Going to be running two 14.4v motors at 18v, suggestions and links for a speed controller please
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Going to be running two 14.4v motors at 18v, suggestions and links for a speed controller please
If you do that with Speed 900's, you're looking at a Sidewinder or Wotty (heavyweight speedo's.)
But if it's batterydrill stuff, I suggest looking into electronise , or if budget is less a concern (doubtfull) our favorite, the Scorpion XXL.
Thats a good controller, but will probably have to import it unless someone has one going spare.
http://www.robotpower.com/products/scor ... _info.html
Theres also Electronize:
http://www.electronize.co.uk/model_elec ... frames.htm
and Sabertooth:
http://dimensionengineering.com/Sabertooth2X25.htm
There are other cheaper options that you will probably just want to disregard such as Marine escs, but those 3 are probably your most common and best bet. Also things like the sidewinder but that would be waaay overkill for 2 drills at 18v and I believe they're on special order only now. Personally prefer the Scorpion XL, really light and small and reacts more quickly to stick movement than the electronize, but they are good controllers too.
Popular models are:
-sabertooth either 15 or 30A from dimension engineering (in America). Each one controls 2 motors. People say you shouldn't push them to their limits or they overheat and can be fradgile
-electronize either 15 or 30A I think, they are cheaper and more robust but you need 2 and they are quite large. They don't give very precise control.
-some people (razordave I think) use victors to control more powerful motors like speed 900s
- I have also heard of sidewinders which I know nitging about but I think there are some in the for sale section.
Edit: other people type faster!
The Sabretooth one looks good, thanks for the link. The bit will be called Sabretooth so I reckon it should follow that I use that controller :)
Bit = Bot :)
Max.
If there would be a Sidewinder in the sale section, I would buy it. Team RCC has a need for them.
Sidewinders do between 18 and 36V 80A , Dual channel with precise control in a small package. Unfortunatly, even if they were affordable compared to the other options, currently, those are on special order, with a hefty $499 pricetag.
Razordave uses Victors in combination with Speed 900 based MSR 12-72 drives. Works fine now.
No experience with Sabretooths. We went for Robotpower for Team RCC ,and never regretted it. Sidewinder for the high power feathers and heavies, Ilyama XXL for the normal power feathers.
I don't know if IBC still sells stuff. The Aussies used those a lot.
viewtopic.php?f=166&t=4682&start=6
To me it looks like a big picture of a golden speed controller with sidewinder written on the front :lame:
Sorry that I can't look in 4 topics and 3 websites at the same time.
I use the sabertooth in bruiser, and it works fine, it has heat and current cut of, so it won't kill them if you stall the motors, it also works with lipos and things, but there quiet exposed, so if you buy one of them, it's better to put them in a box...
I think it will be the one I go for, any issues with ordering it from the states?
one i ordered took about 2 months to get here, but apart from that no.
Im putting a fuse before each esc, im using electronize, 15a, drill motors and 18.5v lipo about 4000mah. Can anyone suggesy a fuse size for before my esc?
Clue is in the esc your using ...... 15Amp ????????
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
I've run 25A fuses in line with Electronize 15A controllers before without any trouble. Over-rated enough that it doesn't blow at every sign of a 15A current, and under-rated enough that it'll still blow before doing any damage to the speed controllers.
Perfect ill get a few 25amps then. What size of fuse do you think to place just aftery lipo battery for the full system. I was thinking 100amp?
What is the 'C' rating of your pack(s) again? Just multiply that by your Ah rating and that will give you the maximum current the pack can output (if I picked that part up correctly). Then put in a fuse slightly lower than this.
I havent got the lipo pack yet but itll be 18.5v and either 3500 or 4000 mah
The 15a Electronizes have a 40a peak rating so I use 30a fuses.
is that a 30amp throughout the full system or 30amp before the speed controller (or after the battery?)
The fuse after the battery has to be rated at or below the the constant current rate of the Li-Po.
You can calculate that by doing C rating x Amp Hours.
I'd then fuse the ESC's at their own rating. That way you get the most from your battery (for say a weapon) and your individual components are protected.
if I were to get a 30c 18.5v 5000mah lipo then that would work out at
150?
so if I were to use a 100amp fuse then?
I have got one of those maxi fuse holders but the wire is 8awg i'm using 14awg throughout my bot. Will i need to upgrade my wire within my robot or can you get a 100amp fuse holder that will have 14awg?
thanks
billy
I doubt you'll draw 150amps unless you have some monster brushless setup turning a 6kg weapon, or a short!
i was just doing the calculations there
c 30 x 5000
150?
What do most use a 80 amp fuse?
Your calculations are right, that battery could supply 150amps but I'm saying it unlikely you'll ever draw that so just fit a fuse that has a high enough rating to allow your battery to work to it's full potential given the components (so say 60a) and is low enough to be within the rules (in your case 150a and under).
If you think you'll draw over 100a then you'll need to up your wire gauge to accommodate this. Not only to fit a fuse holder, but having adequate wire thickness is also a rule.
Hope that helps.
ps. if you can't find fuse holders, just solder the fuses straight onto the wire, that's what I do. Trick I picked up from the Big Nipper guys.
thanks for the help
Not sure how known these are, but I've been using the Holmes Hobbies BR-XL controllers with no issues running 18v dewalts in a hobbyweight with a 6s A123 pack and a featherweight with a 5s A123 pack.
Here's the Holmes Hobbies page for the BR-XL- http://holmeshobbies.com/product.php?pr ... t=2&page=1
They're listed as out of stock until the end of the month, but it appears that robotmarketplace has a few of the waterproofed versions still in stock- http://www.robotmarketplace.com/product ... MBRXL.html
I've only killed two of them in combat and that was due to a direct impact from my opponents weapon-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpUIkBLS ... re=related
In the video you'll be able to see two small black boxes dangling outside of the chassis after my robot (the green and black one) flips. I only lost power after the direct hit that completely destroyed the speed controllers. They seem to handle abuse fairly well, as even when the robot throws itself around violently they're still working without issue- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoHERDQgZwo
how do they compare to the electronize ?
think about it, these are like £70 each while electronize are about £35. there is a reason for that
yeah I suppose with robotics you're right, but a higher price doesn't always mean its better. I suppose with teh higher price thats why many people don't use them.
I've never tried the electronize controllers, so I can't do a direct comparison. Best I can say is that the BR-XL's are really durable and at least appear to live up to the 80A continuous claims.Quote:
Originally Posted by billy breach
Can see from the spec it gives you what the difference is, they're 80A continuous (according to them anyway).
i think the reason people dont use them (over here any way) is not down to the cost its down to 2 things, the first being that it is a US controler, and that it is an fairly obsucre controler, ive never heard of it before (but then again thats not much of an achevement for something)
looks good but i would got for a sidewinder or something if your desperatly need 80a.
in this sport i have found that 9 times out of 10 expenisive is better, there is a reason for cost :)
harry.
The main thing is they're relatively unknown. I don't recall anyone using them prior to Motorama last year, as at the time they weren't marketed toward robot combat at all. They're meant for RC rock crawlers. I found them when I was looking for a controller that would be lighter than the Victor 883's I had been using but still able to handle a dewalt since my featherweight Moros was really tight on weight. I bought mine directly through the Holmes Hobbies site since RMP didn't offer the non waterproofed versions and ended up talking in a good bit of detail about the intended use with the owner of Holmes Hobbies. Good customer service and hilariously tough controllers have made it an easy choice to keep going back to them.
Also, when I say tough, I mean it. The previous version of my featherweight exploded in testing and the only thing I had to do to get the controllers working again was resolder the pwm cables to the board because they had sheared at the case-
http://i.imgur.com/80GYe.jpg
wow...what a jigsaw!!!! I'll have a look at those controllers. by the looks of the photo they can handle themselfs.
Is that a lawn mower blade you're using on a FW? How much does it weigh? I use one on my BW.
Also awesome test explosion pic!
i doubt it is
That specific bar was left over from my lightweight and measured 28 x 3 x 0.5Quote:
Originally Posted by PJ-27
The current version uses a 28 x 3 x 0.375 bar, both are S7 hardened to 45HRC. Just a bit over 1/3 of the weight of the robot is the spinning bar.
What would people say to using a Sabertooth 2X60 to drive 2 pairs of the GR01 motors? I was going to get 2 Electronize 30A ESC's but I cant have them for 'security' reasons. I hear that Scorpion XXL's don't like running 2 motors on a single output and that Victors occasionally go up at random, but Sabertooths are no saints either given they don't seem to like running at the top of there rated current for very long... I think experience is needed here!
Seems a little overkill, the 25a should be fine