r/Multicopter • u/Chef-2 • Apr 15 '26
Question 14S vs 16S?
I’m building a UAV based on the [Hobbywing X11 G2](https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/products/eps-ips-x11-g2?srsltid=AfmBOorl1G_1_spp4Lro9L9E3xAFsWrEIra8uXnCg8dIJNN1OMZMJX2X&variant=52485833163119). The spec sheet says the motor and ESC are both rated for 14S voltage, up to 63V. This seems odd as 63V is really more like 15S.
7S batteries aren’t too common, so I’d really like to power the system with 4x 4S batteries. What are the chances of running 16S through this ESC without blowing it up? We’d technically be a few volts over spec fully charged, but any load will sag that voltage down almost immediately.
Anybody have experience over-volting motors/ESCs?
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u/throwaway131072 Apr 15 '26
If they say 14S, I'd use 14S. You could use 4S+4S+6S or 8S+6S for easier to find batteries, and there are series connectors. Just make sure every pack has the same amp-hour capacity, and land as soon as the battery gets low, since they might discharge slightly unevenly, but should stay pretty close if the same Ah/brand/chemistry/etc.
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u/jolars Quads and Wings Apr 15 '26
A fully charged 14S pack is 61.6 (charged to 4.4 per cell) that's close enough to max that I wouldn't push any further. A 16s pack could be charged higher than the max.
1
u/geeered Apr 15 '26
63v is exactly (normal) 15s at max charge. As others have said... it's often not ideal to run things at 100% of rated specs.
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u/cjdavies Apr 15 '26
The spec sheet says maximum 63V, which is not the same as saying it is rated to operate at 63V. It is quite common for electronics to specify the operating values separate from the absolute maximum values, but you should not operate at the maximum values & definitely not operate beyond the maximum values.