You need a real powerful soldering iron to undo the factory solder job. If you held the iron on too long, hopefully you did not transfer too much heat into the ESC.

Excellent job captain!

Yeah, having to figure this out on my own was very frustrating.

I hope Viper realizes that the wiring on their speed controls might need to be changed out sooner or later and incorporate that into future designs.

I am going to assume that u are joking because the better answer would be to get a better soldering iron.

Soldering is a lost art. Can't believe how few people even own an iron, let alone know how to use one. I still have my 80 watt Weller from 10 years ago

It's getting tired now but with as little as I use it anymore, it still gets me by.

To think that the additional purchase of a better soldering iron is required to change/fix a piece of equipment I already spent close to $170 on is beyond my morals.

My iron gets up to 1050 at only 25w, so it would be considered efficient and can be had for what the average customer is willing to pay ($35-$45). The cost of a high quality iron is around $70, so please enlighten me.... Which Iron would you replace your current iron with, after purchasing a new speed control?

This is the minimum I would buy: http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...dering-Station

And if I was actually buying I would get this or something similar: http://www.techni-tool.com/821SO890

Personally I use a 60 watt Weller WTCPT soldering station which is starting to show its age and I will be replacing it soon. The issue with your 25 watt iron isn't the ultimate temperature it can achieve but rather its ability to actually hold that temp when on a load like the terminal of a speed control. Also the size of the tip must be appropriate for the application, if you have a small pointed tip it can't hold the needed temperature either. You want to be able to flow the solder within a few seconds...if you have to hold the iron on there for 20-30 seconds to get the solder to flow it is heating up the ESC in ways that will kill it.

Here's a nice image of solder joints...may not be from RC but a good solder joint is a good solder joint. I see WAY too many images like the third one posted on here for motor and ESC wiring. Look back through this thread and you can see several examples of bad soldering.

Wow. That is some strange reasoning. But, this is what I use. 60watt and the right size tip. http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...dering-Station

25 watt is not enough to keep the heat up for large gauge wire.

I may need a new iron too keep the info coming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vva2t21sOAs



atten 980d

http://www.attenelectronics.com/Prod.../list_2_2.html

I do not question how to solder and know that because I run a lower watt iron the push of heat and type of soldering I do require heat before application or removal.

When I can afford a new Iron I will know which ones to look for, but for now I was able to solder a new connection on top of the speed control connections. I might be able to test the VTX8 later on today.

We have discussed the possibility of lengthening the wiring in the future if truly required by looking at vehicles designs. The system fits well within a large majority of vehicles with no issues (there are always going to be exceptions). The wire length we use on our systems comparable to other speed control mfgs. And in some cases, they don't solder the wires on or provide wires too short to be used in the first place.

The biggest reason we solder the wires on our system is solely because our first year we did not. And the highest majority of warranty return case we saw were caused by poor solder joints effecting the system or even shorting it out. So we decided to add the wire, and it cut down warranty return tremendously.

Bob - sorry I missed your comment before -- I switched and ran the VTX8 on the driver side right in front of the motor. Put the receiver, transponder and small weight on the right side. Easier fit if you are running saddles (or 2 1s packs like I was). If you are running the original stick pack design there is plenty of room.

I really wanted to keep the receiver box where it is for dirt reason didn't want to expose receiver. I was thinking of tinkering with the fan to gat a little skinner one or something to lower it only need 6mm to fit what size fan is it if you know???

Bob, check your email for the other answers... the fan is 30mm x 30mm.

WOW VIPER TEAM THIS ESC Is nice.
Just got my VTX8 IN TODAY.
It's heavier than my Castle MM ESC I had and Build of this ESC seem Very GOOD!!!

Can wait to hook up this beast to the Viper 1900kv motor. When will be out? End of Aug. or Sept.?

Now if only the MBX7 ECO buggy will come out in Sept. I will be set.