Pros:
Cons:
These are are actually legit reasons for getting them. Thanks
I should mention that the wheels that broke weren’t technically meant for esk8, but that doesn’t really change the fact that plastic breaks where aluminum doesn’t.
Yeah that is true, it will not however be true for glass fiber reinforced nylon, which is incredibly resiliant
But your points are still valid. The weight and price are main downside of metal, and I think the main downside of plastic is that it’s technically less strong, and they can be off balance (especially cheap ones)
However on the other hand if you buy sunmate untrampa wheels, I’ve heard those have bad balance even though they’re metal
Maybe too into the weeds for the noob question thread, but any discussion of plastic vs metal is pretty useless without naming specific materials.
i.e. China injection molded ABS plastic vs hard anodized 7075 aluminum? No comparison.
Carbon fiber reinforced composite “plastic” vs untreated 6061 aluminum? Not necessarily.
Composites can exceed the strength of aluminum, weigh less, and have more flexibility to resist cracking on impact. But it depends on the material & the fiber reinforcement (and design). Both can be manufactured via a number of ways (CNC, molded, forged, etc) with varying levels of precision. You’re probably better off looking at specific model reviews and brand quality than using material as a guide.
So stuff is starting to show up. I’ve got the FlipSky Pro 200A A/S, both of the battle-hardened 6354s(140kv) and I expect the DV6 in the next day or so. as I prepare to start putting stuff together a couple questions come to mind:
Running mode: I had planned on sensorless BLDC for simplicity. I don’t care about FOC and I don’t understand what HFI is. My question is if I should even plug in the sensor wires that came on the motors? If it adds a layer of complexity, or an additional potential failure point then I would just as soon skip using them. If it is nothing but beneficial, then I can plug them in.
To re-cap my requirements briefly - they are minimal. It’s a cheap mtb I am upgrading for fun (not out of necessity) and I ride slow on flat ground, sidewalk and maybe grass momentarily.
My plan may even be to keep the new motors on the shelf until I have an actual problem with the stock ones (they are already overpowered for my needs). Swapping the ESC for my cheap-o spare I had lying around from years ago fixed my problem and it is has been running great since then.
The DV6 I plan to install - I didn’t buy that upgrade to have it sit on a shelf. (When I bought the motors I thought I needed them).
Also a shout-out “Thank You” to @ShutterShock for the DV6 programming video. That is the part I am most concerned about as this is my first vesc-based endeavor. Boot loader first, that much I know.
Any reason to mess with the firmware? I think it comes 5.1 - I am never going to dig into features so leave well enough alone there?
Cosmetically I have already replaced the stock grip tape that had the logo on it, and I have some color-matched tires and rear drive wheels on the way. Also a few other little touches. I am pleased with the way it has come out so far given my relative lack of skill.
Edit: illiteracy
Are they complex? No, they autodetect in the setup process. FOC is also easier to use as it’s just a simple setup wizard, and it will yield better results. HFI is kinda like sensors but it causes your motors to make weird noises from what I understand. If it’s easy to route the sensors, just use them.
Of course man
And no, you don’t really need to change the firmware. Like I said in my video, I was doing it to directly compare to my old ESC. However, if you stay on 5.1 there’s a value you need to change, I think it’s Duty Cycle Current Limit Start, to 87% or something.
@b264 Knows it by heart now. You can just use VariESC to make it easier if you want.
I would do it, I love my sensors. Some people do not like them because they can fail from time to time. HFI is complicated and its effectiveness across motors varies. Sensors are part of setup
I’m looking around in vesc tool and I see Duty Cycle Current Limit Start is set to 100%.
Yes, do that. Make sure to do that for each VESC.
I have a Unity presumably that is not a concern?
I dont know. I can never remember what the procedures are for single-MCU VESCs.
K I’ll wait for some more input. Def don’t want to mess this up.
Change that to 85%
It is done.
Could this have been the reason I wiped out the other day?
My sense was that it was sudden speed wobbles that I’ve been blaming on DKP… but maybe it was a slide caused by sudden loss of power?
It’s possible. Motors don’t have exact Kv, they can vary by a little bit due to manufacturing tolerances. If your left and right motors have slightly different Kvs (they almost certainly do) then this could definitely initiate a wobble near top speed. It also could be something else, IDK.
Is there a way to set maximum top speed in VESC tool?
Looking around there’s doesn’t seem to be.
If not could I do it by reducing Duty Cycle Current Limit Start further (and also maybe reducing Maximum Duty Cycle to stay 10% over that so like 75% and 85%?)
I’m just not ready for the top speed this thing can do but I keep finding myself not paying attention and going too fast.
Would combining two different makes/brands of ESCs over CAN pose any unique risks as opposed to combining two of the same?
If you were to do this is there any guidance to follow? IE both ESC need to use the same firmware.
SpintendSpintend compared to SpintendTrampa
Yes, you have to set “Maximum Duty Cycle” to some amount less than 95%, and then set “Duty Cycle Current Limit Start” to about 7% less than you set Maximum Duty Cycle to.
For example, set
Maximum Duty Cycle to 48%
Duty Cycle Current Limit Start to 41%
and then your skate would only go half as fast, for example.
If you try to set “Maximum ERPM” then you can loose brakes above that speed and it’s generally not recommended to change those default values — on an esk8. On an airplane or something, I’d use those instead of the duty cycle settings.
