R/C Tech Forums - View Single Post - explanation of electrical current needed, *smart people look*
Old 04-15-2013, 12:01 PM
  #11  
Dave H
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Join Date: Oct 2007
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Originally Posted by neospud
I have used the hobbywing justock 45a esc (apparently really good esc for blinky stock) and a reventon pro 120a esc and noticed no difference.

The amp rating on ESC's tell you how much current it is happy with passing through before things overheat and fail. The WATT rating on you motor determines how much current it will draw.

Lets say your 17.5 motor is rated at 250 watts. It will pull almost 30a at full charge and 39 when the battery is almost dead. So the justock 45a and a 5000mah 10c battery would cover that with a little room to spare for efficiency losses.

C rating isn't really as important as how long your battery will go before voltage drops off. Less decline in voltage will make you go faster toward the end of a race.
Amps do not go up as the battery discharges. Voltage, amps, and power all drop off as the battery discharges.

A truly higher C battery of same capacity will maintain a higher voltage under load throughout the run. Or it can be looked at in terms of IR, a lower IR battery will provide same.
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