How much difference does the ESC make?

[kennedylanduk]

Really simple question really. I've been running a cheap 60A Hobbywing Quicrun (http://www.hobbywing.com/product_show.asp?id=299).

Anyone got any opinions on if a 120A ESC would actually yield any noticeable performance improvement? I'm not sure it would. The Hobbywing can chuck out 60A (380A peak), so would something that can put out more make any real difference in 17.5 blinky?

And I am happy with the Hobbywing, just curious to what folks think. I've been selling some stuff on ebay and the Paypal account has some funds at the moment (but not enough to purchase two ESCs (one for Sean as well)).

Tony.

[theslacker]

I guess it all depends, For club racing i expect the noticeable difference is quite negligible however when you get to national level and you can notice the extra 0.3 of a second or whatever then it may be more useful. From what i understand about my speed controller (LRP Flow Works) is that its supposedly quite smooth on power delivery and braking therefore allowing you to carry more speed through corners by nature of it being more refined. How true that is is anyone's guess. Ive also heard by this more refined nature it keeps the temperatures low on the motor, I can most definitely vouch for this but whether its got more to do with the speedo or motor is another complete guess. The way i look at it is does the speedo you have offer the flexibility and reliability you require, Ive not had one single problem with mine since i got it (Second hand too) and always keeps cool and does what it should, its easy to change settings without a silly programming box and gives me the flexibility to run 13.5 boosted or more if i want to at a later date. We tried it with a 6.5 on boosted and was absolutely insane. I think for club racing and especially 17.5 blinky the speedos are all very similarly matched and for me and i expect others would rather put money into a better motor or better still some top batteries as theres some big differences to be had in upgrading either or both of those. However as far as speedos go i have always used this one since i returned so i guess i cant really comment regarding what differences it would make only comparing mine to others. However i know batteries and motors seem to make a big difference if any batteries more than a motor.

[kennedylanduk]

Interesting that you find the program boxes annoying. I cannot do without them, I've just got rid of two Speed Passion ESCs as they had no box.

[theslacker]

Maybe it's just me stuck in my ways as before brushless all speedo settings were adjusted by means of a couple of buttons and a sequence of flashing lights or from what I remember anyways. It just seems easier and more convenient to press a few buttons not to mention the con of having to purchase another bit of kit that's not really necessary! I read that some can be temperamental and cause issues that way too. I'm prerty sure some speedos actually require a laptop to change settings on too which just seems even more ridiculous, I guess the programming box has its place compared to having to drag a laptop around!

[Dave Chamberlain]

I agree with Andrew, if you look at the real figures for power consumption etc the difference between 60A and 120A ESC's in 17.5 blinky are a minimum.. They may makes a small difference in punch etc which will make tbw car feel different but in terms of all out performance blinky setups don't draw the current to make an expensive ESC worth the money.. Better to buy a good motor and spend money on quality batteries but not silly capacity or C ratings as again blinky setups don't use the current, you need a good battery to keep the volts up and not drop after a few months usage really don't need much more than a 5000mah 50C rated battery for blinky if the claimed performance is real..

The best performance boost is good old TLC! Ensuring a good smooth drive train with quality bearings and correctly adjusted belts etc. Its aways amazing to me how much quicker my car is when I actually look after it!

[kennedylanduk]

Thanks for the opinions. They just confirm what I already know. The Hobbywing is nice and simple and has a diode for protection which is a big bonus.

I've also done some searching on the web to see if capacitor banks make much of a difference. A couple of manufacturers now sell xbooster type things (http://www.rcmart.com/xbooster-cap-p-55916.html?cPath=1560_294, capacitors in metal cases). Anyone got any opinion on these? When I replaced the blown diode/caps on my ESC, I upped the capacity significantly, but don't really race TC often enough to know if it makes any difference or not.