Hey guys!

I am looking for a suitable ESC for the EMAX RS2205 2300kv BLDC mounted on a Martian II 220mm frame. I already have a Pixhawk PX4 2.4.7 and plan on using that. I will be using the drone for indoor videos and/ or target tracking.

I had shortlisted the Emax BLHeli Series 30A ESC, but saw a lot of people posting about issues with it(esp. on YouTube). As of now, i need a solution which works out of the box and want to avoid the nitty-gritty of the firmware etc.(I also read that EMAX ESCs may face issues with the Pixhawk FC)

I would be immensely helpful if someone could suggest a suitable ESC which comes with the firmware pre-flashed.

Here are a few which i had shortlisted(based on motor ratings and referred this link: https://oscarliang.com/top-5-best-mini-quad-esc/):

1. Emax BLHeli Series 30A ESC(https://emaxmodel.com/catalog/product/view/id/101/s/blheli-series-30a-esc/)
2. Emax Bullet Series 35A ESC(https://emaxmodel.com/bullet-series-35a-esc.html)
3. Spedix IS30 ESC(https://rcmumbai.com/catalog/product/view/id/2203/s/spedix-is30-2-4s-30a-esc-set-of-4/category/47/)
4. Racerstar RS30A V2(https://m.racerstar.com/racerstar-rs30a-v2-30a-blheli_s-esc-opto-2-4s-support-oneshot42-multishot-16_5-dshot600-p-9.html)
5. Holybro Tekko32 35A(http://www.holybro.com/product/tekko32-esc35a/)
6. Aikon AK32 35A ESC(https://www.aikon-electronics.com/index.php?id=19)

I would be grateful for any help I receive.
Regards.

Your choices are limited by whats are available locally. And things are not coming smoothly from ali or banggood. My parcel is stuck there since last 6 months.


I am using emax blheli 30a since last couple of years without any issues.

Hello shirsa2001,

Thank you for your reply.

The EMAX ESCs are available on robu.in and the others may be available on rcmumbai.in.

- May i know what flight controller you are using the ESCs with?
- Did the ESCs come with the BL Heli firmware pre-flashed? Will i need to make any changes to the firmware settings to get them too work?

Regards.

I used with kk2 and cc3d.
But if its for quad only try to buy one without bec... you will save some weight. You may also consider 4 in 1 ones. rcmumbai got some.

The EMAX ESCs were my first choice sinve they are perfect according to the BLDC specifications.

My apprehension is because for this particular model itself(Emax BLHeli Series 30A), some people have commented on robu.in, saying that, 'they do not get any beep sound', or 'the sequence of beeps is incorrect' etc.

Similarly, on searching on YouTube for the same model, many users have uploaded videos demonstrating that they weren't getting any/ unexpected response from the ESC.

Plus, there is also the issue of it not working well with Pixhawk that some people have reported.


How did you resolve the issues you faced, if any, while setting them up for the first time?
Can you recommend any other ESCs which would be suitable?


Thanks a lot.
Cheers

I didn't face any beeping issues. I use them on fixed wing as well as on quads. In fact just yesterday programmed one for brake on etc... using beeps as markers. no issues.

Ok. Thanks a lot.

I guess, then i'll look at the Pixhawk aspect of it.

According to this thread(https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/emax-esc-compatibility-with-pixhawk.19710/):

QuoteI did some digging and came across a few threads of people claiming that EMAX ESCs will not work with Pixhawk because the voltage on the servo rail is 3.3v instead of 5 and the ESC draw pulls that down to 2.8v or 2.2v I don't know how accurate that is, but I was hoping somebody on these forums might have found a work around and/or possibly run into it and discovered they were just overlooking something.

Others have reported issues on DIY Drones too.

Regards.

Not sure about the Bullet series but I've been using Emax 30A Lightning ESCs (they are cheaper too) with Emax 980kv motor without any issue.

Yes, I remember reading on PX4 site about some issue with Emax ESCs but I haven't faced any.

I'm using Pixhawk 4 loaded with PX4 1.10.0

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6000 using Tapatalk

Ok. That puts my mind to ease a little.

Just to confirm, do you mean this particular model(https://emaxmodel.com/lightning-30a-esc.html)??

And the first ESC that i mentioned, is different from the EMAX Bullet. The Bullet is a separate series, i meant this one; Emax BLHeli Series 30A(https://emaxmodel.com/catalog/product/view/id/101/s/blheli-series-30a-esc/).

Quote
1. Emax BLHeli Series 30A ESC(https://emaxmodel.com/catalog/product/view/id/101/s/blheli-series-30a-esc/)
2. Emax Bullet Series 35A ESC(https://emaxmodel.com/bullet-series-35a-esc.html)

How is the Emax 30A Lightning different from these?

Thanks a lot for coming back and clarifying my doubts.
Regards.

Quote from: TheZ0mb!e on September 08, 2020, 03:38:42 PM

Just to confirm, do you mean this particular model(https://emaxmodel.com/lightning-30a-esc.html)??

How is the Emax 30A Lightning different from these?

Yes that's the model I'm talking about.One difference that I know of is that lightning ESC doesn't have a heat sink or BEC.

I surmise the bullet series is called so just because they have bullet connectors. Well, that was the difference I was able to figure out, there might be something else.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6000 using Tapatalk

Thanks. I am sorry for the extremely late reply.

I want to be sure of the connections which would be involved in this.

1. The Power module will be connected to the Lipo and provide 2 outputs. The (i). six wire output cable will be connected to the POWER port of the Pixhawk. (ii) the XT-60 output will go to the PDB(Power Distribution Board).
2. Connect the each of the ESCs' power cables(the thick red and black wires) to the PDB. The 3-cable(White-Signal, Red-BEC output, Black-GND) connector from each ESC will go to the servo rail of the Pixhawk. If the ESC has a BEC, it will also have a Red wire(BEC output) in the middle port of the 3-cable connector. I should not connect the Red wire to the Pixhawk(because we don't need to power the servo rail), only the Signal(White) and GND(Black) wires.

Is that correct?

What if i want to connect an RC receiver(FS-X6B), will i need to power the servo rail then? I think, the FS-X6B will have to be somehow connected to the PPM encoder and then the PPM encoder will be connected to the Servo rail pins designated 'RC'.

Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

Regards.