14S questions

[skunkworx]

I'm not sure how many people are running 14S power on their 700 class machines, but I'm curious about a few things when considering the switch.

It seems most people are convinced of going with a 160A ESC and I'm wondering what is the normal amount of amperage everyone is pulling on 12S and how much of a difference would it make going up a couple extra cells? I figure a 120A ESC should be enough since I'm barely pulling 130A peaks on 12S now. Also, what motors are capable of handling the voltage? I haven't really looked specifically for 14S motors yet, but it seems like something in the 400-500Kv range is desirable.

I have a pair of Powerlab 8 chargers, a YGE120HV and a couple Western Robotics Super BECs sitting in my tool box waiting to go in something, but I wanted to see where it would run if I decided to go up to 14S in case I really did need a 160A+ controller.

[Heli.Maniac]

On 14S the amperage as well as the peaks go down by about 15-20% or so (those were my general findings). On my first conversion I was running a 120A YGE paired with a Quantum 4530 without any issues doing hard 3D maneuvers and pulling several peaks. The ESC temp was warm but not hot to the point where it was alarming. The ESC never complained about overheating or overcurrent either. If you have the budget to get a 160A ESC, go for it as you can never have too much headroom. But since you already have the YGE 120 sitting around, go ahead and use it without worrying too much. Only thing I would do would be to fit the heatsink that YGE sells. Just some extra protection during summer time can't hurt anything.

For a motor, 450KV or something close is what you are looking for. Comparing the Quantum 4530 and the Scorpion 4530, I could feel that the Scorpion produced a bit more power but it is a lot more expensive than the Quantum.

[skunkworx]

Thanks Andreas! I'm not doing it for more power like most people. I want longer flight times with equivalent power to what I've got right now which I don't really hammer on anyway. I know I'll get a little more torque anyway but 1900-2050 headspeed is more than enough for my preferences. I know the 520 Ultimate is mostly for power but I got it cheap and the Kv matched what I needed it to do I was hoping to find an equivalent when I switch up to 14S. I'll look more at the quantum motors. That sounds more like my speed.

[Thestructured]

NITROOOOOOO!!

Just kidding, don't put yourself through that. I think I'm going to sell mine.

Hope to see a 14s machine at the field ;]

[DCflyer]

Originally Posted by skunkworx

I'm not sure how many people are running 14S power on their 700 class machines, but I'm curious about a few things when considering the switch.

It seems most people are convinced of going with a 160A ESC and I'm wondering what is the normal amount of amperage everyone is pulling on 12S and how much of a difference would it make going up a couple extra cells? I figure a 120A ESC should be enough since I'm barely pulling 130A peaks on 12S now. Also, what motors are capable of handling the voltage? I haven't really looked specifically for 14S motors yet, but it seems like something in the 400-500Kv range is desirable.

I have a pair of Powerlab 8 chargers, a YGE120HV and a couple Western Robotics Super BECs sitting in my tool box waiting to go in something, but I wanted to see where it would run if I decided to go up to 14S in case I really did need a 160A+ controller.

You should double check your ESC is capable of 14S first of all. ESC size depends on how hard you fly and motor choice. If you are a sport pilot you'll be fine on 120A. If you are a proficient 3D pilot, a 160A will certainly be of benefit. If going 4535 stator or larger i'd recommend a 160A. The overhead is nice and a good investment on a 14S 700. Plus you can push it as hard as you want without worry. The 120 will have its limits. And, yes, any motor in the 400-500kv range would be fine. It really depends on your gearing and what headspeed you want to run. I would stick to 450kv-500kv on a 700 for 14S. 400kv is really meant for larger machines or someone looking to run a very low headspeed on a 14s 700.

[waxman]

I have run 14s, i,had a pyro 750 50 and used 12s for sport and 3d flying then ran 14s for speed same pinion etc, just higher headspeed. In my case the motor pulled more amps with peaks close to shutting down my kosmik 160.

But there are so many variables it's hard to say what your end result will be.

[skunkworx]

I have a YGE120HV which is rated for 14S. It also has the heat sink on it so I'm probably covered from most angles by that. I'm a decent 3D pilot. Nothing to write home about, but I'm not looking for all-out performance. Just better efficiency and maybe a small performance boost if that doesn't take a hit on the flight time.

[RC/DC_5000]

Speed runs are definitely going to bring the heat and current. When you blast the motor wide open with the constant and long duration loads of a speed pass, you can guarantee the current will be high. You can even hear the motor winding down and whining under the load. The higher voltage will force more electrons into the motor and the heavy load on the motor will drink it up.

If you get the helicopter flying in similar conditions and HS as it was on lower voltage, it may well be easier for it to zap the motor around with the force of more voltage.

I think the safer bet for HV advantages go to the systems redesigned for it. Like a 450 with a 3600kv 11.1v motor versus a 1800kv 22.2v motor. The Kv can be cut in half and the motor can turn with the same RPM but with about the half the electrons. And with more force behind them anyway.

If you add more voltage into the same system, the motor will still intake RPM at the same rate. So it makes good sense that if you let it rip wide open- its going to turn faster with more force and take more current from the battery to do it.