NOVAK MONGOOSE CRAWLER ESC - ADJUSTEMENTS 1-2009 Manual

The Mongoose Crawler Micro Brushless speed control is equipped with 

4 user-selectable Throttle Profiles, as shown below.

MONGOOSE CRAWLER THROTTLE PROFILES

BRUSHLESS MOTOR PROFILES 

BRUSH MOTORS

1 

2 

3 

4

Std.Crawler  Expo.Crawler  Servo/Robotic 

Brush-Mode

w/Reverse

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes

Reverse%

100% 

100% 

100% 

100%

Throttle Curve

linear 

expo 

linear 

linear 

Programmable

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes

Drag/Hill Brake

3.5% 

3.5% 

n/a 

yes

Dead Band%

5% 

5% 

5% 

5%

Min.Drive%

2% 

2% 

2% 

2%

Li-Po Cut-Off

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes

NOTE:  The Mongoose Crawler is factory set to Profile #1

In Brushless-Mode, One-Touch set-up reverts ESC back to Profile #1 & default settings.

selecting brushless profiles

:

all LEDs

With ESC on & connected to a charged battery (transmitter ON or OFF):

1. IF TRANSMITTER IS OFF, DISCONNECT ESC FROM RECEIVER

To avoid possible radio interference, remove the ESC’s input signal harness 

from the receiver--

Green LED will stay on to indicate no signal from receiver

.

2. PRESS & HOLD THE ESC’S ONE-TOUCH SET BUTTON

  Continue to hold SET button on ESC until all 4 LEDs turns on.

Note:  You will continue holding past all the LED programming indicators in 

the ESC’s software as shown in the flow chart on back side of this sheet.

3. RELEASE SET BUTTON AS SOON AS ALL 4 LEDs COMES ON

Once released, the 4 status LEDs will flash to indicate what Throttle Profile is 

currently selected. The number of times the LEDs flash indicates the Brushless 

Throttle Profile selection (1 of 3).

4. QUICK PRESS

(& release)

 SET BUTTON TO CHANGE SELECTION

  Each press will change to the next consecutive Throttle Profile. (After Profile 

3 in Brushless-Mode, the sequence begins again at Profile 1)

Note: there is a time constraint during this selection process.

5. ESC STORES SELECTION & BEGINS TO EXIT PROGRAMMING

  If  SET  button  is  not  pressed  for  3  seconds, 

ESC  stores  selected  Profile  in 

memory, exits to neutral & is ready to go. (LEDs turn off in a rolling motion 

left to right, then Red LED turns on solid--Green LED will be on if no transmitter 

signal present & Blue or Blue & Amber LEDs on if Drag or Min. Brakes above 0%).

Note:  ESC reverts to factory default settings & Throttle Profile #1 whenever One-Touch set-up is 

performed (reverts to Profile #4 Brush-Mode if no brushless motor sensor harness is connected).

Mongoose crawler esc adjustments

proper gear selection

throttle profile selection

1-2009

#55-3055P-1

Motor operating temperature is the 

proper way to set the vehicle gearing

The motor should not exceed 170°F at end of run!

Change the gearing to avoid overheating.

 If you do not change gearing after switching to brushless, you may be 

over-geared and have slow acceleration & excessive temperatures!

With the extremely broad power band of the Novak Crawler brushless 

motors, you can gear your vehicle for more top speed (without going 

to a higher voltage battery pack), but remember gearing higher will 

produce more speed control & motor heating. Always check the motor’s 

operating temperature after making any gearing adjustments--motors 

are designed to operate safely up to 160-170ºF.

proFile adjustments

The following parameters are adjustable in the ESC’s software:

DRAG BRAKE (1 of 10 settings from 1.5 to 16% in Brushless Profiles & 1 of 10 

settings from 10 to 90% in Brush-Mode)--The amount of braking applied while 

the transmitter is at neutral. Also known as ‘hill’ or ‘auto’ brakes.

Raising this setting makes the motor slow down more without pushing 

the transmitter’s trigger into the brake/reverse direction.

This adjustment is not available in the Servo/Robotic Profile #3. 

DEAD BAND (1 of 5 settings from 3 to 9%)--The space between Minimum 

Brake and Minimum Drive, with neutral in the middle.

Raising this setting will increase the ‘free play’, or distance your trigger 

must move before forward drive or braking will begin.

MINIMUM DRIVE (1 of 5 settings from 2 to 12%)--The amount of forward 

drive applied with the first pulse of transmitter throttle information.

Raising this setting makes the motor start at a stronger/higher 

level so it takes off more aggressively from neutral.

DRIVE FREQUENCY-Brush-Mode Only-(1 of 7 settings from 3.5 to 15kHz)--The 

frequency at which the duty cycle information is being sent from the speed 

control to the motor to control the speed.

Raising this setting makes the control of the motor feel more smooth.

Normally this value would be lowered for use with higher turn motors to 

get more ‘punch’, and it would be raised for hotter, low-turn motors or slip-

pery track conditions for more control of the power delivery.

Li-PO Detect & cUt-OFF 

This ESC is compatible with 4-9 NiMH or 2-3S Li-Po cells. Novak’s exclusive 

Smart-Stop LiPo Cut-Off Circuitry is built-in and when active (see programming 

on reverse side to turn ON/OFF), it automatically switches to the proper Li-Po 

cut-off voltage for the battery packs you connect. 

This circuitry lets you safely use 2S or 3S Lithium Polymer battery packs by 

cutting off the speed control’s throttle output when a critical safety voltage 

is reached (6.25V for 2S and 9.375V for 3S).

The circuitry constantly monitors the pack voltage. When it gets close to 

the critical safety voltageit begins interrupting, or “blipping,” the throttle 

output as an early warning that the battery’s voltage is getting low and the 

throttle output will soon be completely shut off.

When  the  critical  voltage  is  reached,  the  throttle  output  to  the  motor 

completely shuts down to keep the voltage from dropping further (Red & 

Green LEDs will alternately flash & you still have steering control).

Re-charge battery after Smart-Stop circuitry shuts off throttle

Even though the pack’s voltage will rise (after a short resting period) to a level 

high enough to run motor again, this is not good for Li-Po batteries. Reaching 

critical safety voltage too many times can damage the cells. 

DO NOT CONTINUE TO RUN VEHICLE AFTER THE SMART-STOP HAS SHUT 

DOWN THE THROTTLE OUTPUT THE FIRST TIME.

During power-up when the ESC is switched ON, the Amber & Red 

LEDs will flash together 2 times for 2S or 3 times for 3S  

packs to indicate Li-Po Cut-Off is ACTIVE.

With the Li-Po Cut-Off turned ON & using Ni-Cd or Ni-MH cells, the circuitry will shut off the 

ESC’s throttle output very early into the run due to the different characteristics of these batteries.

mOtOr rOtAtiON SeleCtiOn

The Mongoose Crawler’s software lets you reverse the brushless motor’s 

rotation direction. This allows installation in vehicles with counter-rotating 

drive trains (or opposed transmissions), without compromising performance.

See reverse side of this sheet for programming instructions

P5

expo throttle curve

Profile #2 in the Mongoose Crawler ESC’s software features an exponential 

throttle curve in both the forward and reverse directions. This provides 

you with extremely smooth throttle response for the precision movements 

required in the most demanding technical rock crawling courses.

progressive ramP-uP braking

The Mongoose Crawler ESC’s braking use battery power to slow the motor, 

and can supply amazing amounts of braking. In Brushless Profiles 1 & 2, the 

brakes linearly ramp up to the value of Drag/Hill brakes that you program. 

This provides smooth application of braking without risk of roll-overs.