Opinions on Alien Power Systems ESC?

[rotauq]

I don't know if you can trust any esc not to blow a phase.

 

[Twitchfast]

I don't know if you can trust any esc not to blow a phase.

My concern isn't that it blew a phase, it's that it blew a phase during recalibration (aka doing nothing) and it appears Castle is putting the blame on me hence the reason they're not honouring the warranty?
I phrase it like that simply because I made it abundantly clear I wanted to know what caused the fault, however I only received a quote for $153 with no explanation.

Either way I'm not willing to spend more money on an ESC that effectively has a reputation for blowing up, better to cut my losses as this stage and find something that won't detonate.

 

[ecruz217]

Alien, rsnake & others are rebrands of Flier ESCs. I’ve heard some have programming differences (was told rsnakes are “the best”) but i only have experience with the Fliers.

There is a Flier ESC Facebook group that is absolutely mandatory for anyone running these ESCs.

Their dual fan 3-16s 400a ESC can be bought for around $240 with the program box. You have to fab up a mount (I drilled tapped into the heatsink) install a good cap pack, some OSE8 connectors & you’ll be set....

1 run & you’ll be addicted... The big Kraton is absolutely insane on 12s & has NO problem handling the extra power!

Hey can i get a copy of all the screen shots setting you have on your flier. Mine is doing something weird. Thx

 

[Mrk1980m1]

I believe I'm going to stay away from the XLX2 for a little while to they get this sorted!!!

 

[Twitchfast]

I ended up buying MGM's 400A ESC for my Baja, as for the XLX2 I'm not letting one enter my 1/8th without failing continuity on a multimeter.

 

[rotauq]

I believe I'm going to stay away from the XLX2 for a little while to they get this sorted!!!

If you use any motor on it's intended voltage you should be safe.
The reason not to go for the XLX2 should be, that there is no stock and it takes months before you get it

 

[DoNoHarm]

I believe I'm going to stay away from the XLX2 for a little while to they get this sorted!!!

I’m a long term KT subscriber and never understood those two videos. He doused the car in gas and set it on fire. How are tires gonna catch on fire when your ESC goes up! Come on. I’ve seen TONS of esc fires.

 

[Mrk1980m1]

I’m a long term KT subscriber and never understood those two videos. He doused the car in gas and set it on fire. How are tires gonna catch on fire when your ESC goes up! Come on. I’ve seen TONS of esc fires.

He said the tires were new and still had a solvent smell to then. Probably from the glue.

 

[rotauq]

I’m a long term KT subscriber and never understood those two videos. He doused the car in gas and set it on fire. How are tires gonna catch on fire when your ESC goes up! Come on. I’ve seen TONS of esc fires.

In the first video the lipo's caught on fire as well. Obviously every rational person would extinguish the first, instead of grabbing a camera.
Unlike rubber, foam tires do start to burn after some exposure to fire. Some guy in the second video pointed that out

 

[DoNoHarm]

The reason I was wondering about the tires catching on fire wasn’t because I thought they weren’t flammable, but that an ESC fire is usually contained, and if the lipos ignited the tires, or the glue, it would have the whole tire baking. Not just mysteriously the top quarter on all 4 corners.

 

[rotauq]

The reason I was wondering about the tires catching on fire wasn’t because I thought they weren’t flammable, but that an ESC fire is usually contained, and if the lipos ignited the tires, or the glue, it would have the whole tire baking. Not just mysteriously the top quarter on all 4 corners.

Well, part of Kevin making the second video was to disprove some of us having the exact same discussion in the XLX2 introduction thread. In the second video it shows that it was indeed the esc shorting.

I actually had an esc fire last weekend (not an XLX2). The esc pcb completely turned into coal, there is nothing left of it. One battery was close to the fire, covered in coal but didn't ignite. The kind of fire, us RC guys know. I think there is a clear difference between an overloaded esc burn (phase gone up and burning internally) vs a 'no load' short circuit at the battery side of the esc, which without intervention, can ignite the batteries too. Lipo fire and some wind will burn the tires (and they only burn where touched by fire)

 

[DoNoHarm]

Well, part of Kevin making the second video was to disprove some of us having the exact same discussion in the XLX2 introduction thread. In the second video it shows that it was indeed the esc shorting.

I actually had an esc fire last weekend (not an XLX2). The esc pcb completely turned into coal, there is nothing left of it. One battery was close to the fire, covered in coal but didn't ignite. The kind of fire, us RC guys know. I think there is a clear difference between an overloaded esc burn (phase gone up and burning internally) vs a 'no load' short circuit at the battery side of the esc, which without intervention, can ignite the batteries too. Lipo fire and some wind will burn the tires (and they only burn where touched by fire)

I guess that’s a valid argument. I don’t know, it’s probably the inner bias towards castle in me that’s corrupting my view. Good points.