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Making room for three 16ga wires to Easystar motor?

Posted by Ground Loop on August 30, 2010 at 11:33pm
Easystar noob here..  After upgrading my ESC to extended-length motor leads, I'm trying to tuck these three 16ga silicone wires into the Easystar fuse before gluing.  The existing channel is not deep enough to hold them.. maybe two at the most.

Do most folks cut a second channel?  Make the original channel deeper?  Use thinner wire?

Any tricks to this?

Cheers.

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Replies

  • Ground Loop September 3, 2010 at 9:55pm
    Thanks for the tips. From my bench-run tests, I have to agree that a foam-enclosed ESC looks like trouble. It heats up fast, and with zero airflow, it would cook itself and the rest of the UAV giblets. I'm going to mount it externally, in front of the motor mount.

    (The motor is a 2200kV inrunner.)

    I can't think of any harm, really, in extending or modifying the ESC-to-Motor wires. They're ordinary 16ga wire, and I imagine most folks here are skilled enough with a soldering iron to do it right. For outrunner motor wires, I totally agree -- those enamel wire bundles are really difficult to get right. I wouldn't do it. My motor has solder tabs.

    Extending the battery-side wire seems like it has a few drawbacks -- increased cable loss (it's only 16ga), and possibly more magnetic field under high current.

    All that said, I'm back to chopping the motor leads down, mounting the ESC outside the foam, and replacing the battery leads with 14ga wire. If the UAV gear gets warm, then I'm in with Ritchie in making some airflow holes.

    Thanks!
  • Ritchie August 31, 2010 at 9:45am
    Use a sharp knife (exacto or scapel) to create a deeper channel either on both sides or just one.

    I have done exactly this with my EasyStar build but have alter the airframe quite a bit already and am not finished yet. As for survival I will have to report once its been for a few flights. I have already marked where I might put aeration holes in the rear compartment but wont cut until I know I need it (cannot undo foam removal).
  • Admin
    Thomas J Coyle III August 31, 2010 at 4:24am
    Ground Loop,

    You really should not have extended the motor leads on your ESC. Most ESC manufacturers will tell you not to increase nor decrease the length of the motor leads. Also, it is smart to mount the ESC in front of the EZ* motor mount for good air cooling. There is no air flow in the fuse and the ESC will become hot during extended periods of flying. I have built six EZ*s all with the ESCs mounted on the fuse just in front of the motor mount and never had an ESC fail.

    Just a thought.

    Regards,
    TCIII
  • Taylor Cox August 30, 2010 at 11:43pm
    I just used an exacto knife and cut the channel deeper and wider to allow the wires to fit. After weeks of struggling everytime I had to get access to the motor and wire removal, I opted for two motors and props (one on each wing) secured with hot glue and a wooden mount.
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