Are all ESCs the same?

N

New2MultiRotors

Member
I can see the differences between components like motors, fc, frames, etc but I can't really see the differences between esc. Are there any? Rotorgeeks had a cool video showing the durability of their esc so I was kind of leaning towards getting one from them. Any other recommendations?
 

eskil23

eskil23

Wikipedia Photographer
The most obvious difference is of course the amp rating. ESCs intended for other uses than multirotors can have features that are uundesirable for mr usage.
 

fltundra

fltundra

Member
New2MultiRotors said:
I can see the differences between components like motors, fc, frames, etc but I can't really see the differences between esc. Are there any? Rotorgeeks had a cool video showing the durability of their esc so I was kind of leaning towards getting one from them. Any other recommendations?
Click to expand...
Stick with Tmotor, KDE , or Castle. Higher quality components.
 

L

learningrc

Member
Here are the main differences you'll see:

Motor type: Brushless motors require an ESC made for brushless motors. Brushed motors require an ESC made for brushed motors. You can't mix and match.
Voltage: Usually ESC's work for a range of battery voltages: 2S-3S, 3S-4S, 2S-4S, etc. Your ESCs and motors should have a voltage range that matches the battery you use.
Current: There are usually 2 current ratings - continuous and burst/peak. Continuous current rating is the maximum current the ESC can run at continuously, 24 hours, 7 days a week, without overheating. Burst is a higher current rating that the ESC can operate at for a short period of time (10 seconds, for example). Depending on the current rating, this may lead to physical differences like heat sinks or larger diameter wire.
Firmware: ESC's have microprocessors on them and different microprocessors need different firmware running on them. ESC's may be programmable so you can load your own firmware on them. A couple popular firmwares are SimonK and BLHeli.
BEC's: Sometimes you have other things on your multirotor that require a different voltage (flight controller, for example). If an ESC has a BEC, it will give you some wires that provide that voltage output that you can hook up to those components.
Size: Height/length/width/weight

I'm just learning this stuff myself, so I'm sure there is a lot more I'm missing.
 


PeteDee

PeteDee

Mr take no prisoners!
fltundra said:
Stick with Tmotor, KDE , or Castle. Higher quality components.
Click to expand...
You do know that T-Motor ESC-s are re-branded Blue Series and really the KDE and Castle ESC's are over priced for small quads.

If you want a good quality ESC in 12, 20 and 30 amp sizes that can easily be flashed and are cheap go for the Afro ESC's, they also support OneShot and DampedLite settings so well worthwhile.

I use KISS 18A ESC's on some of my mini quads, brilliant and great performance but hard to flash and check firmwhere.

The RC Timer Sn20a ESC's are also very good, support all the good features, tiny, easy to flash.

Pete
 

N

New2MultiRotors

Member
What do u recommend for a 650. Carrying around 2.4kg auw. Any experience with rotor geeks?


PeteDee said:
You do know that T-Motor ESC-s are re-branded Blue Series and really the KDE and Castle ESC's are over priced for small quads.

If you want a good quality ESC in 12, 20 and 30 amp sizes that can easily be flashed and are cheap go for the Afro ESC's, they also support OneShot and DampedLite settings so well worthwhile.

I use KISS 18A ESC's on some of my mini quads, brilliant and great performance but hard to flash and check firmwhere.

The RC Timer Sn20a ESC's are also very good, support all the good features, tiny, easy to flash.

Pete
Click to expand...
 

Motopreserve

Motopreserve

Drone Enthusiast
The battery, motors and props will all contribute to your choice. Determine the amp draw - then you can hone in on a good choice for your budget.
 

N

New2MultiRotors

Member
Deciding between 2 motors but highest of the 2 will be less than 17A so I will prob go with a 30A esc. Just looking for suggestions on a brand.
 

Motopreserve

Motopreserve

Drone Enthusiast
All the brands listed above should be fine for your build, and 30A seems to be the best bet. Find one that fits your budget, and have at it. Might want to do a bit of research about your specific motor and the brand/firmware you choose before pulling the trigger. For instance, simonk doesn't always play well with larger pole count/lower Kv motors.
 


S

Stacky

Member
5 years and a dozen or more multis built, a lot of hours flying and I have yet to have a Turnigy plush ESC fail on me. Most of mine have been the 30amp ones
 


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