Temps

[revkev91]

Hi guys, after I have run my spartan I noticed that it smells hot. I took it to my local shop and they said add to capacitors over the +/- battery terminals on the esc. I added them and other then not being able to hit full throttle as fast as I want they haven't seem to do anything and I want to take them off. I have some mods on my boat. Prop is a octura x442 (sharpened and balanced, alloy water jacket, dual water pickup rudder and 2x 3s 5000mah 30c cont/60c burst. I have also set my trim tabs and prop angle to what the manual says. I brought a temp gun and these are the temps I got:

blue caps on esc 72.6
added caps over the +/- teminals 75.6
left battery 56
left battery wires 44.6
left battery connector 57.4
right battery 54.2
right battery wires 45
right battery connector 45.6
esc 59.2
motor water jacket 37.8
motor can 34
rear motor bearing 45.4
wires from the motor to the esc on the motor side 37.8
wires from the motor to the esc on the esc side 58.2
ambient temp was about 32
run time was about 5 minutes most of the time was about 3/4 throttle

All temps are in Celsius. Do they seem okay or is my spartan getting to hot if you think its to hot what do you think is causing it. Do you think I can remove the caps that I was told to add across the esc +/- terminals.

[Chilli]

ESC is close to what I like for a max temperature. The C Rating of your battery may be a little low at 30C continuous. This will stress the esc. Running at 3/4 throttle also causes the esc to work harder. Are you running all the way to battery cutoff voltage? What brand batteries are you using? How is your boat set up? Is the boat running wet which causes the bow to plow into the water and increases amp draw?

[revkev91]

I run the boat until it cuts the throttle down then i bring it in. It sits pretty high in the water. I have set the trim tables and prop angel to what the manual recomends. The batteries are made by Redback they are sold by The Hobby Headquarters in Sydney.

[Chilli]

Low voltage cutoff is there for LiPo safety. Consistently running batteries down to LVC is not good for the packs. It stresses them reducing their performance and lifespan. Running the battery down too much along with an inadequate C rating creates double dose of ripple current which stresses the ESC (increasing heat and reducing) it's life. Adding capacitors doesnt hurt but in your case but it's a band aid solution to your problem. I'm not familiar with your packs so if they are economy packs, I would invest in higher quality packs with a higher C Rating and keep the run time down to four minutes with the prop you are currently running. Do this and you probably won't need the capacitors. Good job following your nose by the way. Temperature numbers give us a good base line but they are only a guide. If something smells like burnt electronics and you don't find out what is causing it, It's only a matter of time until you find out the hard way.

[iop65]

don't drive 3/4 throttle for long times: very bad idea

[Fluid]

Using component temperatures can be very misleading. More has to be known that just the temps. Exactly how long from the time the boat hit the bank to when you actually measured the temps? Things like wires and connectors can cool off very rapidly. Running around at varying throttle positions adds another variable between tests. What was the temperature of the water? Of the air? I know it's mid-summer now. All these things effect the final result and could be why you see no difference from adding the caps. BTW, what caps did you add, and how many?



.

[revkev91]

Chilli what battery rating do you think i should run and what brand would you recommend.

Fluid the air temp was 32 not sure what the water was if i had to guess i would say in the low 20. Run time was just under 5 minutes. It has 2 added caps and they are 35VDC 1000uf. Same as the ones Kintec Racing sells but i got mine from Jaycar.

[Chilli]

I would go with 40c continuous minimum but you can't trust the numbers some of these manufacturer provide. I have 40c packs that have similar performance to other brand's 65c packs. I hate recommending battery brands. I've been a die hard Hyperion fan for years but have been more open to trying something new lately. People seem to be happy with Giant Power and Dinogy. They appear to have good performance and are not too expensive. If you're on a budget, I don't have a problem with the Turnigy Nano-Techs. Good power but they begin to loose their punch after a year or two. At least that's been my experience. I would try to check out what the folks in your area are using.

[Make-a-Wake]

None of those temps seem terribly high to me.................the ESC is only 122* F which is not on the verge of meltdown by any means. 130* or less as a limit on any component always works for me, although mine are usually less, summers are obviously on the high end. Your caps should be good up to 105*C as that is the standard, you can check the printing on them.

As noted, running it at 3/4 throttle is not healthy for the ESC and raises temps

[revkev91]

I was told when running my spartan i should do 2 runs at full throttle then do a couple at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle for it to cool off. Should i be doing this or can i just run it close to full throttle most of the time.

[revkev91]

I was just watching a video of my spartan and notice almost overtime i accelerate it losses power like lvc kicks in and i have to stop and start accelerating slower. Would this create a problem swell. It only started doing this when i put the extra caps on it. Can i remove the caps.

[iop65]

I was told when running my spartan i should do 2 runs at full throttle then do a couple at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle for it to cool off. .

the guy who told you that hasn't got a clue how the esc works

[revkev91]

If I put a 180a esc and a octura x642 and got new batteries with a 60c or higher would that help my Spartan. My local hobbyshop was telling my x442 prop isn't very good that the x642 will give me more speed and better temps. Is that true?

[Make-a-Wake]

A 642 seems a bit much for the high kv stock Spartan motor on 6s, dont see how that would give you 'better' temps................. What is your goal here, highest speed by maxxing out the electronics or a solid running sport boat?

[revkev91]

i want a solid running sports boat that is reliable and fast but doesn't have to be a speed record breaker.