Having trouble with throttle settings for cheap esc

[fitzhugh]

I've got a 10a super cheap esc that I think is the same as a hobbyking ss series. It doesn't even have throttle point setting, just lipo vs nicd and brake on/off (and the lipo vs nicd is reported to be backwards!). I'm trying to set it up on my first plane in decades. My previous tx's were early 1980's things with no options and fewer channels. I've flashed it with er9x but currently don't have templates installed. I don't mind reflashing so I can use them if that makes it easy to answer this question - a suggestion to try a certain template is fine, as is any explanation instead.

Here's where I'm stuck:
The motor only starts spinning when the throttle is around 30% and quickly maxes out. I've played with curves, limits and expo, only each time I think I've got it OK through some rather uninformed meddling I run into trouble when I unplug and replug the esc - it thinks it is in programming mode since the throttle is not at zero (due to my meddling, the stick itself is at 0 - down - throttle settings not reversed, just to be clear).

I thought I understood what limits, curves and expo do but when I try to program them I realize they seem to have some overlapping abilities, in terms of results, and am not sure which to use when. I've read a lot and am not being lazy, just slow!

How would you go about setting up the throttle with such an esc? Which would you set first?

I've been trying to use various combinations of them as following:
limits, because I want to bring the floor up so it starts when the throttle stick is at, say, 5% ?
Curves, because I want to smooth out the power curve so I have more fine grained control AND make the motor start when throttle is at 5% ?
Expo, since it gives more fine grained control

Thank you for whatever suggestions you have!

[jhsa]

expo will only affect the stick at middle point. you could try with a curve only. Expo is nothing more that a curve itself.
But none of that should be necessary. I have some HK Super Simple on my tricopter and I could calibrate them to my radio.
Turn radio on, put stick at maximum, turn ESC on (remove prop before), wait for beeps, bring the stick down. the ESC should now be calibrated to the radio..

João

[ReSt]

Did you calibrate the sticks?

Reinhard

[jhsa]

good thinking Reinhard I forgot that one

[fitzhugh]

Ah, Thanks! I got it all set up with just a curve. I think I was getting in my own way by trying to change too many things at once.

You are both right in checking whether I made those mistakes, though I had calibrated the sticks already and had tried the suggested way of setting the throttle points. I bought a larger esc first and decided to get a more appropriately sized one. The larger one has many more features and does set that way, this one doesn't seem to even have throttle point setting from what I heard from the seller.

When I try programming this one by plugging it in with full throttle it cycles through:
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP BEEP
BEEP BEEP
BEEP BEEP BEEP
BEEP BEEP BEEP
where the single beeps are for lipo, double are for nicd, and triple toggles brake. This one is not from HK but does have the same plain black heatshrink, only with a sticker that says just "SIMPLE" on it. Next time I won't try and save $2 or whatnot.

Thank you for your help.

[ReSt]

I had some success with the following information that I copied from a post somewhere sometimes ago (not all options may be available for a specific ESC)

Typical ESC programming
=======================
TURBORIX ESC manual instructions

Safety First, you should remove prop before setting up an ESC.

for instructions below:
b= a short beep
B= a long beep

Power on with throttle stick fully up to enter programming mode
Wait some seconds for the confirmation melody of the ESC

THe ESC steps thru the possible programmable functions

To select a function to be programmed:
immediately move throttle stick fully down after the appropriate number of beeps (as per list below)
You are now in the programming mode for the selected function.

For the ON/OFF functions, one beep is "Switch OFF", two beeps are "Switch ON". (It does not indicate the status of the switch)
To switch a function to ON, move the throttle stick fully up immediately after the two beeps.

To exit programming mode, wait for two long beeps and move throttle stick fully down.



STEP1. With throttle stick fully UP, connect battery to ESC, motor should give beeps and musical beeps, then follows a series of 8 beep-signals indicating you are in the programming mode, as follows (it is a cycle so after 8 it starts back at 1):

1. b is brake
2. b,b is battery type
3. b,b,b is cutoff mode
4. b,b,b,b is cutoff threshold
5. B is startup mode
6. B,b is timing
7. B,b,b is set all to factory default
8. B,B is exit programming mode

STEP 2. IMMEDIATELY AFTER hearing one of the above 8 signals for the function you are trying to set, move throttle stick fully DOWN, you are now in another series of short beep signals for functions 1 to 6 (7 and 8 do not enter this second set of programming beeping, but take you straight to normal use mode), which cycles as follows:

b
b,b
b,b,b (only in the 4,5,6 functions above)
repeat

IMMEDIATELY AFTER any one of these signals (b, b,b or b,b,b), move stick back UP again to select the setting as defined below:

Brake: b=off, bb=on
battery type: b=LiXX bb=NiXX
Cutoff mode: b=reduce power bb=sudden shut off
Cutoff threshold: b=low bb=med bbb=high volts (see below)
Startup mode: b=normal bb=soft bbb=very soft start
Timing: b=low bb=med bbb=high frequency

Once you have moved stick UP, it not only sets the setting defined above, it then goes back to the original cycle of 8 beep-signals. This means you are now at STEP2 again. To finish simply select option 8 (exit)
in the first cycle, by moving stick down after the B,B signal.This saves the settings you have entered, then does some more beeps, before becoming ready for use (i.e. moving the stick up slightly runs the motor).

Note cutoff voltages are
LiXX b=2.6v bb=2.85v bb=3.1v
Nixx b=0% bb=40% bbb=60% of starting voltage

Reinhard