors to the powerboard?

It ripped the white connector right off the board. The actual board is fine.

[longballlumber]

It ripped the white connector right off the board. The actual board is fine.

Weird, did you contact Castle directly to see about repair?

[dethow]

Weird, did you contact Castle directly to see about repair?

No... its alright. I had already DP270'd the other side of the controller and didn't plan on Castle dealing with this on a warranty or anything. Beside I just sold the small board to dmitry100. I guess he has the ability to reattached the connector.

I picked up these controllers real cheap at Castle's garage sale. I think I paid $150 each...
And after doing DP270 to several of these I had one which something went wrong and the controller failed. So I took the small board off that one and put it on the residual larger board which this connector ripped out. So took two good parts and made one good controller. At least selling that small board to dmitry100 reduced some of the loss.

[jim82]

Nvm

[dmitry100]

Would a stick transmitter work better with the castle esc's or would a pistol transmitter like a spektrum dx5r work just as good?

Can't seem to get the Fixed Endpoints throttle type to calibrate on my 2 castle edge 200's with my futaba 4pls.

1 controller consistently pulls 5-10k RPM higher than the other while the other motor is at standstill

[Fluid]

Are the two controllers running off two ports on the receiver, or are you using a “Y” connector for the two ESCs off one port? It shouldn’t matter, but I would use the connector and a single port.

These controllers are designed for stick transmitters, but they can be used with some wheel transmitters using only trim adjustments. Or by using a PiStix any wheel transmitter will work. What trim settings is the OP using on the Futaba?

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