Reusty2k3

I am completely new to brushless motors and I had a few questions.


How important is it to have a brushless ESC while running a Brushless motor.

Is the ESC upgrade really only important when running lipo's?

Will a brushless motor run well off of a standard ESC(rated high enough) and NIMH cells?

and lastly,

for a limited budget what order of hop-ups should take place to achieve the greatest proformance for the money with out going to a compete brushless-lipoy setup from the start.

Thanks a lot

Any help is greatly appriacated

Thank you Very Much

Dylwad

My Feedback: (11)

brushless motors will not work without a brushless ESC . <~~~PERIOD

Brushless motors are 3 phase, they have 3 wires coming out of the back of the motor, these 3 wires are energized in a sequence, turning the magnet inside the motor.

Brushed motors use a commutator and brushes to sequence the motor.

Regardless of the battery used, brushless needs a brushless ESC and brushed needs a brushed ESC.

You cant modify a brushed ESC to work on a brushless motor or vice-versa.

the price for a brushless ESC sounds steep, untill you realize what its doing, and how fast it is switching current between 3 wires, not to mention the ESC has to sense where the magnet inside the motor is at any given time so it knows which wire to energize next, and to make sure the motor spins in the same direction every time it starts. to add to that, you have different timing options for different motors, low voltage cutoff settings, overcurrent protection settings, prop brake settings, and for heli's governor settings.

$50 for a phoenix 10 ESC is a bargain.

you need to specify what type of plane you want to upgrade, size/weight/stock power system, battery, ETC to get better answers on how to go about a low cost upgrade. If the plane is relatively small, $100 will get you a nice brushless motor setup. Most of the time simply switching to Lipoly will lower the weight~increasing performance and run time.

Heres a simple animation of how a brushless outrunner motor works http://www.aerodesign.de/peter/2001/...l#Anker1164462

Dylan

BuzzBomber

My Feedback: (4)

Short answer: So important, you can't run a brushless motor without one. While there are many factors to consider, I think it makes more sense to upgrade to lithium power before going brushless; this is assuming you have a charger capable of safely handling Li-po chemistry. There is a thread on rcgroups.com detailing tha advantages of brushed li-po setups; search for "can motors on 3S". This may be the best intermediate step for a perfomance upgrade. It is very important to research and select Lithium batteries appropriate for your application. Brushless motors, as yo uknow, can also open up a whole new level of performance, even on nimh cells, but motors and controllers are expensive, and although they have an indefinite service life, they tend not to fare well in crashes, and WILL cost more to repair/replace than a geared 'can' brushed motor. That's my opinion, in a nutshell. YMMV.
-Matt

Reusty2k3

thank you for your help...

I am running a Zagi XS with the stock speed 400 pusher running a 5x5 carbon fiber prop and the stock 8 cell 1800mah NIMH
and also 2100 8 cell NIMH. I also use the stock zagi supplied 20amp ESC.

AUW of the plane is between 27 and 30 oz.

if anyone can make a few suggestions about an upgrade it is VERY welcome!

Thanks a lot,

Andy

Dylwad

My Feedback: (11)

In your case, i would opt for the brushless upgrade, being a Zagi.

Check out the Mega 16/15/3 motor, and castle creations phoenix 35 ESC, price for the pair will be around $160. You can expect more power AND longer flights with this upgrade. http://www.b-p-p.com/BrushlessMotors.htm#mega

Also, check out rcgroups.com they are more electric oriented, and you could find threads on brushless zagis all day long for ideas.

Dylan

Matt Kirsch

My Feedback: (21)

Yes, go ahead and check out rcgroups.com, but remember where you got your information from in the first place: RIGHT HERE!

You might also want to check out Zagi's own brushless upgrade.

Truthfully, unless you reinforce the bejeezus out of your Zagi, it'll flap itself to death with a Mega 16/15/3 on 8 cells. Add a 5x5 prop, and that combo pushes a Projeti to nearly 90MPH. A 16/15/4 with a 5x5 prop will still be an improvement, but you'll be able to use your current battery packs, and it won't push the poor wing so fast that it disintegrates.