I'm flying Tensor4D + Elite 1080kv + Pheonix 10 ESC + TP 760 3S + APC 10x4.7. The escape is set for automatic end point adjustment. That means that it detects top position of throttle stick, and adjust itself accordingly. The problem is that in full throttle the ESC cuts off. I just had a crash because of that.

I'm new to electric, and want to solve the problem without the need for prop replacement (yes, I know that replacing for smaller prop will solve it, but I wish to stay with the APC 10x4.7). Would it be right to program the ESC for fixed throttle end point, and limit the end point from the transmitter in a way that it will not rich the cut-off range ?

Thanks,
Yaniv.

Seems reasonable to me that you could limit the travel from the transmitter and prevent this. I had the same problem with my CC 10 and resolved it, as you said, by reducing the prop from 12x6 to 11x7 and then to 11x4.7 and I also set the cutoff from a hard cutoff to soft cutoff. Meaning it reduced the power to about 1/4 throttle rather than shutting the motor off altogether. I did this because I had some very hard landings when the ESC cut out during low level hovers on me.

In the end I think you are pulling too many amps and you either have to limit high end throttle or reduce the prop to lower the amp draw.

Another way around it is to put a higher amp batt. in it so the voltage doesn't drop so far as to cause it to cut out.

Ahh true. You might consider something along the lines of a 1300mah battery. Such as the TP 1320mah 3S, which is what I run on my Eflite Ultimate.

I'm not familiar with your motor, but how many amps will it draw at WOT with that prop?

You really don't need to "baby" your Phoenix 10 ESC. It protects itself and the battery in these ways:

1) Your low voltage cutoff. As Flypaper said, and if he's right in that your flight interruption comes about because your LCV is tripping, a higher current battery would stop this. Personally, I'd never do this as I always want a battery that has 5 to 10 minutes of flight time an NO MORE. That's my threshold for pain on carrying around extra weight, but you may appreciate the extra time and power. I usually program my LVC to 5V, so it will NEVER trip with either a 2 or 3 cell pack. I rely on detecting a low battery voltage when hovering power gets noticeably lower.

2) The current limit feature of the PH 10 may be set to a hard cutoff. Reprogram it for a soft one.

3) Your Phoenix 10 will shut off if it overtemps. Of course, this is not a good thing, but the miracle is it will just simply reset when it cools off. (the plane will cut power, but you'll hear it "beep beep beep" when it cools off and it's immediately ready to fly again (assuming you don't wreck your fragile tensor). I moved my ESC into the airstream and fixed this problem in my own applicatin which was drawing 10-13A at WOT.

The president of our local electric flying club told me that the 10A rating on the ESC is conservative, and the chips are actually rated for 15A. From my own experiments, I beleive this, and I have yet to ruin a Phoenix 10, or a battery from programming it as described.

Thanks for the help. I am pretty sure that the problem is in my batteries delivering low voltage at high current. I do not want to change batteries as money involved and so does weight considerations. It would also not be so smart of me changing the cutoff voltage from 9v to 5v, since I'm new to electric, and might do the stupid mistake of emptying my battery too much.

Since the Tensor hovers at 1/2 throttle with my setup, I really don't need to get beyond 3/4 throttle. The problem is that while trying to get out of hover I pushed the stick all the way up by instinct, and got into the cutoff range. If I could just limit the throttle travel, then it would be the simplest solution. The question is how to do it. In gas airplane I would just program the travel end point by the transmitter. The Pheonix will not let me do that with the default settings, since it is set for self-adjusting throttle range. I wondered if I could just change that to fixed throttle range (I know that the ESC has this option, but the manual says that this is used for helis only....). WhtBronco, may I understand from your answer that my solution is reasonable ? What does the self-adjusting throttle range is needed for ?

Thanks,
Yaniv.

wind junkie: forgot to thank you about the soft vs. hard cutoff observation. I think that if I had it set on soft cutoff, then I could avoid that crush (and yes, the Tensor survived - sort of...)

Yaniv.