Advice on first eSK8 for Arkwright Project

ESK8 Builds
1

Hi,

I’ve been researching making my own esk8 for a while now as I have to make something for a Scholarship Application I am partaking in at school. I am new the the community and came across this site which is where I have done almost all the research about how to make my board. I have a very tight budget (around £150) and so I am willing to sacrifice some things at first (like range) so I can upgrade in the future.

I’m thinking of the following parts for my board:

X-Car Beast ESC - I don’t think I need the extra customisability or regen braking offered by a VESC and don’t think my budget can stretch to one.

KEDA 190Kv Brushless Motor

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/kd-53-30-high-voltage-brushless-outrunner-190kv.html

2650mah Battery Turnigy 6S LiPo - I will upgrade to 2 when I can afford to;)

Single Drive Pulley and Belt Set

https://www.banggood.com/Single-Drive-Pulleys-and-Belts-Set-p-1130273.html?gmcCountry=GB&currency=GBP&createTmp=1&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cpc_elc&utm_content=zouzou&utm_campaign=pla-uk-ele-pc&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgZTRBRDmARIsAJvVWAs5UnBFTpf_8eEAdASYT6go_DK6D1Pntap7CW9QwRv6QHiqKWVCmjYaAq-aEALw_wcB&cur_warehouse=CN

I have an old skateboard at home and aim to use an RC car remote in a case I will 3D print at school, do you guys think there is anything else I urgently need (other than charger, screws, thread locker, lipo bag)? What sort of performance should I expect out of this board, I’m not a good skateboarder so I decided to prioritise torque over speed with my build.

Also, a strange question but how do you guys advise I go about adding an on/off switch, the ones on the internet all state a maximum current that seems way too low for my circuit? And do I need any special kit to connect my remote to my ESC.

Sorry about the bombardment of questions, hope you can help!

Ben B

2

You can use these for your speed calculations

http://calc.esk8.it OR http://calc.esk8.today/

3

Here’s how you can make a switch http://www.electric-skateboard.builders/t/how-to-anti-spark-xt-90-loop-key/204

What do you plan to use as a motor mount?

4

I think you should look at sensored motors and using the VESC, they are so much better…

5

That esc will work ok as first e-board. But your battery seems too weak. I have a multistar 6s 8A on my gf’s board and it works great. The high capacity means low discharge so low stress on battery during use.

6

If your going to use the X-Car Beast, get the 150a version. Some people have had issues with the 120A version. And as @I82 mentioned that battery will not be a good choice. For 6s you need at least 5000mah and a higher C rating. Even a 5000mah will probably only get you 5-6 miles

7

no no no. don’t do it. you do need that custom ability and you must find a way to stretch your budget to get there.

that esc ( i got one on sale, still sucks) is just not good for a esk8 and the battery is just way too small…plus you don’t have a mount on there…

the exchange rate makes it weird but you can’t really build a board for less than $300. a good one is more like 500-800.

1 Like
8

Would this work?

9

yes but I haven’t heard much about the vesc from hk. there are a good amount of builders in the eu/uk most of them are on bigger budgets tho…

10

Your battery choice is to small. Check rcgroups.com classified section to maybe find some slightly used lipos. Like said above at least 5000mah, but probably more.

11

The Xcar beast esc is OK. I have one and run it on my commuter board it is rock solid and works well as long as you are gentle on the throttle and brake. It also makes a screeching noise when braking which can be annoying. If you don’t want that you could get a ebay esc, they don’t handle as much current as the xcar but are smoother, quite a few people have used them and much cheaper, but not if it fails and needs to be replaced (they also have a remote).

Do you have flywheels that will fit that pulley kit?

The batteries are a little small in terms of discharge although they should be fine if you are not riding in extreme conditions.

1 Like
12

Thanks for all the advice. Gonna get the HK VESC or an eBay one and someone else on here might be helping me out with getting a better trucks/ wheels and battery which is great.

I’ve got a remote control (for rc car) which I assume I can pair up with my VESC

13

Just make sure not to buy an eBay VESC as they are usually bad quality. The eBay esc is not a Vesc. Just clarifying

14

Ok, i think I’ll go for the HK one

15

again to clarify for others. The XCar 150A is a really good e-skate Esc, which is splashproof, robust and will get you much more power out of an 6s system than a Vesc is able to deliver.

If i have to decide for a 6s system, xcar would be my choice over a cheap, not modified Vesc!

1 Like
16

Ok that cheaper as well so would fit my budget well. Should I get a cheap programming card for it as well, what would that offer me?

17

He doesnt have the budget for those

18

You can program things like custom throttle curve voltages anything else it offers i didnt look at its specs

19

Yes you need the LCD programming card

1 Like
20

Would I be better using a 1 6s 8000mah Lipo battery or 2 3s 4800mah Lipos connected in parallel to get 6s? I’d prefer the latter (cheaper) but would this work well?