NOVAK MICRO GT Manual
PRECAUTIONS
NOVAK’S High-Power Micro Racing ESC is here
...and the Micro GT is its name. Designed with the same
ultra-powerful surface mount technology as the World
Champion GTX programmable racing ESC (electronic speed
control), the Micro GT will get the most performance from
your 1/18th or 1/24th scale vehicle.
The Micro GT is capable of handling 4-7 cells and any sub-
540 size motors that are used in 1/18th & 1/24th scale
Micro R/C cars, and comes loaded with all the standard
features found in Novak’s award winning line-up of ESCs:
Novak’s One-Touch Set-Up is the original & still the easiest
way to program your ESC to your transmitter.
Built-in B.E.C.--no need for external receiver pack.
Radio Priority Circuitry means you’ll never lose steering
control under low battery operation.
Polar Drive Technology keeps the electronics cool, and
also improves radio system performance.
Thermal Overload Protection for those extreme situations.
• WATER & ELECTRONICS DON’T MIX! Do not operate
model in or around water. Never allow water, moisture,
or other foreign materials to get inside the ESC.
• MICRO SIZE MOTORS ONLY Use only motors that are
intended for use with 1/18th scale or smaller R/C cars.
Not intended for 540 size motors.
• 4 TO 7 CELLS ONLY Never use fewer than 4 or more
than 7 cells
(4.8-8.4 volts DC)
in the main battery pack.
• NO REVERSE VOLTAGE! Reverse battery polarity can
damage speed control––Disconnect battery immediately.
• DISCONNECT BATTERIES WHEN NOT IN USE Always
disconnect battery from ESC when unattended or not in
use to avoid possible short circuits. Even if switch is off,
MOSFETs may fail & cause shorting of battery pack that
could result in fire or burning of ESC & surrounding objects.
• TURN TRANSMITTER ON FIRST Turn on transmitter
before ESC so you will have control of the radio equipment.
• INSULATE WIRES Always insulate exposed wiring with
heat shrink tubing or electrical tape to avoid short circuits.
STEP 1
CHANGING INPUT HARNESS
The Micro GT ESC comes with the industry-standard receiver
input harness connector & works with all major radio
brand’s new receivers. However, some very old receivers
must have the wiring sequence in the plastic 3-pin connector
housing changed. This is important, because receiver & servo
electronics may be damaged if the sequence is incorrect.
Changing the sequence is easy to do, as described below.
JR • Hitec • New KO • Airtronics Z
JR, Hitec, Futaba, new KO, & Airtronics Z receivers do
not need input harness re-wiring. Airtronics Z receivers
have blue plastic cases & new KO cases have tabs on the input
harness openings as in Figure 1.
• Insert the input plug into the receiver with the BLACK
wire toward the outside edge of the receiver case.
Old-style KO • Old-style Sanwa/Airtronics
If you have an older KO or Sanwa/Airtronics, you must
change the sequence of the ESC's input harness wires--Old
Sanwa/Airtronics cases are black color & Old KO cases do not
have the tab openings, as in Figure 2 above.
• Interchange the red and black wires in the plug plastic of
the ESC's input harness as shown below.
• Insert the input plug into the receiver with the RED wire
toward the outside edge of the receiver case.
Micro GT SPECIFICATIONS
Input Voltage ........................... 4-7 cells
(1.2VDC/cell)
Motor Size Limit ...................... sub-540 size
(smaller than 540)
Rated Current
(fwd/brake) ...........
450A/150A
(Trans.rating@25
°
C)
On-Resistance .......................... 0.00056 ohm
(@Transistors)
B.E.C. Voltage .......................... 5.0 volts DC
B.E.C. Current ......................... 0.5 amp
PWM Frequency ...................... 1000 Hertz
Protection................................ Thermal Overload
Case Width .............................. 0.95 inch
(24.1mm)
Case Depth ............................. 1.12 inches
(28.4mm)
Case Height ............................. 0.48 inch
(12.1mm)
Weight .................................... 0.51 ounce
(14.4 grams)
Part Number ........................... 1875
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 2
New KO (with tabs)
Old KO (no tabs)
tabs
no tabs
black
red
STEP 2
MOUNTING ELECTRONICS
1. DETERMINE BEST ESC MOUNTING LOCATION
The ESC should be positioned away from the receiver
and antenna as shown in the Set-Up photo below. Choose
a mounting position that will keep the power wires from
obstructing movement of suspension or the motor pod.
2. INSTALL SPEED CONTROL
Use the included double-sided tape to mount the ESC.
3. INSTALL ON/OFF SWITCH
Determine a convenient place to mount the switch where
it will be easy to get to. Mount the switch using a piece
of double-sided tape or with a screw through the hole in
the base of the switch housing.
4. INSTALL RECEIVER
Mount the receiver as far from the motor, power wires,
battery, and servo as possible. These components all emit
radio noise when the throttle is being applied. On graphite
or aluminum, place the receiver on edge with the crystal
and antenna as far above the chassis as possible. Mount
the antenna close to the receiver and trail any excess
wire off the top of the antenna.
www.teamnovak.com
SET-UP PHOTO
trail excess
wire off top
of antenna
mast
three 0.1
µ
F capacitors
black wire
red wire
(+)
(–)
4-7 cell
battery
pack
SET button
sub-540 size
motor
ON/OFF
switch
status LED
twist
motor
wires to
reduce
RF noise
battery leads
(red connector)
motor leads
(yellow connector)
red
white
black
white
#55-1875-1
1-2005