Starting putting together the new 3DR Y6 kit, and all is going well. I am at the point of trying to get all the ESCs, wires, PDB and PM wires placed. Lots of wires. 3DR has some Y6 photos and all I can see is two ESCs attached with zip ties to the front of the frame, on their side. No hint about the other 4 in the photos. The PDB, six ESC power cables, six pairs of motor bullet cables, and the APM output cables result in quite a challenge between the top/bottom plates.
Can/should ESCs be tied down two together at a time or should they all for electrical interference reasons have their own spot?
Any suggestions on placing and attaching the PM since it has to connect to the Lipo?
FYI, I have it with APM 2.6, uBLox GPS with compass, 3DR telemetry, and will be using a Spektrum AR8000 receiver.
Haven't started firmware download, mandatory hardware setup, but have been reading the wiki's and all forum notes that seem relevant. Information overload!
Oh, and I never seem to get the forum search function to work?!
Thanks!
Nelson Salez
Replies
Thanks, Tom. Since this is my first build project, I am happy to take the 3DR electronic components. So as you suggest, we may need macrame lessons. I am hoping later today to finish hooking up everything and then finalizing where to tie down the ESCs. I got some solid suggestions on this discussion. Then on to firmware download for the APM, mandatory hardware setup, motor spinup, etc etc. And of course, back to the online instructions so I get that all in the right order.
Nelson
I'm also doing a 3DR Y6 buildup, but I just got their frame kit and have the freedom to use whatever components I choose.
For my ESCs I'm using the fairly new Afro ESC 30Amp Multi-rotor Motor Speed Controller (with SimonK already on them) from the Evil Empire (Hobbyking). Quite a deal at $14 each. These things don't have any sort of heat sink like most ESCs, as they don't seem to need them. I'm running them on a quad, and they barely get lukewarm. The point is without the heatsink they are thinner than normal ESCs and you can stack them together between the Y6 plates without overheating worries. They seem to fit reasonably well there so that's the route I'm headed. Final wire management will still be a challenge. Perhaps I shall learn macrame....
Ralph, thanks for the detailed photos. I am going to use those, and Mike's suggestions, to try to get it to fit. It definitely, as you say, is quite a predicament. Good thing I am not doing this for a living as I would have a tough time making a deadline for completion. Having fun with it though!
Nelson
Mike, thanks for the quick reply. I like your idea to put the ESCs unstacked. It is the new Y6 kit. The bottom plate has a cutout, so only 4 sides are under the top plate such that you could attach. I will see if it can run them along and get all the wiring to where it will connect. I like your idea about the telemetry antenna pointing down.
Thanks again!
Nelson
Hi Nelson,
Oh man i had the same predicament. Spent a good amount of time getting everything to fit & plug in properly, avoiding 90 degree turns/kinks on any wires and so on. Very right fit, and I definitely did not physically attach the PDB to the body.. it's not moving. I first tried to put 2 ESC's on each side on the front, but that did not work out. In the end, I placed one ESC on each space in the front, with a little bit of foam between the ESC and the frame - and 2 stacked on either sides of the tail, with some foam separating them. I can't imagine having them directly touching each other would be good heat wise.. they definitely get warm!
My plan is to install a gimbal, so keeping that front cutout clean and clear was my goal.. other than making sure i can bend the legs back without wires being destroyed.
I attached some pictures.
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You've already checked that the props/motors spin the correct direction, right? :-)
Here's how I tied up my ESCs. I liked this idea better than stacking them because I felt it gave me more surface area to dump heat. All of my cables are sort of tucked in behind the ESCs.
As for the power module, I simply tucked that in behind as well and then ran the APM power up through some of the vent holes and the battery connector sneaks out and down through one of the larger vent holes. I simply used Zip Ties to secure them in place.
-Mike