Compro 22418

Hey guys,

I got a Compro 22418 in last week and finally got to play around with it a bit. I don't know if what I'm experiencing is trouble or not.

I've noticed that when ever I program it with the radio, it heats up. Not super hot, but as hot as it gets when I'm running it. Is it supposed to heat up like that during programming? My 16016 doesn't heat up like that when programming.

Another thing I've experienced is that the 22418 just flips out whenever I try to use the auto programming mode. I program it, then go back into programming mode and choose the fifth option in the first category, which should put me into the auto programming mode, but the controller just sits there beeping with the pattern that indicates that the data in the eprom is corrupted.

The third thing I've experienced is that when you try to reduced the throttle delay to the minimum (for some stupid wheelie action), the controller just shuts down or drastically reduced output.

Has anyone else experienced any of these things?

I was also wondering if the 22418 can be programmed through the radio connection without the "cable" that Mike is out of stock on.

Thanks

[jhautz]

I'm not sure about the heating issue. I have never really checked the heat on my 16024 or 16018 while programing it, but that does sound wierd. I'll try and pay attention the next time I mess with it.

I also have never had a problem with the auto programaing mode. Always worked fine. I can say however that there doesnt really seem to be a need for the auto programing mode. I havent been able to tell a difference from beofre I used it to after I used it. It seems the only thing it effects is the brakes which seem to work fine for me anyway, the drag brake which i dont use and the "non-freewheel" mode which I dont use either.

As far as the shutting down goes, I have run into that consitently with both my 16018 and 16024. It starts to happen as I get around 2/3 of the way through the pack. I eagle treed it to find what is happening and it appears that the LVC is kicking in at a very high setting. (something like 3.4v/cell) MGM says that the LVC is set to kick inat 3.1V/cell. I have not found a way to disable or change the LVC voltage either. I asked Mike about it at the bash and he told me he hadnt run accross that problem. But I have in both of my MGMs. If you set it to "race mode" it will not happen as it disables the LVC all togher, but thats no good either for fear of toasing the lipos. Setting the spool up timing to a higher number limits the amps that the system draws and seems to control the problem for me, but like you said if you want to go out and do some stupid wheelie action it does become an issue.

It just looks like the LVC on the MGMs are much more sensitive than most other ESCs. I have never had a problem like that with a Quark or MM. I can say that I did see similar issues when I hooked the Li-Saver that Mike sells up to my BK12020. It behaved similarly to the MGM LVC.

I wish I could offer you a solution but as of yet I havent found a total soultion. It seems to me that the real soution would be to have lipos capable of never dipping below 3.4v/cell. All of my lipos are 20C cells, but I just got a set of 25C cells to test. I'll see if they perform any better. If you figure out a work around please let me know too. I have been puzzeld by this as well.

Do you have an eagle tree that you could hook up and see if you get the same voltage reading as me when it cuts out? For me it seems really high and like I said, MGM says the cut off is set for 3.1v so something is not jiving. Id like to find out what voltage yours is cutting off at.

EDIT: You should be able to just plug the USB COM+ into the ESC plug that goes to the radio. Thats how I do my 16018. The other cable is just so you dont have to unplug it from the radio.

[What's_nitro?]

How hot exactly? Warm to the touch? Say, switching BEC hot? The BEC circuit runs constantly, maybe that's where your heat is coming from. Only the new MGM's have it, so your 16016 wouldn't heat up like that where it's an older controller (if that's the cause).

jhautz,

I don't have an eagletree, but I can say that I'm running Neu 5S 4100mAh 30C packs. Voltage drop should not be a problem, unless the packs aren't as good as Neu claims.

The temp on my esc during programming gets to over 130*F. It's usually cooler than that when I'm running it.

This is my third Compro and all three gave me trouble. I'm not crazy about them, but they are the most robust that you can get right now.

I would disable the low voltage cut off, but that also disables the over current protection too. I'm running my 22418 in a 7.5lb buggy that I've been drag racing with a Neu 1515/1.5d. What do you think are the chances that I'd fry the controller?

[jhautz]

Another option if you dont mind running with no LVC is you could run in NiMH mode and you would still have your overcurrent safety. But in reality.... If you over current the 22418 I think you will be breaking other things in the drivetrain. 4100mah 30C/50C lipos are only good for 205 Amps burst anyway. So you would toast the lipos beofre the MGM.

I think you are safe. The 22418 is for sure killing a fly w/ a sledgehammer in any normal application. I can pound the heck out of my 16018 and 16024 never have hit the current limit as far as I know. Besides that the 224 is supposed to be constant, burst would be even higher but I'm not sure what it is.

How are the 30C lipos? I was considering getting a pack to test, but in all honesty, my 20c and 25c packs are holding voltage just fine. Its the MGM that has the problem IMO.

Have you seen the cutting out on any of your other MGMs? Just curious cuz Ive seen it on both of mine.

[Mightytaco]

I think my 16018 lvc cuts in too early as well. Ive got a eagle tree on the way to verify, but i was thinking of running nimh mode and getting an external lvc if it turns out to be the controller. I still dont know how you guys are getting the controller to link up to the pc without that additional cable. My usbcom will not link up to the controller! :(

[wallot]

Originally Posted by Mightytaco

I still dont know how you guys are getting the controller to link up to the pc without that additional cable. My usbcom will not link up to the controller! :(

do you have battery connected to the controller? it does not work with just USB power

[jhautz]

Originally Posted by wallot

do you have battery connected to the controller? it does not work with just USB power

and turn on the switch

[Mightytaco]

Yup.. Got my 4s lipo plugged in and the switch on. receiver plug plugged in to com pro the right way. Still nothing using the software dl'ed from the website.

[lxmuff]

you could also try modifing the communication ports under the setup.

jhautz,

All of my Compros do the cutoff thing. I've been pounding away at getting an 1/8 scale parking lot racer together and am very dissatisfied with what I've wound up with.

I am now running with no overcurrent protection at all and consequently, no low voltage cutoff. The 30C Neu battery seems to be doing fine in that it barely gets warm.

I was running my buggy on 4S with a MM esc, Feigao 8L motor and 18/44 gearing and clocked my buggy many times at speeds of 63 to 66 mph, using a Bushnell gun. The heat was getting to be a problem though, so I "upgraded" to a Compro 22418 and Neu 1.5d (2700kv). Same buggy, same gearing, same tires; just different esc and motor and I'm now running the 5S pack. I should be going faster. The fastest speed I'm getting now is 52 mph. Talk about an $800 let down. I was doing better with the $135 MM and the $80 Feigao on a cheaper battery than I'm doing now.

The weekend before last, I actually had people backing out when they found out that they had drawn me to race against. Last weekend, I was knocked out in the first round. I'm going back to the MM and Feigao on 4S.

I'm thinking that I need to sell this 1.5d.

So...how hard can you push a Feigao motor anyway. Do you guys think that it will explode on 5S?

[Patrick]

That doesn't seem to add up, the neu should be doing ~5000rpm more and would have a lot more torque on the same gearing. Are you sure it's the motor that's letting the car down?
Maybe one of the smaller neu's would be able to spool up faster?

Patrick, you're right. It doesn't make sense. Believe me, I didn't spend over $800 to go slower. I don't know that it is the motor that is letting me down, or the controller.

I did, however, notice that the motor than I got seemed to have been shabbily put together. There were breaks in the insulation on the motor leads and breaks in the insulation at the holes where the leads exit the motor.

Then again, I had the same disappointment when I got the 1512 1.5Y. I was expecting performance on par with the Feigao 9XL, but it wasn't there. It turned out that the motor needed higher gearing to get me to where I wanted to be.

I'm thinking that it may just be in the ratings and that I may have made a mistake in thinking that a 2700kv nue would perform like a 3100kv Feigao.

Unfortunately, with the tires that I want to run, I'm out of gearing at 20/44 and 43/13 in the diffs. I just went back to the 1515/2.5d running 18/44 and bigger tires on 5S. Now it's haulin' butt and running cooler.

[Patrick]

Hmm, strange. Is the top end of the 1.5d better than the 8L if you use it in an open area. I can kinda understand how the 8L might get to a faster speed by the end of a short drag race, since the small rotor might spool up quicker, but if when given room to get to full speed the 8L is still faster thens something's not right, because the neu should be reving higher. Have you played with gearing much on the 1.5d? I have the 1515 2.5d as well and from using that, it's kind of hard to work out how a 1515 could give poor performance.
If it looks like a poorly built motor, have you talked to neu about it?
Have you tried the 8L on the MGM, to see if it's not the MGM that's limiting the rpm or something?

In a wide open run, the 8L on 4S is faster than the 1.5d on 5S, with like gearing and tires. I know that doesn't sound right, but it is what it is.

I thought about sending the motor back to neu, but the last time I sent a motor back to them, I got treated as though I were an idiot because I thought that there was something wrong with their motor. When they found out what I was doing with it, things really fell apart, because they have no clue when it comes to land crafts.