Tuning the EZX-R Speed Controllers

These things are a little tricky to set up, so here are some suggestions.  Just a note - the speed controllers should work as received - you shouldn't have to do the setup described below.

  1. Make sure all your batteries (transmitter and robot) are completely charged.
  2. Make sure you know that the channel is working (use a servo to verify that you have the right channel) If you do setup using the tether box, and the tether box is bad, you will confuse the speed controller.
  3. Make sure that the trim tabs for the channel are in the null (centered) position.
  4. If you are use an old ESC with a new ESC, set the switch on the old ESC to OFF.  The switch for the Hitec SP-520's only turns off the Battery Elimination Circuit; the BEC voltage level differs for the two ESC's, so they cannot both provide power.
  5. Follow the procedure in the EZX-R manual.
If you end up with the continuous flashing lights, you'll have to start again. The procedure is basically:
  1. Create a simple setup with the speed controller, robot box, receiver, switch-fuse assembly and a battery (to tune the ESC you must be able to power it and provide radio control signals to it).
  2. Turn on your transmitter.
  3. Turn off the ESC on/off switch.
  4. Power on your robot.
  5. Center the joystick channel for the ESC (including trim tabs).
  6. Turn on the ESC while holding the setup button.
  7. Release the setup button.
  8. Wait for the first flash on the ESC.
  9. Move the joystick to full forward.
  10. Wait for the flash on the ESC.
  11. Move the joystick to full reverse.
  12. Wait for the flash on the ESC.
  13. Return the joystick to the center
  14. The ESC should flash twice quickly, and then glow red.