This check keeps your FPV drone from burning when you power up

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Get your FPV Drone DIY Kit at GetFPV:
* Analog version - bit.ly/42R0qh1
* DJI FPV HD version - bit.ly/3GWB6eV
You can also buy a pre-assembled ready-to-fly quadcopter:
* Analog version - bit.ly/3aMRx1l
* DJI FPV HD version - bit.ly/399nksW
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All videos in this playlist are at:
• 2022 Freestyle FPV Dro...
-- TABLE OF CONTENTS --
00:00:00 - Before you plug in, always SMOKE CHECK
00:00:46 - Put your multimeter into continuity mode
00:01:28 - Check continuity between the XT60 prongs
00:02:59 - Check XT60+ to vBat on FC
00:05:13 - Check XT60- to G
00:06:00 - Use a smoke stopper for initial powerup
What's a smoke-stopper and why do you need one - • ViFly ShortSaver is th...

[@JoshuaBardwell]

All videos in this series are in this playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLwoDb7WF6c8neIAQBkchfiXf-C8KbzG5M Get your FPV Drone DIY Kit at GetFPV: * Analog version - bit.ly/3xajRSN * DJI FPV HD version - bit.ly/3GWB6eV You can also buy a pre-assembled ready-to-fly quadcopter: * Analog version - bit.ly/3aMRx1l * DJI FPV HD version - bit.ly/399nksW

[@chubbyfpv5477]

I smoke check the old way, plug in look for smoke 😎

[@BaldmanFPV]

Yes be a man. Lol.

[@SunriseWaterMedia]

Haha

[@benupde1979]

Yep. I’m too broke to afford a smoke checker, therefore tears and prayers keep the smoke in for me after obsessing over every joint for an hour.

[@BaldmanFPV]

@@benupde1979 kind of contradicting as you can save money. You can make these with a bulb wire and extra xt60s if you google how.

[@calcifiedbonecollector3222]

Yep, that's the way to do this🤙

[@LeftyRC]

Just starting my fpv research and I’m so glad I found your channel. I’ve been building Rc cars for 30 years and can’t wait to get into this

[@kennyfication88]

One thing I also always check before I first power up a quad is, if there's continuity between the motor lead/s and the motor screws. It happened to me before caused one motor to smoke (literally!) and the ESC spontaneously combust into flames. Connect one probe to a motor screw and with the other multimeter probe, touch all corresponding wires at the solder point to the ESC. Repeat this for all 4 motors. If there's continuity at any point, this either means that there might be a frayed single strand from a motor wire touching the carbon fiber frame (rarely the case) or - more likely - a screw protruding to deep into the motor and touching one of the coils. If so, back up all screws by a quarter turn and check again. If the short is gone, very slowly and carefully tighten each screw back again until you reach a sweet spot where you don't have any shorts. Then - locktite the screws so it won't come loose. This happened to me a lot of times and I was always lucky to have not damaged the coils inside the motors, but if you're unlucky this might happen. But the best thing would be to use proper screws, which are not too long.

[@joshuas2716]

One additional test: Verify the polarity of the XT60 plug. I accidentally soldered a xt60 plug on backwards once. When doing continuity tests, I looked at the color of the power leads and not the plug itself to determine if I was working with ground or positive, so the plug went unnoticed. I thought it passed all the continuity tests, but the electronics smoked when I plugged in a battery. It was an expensive lesson. Also, not all smoke stoppers have reverse polarity protection.... so don't assume any smoke stopper will protect you from stupid mistakes.

[@jenshenrikson7693]

Lesson from the other day - if it doesn't arm correctly with smokestopper - something is wrong. Burned 3 motors because of too long motor screws. Was twitchy and rebooted with smoke stopper (but no smoke) and burned on battery. :-( (and for the motor screws - they weren't too long - but the PLA printed feets had suddenly let them too long up)

[@ChainsawFPV]

If it makes you feel any better, most of us have been there. For some reason we all learn the hard way. Lol

[@marinehm]

Good point! DMM continuity check between pos battery lead to motor screws. Should not beep! Also visually inspect the screw do not go pst the motor base mount.

[@mouseFPV]

THANK YOU! Everyone in the hobby should have a multimeter. Smoke stoppers are a nice "last check" but its a fools game relying on them exclusively. Good content JB.

[@mouseFPV]

also that shirt is 10/10

[@douglastutt2560]

Been meaning to get clear on this subject on top of everything else in my ongoing fpv learn it all crash course. Thanks for clarifying. You’re golden JB

[@stevee7029]

Excellent video, once again JB. I do the checks you listed, but only after compiling them from your previous videos! Rush Tank Solo VTX will die if powered up without an antenna attached, as you mention, it is easy to forget on the bench. That said, I have caught problems using these techniques, and continue to use the smoke stopper if powering up "props on" on the bench.. Good work putting these tips into a single video! Thanks from "mostly INAV FPV" guy.

[@ChainsawFPV]

I learned my lesson the hard way when I was a noob. Ever since, multimeter check first and smoke stopper for first plug in. Though sometimes a microscopic solder ball will still sneak by, and melt on full throttle and burn ESC. Even after scrubbing with alcohol and a tooth brush.

[@Pyrolassist]

I totally thought I knew everything there was to know about this subject. Well, I guess I learned something today! Thanks J.B.!

[@juacosaul]

Thanks JB, awesome content

[@8ways2fly]

Always a good thing to check this and be careful. P.s. Love your shirt! 😎

[@DroneOn]

I've built many drones and basically over time stopped using a smokestopper in lieu of multimeter but...I'm going to go and find my smokestopper now. See, I learned something. Thanks

[@twistedsocal]

Just fyi, what happens with the cap is it gets charged from the multimeter detecting continuity, to detect continuity requires the meter to output a small current. That current charges the cap so when you switch leads and test it, the cap actually is discharging and that's what is causing the meter to beep not the other way around. The meter is detecting the same energy it put out while the legs were swapped being discharged and that's the beep make sense

[@matt0725]

Don't know if he says it later on in the video, but some cheaper multimeters do not have a speaker in them to beep, but in the Ohms/continuity setting, zero ohms is the same as an open circuit(and is what you want when checking to make sure you don't smoke your stuff), and any reading other than zero is bad and would be beeping. If there is a capacitor, you will have a reading other than zero for a moment, but it will return to zero shortly.

[@jamesrathbun2482]

I really wish you had included the short saver in the kit or at least told them to offer it as an option. I now have to wait 2 weeks for mine to come in before I plug my drone in.

[@jaechoe]

Your Shirt is Awesome, Rage against the machine!!!!

[@MCsCreations]

Excellent, Joshua! Thanks! 😊 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@Yith]

Another thing to check... Each Motor wire on the ESC has continuity to the other motor wires in the same motor and not to any of the others and none of the motor wires has continuity to VBAT or GND. I actually like to start up the ESC after wiring each motor on and before plugging the FC. Checking that each motor vibrates when the start-up beeps sound.

[@DanRogers1985]

I’ve always told everyone just starting out to continuity test then plug in using a smoke stopper. I personally use my bench power supply and turn the amperage down to about 1.5 or 2 amps.

[@jeffparisse4202]

Hmmm…. High wire acts are less entertaining with a safety net. This may be a future “safety third” topic; e.g. if one knows one can smoke check a build, will one be more careless? Personally, I test every step meticulously and plug in with confidence albeit with the props off. But then again, I learn something from you every day Josh.

[@hellofromsoutheastalaskarc7517]

Hello from southeast alaska nice drone bro

[@marinehm]

Very informative. Don’t release the magic smoke!

[@jonnmedds]

I did learn something new today 😀 Thank you

[@ronneilcamara5071]

This is amazing Joshua! I must really throw away my $13 multimeter. Time to invest in a real multimeter. Thank you so much!

[@andrewut7ya511]

That magic smoke isnt cheap. Best to keep it sealed in, once its out its out for good.

[@ronneilcamara5071]

I'd like to add something to the smoke stopper. Sometimes it turns off right away and we'll think something is wrong with our quad. There is another button to activate 2A.

[@NOT_ANOTHER_FPV]

I never leave home without that exact smoke stopper. Learned the hard way a while back.....smoke stopper or bust

[@terminsane]

still waiting on that 'fpv meet etiquette' video ;)

[@MustangPilot1]

Very useful video here!

[@chrisfpv5706]

i had a mistake that i missed once ,, i conected all wires receiver vtx fc esc camera ,, used smoke stopper evrything ok ,, plugged in battery poof vtx gone ,, my mistake was i put batt voltage on the 5 volts out of the vtx

[@franklinlituma764]

So everything checked out. But I feel everything is warming up is that normal ??

[@DanRogers1985]

Can you do a video about how dc voltage always shares the same negative throughout the whole circuit? I’m growing tired of making this argument with new people.

[@gladperson116]

for some reason my smoke stopper keeps tripping but everything else checks out. I got to the point of replacing the stack with a new one and still the smoke stopper trips. I know its not the smoke stopper because it works with my other quads.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnS0cmiahbKMgLM&ab_channel=JoshuaBardwell

[@FPVKrash]

My multimeter is an analog model, which I like because it can show a momentary spike in a circuit that a digital multimeter might miss. When I test the circuit on my quad for shorts (I’m building this quad along with the video). I see the needle jump as the capacitor charges then the current begins to drop- but it never gets to zero and a small current seems to still be flowing. Should the capacitor completely stop the current, or should I be seeing a weak current still flow but at a negligent amount that wouldn’t trip the alarm on a digital circuit test?

[@FPVKrash]

As a follow up, I moved on to the smokestopper testing, and the smokestopper I used was happy and all the magic smoke stayed where it belongs.

[@MrAnderson1221]

Hey JB. First time build. I have the esc, flight controller, and motors on. I used this video to check continuity. Can i do a smoke test now or do i have to wait to get receiver, cam, and vtx installed?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

You can but I'd do it again after all soldering is done.

[@MrAnderson1221]

​@JoshuaBardwell awesome. Yes i was definitely going to do it again. I just havent connected a battery at all yet, so i wasnt sure if that would mess anything up without the othe components

[@chriswedgworth]

Once you let the smoke out it’s hard to get it back in 🤪

[@InTheWoodsFPV]

Ok finished the build did the xt60 check and had continuity. Trying to find the problem disassembled the whole thing and isolated the ESC. Still had continuity. GetFPV sent me a new ESC. Got it today. Took it out of the wrap and tested it... and continuity between all the pads on the ESC, xt60 pads and any motor pad??????

[@JoshuaBardwell]

There definitely should not be continuity between XT60 positive and motor output when power is removed.

[@InTheWoodsFPV]

@@JoshuaBardwell what are the chances of two bad esc. The new one has continuity between all the pads even the motor pads and power pads right out of the package.

[@hunter-ct9ky]

@@InTheWoodsFPV how did you go with this I have the same problem

[@InTheWoodsFPV]

@@hunter-ct9ky my Fluke meter was too sensitive. I switched to a friend's meter and it didn't read continuity. Although now that I say that I have burned up two motors

[@hunter-ct9ky]

@@InTheWoodsFPV ok mine says continuity for a few seconds then closes but if I reverse the multimeter it give a continuous reading of around .6

[@jamesn6048]

Saw this video too late, I plugged it in and it made the first 3 beeps and wouldn't start. Then it started smoking

[@zznape]

Great video I wish would have watched this before I powered quad without VTX antenna resulting to a damaged VTX Duh Stupid me haha! I knew this

[@skysailorfpv]

After I fried my first FC I started checking all of my work this way never fried another one

[@fpvwithme]

I feel ripped off. No intro music?

[@richt7140]

I never check fook all repair after crash😂