Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

ok, we have completely wired up our robot and it was running just fine, but the second time we cut in on sparks came out of one of our vectors, and now we are stuck with a shorted out vector and only one more new vector we can use. can anyone tell me what is going on or why this is happening? plz help :confused: :confused: :confused:

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

If you get any kind of aluminum or metal chips inside the "Victor" speed controllers they will fry. Could you have gotten chips in by accident?

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

We may have, thanks we will check that. but is there anything else you think could do that?:confused:

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

The fact that it worked the first time and failed the second leads me to believe that it was metal shavings. Was there any rewiring that occured between the two tests?

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

YES, WHEN THE FIRST ONE FAILED WE JUST PUT ANOTHER ONE IN, AND IT DID THE SAME RAN FOR LIKE TEN MIN, THEN CAME BACK ONE HOUR LATER AND WHEN WE CUT IN ON SPARKS AND SMOKE. BUT I JUST CLEANED EVERYTHING AND IM ABOUT TO REPLACE THE BROKEN VICTOR:D I HOPE IT WORKS THIS TIME.:D P.S. SORRY FOR THE ALL CAPS but is anyone having problems with running their compressor, it does run off of a spike relay right???? :confused: :confused:

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

What kinds of problems withe compressor? If it keeps blowing the 20 amp fuse in the spike itself, R56 says "The fuse on the Spike relay for the air compressor may be replaced with a 20 Amp Snap Action circuit breaker."

This is for the air compressor ONLY.

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

OK ITS NOT EXACTLY A PROBLEM BUT, WHEN YOU CUT ON THE ROBOT ALL THE WHEELS SPIN FORWARD AND THE COMPRESSOR DOES NOT COME ON. WE WIRIED IT TO THE SHORT CIRCIUT BREAKER. DEOS IT MATTER WHEATHER YOU HOOK UP THE COMPRESSOR TO THE SHORT CIRCIUT BREAKER OR THE LONG ONE?:confused: :confused: :confused:

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

:mad: OK:mad: i cleaned everything twice and the victor still shorted out with sparks and all,:mad: , but i noticed that it only shorted out when i moved the joystick, considering that we had last year's controllers plugged up, could the joysticks from last year send out a pwm signal that makes these victors blow up?:confused: :confused: , if anyone knows anything that could help me, plz let me know thanks,

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

No, a PWM signal will not cause anything like what you have described to happen.

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

The compressor must be wired to a spike which goes to a fuse panel. It does not matter which fuse panel you use, the only difference is the size and number of fuses you can use.

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

I know you say you cleaned everything out, but this still sounds distinctly like metal shavings. You should get some canned air (like the kind you use to clean computers), and spray inside them. You might even consider carefully removing the fans and examining the inside. The reason that you're experiencing the sparks only when you press the joysticks is because that when there is actually power running through the electronics you can see under the fan. There is definitely something physically wrong with your Victors, and I'll eat my hat if it isn't because there are still some particularly clingy metal bits in there. (One possibility is that the first time you made sparks, a metal bit may have fused itself between two electrical parts.)

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

The other possibility is that he's shorted the motor out connectors. dumb question, but your motor cables aren't touching where they connect to the controller, are they?

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

May i ask what motor your victors are frying on? Because i know that if you using the banebots they seem to be developing intermitent shorts which could be you problem, or any other motor. Check the motor from the external to internal. Also check that the motors aren't stalled. After that you best bet is the metal chip someware.

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

When i cleaned it, i cleaned it with air jets. Twice, blew out everything with air, and it happened again. no, my motor wires aren't touching the controller, and some reason it blows the victor in a pattern, left motor, right motor, left motor...... like that. we only have one victor left and we have to go to scrimage today:mad: :mad: :mad: if some one has anything help our if anybody is going to be at the scrimage today and wants to help just let me know:] also could ,tight chains do this to a victor:confused:

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

I think you have your wiring scrambled. Make doubly sure that the M+ and M- terminals on each Victor go only to a single motor, the + power input goes only to a circuit breaker, and the - power input goes only to a ground point.

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

Tight chains are not the issue. All the tight chain will do is cause the motor to work too hard, and draw too much current. The circuit breaker will trip faster than it takes for the Victor to heat up to a dangerous temperature. (These Victors are easily good for 40 A continuously; I wouldn't be surprised if they could handle 150 A for a few seconds.)

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

THANKS, IT turns out that we had our victors backwards and we also found out that one of this years controllers was giving out a wierd signal, but ever since we fixed those two problems:D :D no more burning victors:D :D :D thanks to all that gave advice.

Re: Vectors are shorting out!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!!!!
 

I know you found your issue, but just a warning to all. When you try to clean a victor by showering it with compressed air, there are a few problems you can now cause. The first is if your using a compressor or pump system, like in a shop. These normally are lubricated for the tools that will hook up to them and i would suggest you not covering electronics in a lubricant. Secondly, when you use high pressure air pointing into the victor to blow out metal chips, many times you will just blow them deeper. This makes you think that you cleared them out and the issue is something else, when in reality they are still there. Lastly is safety. You are using an uncontrollable blast of air to hopefully create tiny projectiles, please if you do this method use proper precautions. So case in point, please take the 5 minutes to remove the fan and use a pair of tweezers and a magnifying glass to remove any debris and save your victors and team from continual issues.