How To Program Hobbywing ESC without A Program Card

In this post, we will discuss how to program a Hobbywing ESC without a program card.

A program card is probably the easiest way to program an ESC, but most Hobbywing ESCs do not come with one. So, you either have to purchase a program card separately or follow the user manual to program the card by pushing the “set” button on the ESC.

I know from experience how hard it is to push the set button in the exact right order. So, I highly recommend purchasing a program card if you want to adjust the setting on your ESC.

But if you want to program a Hobbywing ESC manually, this guide is for you. Let’s dive in!

How To Program Hobbywing ESC without A Card

For our example, I will explain how to program the EZRun Max 10 ESC from Hobbywing.

1. Make sure the power to the ESC is off and then turn on your transmitter
2. On the ESC, press the on/off button while holding down the set button to turn on the ESC
3. A red LED will flash
4. Then, a green LED will flash one time
5. Release the set button
6. You are now ready to program the ESC and are on the first program item
7. To move to the second program item, hold the set key down for 3 seconds, and you should see the LED flash twice to denote you are on program item #2
8. Repeat step 7 until you are on the program item you wish to adjust
9. Consult the manual to see the various settings the option item has that can be adjusted
10. To finish the programming process, power off the ESC and then power it back on

Once you see the green LED flash, you are now ready to start programming the various settings. Do note the LED will flash red to tell you the item you are currently on and programming.

What Are the Hobbywing ESC Program Items?

Hobbywing will allow you to program the following items:

• Running Mode
• LiPo Cells
• LiPo Cutoff Voltage
• ESC Thermal Protection
• Motor Thermal Protection
• Motor Rotation
• BEC Voltage
• Brake Force
• Reverse Force
• Start Mode, or Punch
• Drag Brake (advanced setting)

As stated in the previous section, the LED will flash red once when you are on item #1, twice when you are on item #2, three times when you are on item #3, and so on until you on on the 11th item which is the advanced drag brake setting.

So, you are starting to see that you can program a Hobbywing ESC without a program card, but it is very difficult, and you need to follow the instructions exactly.

Steps To Program A Hobbywing ESC Without A Card

The hardest part about programming a Hobbywing ESC without a card is entering program mode and making sure you are on the right option.

My experience pushing buttons my whole life has taught me that holding a button down usually brings up more options. This is true for a Hobbywing ESC.

To enter program mode, make sure the ESC is OFF and then hold down the set button until it turns on and a red LED flashes. Then, keep holding the set button down until a green LED flashes. That green flash means you are ready to go and are on the first option, and you can let go of the set button.

Push the set button down again, and the red LED will flash to tell you with setting on that specific option you are going to select.

At this point, the LED will flash red one time to indicate you have selected the first setting in the list of settings for that specific option…confusing, I know!

FAQs For How To Program A Hobbywing ESC Without A Card

Final Thoughts On How To Program A Hobbywing ESC Without A Card

It is really hard to program a Hobbywing ESC without a program card. You have to carefully watch the LED and make sure it has flashed in the appropriate combination. If you are on the wrong option, you could be changing an option you didn’t want to change.

So, do yourself a favor and buy the Hobbywing LCD program box. It will display all the options right on the screen. Ther won’t be any questions as to which option you are on or which setting you re about to change.