Viper Sub 10 in Caswell Gato

[GatoGuy]

Hello everyone I need some advice. Wrapping up the Caswell/D&E Gato kit and have run into a problem I don't know how to solve. As you may have gathered, I'm having issues with my Viper Sub 10. I've done everything I can to get rid of any binding, and have checked and double checked my setup and wiring. Here's what I've observed:

The esc generates heat if I just plug everything in and turn it on. (no moving the servos or motors) and of course generates more heat running just the servos and far too much heat running the motors. I've now fried 2 viper 10s and a battery, so I'd really like to solve this problem before I spend more money. I suspect I need to just try a different esc, but I'm open to all input.

Thanks,
Dalton

[robert lipsett]

if you have components plugged in but not moving and therefore in a standbye mode you should not be using very much power. the fact that you are feeling real heat means something must be draining power at a higher rate. try connecting an ammeter in series between the battery and the viper. do not connect anything to the bec to begin with. slowly connect the receiver and individual servos while monitoring current flow. what is your load servos only. what is your load motors and receiver only. if amps spike disconnect immediately don't melt viper. what servos? if digital servos they burn power just maintaining 0. you need data to figure this out just upping the bec might mean it might not melt but your battery will drain too fast

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

if you have components plugged in but not moving and therefore in a standbye mode you should not be using very much power. the fact that you are feeling real heat means something must be draining power at a higher rate. try connecting an ammeter in series between the battery and the viper. do not connect anything to the bec to begin with. slowly connect the receiver and individual servos while monitoring current flow. what is your load servos only. what is your load motors and receiver only. if amps spike disconnect immediately don't melt viper. what servos? if digital servos they burn power just maintaining 0. you need data to figure this out just upping the bec might mean it might not melt but your battery will drain too fast

The kind of heat we're getting is likely from the internal (encapsulated within the epoxy plug that makes up about half of the ESC's mass) FETS/power transistors. Either the FETS are defective or the microprocessor or amplifier that drives the FETS' is defective. I'm guesing here, but I think it's the FETS shorting out internally, between emitter and base, as there appears to be no leakage to the collectors -- if any current got to the collectors, the motors would spin.

With the Viper Sub 10 problems sited here it matters not what devices are hooked up and running off the BEC (which is external to the ESC case). A blown BEC would not crack the epoxy case and spew molten solder. The BEC and ESC are wired in parallel, which accounts for why the devices still work even if the rest of the ESC is reduced to smoldering ashes.

Oh, and I took Andy's advice and put a fuse between the battery and the ESC after replacing the burned out Viper Sub 10 with a new Viper Sub 10. Pictures below:

[robert lipsett]

david I think you posted your last message here into the wrong thread. this thread had to do with sopmeone having a problem with his subdriver overheating and drawing too much current. the thread that you were part of in which you described your viper blowing up is the next thread down. I was waiting for the hand of god to strike me down with my suggestion for this person and too give a proper answer