Hi All,
I've run across something I can't explain, nor understand. Here is the background:
I'm assembling a KV2 from bits I've purchased from multiple vendors. I'm using the OP TCB, HK 45A ESCs, and Taigen gearboxes. In assembling the components in the metal chassis from Taigen, I nestled the ESCs between the 4:1 gearboxes by servo taping them together on their bottoms, and soldering the outputs directly to the motors. I then soldered the inputs together on a Dean's connector that connected to the switch in the normal fashion (left switch pole to black/negative, center pole to ESCs & TCB, and right pole to Battery). It is quite a compact arrangement, and I thought it would be great having the ESC's and gearboxes so neatly arranged leaving the rest of the chassis available for the TCB, speaker, etc.
So, the anomaly:
When I connected the battery up to the completed arrangement, the switch failed on overcurrent. So I replaced the switch after checking for shorts, and boom, the next failed. Suspecting an undersized switch, I installed one with more current capacity. The solder joint on the switch positive melted off.....wtf?? I checked all wiring for shorts, nothing. All wiring is sound. So I re-soldered the positive lead, and tried again, and the wiring got VERY warm, ESC's LEDs did not turn on, so I disconnected quickly.
Then I connected the battery directly to the ESC combination, and they both lit the LEDs, made the appropriate noises (they make a few tones upon energizing) and sat there waiting for instructions from the TCB. So I connected the switch up again, and bingo, the problem resurfaced.
So I connected in a series 10A fuse, and it will blow every time I try to use the switch. I've checked continuity between all the connections, wiring, switch poles, etc. all not showing any shorts or anything.
I've either run across a resonance issue due to the bottoms being so close in proximity, or the charging current of the these ESC's is too great for the wiring to surmount due to voltage drop in the wiring and switch. I have used these ESCs on two other installations with no problems, though they don't have the bottoms servo taped together.
Anyone have any explanations on what I am experiencing?? I didn't think the ESCs should have a charging current of this magnitude. I've connected them both up individually to the battery directly, no proplem, but individually with the switch...it will blow the 10A fuse every time. Perhaps a bad batch of ESCs??
I'll continue to test, but right now I'm going back to purchasing Sabertooth products.
Jerry