I have a Hobbywing 10/BL120 ESC on my pump. Please hold the "you're a bonehead" comments till the end. Twice now I have overheated my ESC trying to get my pump working. At least I think it is overheating. As soon as I give it power the red light blinks several times and then it goes to counting through the numbers on the green light. I can't enter program mode or anything. The second time it overheated so bad it melted the solder on one of the connectors. There is nothing in the trouble shooting section of the manual that matches these error light sequence. 1) If it is true that the ESC is triggering its overheat safety and shutting down, is there a way to reset it or do I have to wait hours for it to cool down and reset? The first time that the pump got bound up and did this, I left the ESC for a couple hours and seem to work later in the evening. 2) (More of pump question) This is a brand new pump and housing. I saw some scrape marks on the impeller and gently sanded down the impeller height. I took off about a millimeter of height. Haven't been able to test it though. However, yesterday, after the ESC shutdown the first time, I ran the pump out of the housing and ran beautifully. I held the housing and motor together by hand and it ran beautifully. I'm guessing I screwed the two together two tight and that is causing the binding. Is there anything you can think of that I am missing? Its a BC pump.
Update: after about an hour, the ESC reset itself and was working fine. My fix to the pump impeller worked as well. I also loosen the screws when I put the two together instead of tightening it down as hard as I could. I left it as loose as I could, and tightened it down until it stopped leaking water. something interesting I found was that on my radio setting for my pump my endpoint is set to 15%. When it was binding and overheating, it was set to 100% which I think also helps. But now I have a working pump that sprays a 10 foot high stream like it should.
OK, so, I've built more than a few brushless black base BC pumps. You *can* easily set the impeller to bottom case too tight, same for impeller to top of case. I do a lot of mechanic stuff/machinist stuff/etc so I have feeler gauges around the garage. I normally set it so the impeller can slip a .020 feeler between it and the top plate the motor bolts to. Once you bolt the pump together, push a paperclip or something down the outlet and see if you can move the impeller freely. If yes, good. If no, something is obviously interfering and you have to try and figure it out. What voltage is your boat running at? Remember, W=A*V. Your pump motor looked like the correct KV for a 7.2v pump, so I'm assuming thats your voltage. So you're looking at 40-60 amps easily. I have to say I dont normally use the hobbywings on the pump. I use these guys: https://hobbyking.com/en_us/hobbyking-80a-2-6s-esc-4a-sbec.html OR these guys (they are very very similar): View: https://www.amazon.com/Readytosky-Brushless-Controller-Airplane-Helicopter/dp/B07XB19PRV The hobbywing 10bl120 should be up to the challenge no real issue. If you confirm theres no physical issue with the pump, hit me up on discord and I can try to assist you further. Could be an issue with the start punch settings or something like that.
I submitted my update at the same time you submitted yours. My Bismarck is 11.1 V. That would explain why I have to set the end point to 15% instead of 100% on 11.1 V to get the same 10’ high stream.
Oh boy. Yeah that motor is a bit fast for 11.1v. Like, double the speed. I would've recommended something like a 2200-2800kv. You can run what you've got, just keep the endpoints under control or you're going to pull a ton of amps.
will do. I wanted a 550 brushed sized motor in brushless. That why I went with the one I did. Well when that one burns out I’ll get the right one.
can you send me a picture of your BL120 in Epoxy? I put both of mine in epoxy and filled the hull with water to test the pump. Now the drive motor ESC is acting up. only goes slowly in reverse and dead in forward. When I change the drive motor to channel 2 it goes back to working perfectly. My receiver must of got wet too and was freaking out. I just want to rule out my ESC/Epoxy job.
I don't know a lot about those ESC's but a quick Google search says they're for sensored motors? Idk how they react being on a non sensored motor but that could be an issue.
the manual says that it auto detects sensor/sensor less. I believe it’ll work. I’m really starting to think I just got the receiver wet. I accidentally did the same thing in my Lutzow until I waterproofed the receiver. I think my impatience is getting the better of me on this project. I’ll get the receiver waterproofed before Friday.
The ESC for the pump is giving me problems again. I went to the pond today to float the Bismarck. I tested everything before I put it in the water. Drive, pump and rudder, they were all working this afternoon. I didn't have any issues with the pump at all. It was a short test but for reasons unrelated to the pump. I then made some adjustments and went back to the pond this evening and the pump is completely dead. About 10 seconds after I plug the battery in the pump motors makes this quiet buzzing sound and is completely dead. It doesn't respond to the radio. I don't see any of the lights turning on on the ESC but its difficult to see the lights after I waterproofed the ESC. I am not sure if I ruined the motor, ESC, both or neither. I tested the pump a couple days ago at 10% end point on the radio and it was perfect. I just checked the impeller and it spins freely. I am prepared but don't want to replace both. Has anyone else this issue before? How can I test either one? A little bit of water got in the hull but not enough to even prime the pump. Let alone reach the ESC. I have this ESC: View: https://www.amazon.com/HOBBYWING-QUICRUN-10BL120-SENSORED-Touring/dp/B0765Q2SVS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=10bl120&qid=1688866203&sprefix=10BL%2Caps%2C615&sr=8-1 This motor: View: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NMZXGNS?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details The drive motor ESC (10BL120) is having no issues. The rudder servo is answering, so I know that it is not the receiver. My first thought is that I ruined the motor some how. The motor is rated to 11V and my LiPo batteries are 11.1V. Just a guess though.
Update: I think I fried the ESC somehow. I don't know specifically what I did. There are no lights that come on the ESC when I apply power, red or greed. Nothing happens when I toggle the on off switch. Nothing happens when I hold down the set button when I apply power. Its dead as a door nail. It blows my mind that it died sometime between this afternoon and this evening. I never ran it for more than 15 seconds.
You're a fan of this one eh? View: https://www.amazon.com/Readytosky-Brushless-Controller-Airplane-Helicopter/dp/B07XB19PRV
I’m going with fried. The side of the tray I used to put it in epoxy is hot and none of the lights are turning on.
Yeah, sounds fried unfortunately. Sorry dude. The esc you linked is a good one. Waterproof it and try it out. Hopefully more issues for you.
This is my 3rd ship with ESCs. Never had this many issues with ESCs. Hope this is a one off. But I understand them better now. Guess you call that a win.
