MGM Programming problems
 

This is killing me. So I am trying to get my e-revo running, and I can't get a controller to work. I have a Neu 1515, and I'm on my second MGM 16018 (first one fried and went in for service). The problem is that 95% of the time that I turn it on, I get the continual beeping indicating that "data in EEPROM have been disturbed. The controller is set to default setting. It is necessary to program it again!" I've actually figured out their arcane programming (written in the manual in broken English) and programmed it a couple of times, but each time, when I switched it back on got the same continual beeping. Has anyone else experienced this? What could I possibly doing wrong?

I've used bl controllers from Novak, Quark and several from Castle, and in addition to having the most convoluted programming, I have *never* had the kinds of problems I'm having with this MGM. I'm not seeing similar complaints from others though, so maybe it's just me???

JPP
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My garage
BL Rustler
2 BL RC18Bs
BL Duratrax Vendetta ST
2 Micro-Ts
BL PTI Goliath Rock Crawler (Novak Crawler)
Building
BL E-Revo
On the bench waiting to be built
XRay M18MT
Axial Scorpion AX-10

I got that from under voltage IIRC. I had it set for 5s and pluged in a 3s pack and it just beeped. Check your battery cut off setings.

If it's beeping, it's telling me that it is reset to stock. The stock battery setting doesn't list a voltage - just "NiCd, NiMH." It's only when you can actually program it (and presumably get those setting to stick so that you can even turn it on a second time without it beeping) that you can choose voltage (via # of LiPo cells), right?

That happened to my 8012-3s. All I did was start the programming sequence. I first held full throttle and waited for the beeps and then full brake after the beeps. I then applied full throttle for each mode until it was over. That seemed to restore my full throttle and full brake and the controller worked fine. Afterwards I did the programming again to set it parameters that I wanted.

OK; tried that; no luck. I've pretty much resigned myself that it doesn't work, that I'll have to toss the controller - and be out $550 on 2 MGM controllers and start from scratch with a Quark, which I should have just gotten in the first place.

My new MGM 16024 that I just got from Mike is doing the same thing, I also have not been able to figure it out, however I don't think it's broken I think we are doing somthing wrong. I also gave up on mine because I got so frustrated.

if these are all recently purchased, then it may well be a bad batch- return to retailer for replacement/refund etc, or if not send to MGM for repair/ replacement. Either way I wouldnt just give up on something costing that much money.

Did I mention that this is my second MGM controller? I had similar problems with the first one, and it eventually smoked and went in for repair. Turn around time was about a month, but they tell me it is in the mail. I think I'm going to wait on ordering the Quark until I have a chance to try out the fresh-from-repair MGM.

I have an e-mail in to Mike to ask about the error messages that I'm getting. Will let you know what he says.

JPP

I just got mine to work, my problem was with the battery voltage, I was programing 6 cell Lipo, when in fact I had 7 cell connected

Dammit! I tried changing battery voltages, etc. but that didn't work for me. Was hoping it was something else... Glad it worked for you though...

JPP

Something that was throwing me off was on page 6 on the graph down the bottom of the page, parameter B, it has two lines, the top line is light 1 and undernieth is 0.13 sec then light 2 with 0.26 sec undernieth. That is one line not two. And if you're not carefull you could mistake that as two lines, which will screw up the rest.

my MGM 12018
 

I had bad luck too with MGM.
I bought a 12018 cube version on June to run with 6s lipo with a feigao 9XL.

When arrived me, I connected 6s lipo, the esc made smoke soon.
So I sent my ESC back to MGM and they repairred in warranty my esc.
When the esc came back me, I did not succeed to make it work because I did not understand how to program it.

After many tests on yesterday, I understood this to program the esc:
1) turn on receiver while stick is at max backward (not at forward how tell the manual)
2) after 10 seconds the esc and the motor beeps x 3
3) stick at full forward, 1 beep
4) stick at full backward, 3 beeps
5) stick at neutral, 2 beeps
6) turn off

In this way, I have run with MGM at 2s, the same at 4s, but when I connected 6s lipo, at the first accelerated the Esc went in fire.

On this morning I sent again my ESC back to MGM...

This is a rather worrying development. I believe it would be lot easier to program the esc with either the programming card or the pc link cable, but it depends how determined people are. I will say this though, it is a nightmare to try and use these things when the instructions are gibberish.

Someone with decent writing skills ought to "decipher" the instructions and write a new manual just for us.

Its actually pretty easy....

Here it is in a nutshell.

Turn on transmitter, plug in battery, Hold transmitter on full throttle, turn on switch, wait 10 sec for 3 beeps, move to full reverse, wait for beep, move to neutral, wait for 2 beeps.

now you are in programming mode.

now move the throttle to full reverse, wait for beeps, move back to neutral, wait for beeps. (you just selected option 1 for setting one.) move it to full reverse and back to neutral again for option 2, reverse & neutral again for option 3 etc…

Once you have done this ( for example reverse to neutral 5 times to select option 5) now pull the throttle to full forward, wait for beeps, now back to neutral. (You just set setting number one and it ready for you to set setting number 2)

Use the same method for option 2 (full reverse to neutral the number of times corresponding to the number of the option that you want) then full throttle forward to set it, and go to setting number 3.

And so on until you are done.

Once you get thorugh it one or twice its actually pretty easy.

Since I've been trying to program over and over again, I actually wound up writing out clearer instructions (similar to what jhautz just did) in Word. It reduced the stress level significantly (although not as much as if I had been able to program successfully!). That said, I've never had to do that with my Castle, Novak, or Quark controllers!

Incidentally, one other thing I noticed is that to get mine to recognize full throttle, full brake, and neutral, I have to set the throttle subtrim to somewhere between 15 and 25 (where, exactly, seems to be random, depending on the time I turn it on), and the EPA on brake to 10 (out of 100). I am able to leave the throttle EPA at 100. I'm running a Nomadio React, have 4 other vehicles on the same radio and have never had a similar problem. Is this normal?

JPP

I really don't have any advise with regard to your compro, but I had a similar experience with my first Compro 16016. I tore my hair out for about a week trying to get it programmed and it would never work right. I sent it to MGM and they told me that nothing was wrong with the controller. They sent it back to me. When I got it, I saw that they had upgraded the firmware. I put it into my truck and it worked fine, with all of the same equipment that I tried before I sent it in.

I haven't had any problems with it since.

Your radio might be the one to blame. I just programmed my MGM with a JR and a Spektrum and the controller worked the same as it did with my Airtronics.

I thought of that. For kicks, I tried using the Duratrax radio that came with my Vendetta, with similar results.

I thought my 8012 was a gonner when it did that, but just by doing the programming it was fixed. Did you try reprogramming the controller with the duratrax radio?

I thought I had but I'll try again tonight.

Dont forget to try threatening it, I find lots of stuff starts working properly once you've threatend it a couple times with a hammer....

Lol, yes that does seem to work for me too. You have to really mean it.
The neighbors will kind of wonder whats going on over at your house though!

We are all gonna have a head full of gray hair by the time someone makes a brushless esc worth owning.

Whats the expression, "horses for courses"...

It seems every controller has its strengths, and weaknesses.

MM= wont do high voltage, but excellent programming.

Quark125b = wont do 6s as claimed, heat problems, but is super smooth

MGM = not very user friendly programming, but is high voltage/amp capable.

Schulze = spontaneous combustion, but is high power capable.

HvMaxx = is not Hv, is not torquey enough, but is sensored for excellent smoothness.

I had the same problems with my MGM when I first got it. Continuous beeping. This was with my M8 radio. But, years ago, I had messed with the 'internal' settings on the M8 to try and maximize the response times. Including changing the 'cycle' to 9mS instead of the stock 15mS. The MGM does not like a super fast radio. It programmed fine if I slowed down the M8 to 13-15mS. I thought Mike posted somewhere about having problems programming an MGM with a Nomadio system. Incidently, I killed my M8 by playing with the wrong internal settings and now have an M11 that runs just fine with the MGM .

I must have read the instructions 10 times before it made sense to me. I got the hang of it now. I also did notice that after setting it to a 4 cell cut off i got the "beep beep beep" when i accidentally plugged in my 2 cell. Now i just need to figure out why it "feathers" the gas when i peg the throttle. It never ends. :)

I avoid the programming problem by getting the PC cables. Very simple.

JPP did you ever resolve the throttle mid point problem? I have a similar issue where I need the midpoint to be recognised as OFF/Idle but the MGM will not program unless i use the full throttle/brake travel. This results in the mid point being half throttle and no brakes?

Unfortunately I had to put everything RC away for the past 2 months due to my wedding/honeymoon and home renovations. Probably won't be able to break the stuff out again for another month or so, by which time Tekin should be close to rolling out their R1MT and Castle their MMM. Or I may just switch to a MM with a UBEC and fans, since I'm just using 4s.

Incidentally, what radio are you using? Is it a Nomadio product?

STOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPP your horror history of MGM controler:surprised:
I'll suppose to recieve my 16018 tomorrow of friday, with the programing device, and i'am reading your smoking history with brend new MGM!!!!

I'll be very nervous to plug the batterie on mine.......

What happen with this $250.00++ controler??????

ope to not have any issue with mine.

Began to have somes regrets to not have take a Quark......

I understand the Quark has its own issues around cooling. As to the MGM, mine was repaired under warranty (although it took 6 weeks to get it back), and I view what happened as an aberration. The big problem as far as I'm concerned is the programming issue; I'm not the only one who has had issues with that.

Let us know how it goes.

Why did you keep to use the Tx programming method:gasp:
The USB COM is suppose to simplify the programming task alot.
And for the price of this little programing device, don't know why lot of people keep to use the Tx for programming this controler.

I've since ordered the USBcom+ and will try it when I next get the chance, although I'm in essence having a problem simply pairing the device with my Tx. On a fundamental level, you have to get the ESC to recognize the end points of the Tx, no?

JPP - Where did you find the USBcom+? Mike seems to Out Of Stock.

Got it from Mike a couple of weeks ago. I just haven't hooked it up yet. Wife can't figure out why boxes keep coming to the house even though I haven't been in the hobby room for 2 months.

I guess I will have to wait for Mike to get his stock in.
Programming my MGM controller with my TX is a real hit-n-miss process. Sometimes it goes fine and other times it seems to go fine only to get the neverending beeps when I power up.

MGM 16016 RB car setup solved.
 

On this setup we are using the stock Losi radio, I run the React on my E-LST2 which has a Hydra 120 ESC.

Finally sorted the issue. The TMM16016 is a Z-Series 'RB' ESC (Race Boat) which is not actually what I ordered. Key difference is that it only has Forward (no reverse or brake) which is fine for the LST2 so it expects different end/mid points. By offsetting the Throttle on the TX I can program it as documented and it behaves fine.

I did order the USB (and may order the Black box as well) but it is out of stock here in Australia so am stuck with the 'hit and miss' TX programming at present.

Main concern is that I have the Lipo 4S setup correctly, if I read the instructions correctly I think the ESC still does a check on the number of cells connected and fails to start if there is a mismatch?

PS There is no BEC on this model which is also OK as we continue to use the RX Battery anyway as most of the ESC's we have access too do not support 4S for the BEC, this also keeps the ESC temperature down so we will continue to use the RX Battery.

Tell me something, at the first time that we use the controler, how the controler will know the number of li-po cells connect to him????
They need power to turn on, and we don't have the choice to plug any batt to the controler to fire up and can go into the programation to setup the parameters...
So at the first time you use the controler, if he don't recognise the number of cell and fails to start, how can we program it????

The ESC can approximate the number of cells based on the voltage. I guess initally it checks the voltage, sets itself up accordingly so you can program it. Once it knows whether you are using NiMh or Lipo it can work out the number of cells fairly easily.

Just my guess........