Gaui Gaui 500x fall down - maybe overload?

[Vojec]

Hi, just do some test Hover in atti mode with Naza and payload, when around 4:37 sec sudden fall down (luckily from 1m). Broke just 2 props. Check voltage, mAh, amp, were ok, but motors was so hot that you could make eggs on it. Quad total weight is 2.183g. Is that cause quad to fall down? Used Zippy 5000mAh 40C 4S. Upload video, but could not determine what was wrong? In manual is written max 2.200g. Some days a go fly with around 200g lighter and flight was ok.

Any suggestion?

Vojc

 

[Vojec]

Hi there,
As I said in previous post between 4:10 - 4:30 if I attach cam fall down. Today do same test and compare with and without Gopro.

Here is weight spec:

1. Without Gopro total weight is =1.630g
Fly normal for about 12min-13min with no issue.

2. Attach Gopro total weight is = 1.823g
Fly as said before 4:30 and then sudden fall down.

Here is video that I make with crash.

Conclusion:
I can fly with total weight = below 1.750g (this is around 80%), so don't believe Gaui Manual that is written max 2.200g. Yes you can just lift and park quad nothing else.

Today I fly with Gaui GUEC GM-412 960KV and Gaui ESC 18A. Could someone suggest about replacement of Gaui motors that it fits to Gaui 500x frame, with Gaui ESC 18A and lift more payloads total weight around 2.2kg would be perfect, with fly 13-min.
I ask because want take gaui on hike in mountains and there is awesome landscape to shoot.

Any info about motor replacement are welcome.

Thank you guys.


Vojc

 

[robvree]

I bet your ESC's are overheating and shutting down. I had it happen with my 500x first time I flew with 4S battery and GoPro. Both the ESC's and the motors were steaming hot.

 

[Vojec]

Both the ESC's and the motors were steaming hot.

Yes exactly. So if I replace just ESC will motors be able to fly with 2kg of total weight?

 

[Tomstoy2]

Hi Vojec. Really, your motors are probably ok for the weight. I agree that the esc's are probably on the small side for your weight. Jump up to 30a esc's. It will handle anything you throw on plus plenty of safety factor to boot, not to mention room to grow later.

These are my motors, as per your request; http://www.clubheli.com/Tiger-Motors-MT-2216-900KV_p_3582.html

 

[Vojec]

Hi Tomstoy2,
Thank's for quick response, really appreciate. Have t-motors 30A ESC for my new octo and I will replace and try. 30A ESC are bigger then default Gaui, so where you suggest to place then (outside of boom)?

 

[Tomstoy2]

Don't matter really, just make sure they all are in the same place to keep weight equal.

 

[Vojec]

Will place outside and balanced well. Will report results. Again Thank's for all help Tomstoy2 and robvree.

 

[Vojec]

Hi there,
Just return home with test results and 30A T-motor ESC as you told me Tomstoy2 not even close to warm he he, But with default GAUI motor is another story. With 5000mAh fly about 9min when I landed, motors were so hot like hell, wait for about 10 min in meantime change battery and put quad in the air and fly, but not just hover. Drive around 1m above the ground (safety reason) and on 7min of flight just turn around and fell on the ground. Results: burn out one of the Gaui GUEC GM-412 960KV motor.

Have spear motors no problem, but want be 100% sure for safety if I buy this T-motors that Tomstoy2 suggest are they capable fly with 2kg or 2.1kg of total quad weight? I know on web is ecalc but I do not understand some spec there for correct calculation.

Thank you again to resolve that puzzle.

 

[Tomstoy2]

You'll have no problem. I'm lifting more than that.

 

[Vojec]

Order and waiting for them. Thank's for suggestion.

 

[Pheliciano]

I've just had pretty much the same problem: she'd drop out of the sky after about 4.5 mins, always towards prop 3 and motors burning hot for a good 5-10 mins after shutting down. I upgraded my ESCs to 30 Amp Hobbywing Pentiums and all was well until I added a camera gimbal and an extra battery which took the MTOW to 2.2Kg, then back to dropping out of the sky again.

Looking into it, the Gaui GUEC GM-14 motors that came with my 500X appear to only be rated up to a 3S LiPo (Max 200W / Max 19A = 10.5 Volts). Based on this I'm about to order 4 Axi 2217/20 short-shaft motors to replace the GM-14s. From the tech specs, the 2217s should fit into the existing 500X motor cowls and will hopefully fix the issue (Max 18A at 14.8V (4S LiPo) = 266 Watts). Having said that, all the motors variables are still something of a mystery to me.

I'll let you know how I get on once they arrive.

 

[Airbat]

I received new crane II Last week and fix it to Gaui 500x yesterday. I use ReplayXD action cam with 720p/60fps setup. Camera and crane II adds up about 180g weight which shouldt be nothing compared to GoPro2 + Crane II. I use Hyperion 3S 25C 3300mAh batteries. My first setup was just ReplayXD with Heimlock mount fixed to cone aside GPS. No problem what so ever. I could fly around 11-12 minutes.

Yesterday with crane II test I realized that it flyes ok few minutes, but after that looses momentum and will not raise or react to gas as it should. I changed battery and another battery, same issue. I then removed the crane and flew it without anything. No problem. I then added ReplayXD again, but now used the top cone setup without crane 2. No problem. I actually flew with this setup more or less another 6 minutes using the same batteries i started experimenting.

This raises some serious questions as many in this thread have already mentioned. Gaui seems to advertise this model with unrealistic facts and specs. The quad clearly is not capable of using its manufacturers own crane developed for the purpose, not even when used with markets smallest/lightest FullHD action camera that weighs 50% less than Gopro2. The overall weight is far less than promised and the lift capasity (500g) is not even close to reality if 97g + 85g equipment with total weight is over 50% lighter than promised.

Other than many of you, I didnt notice motors being extra hot or even hot. Warm yes - hot not...

Gaui's reseller in Finland strongly recommended using 4S batteries, but arent these really just heating up the motors even more? Gaui 500x is a nice piece of kit, but if you need to modify it by changing motors before you can use gimbal and camera I find this really strange and see no point investing to a RTF kit with Crane II if you can build similar setup with half the money.

Am i totally wrong or have misunderstood something?

 

[Pheliciano]

Hi Airbat. Did you re-do your center-of-gravity settings after you added and removed your camera rigs? The first time I put a camera on I forgot to do this and it behaved really strangely. After re-measuring the COG, updating the settings and then doing a re-cal it was fine ...except for the crashing bit of course.

 

[Pheliciano]

My Axi motors have just arrived, and they certainly feel much nicer than the Gaui motors. Only problem is that the cables on the AXI motors exit at 90° to the Gaui motors, so it's not just a straight swap. I'm going to have to adapt the motor cowls after all.

 

[Airbat]

Hi Airbat. Did you re-do your center-of-gravity settings after you added and removed your camera rigs? The first time I put a camera on I forgot to do this and it behaved really strangely. After re-measuring the COG, updating the settings and then doing a re-cal it was fine ...except for the crashing bit of course.

Hi,

To be honest, I dont have any RC experience before and therefore just ordered a RTF kit from local distributor who helped me a lot to understand the secrets of multicopter. Because of this, I didnt even knew that it is needed or possible to somehow adjust the COG. I dont know how this is done, but did speak with mentioned dealer and he told me that he calibrates the ESC`s if batteries are changed from 3S to 4S, but other than that, no clue how COG is done. I still wonder if its really a battery capasity issue, battery C number issue or issue in Gaui 500x model in general. Its sure that in case this drone cant fly with 180g weight with factory recommended 3S/25C batteries, there is clearly something wrong either in Gaui`s specs or my drone. And if its not my drone, this means that this model is useless for video shooting / my purpose even with lightest camera equipment possible.

Anyone any ideas?

 

[Pheliciano]

It shouldn't be a C rating issue if you've got 25C batteries. What flight controller are you using? Is it the GU-344?

 

[Airbat]

Yes, it should be GU-344!

 

[Pheliciano]

Ah, okay, that doesn't have the option to change any COG settings so ignore what I said about that. However, the COG will still play a part in affecting stability. You need to find the COG and place the flight controller as close to it as possible. It that's not possible, you can try to shift the COG to the flight controller by moving the on-board weight. For example, mount the battery on the right if the COG is sitting to the left of the craft. You should ideally aim for the flight controller and the COG to be as close to the center of the frame as possible.

I have to say though, I had bad experiences with the GU-344 with multiple units and on multiple frames. I ended up swapping it for a Wookong M.

I'm sorry to say, but I think if you're looking to use the 500x and GU-344 for any real level of aerial photo/video, you're probably going to be disappointed.

 

[Pheliciano]

I finally got time to modify the motor cowls and get my nice, new Axis onto my 500X. In the end I went with just drilling a hole in the side of the motor cowl for the Axi motor leads and mounting the motors at 90° using the existing holes.
View attachment 5826View attachment 5827
The frame is now the only part of my setup that's anything to do with the original 500X.

I took it out test flying yesterday with the Alware 3-axis gimbal and GoPro2 attached, using 2 3300mAh 4s LiPos in Parallel, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. The motors just feel better and more reliable anyway, but up in the air it just feels more stable too. No crashes thankfully, although the motors are still running hot after a full flight (approx. 12 mins flight time). They're not hot enough to burn any more though, I can hold my fingers on them for 4 or 5 seconds. I did notice, however, that motor 1 is hotter than the others and the ESC on boom 1 is also running considerably hotter (i.e. hot rather than just a bit warm) than the other three.

They're 30A ESCs, so should easily be able to handle the motors which are rated at 18A max, and the quad is pretty well balanced. Does anyone have any ideas why ESC 1 might be running hot?