Stock Align RCE-BL70G ESC

[Jeb1974]

I just built my 550 and hovered it for the first time yesterday. Loved it! It was super stable with the AR7200 Beast X.

Anyways, today I took it out to fly it for the first time outside. I plugged it in and it started going through the ESC programming beeps then I heard a snap and smoke started coming from the AR7200. The ESC smells fried and I tried powering up the AR7200 from a different source and nothing happens. Nothing happens when powering up the ESC either. I've read problems with the stock align esc/bec. Do you think the BEC fried the receiver/gyro? Could it have affected the servos too? Will align do anything if it was their product that fried the receiver?

[gehrbox]

Originally Posted by Jeb1974

I just built my 550 and hovered it for the first time yesterday. Loved it! It was super stable with the AR7200 Beast X.

Anyways, today I took it out to fly it for the first time outside. I plugged it in and it started going through the ESC programming beeps then I heard a snap and smoke started coming from the AR7200. The ESC smells fried and I tried powering up the AR7200 from a different source and nothing happens. Nothing happens when powering up the ESC either. I've read problems with the stock align esc/bec. Do you think the BEC fried the receiver/gyro? Could it have affected the servos too? Will align do anything if it was their product that fried the receiver?

If another power source connected to the system didn't work, then it is likely toasted by the bec. The only way to check the servos is with another receiver or servo tester.

Don't count on align to help replace anything except the burnt esc.

[EFD347]

sorry man! this just happened to my buddy and it took his motor, servos, 3gx system and esc. i took his advise and bought a castle ice 100 and bec.

[1004ron]

Originally Posted by EFD347

sorry man! this just happened to my buddy and it took his motor, servos, 3gx system and esc. i took his advise and bought a castle ice 100 and bec.

Good choice, but just to be sure, that is the CC BEC Pro that you got with the CC 100 ?

[Jeb1974]

Originally Posted by EFD347

sorry man! this just happened to my buddy and it took his motor, servos, 3gx system and esc. i took his advise and bought a castle ice 100 and bec.

I'm gonna be sick if the servos are toast too. That'll be over $500. Somehow a crash is easier to accept than manufacturer defects.

[duytang]

Originally Posted by Jeb1974

I'm gonna be sick if the servos are toast too. That'll be over $500. Somehow a crash is easier to accept than manufacturer defects.

Man all of these stories about the stock ESC taking out electronics is making me sick. Is it just the ones that came with the 550 kits that are defective? I have the same one on my 500ESP and its been working great. My 550 has been built up for 2 weeks now, but waiting on the Castle 100A ESC to use with my BEC pro. I would definitely agree that a crash would be easier to accept. Hopefully your servos are ok

[Jeb1974]

Originally Posted by duytang

Man all of these stories about the stock ESC taking out electronics is making me sick. Is it just the ones that came with the 550 kits that are defective? I have the same one on my 500ESP and its been working great. My 550 has been built up for 2 weeks now, but waiting on the Castle 100A ESC to use with my BEC pro. I would definitely agree that a crash would be easier to accept. Hopefully your servos are ok

I just checked the servos using the receiver on my blade 450. They're moving ok but could they still be defective? I'm going to go with a BEC pro next and the Castle ESC. Do I need the 100A or would the 75A one work?

[gehrbox]

Originally Posted by Jeb1974

I just checked the servos using the receiver on my blade 450. They're moving ok but could they still be defective? I'm going to go with a BEC pro next and the Castle ESC. Do I need the 100A or would the 75A one work?

If they are moving smoothly and still operate that way under a load they are probably ok. I'd recommend getting the 100A. I regularly see peaks in my data log of around 80-90 amps with stock gearing, the 600mx and 520 blades.

[Rototerrier]

You won't get anyone from Align to do anything with the ESC. You "might" get your dealer to do something if you contact them and let them know what happened...unless you bought it off ebay or something.

You can send the AR7200BX in to horizon for repair. It won't cost too much. They are usually pretty good about taking care of their customers on repairs and things like this. I have never completely fried anything before though...so your mileage may vary here a bit.

[Hoosiermo1]

Wow that really stinks. I would be very upset if a stock align part fried my 7200. As to the question about it being ok on a 500 it is recommended to use another power source for anything bigger than a 500 so that's the difference. Seems as most the issues with the align 70 is the inbuilt bec. I use and recommend a 6.6v life pack. It can be used unregulated on 6v servos and no worries of a bec failure. The worst that would happen if a stalled servo pulled too many amps would be a melted connector but I imagine it would take quite a bit of current to do that.

[duytang]

Originally Posted by Hoosiermo1

Wow that really stinks. I would be very upset if a stock align part fried my 7200. As to the question about it being ok on a 500 it is recommended to use another power source for anything bigger than a 500 so that's the difference. Seems as most the issues with the align 70 is the inbuilt bec. I use and recommend a 6.6v life pack. It can be used unregulated on 6v servos and no worries of a bec failure. The worst that would happen if a stalled servo pulled too many amps would be a melted connector but I imagine it would take quite a bit of current to do that.

What I'm wondering is how they are frying just through setup on the bench. I could understand while flying, but seems odd to me how they go up in smoke just waiting for the ESC to go through its beeps.

Either way these stories have got me scared enough to use the cc ESC and BEC


Sent from iPhone

[shein95]

I'm a little concerned about mine as well, it was only 75-80 today when I flew and the esc is coming down pretty warm, borderline hot, after a 5 minute flight of light sport flying. I've even thought about taking the 553 blades off until the yge 100 comes back in stock. At least I'm running the bec pro so if it does go I can auto down.

[Wolfpackin]

Have I mentioned, recently, that my stock BL70G ESC has 325 flights with no external BEC?

Just another advantage of the tried and true flybar heli.

[tomlog]

Originally Posted by Rototerrier

You won't get anyone from Align to do anything with the ESC. You "might" get your dealer to do something if you contact them and let them know what happened...unless you bought it off ebay or something.

That's not true. Mine also smoked I was lucky and it only took the ESC. I sent it to Assurance RC the U.S. dist for align with a copy of the receipt when I got it and they replaced the ESC within 1 week no problem at all. So find out who is the Align dist for Canada and give them a call.

[Hoosiermo1]

Originally Posted by Wolfpackin

Have I mentioned, recently, that my stock BL70G ESC has 325 flights with no external BEC?

Just another advantage of the tried and true flybar heli.

I have to agree with you there. Te 700 I just ordered is going to have a flybar. I figure that's the way to go with an 11 pound helicopter and 610 servos.

[Greybird]

I don't understand all the flybar haters lately. IMHO, they just work.

[Rototerrier]

Originally Posted by Greybird

I don't understand all the flybar haters lately. IMHO, they just work.

They do work to an extent and did so for many many years. But, that doesn't mean they were good or are going to be around in the future. I'm sure someone thought to steam powered car was a great idea. Even the horse and buggy had it's day...and might again considering how things are going.

I was pretty hesitant myself to move to FBL but once I did, I was sold. I resisted change pretty hard.

Asside from the personal preference and opinions...no one can deny they make twitchy little hard to fly helicopters wonderfully fun and easy to handle. If you fly a gasser with a flybar and then switch it to FBL, it's like breathing new life into the machine. It feels like adding memory to a computer or increasing the horse power in a car. There's no denying they really make a huge difference in performance, stability, and power.

And the units coming out now can be tweaked to the N'th degree. You can make them behave and feel just about any way you want. Wild to mild as some like to say.

And lets not kid ourselves...flybars aren't always the nicest things to deal with. Getting the bar centered, getting those paddles perfectly level and balanced, making sure they don't come loose. Nothing is perfect and I know from experience flybars can be big huge pains in the butts as well.

[Jeb1974]

Originally Posted by tomlog

That's not true. Mine also smoked I was lucky and it only took the ESC. I sent it to Assurance RC the U.S. dist for align with a copy of the receipt when I got it and they replaced the ESC within 1 week no problem at all. So find out who is the Align dist for Canada and give them a call.

I went to the LHS yesterday and he's going to talk to whoever they get their warranty done through. I really don't care if I get the stock ESC replaced after this - it's the $250 for a new BeastX I'm worried about. After this I don't think I want to take the chance with the Align BEC again. I'd rather go with the CC Pro BEC and ESC. Based on the posts I've seen they seem to have a low failure rate.

It's really hard to tell how good or bad the Align ESC / BEC's actually are. People don't generally post when things work but certainly do when they have a failure (kinda like me.) Even a 1 or 2% failure rate could seem like a lot when you always hear about them.

[bike mad]

Your right about people saying when it brakes but not when it works so just to even things up a bit, and to let other's know you don't have to buy a new ESC.
I've got two 550 with align's ESC's motor's etc, one has more than 500 flights,
The ESC's come down warm after a flight, easy to hold,about the same as the battery's, the motor's are hotter,
ESC's for 22v aren't cheap, I could spend 25% to 50% the price I paid for the hole heli just on an ESC, and if you check the web even that ESC has some bad press, shock story's,
There all made in china,

[CyprusFlyer]

My ESC and 3GX were faulty on installation, returned to Heliguy in UK over 6 weeks ago, still no replacements, called 2 weeks ago and told they dont have stock, have to wait for UK importer/Align to check them , WTF, why do model retailers think they are exempt from Consumer rights legislation! Goods received unfit for purpose, entitled to replacement as new in a reasonable time or full compensation. Now using Fast Lad for all my buisness, this sort of treatment is outrageous.