Talion Max 6 vs spektrum firma 160a esc for talion

[Bigtim29]

I’m planning on getting a dx5c transmitter soon and was wondering if it is worth it to get the spektrum 160a esc over the mac 6 esc. Performance wise is their a difference between the two?

 

[DoNoHarm]

Nope if anything the spektrum is worse off because of programmed nannies.

 

[Bigtim29]

Nope if anything the spektrum is worse off because of programmed nannies.

I was also gonna get spektrum smart batteries, wanted to give the “smart” feature a try and see if it’s worth it, what do you mean by programmed nannies?

 

[DoNoHarm]

I was also gonna get spektrum smart batteries, wanted to give the “smart” feature a try and see if it’s worth it, what do you mean by programmed nannies?

Almost every RTR brand, when rebranding an esc, changes the Programming. One thing they all tend to do is put restrictions on punch or overall amperage delivery. They do this to preserve the drivetrain on the car. Basically, no matter what you change with the user accessible programming features, in most cases, it’ll never be truly as powerful as the OEM’s version (in this case, the OEM is the hobbywing Max6, the rebrand is the spektrum 160a). The only rebranded escs that don’t have programmed nannies that I know of, is the traxxas MXL 6s, HPI ELC 6s, HPI Blur, and the traxxas XO-1 mamba monster.

As for the smart battery feature, completely up to you. Personally imo, I just look at my charger after a run like a normal person and see the voltages of my packs then. That tells me everything I need to know.

Also those spektrum batteries are hilariously overpriced for what you’re getting.

 

[Bigtim29]

Almost every RTR brand, when rebranding an esc, changes the Programming. One thing they all tend to do is put restrictions on punch or overall amperage delivery. They do this to preserve the drivetrain on the car. Basically, no matter what you change with the user accessible programming features, in most cases, it’ll never be truly as powerful as the OEM’s version (in this case, the OEM is the hobbywing Max6, the rebrand is the spektrum 160a). The only rebranded escs that don’t have programmed nannies that I know of, is the traxxas MXL 6s, HPI ELC 6s, HPI Blur, and the traxxas XO-1 mamba monster.

As for the smart battery feature, completely up to you. Personally imo, I just look at my charger after a run like a normal person and see the voltages of my packs then. That tells me everything I need to know.

Also those spektrum batteries are hilariously overpriced for what you’re getting.

Oh ok good to know.

 

[CampbellKid92]

Hilariously overpriced is a massive exaggeration. When compared to big name batteries with comparable specs (not amazon/ebay specials) they are typically within 10 dollars of the other guys. Ace of Gens 3s 5000mah 45c is 60 bucks, PowerHobby 3s 5200mah 50c is 60 bucks, Lectron Pro 3s 5200mah 50c is 70 bucks, Venom 3s 5000mah 50c is 86 bucks, Spectrum 3s 5000mah 50c smart battery is 75 bucks and in a hard case instead of a soft case, and with the smart chip you keep track of charge cycles, cell resistance, any instance of over charge, over discharge, or over temp, and they will auto discharge to storage which will prolong battery quality and life. They offer a 1 year warranty and Horizon has been a pleasure to deal with over the years.
And if you were to actually compare the Max 6 to the Firma 160a you would find the 3 menu options disabled are drag brake, esc thermal protection, and motor thermal protection HOWEVER the Firma 160a exclusively offers timing adjustment which can further improve performance.

Almost every RTR brand, when rebranding an esc, changes the Programming. One thing they all tend to do is put restrictions on punch or overall amperage delivery. They do this to preserve the drivetrain on the car. Basically, no matter what you change with the user accessible programming features, in most cases, it’ll never be truly as powerful as the OEM’s version (in this case, the OEM is the hobbywing Max6, the rebrand is the spektrum 160a). The only rebranded escs that don’t have programmed nannies that I know of, is the traxxas MXL 6s, HPI ELC 6s, HPI Blur, and the traxxas XO-1 mamba monster.

As for the smart battery feature, completely up to you. Personally imo, I just look at my charger after a run like a normal person and see the voltages of my packs then. That tells me everything I need to know.

Also those spektrum batteries are hilariously overpriced for what you’re getting.

 

[Jluther@becoinc]

Hilariously overpriced is a massive exaggeration. When compared to big name batteries with comparable specs (not amazon/ebay specials) they are typically within 10 dollars of the other guys. Ace of Gens 3s 5000mah 45c is 60 bucks, PowerHobby 3s 5200mah 50c is 60 bucks, Lectron Pro 3s 5200mah 50c is 70 bucks, Venom 3s 5000mah 50c is 86 bucks, Spectrum 3s 5000mah 50c smart battery is 75 bucks and in a hard case instead of a soft case, and with the smart chip you keep track of charge cycles, cell resistance, any instance of over charge, over discharge, or over temp, and they will auto discharge to storage which will prolong battery quality and life. They offer a 1 year warranty and Horizon has been a pleasure to deal with over the years.
And if you were to actually compare the Max 6 to the Firma 160a you would find the 3 menu options disabled are drag brake, esc thermal protection, and motor thermal protection HOWEVER the Firma 160a exclusively offers timing adjustment which can further improve performance.

Which would you buy if they were the exact same price? Right now I am running Max6’s but would like to try the spektrum
I’ve never heard for sure which one is better.

 

[CampbellKid92]

Which would you buy if they were the exact same price? Right now I am running Max6’s but would like to try the spektrum
I’ve never heard for sure which one is better.

They should perform the same without any tweaking, however the firma would technically have more performance available because of the adjustable timing. The built in telemetry is cool also, does require spektrum smart transmitters and batteries but they are reasonably priced when compared to other companies transmitters and batteries. Dx3c + bluetooth module is 105, 6s battery is 135, I do believe the firma esc is a touch more expensive maybe 200 vs max 6 at 160 but can get the combo with 1250kv motor for 260 vs max 6 1650kv combo for 240

 

[jkflow]

I'm using a 160A in my Infraction and that swapped out 150A in my Talion. I do use the Max6 in my Kraton.
160A has 6V or 8.4V BEC (not 7.4), haven't seen any other 'shenanigans'.
150 has the 6V/7.4V
Both have telemetry which will display voltage etc on your DX5. I did find that voltage and ESC temp are the only accurate thing. RPM and current draw are completely off. The voltage/temp alone has me sold though. Both are solid performers.
See if you can get a 160 for a fraction of the cost on ebay or classifieds, many people think it's inferior and sell it at a bargain price. They come stock in the 8S line and people sell them new'ish.

Max 6, always had overheating issues with it during summer time, you will need an upgraded fan but otherwise rock solid.

What I dislike on the Firma's is that extra external cap pack, bounces around and managed to damage it during jumps. Easy fix but annoying.

 

[CampbellKid92]

I'm using a 160A in my Infraction and that swapped out 150A in my Talion. I do use the Max6 in my Kraton.
160A has 6V or 8.4V BEC (not 7.4), haven't seen any other 'shenanigans'.
150 has the 6V/7.4V
Both have telemetry which will display voltage etc on your DX5. I did find that voltage and ESC temp are the only accurate thing. RPM and current draw are completely off. The voltage/temp alone has me sold though. Both are solid performers.
See if you can get a 160 for a fraction of the cost on ebay or classifieds, many people think it's inferior and sell it at a bargain price. They come stock in the 8S line and people sell them new'ish.

Max 6, always had overheating issues with it during summer time, you will need an upgraded fan but otherwise rock solid.

What I dislike on the Firma's is that extra external cap pack, bounces around and managed to damage it during jumps. Easy fix but annoying.

I appreciate the first hand experience, most of my feedback was based on specs. The 8.4v bec is semi unfortunate as many popular servos are 7.4v but there are still plenty of 8.4v servos that will appreciate the extra juice. The cap is puny, wonder how much it actually affects anything. Do you bash or do speed runs? What about the rpm and current is off?

 

[jkflow]

I only bash with mine.
Current seems way off unless I can pull 500A out of a Zeee Lipo but I get those readings with my worst Lipo as well. Seems like it's 3x off.
Almost the same with RPM, it tops out at ~90k which is simply not possible.

That is with stock motor. Honestly you do not ever want to look at these values, as soon as you do you will hit something

Voltage and temps are spot on though. Gives you nice insight into reality, externally the ESC is 50-60F colder, giving you a false sense of hope.

 

[jkflow]

@Bigtim29 check out the classifieds, Firma's on sale. You can't beat those prices imho.

 

[CampbellKid92]

I only bash with mine.
Current seems way off unless I can pull 500A out of a Zeee Lipo but I get those readings with my worst Lipo as well. Seems like it's 3x off.
Almost the same with RPM, it tops out at ~90k which is simply not possible.

That is with stock motor. Honestly you do not ever want to look at these values, as soon as you do you will hit something

Voltage and temps are spot on though. Gives you nice insight into reality, externally the ESC is 50-60F colder, giving you a false sense of hope.

The Max 6 advertises max burst correct as 1050a, discharge is measured by multiplying c rating by 1c charge rate (for example 5000mah 50c battery would be rated for 5ax50c=250 amp draw constant) and advertised rating is usually constant not burst, burst is 2x c rating (same 50c pack delivers 100c burst, 5ax100c=500 amp draw burst) so that may be accurate, especially if it's bouncing around on and off load. Rpm doesn't sound very accurate but it may be more accurate when driven consistently like speed runs vs bashing. Definitely a novelty, I've heard stories of looking away for a moment and hitting buildings or curbs at top speed. Does it log data also or only display it live?

 

[jkflow]

Just live display, wish they had logging but the data is consistently wrong. I had the same thoughts but it's just bad data.

 

[LOVE RC]

I have castle creations xlx2 1100kv set up but I love my spektrum stuff ease of use and how all spektrum stuff works together

 

[SrC]

Almost every RTR brand, when rebranding an esc, changes the Programming. One thing they all tend to do is put restrictions on punch or overall amperage delivery. They do this to preserve the drivetrain on the car. Basically, no matter what you change with the user accessible programming features, in most cases, it’ll never be truly as powerful as the OEM’s version (in this case, the OEM is the hobbywing Max6, the rebrand is the spektrum 160a). The only rebranded escs that don’t have programmed nannies that I know of, is the traxxas MXL 6s, HPI ELC 6s, HPI Blur, and the traxxas XO-1 mamba monster.

As for the smart battery feature, completely up to you. Personally imo, I just look at my charger after a run like a normal person and see the voltages of my packs then. That tells me everything I need to know.

Also those spektrum batteries are hilariously overpriced for what you’re getting.

+1

 

[slick2500]

Almost every RTR brand, when rebranding an esc, changes the Programming. One thing they all tend to do is put restrictions on punch or overall amperage delivery. They do this to preserve the drivetrain on the car. Basically, no matter what you change with the user accessible programming features, in most cases, it’ll never be truly as powerful as the OEM’s version (in this case, the OEM is the hobbywing Max6, the rebrand is the spektrum 160a). The only rebranded escs that don’t have programmed nannies that I know of, is the traxxas MXL 6s, HPI ELC 6s, HPI Blur, and the traxxas XO-1 mamba monster.

As for the smart battery feature, completely up to you. Personally imo, I just look at my charger after a run like a normal person and see the voltages of my packs then. That tells me everything I need to know.

Also those spektrum batteries are hilariously overpriced for what you’re getting.

I know this is an old post but someone else already dug it up but what about the actual RTR versions of the Hobbywing escs? Like the WP8BL150 rtr vs the OEM stock one? I've never really thought to see what or if any of the differences are aside from the labeling.

 

[morrjr71]

I know this is an old post but someone else already dug it up but what about the actual RTR versions of the Hobbywing escs? Like the WP8BL150 rtr vs the OEM stock one? I've never really thought to see what or if any of the differences are aside from the labeling.

Some of the programming options do not exist on the RTR ESCs. I found this out when I tried to change a setting (I forget which) on the WP10BL120 RTR ESC. I had to go with the Max10 SCT to get the options I needed.

 

[slick2500]

Some of the programming options do not exist on the RTR ESCs. I found this out when I tried to change a setting (I forget which) on the WP10BL120 RTR ESC. I had to go with the Max10 SCT to get the options I needed.

Only Hobbywing RTR I have experience with is the Max10 SCT RTR 80a esc it has all the same parameters as the Hobbywing Max10 SCT.

Hobbywing doesn't make a WP10BL120.

 

[morrjr71]

Only Hobbywing RTR I have experience with is the Max10 SCT RTR 80a esc it has all the same parameters as the Hobbywing Max10 SCT.

Hobbywing doesn't make a WP10BL120.

Sorry, I meant this one. I've owned both this one and the 10BL120 ESCs, and I confused them.

https://www.amazon.com/Hobbywing-QUICRUN-WP-10BL60-Controller-Waterproof-Sensorless/dp/B00JP1PVH2