Service-Check up for Airboss Elite 80A?

[jjohns51]

Maybe I can help...why does the previous owner believe that the ESC caused an issue?

Ya know, thats the part I'm not real sure about. It was a 2-3 minute face to face conversation regarding a completely different transaction, that circumstantially ended up including this ESC. I believe he said he lost the motor in flight, but didnt describe a damaged motor, and he didnt mention a dying battery that may have indicated a BEC kicking in. I'm really not sure. But I clearly remember him saying he doesnt trust the ESC. So I figured the safest thing possible would be to let the professionals have a go at it. :ashamed:

 

[njswede]

Testing and troubleshooting an ESC would require some pretty expensive instruments and highly skilled personnel. And even if they did, it's hard to simulate what happens to an ESC when you abuse it in the air and subject it to g-forces that would literally make a person's head explode.

Bottom line is: Even though I have quite a reputation of being a cheapskate, I would pay the extra bucks to replace the ESC and not even take the risk of putting it into a plane if I thought there's a risk of it failing on me. ESCs (depending on vendor) are fairly cheap. Airframes and my building time is not.

 

[jjohns51]

ECS's don't have any serviceable parts in them. That I'm aware of anyway. Interesting question though.
Usually the ones that dont work have big burnt holes in them, other than that its just getting the settings right, which is
in some cases by trial and error.

Other than making a test rig, Do a lot of static testing before you send the plane into the air maybe.

Hey Jim thanks for your interest as well. Looking the ESC over right now, and it's pretty much in perfect shape, less maybe a little dusty. No burns, holes or even scuffs of any kind. Just needs a deans for install, but by the looks of it I'd give it a 9-9.5out of 10. Hmmm Idunno.

 

[jjohns51]

Testing and troubleshooting an ESC would require some pretty expensive instruments and highly skilled personnel. And even if they did, it's hard to simulate what happens to an ESC when you abuse it in the air and subject it to g-forces that would literally make a person's head explode.

Bottom line is: Even though I have quite a reputation of being a cheapskate, I would pay the extra bucks to replace the ESC and not even take the risk of putting it into a plane if I thought there's a risk of it failing on me. ESCs (depending on vendor) are fairly cheap. Airframes and my building time is not.

Fully fair statement. And truthfully, gonna be pretty uncomfortable trying to decide the contrary, unless like I said before, someone with earned trust and competancy strongly supports otherwise. Thanks for your input.

 

[gyro]

Fully fair statement. And truthfully, gonna be pretty uncomfortable trying to decide the contrary, unless like I said before, someone with earned trust and competancy strongly supports otherwise. Thanks for your input.

Here is my take: I'm not sure how well into the hobby your friend is, but "usually" ESCs don't "CAUSE" a motor to fail, and come out fine. If there is a failure of the ESC that causes the motor to fail, you'd likely have an indication such as fire, smoke, or other heat damage. What is most likely, is that the ESC may not have been setup properly, and thereby could have been feeding the motor incorrectly. Either that, or the motor was the failed component, and your friend determined the ESC to be causal without adequate investigation.

I suggest you install the ESC, and do some through ground testing. I'd leave the cowl off to ensure the motor and ESC get the full prop wash for cooling. Do some simulated flights with some throttle bursts, and some idle to full punches. Really work it out. If it does fine for one or more of these sessions, I'd feel comfortable taking it into the air.

Just my thoughts, ultimately you need to decide for yourself

-G

 

[jjohns51]

Here is my take: I'm not sure how well into the hobby your friend is, but "usually" ESCs don't "CAUSE" a motor to fail, and come out fine. If there is a failure of the ESC that causes the motor to fail, you'd likely have an indication such as fire, smoke, or other heat damage. What is most likely, is that the ESC may not have been setup properly, and thereby could have been feeding the motor incorrectly. Either that, or the motor was the failed component, and your friend determined the ESC to be causal without adequate investigation.

I suggest you install the ESC, and do some through ground testing. I'd leave the cowl off to ensure the motor and ESC get the full prop wash for cooling. Do some simulated flights with some throttle bursts, and some idle to full punches. Really work it out. If it does fine for one or more of these sessions, I'd feel comfortable taking it into the air.

Just my thoughts, ultimately you need to decide for yourself

-G

Hey again G, See there's the rub for me (bugs me). If there is basically nothing to service or adjust, as with most/maybe all ESC's, and everything else is static electronic componant, than you'd think for something to fail, there should at least be some slight discoloring to all out visual failure (ie. carbon). If something all-out looks perfect, and when tested functions perfectly, how does something "eventually" not work? I mean, if something has failed, shouldnt it now not function at all? Again Idunno Color me dumb, I guess.

 

[njswede]

There are actually ways electronics can get damaged, continue to work but eventually fail based on the initial damage. Here's a classic:

You could have a hairline crack on a circuit board. Normally the conductors on the board are fine even though there's a crack, but if you flex the board ever so slightly, you're going to widen the crack and you'll have a break in a conductor. You can guess the rest... So it's conceivable that you'll have an ESC that works on the ground but fails in the air.

That being said, I have no idea what's going on with your ESC. The final decision whether you want to use it is up to you.

 

[jjohns51]

Yet another very valid possibility. Just something I'll have to stew on for a while I guess. If only there were a way to make a substantial savings on an aircraft purchase that I badly want and am ready to buy.................hmmmmm..... if only. Than I could spend the savings on a new ESC. if only there were such a sal er I mean way to save some money

 

[njswede]

I probably didn't make your decision much easier, did I? Sorry about that.

 

[jjohns51]

Intellect is nothing to apologize for. I asked for your help, because I genuinely hoped you'd would. Thank you all for your support.