Tamiya Tank Forum

[Hairball]

Anyone out there own any of the Tamiya R/C Tanks?

[StevePond]

I had the Sherman tank before I gave it up to Pete, but I'm patiently awaiting the new M26 Pershing tank that was just introduced at the Nurnburg Hobby Show. :D :D :D

[Hairball]

Wow, I was thinking the same thing! :)

I might pick up a Tiger 1, I just wish they weren't so expensive! :eek:

[Hairball]

Well, since this thread has SOOOO many posts on it, I'm guessing one of two things -

1. No one cares about really cool R/C Tanks

2. No one wants to spend that kind of money on a R/C Tank. :)

[bluesy]

Hairball.... I thought about getting one of those ... I think it would be cool to have .... but the cost here is $959.95 CDN (about $640USD).. Too rich for my wallet....:mad: :cool:

[Hairball]

Wait a minute, you own a TXT-1, but think the Tamiya tanks are too expensize?

Hmm, me thinks you need to take another look in to that subject. :D

[bluesy]

Yeah, yer right...... But that price is bare bones... and I'd have to pay almost as much again to get the "battle" equipment. And I'd 'have to have' that!!!! The lhs owner had one running this last week (fully decked out) and it was awesome. The sounds are soooo realistic.... verrrrry cooooool... Still pondering it....:cool: :cool:

[Hairball]

From Towerhobbies you cna get one fully decked out for like $650US

You'd still have to buy radio equipment though... :(

[RCtinkerman]

Hairball, if had $650 to spend at one time on RC, I'd a Kyosho Inferno 7.5 buggy!:D :D :D But tanks are cool though:p

[bluesy]

Hairball.... $650 US ===> $975 CDN..... plus radio gear ... that's a lot of dinero..... probably not for me...... unless my lottery ticket is the winner...LOLOL :cool: :cool:

[Patrik]

Hi! This is my first ever posting to this forum. I just found it.

I have four Tamiya tanks, one Sherman, two King Tigers and one Gepard. They are all TLC intensive but the new DMD version improves this a bit.

Patrik

[Hairball]

Welcome to the forum Patrik!

Got any pictures of your tanks? Sounds like a nice collection. :)

[newracer]

A friend of mine and myself have been thinking about getting a tank each, fully decked out of course so we can battle, just trying to justify the $$$$. I wish they were just a little chaeper.

[Patrik]

Originally posted by Hairball
Welcome to the forum Patrik!

Got any pictures of your tanks? Sounds like a nice collection. :)

Just click on the www button below this post

[StevePond]

Well, I'm just getting started on the M26 Pershing. I went to the hobby shop today and managed to find 12 of the 15 freakin' paint colors LOL! This is going ot take a while, but it should be a lot of fun.

[Hairball]

I want one of those SOOOOO bad. But my Tokyo Marui 1/24 Abrams is going to have to do for now.

With the purchase of my JR Ergo 60, there is no way I can affrod to spend $700 on a tank right now. :D

[Possumbot]

brushless tanks......

[Hairball]

You're insane... :)

[dugrant153]

I LOVE TANKS!

Unfortunately, it is the huge price tag (especially Canadian) that is hurting.

One of the problems with the high price tag is that it pushes away a lot of potential buyers from buying it. The price is just WAY TOO UNREASONABLE. Because of this, the Tamiya tank fad will never really catch on. Only a limited few will be able to play with it, then they'll trade them in or just give up on them because they won't find other players who can afford it.

If the tank was a few hundred dollars cheaper, I would seriously consider it. I seriously love these things, but can't afford it. And since no one else can either (or only a few), I'm going to get bored of it really quickly and just put it on my shelf as a 1000 dollar model.

Tamiya had the right idea with the Battle System.

[hpiguy]

Tamiya also makes tanks like the Tiger and the Sherman that are R/C for only about 80 bucks.

I'm not sure where to find them but I know Tamiya makes them.

They don't have sounds or battle equipment, but they are just as detailed as the larger tanks.

I think they might be the styrene models converted to R/C. Does anybody else know more about these ones?????

[Anthony]

ya iv seen them they suck there so small they get stuck over the littleist things there like a hundred bucks

[hpiguy]

Thank you for the positive and informative reply. :rolleyes:

Maybe you could have posted a link on where to buy them, but nope.

I found a couple of them and they are in fact 80 bucks just like I said. AND they are the regular plastic models you have to build and then decorate. They have THREE channel radios also, all for only 80 bucks.

Regardless of the size (10 inches long) they look like great fun for running in the house (the obvious intended area for running).

Links:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p.pgm?Q=1&I=LXAJG0&P=7

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p.pgm?Q=1&I=LXAZV1&P=7

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p.pgm?Q=1&I=LXCET0&P=7

And seeing as they are made by Tamiya the accersorizing and detaling options are endless.

[Anthony]

id only get the kyosho tanks the mini abrams battle tank the little pocket type

[NXT GP NOVA]

If tamiya made a 1/16 scale M1 Abrams tank, I could see me buying it, the other tanks are just too ugly looking to waste that money on. I am getting the kyosho tanks for 30 bux, I am definately goin to get two of them. They look so cool.

[Anthony]

id be so cool to have a 1/16 abrams tank i want ot be a tank commander when i go to the military, i migthjust buy the pershing tank or the sherman tank

[smoothrider4x4]

My brother has the original Sherman tank with metal treads. It needs some work on the steering linkages/speed control etc. I need to look for some spare parts to get it working again. I remember it running over just about anything that got in its way. It really weighs a lot and used to eat up batterries but of course batterries did not have the power that they do today.

[blaneo]

quit your whinning! how about a violin to go along with it? don't complain about prices, if you want, buy it. save up for it for you have to, you'll just appreciate it more. I have an electric USA-1 that has almost $2000 wrapped up in it. people give me crap about it all the time, do I care? nope, cause I love it, it's my truck, and it always runs when I want it to. tanks are awesome! think about it, the true monster of mayhem. they go anywhere and do anything. who cares if they are heavy and they do suck up juice. what are you in this hobby for? I'm in for fun. my vechicles range in age from two months to fifteen years, and they all still run. call me a sick, twisted individual, but they have become friends of mine. when no one else is around, I can always count on them for a good time. they say money is the root of all evil, but then, they apparently never had an R/C Vehicle. just my nickel's worth... I do plan on buying a tank. it will be worth the money spent.

[alexdj2k]

at the other end of the scale i got a tiny kyosho tank which is about 13 cms x 6 cms for only £25 ($39) it abousulty rocks and can climb up to 72 degrees

:D

[SteveK]

Has anybody tried those 1/35th scale Tamiya tanks, the low-buck static model conversions?

[jedzuki]

Which of the 1/16 tanks has the best rough ground performance?
Are they geared the same?

[dynamic_e]

I just got a bunch of tanks..these things are awesome! Anyone else still rocking a tank?

[dynamic_e]

Hi guys,

Take a look at my forum layout and let me know what you think. I am trying to make a more public and easier to find forum for the armor enthusiasts.

http://www.littlearmor.com/

GIve me some feedback if you can. I am totally new at making forums and hosting, but I am learning and can use any feedback if possible

Thanks!

Eric Nghiem

[RrR]

Thay must be more tankers here? Come show them Tanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cdm]

they are too expensive and too slow for most people's tastes. and, they have BUGS for the $500+ pricetag so you will need to pour money right from the start to fix them. that's why they are not popular in the states... there also aren't any aftermarket parts dealers within the US.

the manual is also inadequate so you better do your research and fix the issues as you are building or you will be in for a world of pain when parts start falling apart during running.


it's not yet finished.

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part7/DSC00098.jpg

some construction shots:

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part3/DSC00099.jpg

the fiber optics are a dog and a half to work with. i wanted to break it all after hours of sweat into it... and if you screw up, there isn't any extra fiber to recover. as a result, my left headlight doesn't really work (as you see the joint didn't work out too well).

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part4/DSC00106.jpg

way fun to run though and will go just about anywhere. :D

so far i have put ~ $1200 into it. Is it worth it? hell no. Is it fun? Totally. Show off factor of 9.

[EC-EXCURSION]

so far i have put ~ $1200 into it. Is it worth it? hell no.
Now that's encouraging...

[cdm]

Now that's encouraging...

It's true though. Over their other models it offers little actual improvement but twice the price tag.

Then again, it is all in the way you perceive it. In my opinion, it is the tank to own since once you get it, you probably won't buy another. The novelty factor does hold, but you want to push it further on and you can't go any further unless they release a more advanced model.

[EC-EXCURSION]

I guess you're right.

Im curious, how did you manage to break on of the fiber optic cables?

[cdm]

After sweating under the huge light for hours i turned it off in favor of an energy (and heat) efficient neon and the room's 70 degrees ambient was too cold for it.

*snaaaaaap*

I could probably fix it by getting some extra fiber from somewhere but you can't do that unless you disconnect all wiring from the upper and lower hulls. The way it stands built, there isn't enough slack to allow you to work on the underside. Just enough to lift it and adjust the tracks, etc.

[davidfromsa]

Hi everybody.

I am new to this forum, I usually post on the Tamiya Tractor trailer thread. This is my first tank. I got it from Tower Hobbies on Wednesday (last week). I finished it on Friday, it took me 20 hours. I accidentally lost my fiber optic piece, so I replaced it with a section of an optical cable I cut. It works fine.

[EC-EXCURSION]

Nice truck and tank. Well david, do you think it was worth it?

[davidfromsa]

Nice truck and tank. Well david, do you think it was worth it?


To me, it is worth it. The tanks are fun, with all the capabilities, and the detail put in to them. Building the tank was a pain though. I am no expert modeler, but in the end, I'm happy. I think it would be even better to have the battle system, and a group of people to battle it out with.

[cdm]

I have the full loadout but haven't actually met up with the local tankers.. shame i must say. oh well.. maybe one day.

on a side note, do not order from backyard armor, biggest joke ever and i am currently trying to get my money back from them. be warned.

[cdm]

Since nobody is posting in here I might as well make a little contribution and see if we can revive the field a bit. There have been hints of a new tamiya model coming out before 2006 as well so that will be interesting to follow. I hope they make the Abrams next. The rumors of the type90 as the next tank release make me cringe! Thing is basically a cheap Leopard 2 a4.

Don’t laugh at the flat base color. I doubt I’ll ever finish the detailing on it, but I like it as it is. Besides I will probably just ruin it if I get a hold of the air brush given my artistic skills. And thus I haven’t applied the decals because I am technically not done with the paint job.

So far it has been through ice, snow, water, mud. Yet to run it in excessive dust and I want to avoid sand altogether. The ice was the worst. It packed itself into the horn guides of the sprocket wheel (more on that below) and my tracks spin free as the teeth did not make contact.

There are few fixes/improvements you have to do out of the box or you will not really enjoy this model to its fullest.

- Remove the sprocket wheel guide.. Remove them! Did more damage than I thought possible. Part #s W1 and W2. Everything jams in there making your track jump out of the sprocket teeth and then slam catch back until you clean it. Also, when you turn they rub against the track horns and now mine are excessively worn. I should have never put that crappy plastic part on there. Don’t make the same mistake. Runs like a dream without it with less grinding and haven’t had a jam in many hours of backyard tanking.

- Add weight to the front. There is plenty of hollow space. be creative.. it helps balance out the weight of the battery in the rear and it makes it less bouncy + doesn't flip on hills. Not that I have tortured it up a steep enough grade though.

- Thread lock every single chassis screw and bolt. That means plastic as well. Nothing beats having parts come off before you have even finished assembly..



- Refer to the above and then in step 27 when you are screwing in the mounts for the upper deck to the hull ( ML1 onto C2 with MA2) make sure you thread lock it, CA glue them and tighten with pliers or similar. What happens is that if it isn’t tight enough (and it won’t be by default) when you screw in the deck (upper hull as tamiya calls it) to the hull with the 2 bottom screws the ML1 part will spin freely effectively jamming the two hull parts half tightened. If you don’t catch it on time you will have to drill out the screw(s) and ML1 so you can remove the two hull parts and start anew. I fortunately saw it in time and managed to grasp ML1 with pliers through the crevice of the deck and hull and unscrew the faulty linkage then tighten it proper. No you don’t get spares so that means a trip to the store to fabricate a substitute.

- Thread lock the wheel screws + ca glue the two wheel parts together. People have had theirs fall off. Same for the suspension arm screws. Those are flimsy and if it wasn’t for the track actually holding the wheels in line they might fall off.

- When I bought the tank the bearing kit was $100 before shipping from HK. Now the same is 20$ but I can't exactly add it on. You have to take apart the whole tank and after you toughen up the suspension that becomes next to impossible. Good news is the only wheel that might actually need a bearing is the idler due to the huge pressure on it.

- get the brass aftermarket idler kit. This is a must. The one that tamiya put in the box is a pathetic excuse. Stock track tension was unusable. I recommend ordering from the UK’s tankzone shop as certain US retailers lie about stock status and actually take months to deliver (neither do they respond to queries about the delay).


- Try to avoid the 27 MHz radios... too much interference and this thing is sensitive to it. Even the smallest fluctuation will result in noticeable movement issues.



- Don't cry when the fiber lights do not come out as shown in the manual. It is impossible to get exact. I have a few words for the person who decided to use fiber

Instead of real point to point LEDs. At certain stages of the mounting you will have to improvise and really jam those in there. Step 31 is an example. In step 32, put some lube on the rubber things else it is a pain to get them to slide in between L2, L4, L1 etc. With lube it is a nice fit and you won’t tear the rubbers struggling.




- Avoid grassy areas with grass stumps.. Those love to grind your tracks and can potentially break off your sprockets. When turning the track gets pushed against it and bites, wanting to jump off the sprocket. A real tank would decimate the obstacle, but the toy cannot. You have to watch for that.. they are pickier than cars as to how they go places.

- Avoid concrete; it will eat your pads.

- Watch that you don't spin the turret more than once and rip all your wiring off. It has been done but luckily not by me. To fix that I drew arrows on the controller as I park the turret over the body to save room. This way I always know which way I should turn it out and into park. Point is make sure you have a reliable way of keeping count how many turns in each direction you have, especially in between uses when you tend to forget such details.

- The barrel assembly is somewhat fragile... pay attention where it is pointing at.

- Certain 3300mah batteries will be a tad big bigger (due to beefy cell joints). Those will not fit in the battery bay and will require you trim some of the battery enclosure and probably stick it inside in a semi permanent way. That’s what I did with my latest pack. Further, you may need to cut the battery wires shorter so they won't budge and cause you grief when you to close the turret. What I noticed is that the wires are too long and the connector cannot find a place so it either jams the barrel assembly or prevents you from placing the cover on requiring manual adjustment through the gunner’s hatch.

- The Velcro strips are useless in step 71. Pain to line up proper (you will fail many a times trust me). The flaps have never opened on me anyway. Can’t imagine why anyone would need them.

- Might want to reinforce the D5 parts but I can't describe that exactly with words... you probably have noticed the two "armor" plates (D5) being somewhat loose due to them being held at only 3 sides.. You can make a 4th joint to K27 and have a movement free turret.

Along many other... most people obsess with the paint and ignore all else. I run my models so functionality is my top priority. This is complex model with many parts so the list is long (and incomplete) so don't let that scare you. Few of the fixes have been pointed by a couple other nice folks and that saved me a lot of headaches. Tanks are a niche market and those with this price tag even more so. Very hard to find any real info on them and one of the sites that had a lot of data suffered a database crash so it is all lost.

Here are some of the most recent photos I’ve taken, just for the visual appeal:

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part9/DSC00037.jpg
http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part9/DSC00030.jpg
http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part9/DSC00029.jpg
http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part9/DSC00035.jpg

edit: typing fast will cause errors.. i'll fix it later tonight. :p I have to go run some last minute errands now.

[RrR]

Got an (old) new Tank today to add tow my fleet Tamiya King Tiger(1981) Now I have some thing to go with my Sherman(1974)

[cdm]

Oh crud i can't edit the post any longer and i revised it with much more detail including actual part numbers..

Wasted time and effort.

I've been looking at some of those vintage tanks on ebay and they appear to be quite simple. Do you change all the internals on them or do you run them with the equipment that comes stock (if any). The only usable thing from them would be the shell and even that is dubious as we now have the new versions of the same machines (tiger, sherman and a few more).

[RrR]

I've been looking at some of those vintage tanks on ebay and they appear to be quite simple. Do you change all the internals on them or do you run them with the equipment that comes stock (if any). The only usable thing from them would be the shell and even that is dubious as we now have the new versions of the same machines (tiger, sherman and a few more). Well I like the older models myself.Thay are simpler to work on and seem to have a tougher drive train. No DMD needed! Just 2 or more channel radio a few servos,Esc and there you go.Don,t get me wrong the the newer ones are good too But with the money you(I) can save 200-400 bucks! (I)you can do a lot of neat,cool things to make them better then there DMD counter parts.Thats the fun part of R/C for me anyway... :)

[narcop]

Hello all. I was wondering. what is the best Radio to buy? Also I am having a hard time deciding which tank to buy. It is a toss up between the Sherman M4, the Pershing, or the new Leopard 2A6. If you have any suggestions please let me know. :confused:
Thanks in advance,
Chris

[Backyard-Tracks]

This is my first post here.... I've just now got into tanks and love them... I purchased a 21st century 1/6 scale Stuart just to see how I'd like tanks. As you can see from the picture I've done a little work to it. It was originally the Jungle Fever version. Since I've got this one I cant wait to get another one I'm very seriously considering the Tamiya full function Leopard I've seen the video of it on Tamiya's site it is killer!!!
http://www.mbone.rchomepage.com/images/after_machinegun_armor_removed.JPG

[narcop]

Bacyard. Thanks for the reply. The only problem I have with the leopard is the price. $ way to much. If you get the leoperd, let me know how it is.
Thanks,
Chris

[Backyard-Tracks]

Chris,
I'll let you know on the Leopard... It might take me a couple months to get it :mad: ... Its just to much cash to drop all at one time. I'm going to have to save my pennies up for it!! :D . As far as your question about the radio any 4 channel radio will do the trick. I prefer a 5 or 6 channel radio though that way if I want to add something I've got the extra channels. I've got a couple of old Tower Hobbies 6 channel radios that I plan to use.

Blake

[cdm]

Read previous posts about the leo. In short it will leave the old era machines in the dust.

The price difference between a fully loaded ww2 machine and it might be based on the tracks (best stock ones i've seen) and the numerous little details (real chain for the grenade launchers, etched parts etc).

Well I like the older models myself.Thay are simpler to work on and seem to have a tougher drive train. No DMD needed! Just 2 or more channel radio a few servos,Esc and there you go.Don,t get me wrong the the newer ones are good too But with the money you(I) can save 200-400 bucks! (I)you can do a lot of neat,cool things to make them better then there DMD counter parts.Thats the fun part of R/C for me anyway.

I've seen some with metal chassis or chassis inserts. :D I think the DMD unit makes it fool proof. Eliminates a lot of the moving parts (servo twitch is bad :eek: ) but probably if given an option i would go without it for cost reasons. I might pick me an old piece of armor but i have my eyes on a nice train set this month (i want to have a few of each, trains, boats, planes ).

What i like about the dmd is you can set the operation just the way you want it. Right now i can control the leo with a single thumb. Nice to have a free hand without having to worry about not making the turn and hitting that curb.

[Backyard-Tracks]

cdm,
Do you have any pics or video of your Leo?? I'd love to see if you do...

[cdm]

Didn't they show in my previous posts? I have tons of photos (from the box up till now).

anyhow, here is the "master folder"

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo

Haven't made a video of it yet since my camera is not really suited for those.

[Macdaddy4738]

which one of the tanks are the best?

I was thinking about getting the Sherman...600 bucks including radio is a steal!!

[cdm]

You get what you pay for.

[Backyard-Tracks]

cdm,
Thanks for the link.. the Leo looks good!! Man I cant wait to get mine and get started on it.

[Backyard-Tracks]

Hi everybody.

I am new to this forum, I usually post on the Tamiya Tractor trailer thread. This is my first tank. I got it from Tower Hobbies on Wednesday (last week). I finished it on Friday, it took me 20 hours. I accidentally lost my fiber optic piece, so I replaced it with a section of an optical cable I cut. It works fine.

Love the Pershing!! looks good. what truck and trailer is that?? where can I find a trailer like that?

[Macdaddy4738]

so is the Sherman not good?

Id really want the Lep. but the price is wayyy to high for me.

[Backyard-Tracks]

so is the Sherman not good?

Id really want the Lep. but the price is wayyy to high for me.


In my opinion there is nothing wrong with the Sherman... I plan to get the Sherman as well as the Pershing after I get the Leo and get it going. Check out these Tank Videos (http://www.rcgrabbag.com/rctanks/videos/index.htm) it has some good videos of all the Tamiya tanks in action. Their is like three or four good vids of the Sherman. Dont be afraid to get the Sherman!! After you see the videos of it it will make you want it even more.

[Macdaddy4738]

how much have you spent on your tank?

any sites that have extras in that scale?

[narcop]

Well still trying to decide which tank to get. On the Sherman and the Pershing tanks, con you control the tracks so that one track is going foward and the other in reverse, like the Leopard? Hope I explained that correctly.

Thanks for your help,
Chris

[Macdaddy4738]

Well still trying to decide which tank to get. On the Sherman and the Pershing tanks, con you control the tracks so that one track is going foward and the other in reverse, like the Leopard? Hope I explained that correctly.

Thanks for your help,
Chris

yea im stilll trying to decide between the Sherman Pershing and Leopard too...

i dont think the other 2 tanks have that capability though. Looking at the pictures of construction of the 3 the Leopard has a huge gearbox in the back that allows it to do that. The sherman and Pershing dont.

[Backyard-Tracks]

how much have you spent on your tank?

any sites that have extras in that scale?

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. you are talking about my 1/6 scale Suart right? As of now all I have tied up in it is the price of the tank $149.00 (Wal-Mart) and about $8.00 for paint (Wal-Mart). Istill need to get around to adding the good radio gear to it and installing the paint gun marker. As far as upgrade parts for it their are several.. check out these sites
Armorpax (http://www.paintedleathers.com/)

Rolling thunder (http://www.r-c-tanks.com/)

Foxflier (http://www.foxflier.com/stuart/index.htm)

[Macdaddy4738]

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. you are talking about my 1/6 scale Suart right? As of now all I have tied up in it is the price of the tank $149.00 (Wal-Mart) and about $8.00 for paint (Wal-Mart). Istill need to get around to adding the good radio gear to it and installing the paint gun marker. As far as upgrade parts for it their are several.. check out these sites
Armorpax (http://www.paintedleathers.com/)

Rolling thunder (http://www.r-c-tanks.com/)

Foxflier (http://www.foxflier.com/stuart/index.htm)

i was asking anyone lol. But still yours is a good idea. I dont think i have the expertise to do that though...

the details are perfect! I planned on loading mine down with stuff like that when i get enough to buy one

[cdm]

$1200+

900 tank, 20 shipping, 30$ barrel, 70$ battle system, 120$ radio equipment, 30$ idler kit, 30$ battery, ~ 40$ in paint and misc supplies. + any shipping charges + tax that i forgot to include + gas to get the above.


http://www.tankzone.co.uk/ is the most comprehensive site for parts (that actually sends you your items!).

oh also, you need extra grease. i used a combination of oil and grease in the semi sealed gearbox. because the grease tends to get pushed to the walls byt the gears a little oil ensures it drops down and there is always something on the moving components.

[RrR]

[QUOTE=cdm]
I've seen some with metal chassis or chassis inserts. :D I think the DMD unit makes it fool proof. Eliminates a lot of the moving parts (servo twitch is bad :eek: ) My old (1974,1981)Tamiyas have aluminum chassis,s.If you run your servos leeds right and keep your reciver up high as posable you get no glitchs.I just dont like to be limited to what you can do with the DMD.As for the 'hitting the crub'find a better place to play or learn to drive better. :D

[cdm]

I've never hit a curb or wrecked an RC.. :D Key word is worry, not do it ;p .

i want to keep my record straight so i am staying out of flying things. for now ;)

Limitation is in how you perceive it. You can certainly hook up a dual motor ESC to most tanks and do it the old way (if it has 2 motors). It would be nice if there was a parts kit without the electrics (which account for 70% of the price).

[Backyard-Tracks]

anyone deal with dave4what's hobbies?? they have the Sherman for $299.00 it's not the full function version.
Sherman (http://dave4what.com/militarykits/view.asp?PartNum=TAM-56005)

[Macdaddy4738]

$1200+

900 tank, 20 shipping, 30$ barrel, 70$ battle system, 120$ radio equipment, 30$ idler kit, 30$ battery, ~ 40$ in paint and misc supplies. + any shipping charges + tax that i forgot to include + gas to get the above.


http://www.tankzone.co.uk/ is the most comprehensive site for parts (that actually sends you your items!).


thats alot haha

any chance that there is a US Distrubuter?

[Backyard-Tracks]

anyone see the r/c paint gun tank battle on Inside R/C?? looked like they where all using 1/6 scale scratch built tanks.

[cdm]

thats alot haha

any chance that there is a US Distrubuter?

http://backyardarmor.com/

but they are slow, their stock status is innacurate and they do not respond to *ANY* communication whatsoever. Needless to say i did not have a good exeperience with them.

Yes it's a pretty chunk of change but i know many people spend way more than that on cars (that they are never happy with) and don't even know it. You cannot really mod one of those so you know that once you buy it, that will pretty much be the roof for your expenditure.

I've really no idea what is the purpose of the metal parts (mirrors, handles etc).... though i suppose there is a market for those if you must replace OEM parts with something :cool:

[RrR]

I've never hit a curb or wrecked an RC.. :D Key word is worry, not do You have never wrecked an R/C? Not even a little fender bender? Do you play with your toys? Well if you just put them together and set them on a shelf I could see it being done. ;) But I like to run mine dirt,grass in the creek( very shallow creek) much more fun to play with then just to look at. But hey to each his own.

[RrR]

anyone deal with dave4what's hobbies?? they have the Sherman for $299.00 it's not the full function version.
Sherman (http://dave4what.com/militarykits/view.asp?PartNum=TAM-56005) I checked it out that is the model before the mulit-unit one.That not a bad price and it can be made to full ops.But you can get a full ops model on the ebay(I hate ebay) for around the same money I belive.

[Backyard-Tracks]

I know what you mean about Ebay. I cant stand it either!!!!

[cdm]

You have never wrecked an R/C? Not even a little fender bender? Do you play with your toys? Well if you just put them together and set them on a shelf I could see it being done. ;) But I like to run mine dirt,grass in the creek( very shallow creek) much more fun to play with then just to look at. But hey to each his own.

If my own legs count then i've crashed into myself.. haha. No damage or body scratches (except the underside but who cares about that) so far.

Seriously i am meticulous when it comes to controlling these things. I do put them on a shelf though.. but use them weekly.

Dirty displays > clean displays. ;)

[RrR]

If my own legs count then i've crashed into myself.. haha. No damage or body scratches (except the underside but who cares about that) so far.

Seriously i am meticulous when it comes to controlling these things. I do put them on a shelf though.. but use them weekly.

Dirty displays > clean displays. ;)I never really crashed my tank(much) But I beat my Maxx hard LOL. As far as being clean I keep all moving parts spotless But the rest well I thank thay look cool with a little(some times alot) of dirt on them LOL :D

[cdm]

Ironic enough i do the opposite. I wipe the bodies (lexan, tanks, etc) but don't do much to the frame. The only bath the leo has had is with the faucet sprinkler in the track wells/wheels/underside to get most of the mud out.

To keep the thread going (and convert some more people to the 1/16 armor division) here is another one:

http://66.156.109.239/images/leo/part10/DSC00003.JPG

[Macdaddy4738]

Ironic enough i do the opposite. I wipe the bodies (lexan, tanks, etc) but don't do much to the frame. The only bath the leo has had is with the faucet sprinkler in the track wells/wheels/underside to get most of the mud out.

To keep the thread going (and convert some more people to the 1/16 armor division) here is another one:

http://66.156.109.239/images/leo/part10/DSC00003.JPG

your pic doesnt show :(

so are there any must haves when building a tank? I think i will be getting the sherman or Tiger

[cdm]

your pic doesnt show :(

so are there any must haves when building a tank? I think i will be getting the sherman or Tiger

Server has been giving me problems for some odd reason.. it is a new one at that too. Should be ok now, i hope. :confused:

i didn't know till you let me know it failed again though. thanks.

[RrR]

Well got my armor back in running shape again.Will be posting pix soon

[RrR]

My 1/16 tanks http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture507.jpg

[RrR]

More pix http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture506.jpg

[RrR]

Tank http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture504.jpg

[RrR]

Last one http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture503.jpg

[RrR]

The Sherman is the same color all over painted at same time with the same paint.But when I take pix one side looks diffrent as shown in the pix.LOL

[cdm]

Nice camo on the first one. How did you get it so smooth?

[RrR]

Nice camo on the first one. How did you get it so smooth?I am just that dang good ;) Not really it was painted thay way when I got it. I don,t really care for that camo but I will leve it that way for a bit longer I am going to zimit it sooner or later . Post some of you pix let us see what all you have. :)

[narcop]

yea im stilll trying to decide between the Sherman Pershing and Leopard too...

i dont think the other 2 tanks have that capability though. Looking at the pictures of construction of the 3 the Leopard has a huge gearbox in the back that allows it to do that. The sherman and Pershing dont.


Well, I made my decision and bought the Sherman from Tower Hobbies. From what I understand the tracks are capable of reversing eachother. After weighing the pros and cons, and although the Leopard was a very close 2nd, I decided to go with the Sherman b/c I have always liked it and the tank is a piece of history. Opposed to the Leopard which is the latest technology. The Sherman right now doesn't hit the wallet so hard as the Leopard does but, after I build the Sherman I will most likely catch the bug and build the Leopard. If anyone has any suggestions on accessories for this tank please let me know.

Thanks,
Chris

[RrR]

Well, I made my decision and bought the Sherman from Tower Hobbies.

Thanks,
ChrisGood to hear!!! But you need something WW2 to go with that Sherman Tiger or King Tiger would be nice LOL

[cdm]

i am holding back for the new modern tamiya release. It has to be the abrams.. pretty please!

*bites nails*

[narcop]

i am holding back for the new modern tamiya release. It has to be the abrams.. pretty please!

*bites nails*

cdm when does Tamiya usually announce their releases. RrR I'd love to add the Tiger to the Sherman but the Sergeant at Arms (wife) would not be very happy. Do you guys recommend any particular radio hardware? I want to use a 6 channel. I was planning on using my JR 6ch, but I'll have to get another receiver.

Thanks
Chris

[cdm]

Usually about two months prior. There has been a lot of speculation about the next tank/truck release as they seem to be obsessed with making subarus and tt01 cars that are all the same. summer 2005 - 2006 is what some have claimed.

No way i can verify that, neither have the sources actually offered proof. An "insider" claimed a while back it would be the Type90 but i highly doubt that becase it is a domestic release and tamiya has always attemped to apply to the global market.

I know they were frustrated when heng long copied their tiger 1 down to the box and even fired a lifelong employee over leaking information. That's where the Type90 rumour began from i think.

[cdm]

I've been busy.. i broke a sprocket today. That's ok, it is a known problem and now i see why. The two parts are held by glue so guess what, it will happen! I think the right one loves to die first.

I was able to recover it so it is off to the welder tomorrow to get it fixed. i have photos, but i will update later when i get the machine running again.


don't ask how taking it off was. i swear if you think pulling it off a real abrams with another tank and breaking chains in the process is an overkill, you ain't seen nothing till you try to get it off the 1/16 scale toy.

[reptile]

:( I have 3 king tigers and about 5 of the 1/24 marui shooting tanks.
I like to run my tamiya tanks i take them in a park and follow the dirt trails while walking behind them maneuvering them through the obstacles..
Only thing is they break to easy i stripped a gear in one of my gear boxes the other day now it's sitting up on the shelf!!will cost a pretty penny to fix about $65.00! maybe better off selling the thing.
I think the tamiya tanks aren't made for use in dirt or up hill climbing and are mainly for looks... My 1/24 marui tanks are tuffer they take a lot more abuse.
I wish my tamiyas where made better and stronger...
I know am buying a kyosho blizzard maybe this will be able to actually go where tracked vehicles supposed to go!

[cdm]

The maruis are tougher because they are basically 2 plastic hulls joined together and their tracks (the links) break before anything else has the chance to.

the old tamiya open gearboxes are known for stripping and they fixed this with the leo but i am still trying to figure out why on earth they made the sprockets of two parts glued together?!

[reptile]

Do you have any pic's of your gearbox from the new tank?
Go here there is a few of the tanks i have painted up.
my tanks (http://www.arxreptiles.com/picturs.htm)
here is my 1/24 custom mean green machiene
http://www.arxreptiles.com/Graphics/meangreen.JPG

[HOLDEN 1]

Greetings From Sydney I Own 1 Tamiya Sherman Dmd Drive The Basic One (no Bells& Whistles) And Have A Leopard 2a6 1/16 On The Way From Hk.there Aren't Really Many People Into This Hobby In Aus So You Guys Are The Only People I Can Relate To,in This Regard.i Hope We Can Offer Insight To Each Other E.g. I Stripped One Of My Plastic Gears,does Anyone Know If I Can Buy A New Gear? Or Do I Have To Replace The Whole Unit.or Can I Buy The Gear Boxes That The New Sherman Uses.being A Discontinued Model I,ve Not Been Able To Find Parts. I Would Greatly Appreciate Help, My Tank Is About 3 Years Old And I Miss It! ALSO I,M AFTER THE IDLER UPGRADE FOR THE LEOPARD ANY IDEAS?

[reptile]

Looks like you will need a new gear box ... they sell it with the motor.
Go here if you don't know what gear box you need E-mail dave he will know.
Daves hobby (http://dave4what.com/index.html)



Greetings From Sydney I Own 1 Tamiya Sherman Dmd Drive The Basic One (no Bells& Whistles) And Have A Leopard 2a6 1/16 On The Way From Hk.there Aren't Really Many People Into This Hobby In Aus So You Guys Are The Only People I Can Relate To,in This Regard.i Hope We Can Offer Insight To Each Other E.g. I Stripped One Of My Plastic Gears,does Anyone Know If I Can Buy A New Gear? Or Do I Have To Replace The Whole Unit.or Can I Buy The Gear Boxes That The New Sherman Uses.being A Discontinued Model I,ve Not Been Able To Find Parts. I Would Greatly Appreciate Help, My Tank Is About 3 Years Old And I Miss It! ALSO I,M AFTER THE IDLER UPGRADE FOR THE LEOPARD ANY IDEAS?

[HOLDEN 1]

THANKS REPTILE
11:22pm IN AUS GOOD NIGHT

[davidfromsa]

I got the trailer off ebay. It's a Bruder. It's all plastic except for the axles, but it's still kinda cool. If you go to www.bruder.com, sign up for a free catalogue. They have some pretty cool stuff in there. My truck is Tamiya king hauler 1/14. It kicks ace.

[cdm]

ALSO I,M AFTER THE IDLER UPGRADE FOR THE LEOPARD ANY IDEAS?

dave4 for the gearboxes and here for the idler:

http://www.tankzone.co.uk/cart/tz_l2a6.htm

i've already posted this like 5 posts up too :rolleyes:

the kit is a must.

[HOLDEN 1]

THANKS cdm
I CHECKED IT OUT,ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT THE AUS$ IS REALLY WEAK IN THE UK & TANK ZONE DOES NOT ACCEPT AMEX.GREAT STORE THOUGH,IF I CHOOSE TO RUN THE TANK 80% OF THE TIME INDOORS & SCREEN THE OUTDOOR AREAS CARFULLY BEFORE RUNNING THE TANK, & I DO KNOW WHAT TO AVOID HENCE MY 3 YEAR OLD SHERMAN WHICH EXPERIENCED THINGS MY LEOPARD WONT.THAT IS UNTIL I GET OVER ITS COST.IN THE PAST I,VE DRIVEN FOR AN HOUR TO FIND A DECENT PLACE AND IM NOT AS PICKY AS I SOUND THERE ARE NO DIRT TRACKS BMX TRACKS R/C TRACKS NOTHING AROUND MY AREA, HOW CRUCIAL IS THE IDLER & WHY?.WHAT IF I WISH TO BUY THE IDLER LATER ALONG WITH METAL TRACKS (THE METAL TRACKS SEEM MORE CORRECT)WOULD IT BE HARD TO CHANGE. IS THE LEOPARD ANY BETTER THAN THE OTHER 4CH TAMIYA KITS,I HOPE SO BECAUSE THE PERSHING SEEMS NICE & IS MUCH CHEAPER ONE THING THE LEOPARD HAS GOING FOR IT IS ITS SIZE(HOW LONG IS THE ACTUAL TANK WITHOUT THE MAIN GUN?)AND I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING A WW2 TANK NEXT TO A MODERN TANK.CONSIDERING PART OF THE REASON I ENJOY THIS HOBBY IS THE HISTORY AND THE MACHINES THEMSELVES 1000's OF TONS BEING THROWN ABOUT, I FIND IT MORE COMPELING THAN FLIGHT!
THANKS FOR THE HELP

[cdm]

THANKS cdm
I CHECKED IT OUT,ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT THE AUS$ IS REALLY WEAK IN THE UK & TANK ZONE DOES NOT ACCEPT AMEX.GREAT STORE THOUGH,IF I CHOOSE TO RUN THE TANK 80% OF THE TIME INDOORS & SCREEN THE OUTDOOR AREAS CARFULLY BEFORE RUNNING THE TANK, & I DO KNOW WHAT TO AVOID HENCE MY 3 YEAR OLD SHERMAN WHICH EXPERIENCED THINGS MY LEOPARD WONT.THAT IS UNTIL I GET OVER ITS COST.IN THE PAST I,VE DRIVEN FOR AN HOUR TO FIND A DECENT PLACE AND IM NOT AS PICKY AS I SOUND THERE ARE NO DIRT TRACKS BMX TRACKS R/C TRACKS NOTHING AROUND MY AREA, HOW CRUCIAL IS THE IDLER & WHY?.WHAT IF I WISH TO BUY THE IDLER LATER ALONG WITH METAL TRACKS (THE METAL TRACKS SEEM MORE CORRECT)WOULD IT BE HARD TO CHANGE. IS THE LEOPARD ANY BETTER THAN THE OTHER 4CH TAMIYA KITS,I HOPE SO BECAUSE THE PERSHING SEEMS NICE & IS MUCH CHEAPER ONE THING THE LEOPARD HAS GOING FOR IT IS ITS SIZE(HOW LONG IS THE ACTUAL TANK WITHOUT THE MAIN GUN?)AND I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING A WW2 TANK NEXT TO A MODERN TANK.CONSIDERING PART OF THE REASON I ENJOY THIS HOBBY IS THE HISTORY AND THE MACHINES THEMSELVES 1000's OF TONS BEING THROWN ABOUT, I FIND IT MORE COMPELING THAN FLIGHT!
THANKS FOR THE HELP

holy caps batman! :eek: anyhow,

I had a terrible time getting the track tension right which resulted in an unusable track. The stock plastic idler has a stupid screw that seems to always strip the thread (yet works?) and two positions of adjustment. Stock and super tight. You can run stock but i have some more weight on the machine and the suspension sits just a bit lower which is enough to create slack. even in super stock state, you will notice the tracks grinding onto the sprocket from having too much slack depending on where you drive it.

The price of the kit (and tracks) are universal so it doesn't matter where you get them from, and what currency you pay in. The difference is negligible. however because the tankzone ships internationally, it seems like your best option, unless you can source them off ebay somehow.

to change them you need to separate the two hulls and remove the idlers. then you just work the track off. pretty simple.


it will leave ww2 machines in the dirt. it is much tougher but as you can see, stuff will always break. i've fixed my sprocket and reinsforced the other one and will post along with photos the results soon. haven't had the time to put it back together so far.

driving for an hour to pick a spot? save yourself the drive and just run it somewhere mate. as long as you pay attention not to jam anything in the wheels (branches, stones etc) it will be ok. one surface it hates though is dried leaves especially during the autumn. stumpy grass is the killer of it. it was what broke my sprocket...

concrete allows for some really smooth moves but will eat your pads over time. smooth tile would be best imo if you want to look at the grace of it performing. though fine packed dirt is just as good.

just watch for grass and stumps, especially when turning.

i am going to mount a wireless camera and go snooping around the neighborhood soon. :p

edit: i forgot you asked about the body.. it is about 2 inches longer than the tt01 subaru 2001 edition. that would make it about 19.1 inches.

edit2: more parts to remove (or not put on in the first place).. the mud flaps.. those rubbery things, you know them right. The X2 parts. They will cause you grief when you are trying to reverse over obstacles or will simply tear off when you bring the rear down a "ravine" or whatever. No wonder the abrams don't have them.. they get in the way.

More hints: the photo etched parts over the engine fans on the rear deck (Q20), watch it as sometimes the turret can get pushed down by the cover (it pays to tuck your wires extra well) and when you spin the turret it might rub on them and bend/break the edges. i caught that in time so no damage there. some glue to affix the photo etched overlays to the Q20 should do it. it will only happen if the wires are bulging though. very hard not to given the space you have.

and an obvious hint just for kicks: turning off the sound will give you insane run times @ 70% of power. I am able to run it for miles up and down a 150 foot hill and chase it down the road with the golf cart too. you can easily squeeze an hour of fun without sound and with conservative turns (turns run the 2 motors).

just call me the leo bible ;)

[HOLDEN 1]

Sorry About The Caps, It Helps Me Because I Dont Really Ever Type, Thanks For The Tips If You Think Of Anything Else Please Let Me Know.i Will Be Sure To Send Pics After It Gets Here & I Finish It.
Where Did You Get Your Leo From & How Much? Mine Was Ordered From Stellamodels In Hk With Bearings For $760 Us + All The P&h, It Would Have Cost Me $1550aus Without The Bearings + 6 Weeks Waiting If Purchased From Here.

Do You Know If The Tamiya Detailed Main Gun Hop Up Option Is Worth It?

[cdm]

I got it from a US seller. No way on earth i will ever pay 150$ in shipping. Ever.

[HOLDEN 1]

Try $172US shipping.But even then for me, I pay a lot less than a local hobby store would charge,there's really only 1 or 2 major hobby stores in Sydney so you don't really have much choice,especially for such a niche r/c item.I've been to the States quite a number of times, always enjoyed myself, and wow when it comes to this sort of thing the sky's the limit.

How good does the Leo sound is it better than the WW2 tanks, the pershing that I heard was good, even had decent bass.Do you know if the little speaker box is bigger in the Leo? I would like to upgrade the speaker if I can find a way that's reasonable.

I'm a home theater enthusiast & well, you get the idea.Does tamiya do nascar r/c kits.

[RrR]

holy caps batman! :eek: anyhow,


it will leave ww2 machines in the dirt. it is much tougher Well after I got my rear ideler ajusted on my KT(1981) I had no problems on any terrain dirt hill,grass any I have ran on But the KT is really fast too fast for scale. No in house play. With a 7cell pack it will spin the tracks on pavment,hard pack dirt on the lose stuff it throws rooster tails LOL but I beleve a 55t Integy 540 lathe motor will slow it down(Mabuchi RS540 17,500 Vs Intgy 55t 8,000 Rpms).But my Sherman(1974) is painfully slow.But I have never met a slope it will not climb.

[cdm]

Well after I got my rear ideler ajusted on my KT(1981) I had no problems on any terrain dirt hill,grass any I have ran on But the KT is really fast too fast for scale. No in house play. With a 7cell pack it will spin the tracks on pavment,hard pack dirt on the lose stuff it throws rooster tails LOL but I beleve a 55t Integy 540 lathe motor will slow it down(Mabuchi RS540 17,500 Vs Intgy 55t 8,000 Rpms).But my Sherman(1974) is painfully slow.But I have never met a slope it will not climb.

The classics are a little different than the modern releases in the way they act.. i don't own any yet since they are hard to come by in good condition. sourcing parts is impossible.

spinning tracks on pavement though is wicked.... how heavy is it? can't be over a pound to do that.

there have been a couple of classics on ebay lately and now there is a leo 1 i am almost fighting not to snag.

if i didn't spend my money on other toys this month i wouldn't even think about it and gotten it already.

[RrR]

The classics are a little different than the modern releases in the way they act.. i don't own any yet since they are hard to come by in good condition. sourcing parts is impossible.

spinning tracks on pavement though is wicked.... how heavy is it? can't be over a pound to do that. Well not sure of the weight but it weighs a little bit less then my Sherman with metal tracks and it weighs a good 6+ So 5 to 5 1/2 pounds. As far as parts go older Leo trannys are the same and the rest of the New KT parts are more or less the same EZ mod to make them work.Soon as I get a Tamiya battle unit I will figger out how to intgrade it into a 4-6 channel system just in case I have to shoot it out with some other tanks LOL

[bmanderville]

Hi all,

I ususally hang in the Tamiya big rig forum, but I bought a Tank. Ordered lots of hop ups from backyardarmor on Wednesday, arrived today. CDM(?) was having problems with them but I think they have cleaned up their act.

Now onto the build, I have posted this link in the big rigs forum as they wanted to see the pice. Painting (priming) just started and I will be adding pics to this site as I move along.

The Build (http://bmanderville.home.comcast.net/kingtiger.mht)

I will be asking questions in this forum during the build as to what you think. Any input is apprecitated.

Bernie

[KENCHOCO2]

your link does not show the pics....choco

[bmanderville]

your link does not show the pics....choco


It's huge, and if your on dial up don't bother, it will take forever to load. I need to make it into a real website rather then what I have now. Not much to see anyway, just a bunch of parts. The guy's in the Tamiya Tractor Trailer forum wanted to see them.

Bernie

[Anthony]

Hi guys, I was wondering about the "easy eight" conversion for the sherman tank. And id like to know if all the functions still work: like the turret turning and the barrel moveing.

Thanks.

[cdm]

It's huge, and if your on dial up don't bother, it will take forever to load. I need to make it into a real website rather then what I have now. Not much to see anyway, just a bunch of parts. The guy's in the Tamiya Tractor Trailer forum wanted to see them.

Bernie
oh my god i never paid attention to it before but it is huge.. :cool:

though the pics are worh it. as for the painting i painted mine before i put it together, but now i decided to change the color so i painted it over as it is. can't tell the difference if you pay a little care to masking stuff.

with the sprockets fixed i expect to have it running this weekend, for the first time in a few weeks now.

[bmanderville]

My metal tracks showed up today, they are really nice and are going to add some serious heft to the tank.

NO I have just about everything, except enough paint, hopefully Tamiya will be releasing soon.

What do you guy's do to paint your tracks?

Bernie

[cdm]

Why would you paint them? It will all come off unless you make it a static model. You can probably powdercoat the metal but that is an overkill.

Plastics you can stain but since you got the metal tracks that's not going to work.

[jampie]

Here are some pics of my tank.
The tank has the new idler system installed aswell the metal tracks and the gun elevation system.

It is not finished yet but I'm still waiting for the paint.

[jampie]

image 2

[jampie]

image 3

[jampie]

image 4

[cdm]

This is beautiful. How much do the tracks weight?

[jampie]

They are about 3 times the weight of the original tracks.

[KENCHOCO2]

very nice leo.....i wish i had one....choco

[RrR]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture519.jpg

[KENCHOCO2]

very nice sherman....any more pics of it? choco

[RrR]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture518.jpg

[bmanderville]

Damn,

Ran out of paint :( , and can't seem to find any Tamiya TS-3 anywhere, does anyone know of a substitute, or where to get some?

Bernie

[RrR]

Soon to be in winter camo http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture507.jpg

[RrR]

This is my 1/6 21st Century soon to be R/C http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture531.jpg

[RrR]

With the gear boxs form thishttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture.jpg

[bmanderville]

With the gear boxs form thishttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture.jpg

Your worse than I am :D? What about the poor robot? What is he going to do now?

Bernie

[RrR]

Your worse than I am :D? What about the poor robot? What is he going to do now?

BernieWell it will give its all to the cause LOL . The other one I have all ready did...

[KENCHOCO2]

Very Nice Guys...does Anyone Have Pics Of Their Pershing?

[RrR]

Very Nice Guys...does Anyone Have Pics Of Their Pershing? Sorry no Pershing...Yet LOL but when I get one I am going to do a M-60 conversion to it LOL ;)

[cdm]

I am still holding tamiya up for that abrams... i think they will never make one though. All they do now are subarus off the same chassis.

[RrR]

I am still holding tamiya up for that abrams... i think they will never make one though. All they do now are subarus off the same chassis.
Get you one of the cheepie 1/16 M1s amd do a Tamiya drive train con on it.Heck I need to do that myself

[RrR]

So where are all we tankers from? How many tanks do we/you have? I am from Kentucky I have two Tamiyas.

[bmanderville]

I'm from Maryland and have 1 in the build mode, and 2 Tamiya big rigs.

Bernie

[bmanderville]

I need to find a battery charger that will work with NIMH and NICD battery packs, with 3300 mAH capacities and up, without mechanical timers etc., cost is a small object, but I think I blew up a $50 battery pack using the cheap Tower Hobbies 420 charger and not paying much attention. And buying more battery packs will soon outweigh the cost of a good charger.

Thanks,

Bernie

[RrR]

I need to find a battery charger that will work with NIMH and NICD battery packs, with 3300 mAH

Thanks,

Bernie
MRC Super Brain 959 is a good cheep charger.I use one.. Plus pix of applique armor on Sherman turret. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture534.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture536.jpg

[cdm]

So where are all we tankers from? How many tanks do we/you have? I am from Kentucky I have two Tamiyas.


Georgia here. We actually have a semi active tank club in the area but i've never gone to a meet.

[KENCHOCO2]

Texas here....our website is www.taa.com choco

[RrR]

Texas here....our website is www.taa.com chocoI am a member there too.LOL.

[cdm]

I am a member there too.LOL.
you are a member of...

Headquartered in Irvine, California, The Amanda Company (the result of a 2001 merger between The Automatic Answer and Pen Interconnect) is redefining business communication as a convergence and innovation software company.

:confused:

[RrR]

I think he ment www.texasarmor.com

[KENCHOCO2]

sorry texasarmor.com thanks choco

[cdm]

Would have never figured it.. site looks good.

[KENCHOCO2]

thanks a bunch! choco

[RrR]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture560.jpg

[KENCHOCO2]

looks damn good!

[RrR]

Hey you all What happened to the robot pix I had in post #130 and #131?????????????

[cdm]

we are back in action, here we go:

i won't img them in the post since there are a lot of photos, so you have to click on them....

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/sprocket/DSC00004.JPG
This is what i was greeted by at the end of the run..

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/sprocket/DSC00005.JPG
The recovered piece after 1 hour of searching in the grass

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/sprocket/DSC00006.JPG
Opening up the chambers...

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/sprocket/DSC00007.JPG
Screws were a pain to take out, then one stripped, i had to drill it!

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/sprocket/DSC00008.JPG
Finally got the sprocket off (that thing was stuck on there for good). You can see the drilled hub too and all the dirt around it...

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/sprocket/DSC00009.JPG
This is the screw type/size that stripped. Small thing caused so much pain..

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/sprocket/DSC00011.JPG
Do you know what that is? This ladies and gents is how the main drive wheel on a 1500$ model is held together, with glue! I just about fainted when i saw it... And only in one corner on top of it all!! I am still not over this insane design flaw but anyway, on we go.

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/sprocket/DSC00031.JPG
The fixed sprockets. A few thouasnd psi tensile weld strenght should ensure that the idiocy of tamiya's breaking sprockets *never* happens again.

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/sprocket/DSC00032.JPG
Another one. Yes the one on the right is a little rougher but i ran out of patience smoothing them out. You can't tell once they are mounted anyway...

So that's it. Fixed and running. I'll update with the new paint + mods later tonight as now i have to be somewhere.

Things not in the photos:

I took out the hubs, sanded, finnished, lubed, repaired the hole in the hub and mouted the sprocket with a custom screw on one side (the one that stripped). The other 3 are the originals that are semi stripped so will not survive another removal.. sigh..

[RrR]

Hey cdm. Are A4 and A6 road wheels the same?

[RrR]

Camo!!!http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture599.jpg

[RrR]

Up gunned http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture600.jpg

[cdm]

Hey cdm. Are A4 and A6 road wheels the same?

part number (there isn't such) or the leo2a4 vs the 2a6?

if the later, the only model of an a4 is a vintage tamiya and i they do not look the same nor should be but you never know. i just cannot say for sure.

[KENCHOCO2]

cdm...i plan on getting a leo for xmas...i hope,maybe i need to hint to my wife....choco

[reptile]

Any Vids of the leo in action?

[cdm]

Might take more than a hint.. perhaps a classic begging on the knees is in order :p

Here are some from earlier today after the repairs, repaint and some more:

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part12/DSC00048.JPG
I need to fix the area beneath the mud flaps (which get in the way, remove them..). It is somewhat sanded down...

Also the engine fans are uneven because the turret kept scraping and lifting them up. By design there is like a mm of space between the two parts, which isn't enough to account for shift due to movement over time. so i turned them around, glued them on at the front but not back. so now i have the twisted parts at the back end out of the reach of the turret. i might fix them but i kinda like it as it is. looks used which is cool..


http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part12/DSC00055.JPG
in real life that is about 2.5-2.7 feet which is about 75% of what the leo is supposed to be able to climb maximum...

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part12/DSC00045.JPG
Re-routed the beacon wires, added some antennas, took out the battle system (i never use it).

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part12/DSC00039.JPG
Just for fun..

And i am proud to say nothing broke today. I've had all the kinks/faults on it that others have experienced so far so i presume this is the end of it. Unless i abuse it, it should stay operational for a long time. hooray :) Leo is now 6 months old with over 30 hours of runtime, 90% offroad.

to recap quickly in case people skipped through the other posts:

- glue the roadwheels together, locktite the screws in them.
- do not put the horn guides onto the sprocket wheels
- do not put the mud flaps.. just get in the way.
- add some weight to the front to counterbalance the battery.
- weld or otherwise reinforce your sprockets before you lose them in some bush
- be prepared to sweat with the fibers. if you cool the room you will break them. 90F+ is best. Under 80 is suicide..... so get that juice and sweat it out. or use a hair dryer on them before you handle them. that could work.. wish i had thought about it after fiddling with it for 8 hours. ah!
- beware of the tow ropes, they like to snap...... :confused:
- get the aftermarket idler kit.
- locktite all screws in the drivetrain.
- buy extra grease! 6-8 tubes will do it. or one big one.. the kits comes with two small ones which are utterly unsufficient.
- if you can afford it, go with FM controller. AM is evil since the DMD is overly sensitive to interference :mad:
+ all else said prior. if you only follow the instructions in the book and run your model you are in for a surprise...

you do not need the bearings. they will be benefitial only on the idler wheels due to the pressure on them so you can maybe get 8 bearings only for those if you don't want to spend on all wheels. just make sure you lube all the movable parts nicely. my roadwheels still have tons of grease around the bushings and roll smooth regardless of being submerged a bunch of times, then power washed.

turn the volume off/disconnect the speaker if you want your battery to last any decent amount of time. the sound kills it fast, and you have to crank it up to drone out the natural model noise anyhow.

the lights are simply decorational. they provide no useable light output.

happy tanking all.

[RrR]

part number (there isn't such) or the leo2a4 vs the 2a6?

if the later, the only model of an a4 is a vintage tamiya and i they do not look the same nor should be but you never know. i just cannot say for sure. Sorry about that :( . Heres how I should have put it. Are the Tamiya 1/16 Leopard 1 A4 and the Leopard 2 A6 road wheels and tires the same.But thanks for what info you did have :)

[KENCHOCO2]

We Need More Pics Of Your Leo Cdm! Choco

[RrR]

We Need More Pics Of Your Leo Cdm! ChocoOh I see how it is now you want his pix and not mine. I am hurt deep :( :D

[cdm]

:o

here we go from today:


Find the tank
http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part13/DSC00004.JPG

There she is
http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part13/DSC00003.JPG

She was running lovely today. All the work on it finally paid off.
http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part13/DSC00008.JPG

Now you know why i don't take videos... the camera isn't suited but here we go. Yes i have the speaker off so the sounds are the ones from the actual model only. sun obliterated the screen so i was shooting blind, hence the jerks.

http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/1.mpg
http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/2.mpg

[RrR]

Find the tank? Come on now its not even in camo.

[RrR]

cdm you know I can't let you get away with posting pix and me not LOL http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture605.jpg

[RrR]

Mine are little so have two.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture606.jpg

[KENCHOCO2]

Awesome!!

[cdm]

Find the tank? Come on now its not even in camo.
Exactly. But 10 feet away you couldn't see it there from most angles. Besides what camo works with a tropical rain forest, since this is what the area has turned into this year... :eek:

[RrR]

Exactly. But 10 feet away you couldn't see it there from most angles. Besides what camo works with a tropical rain forest, since this is what the area has turned into this year... :eek:Get some fine mash camo netting and local vegetaion!!!But I am color(half) blind any would spotted it anyway. ;)

[cdm]

Who's gonna clean it once i hit the mud :p

I've been looking at the cover and camo nets you can get but i am thinking how you get the mud off of those? can't be easy...

[RrR]

Oh come on a little cleaning wont kill you..

[RrR]

Any tankers getting out of tanks? If so check out my add in the buy/sell/trade forum

[RrR]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture607.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture608.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture609.jpg

[KENCHOCO2]

looks good!!

[KENCHOCO2]

where is everyone?

[RrR]

where is everyone?Know kidding! was a active thread there for a wile.

[bmanderville]

Know kidding! was a active thread there for a wile.

I'm still here once in a while, but I bought a new toy and have been working on it. And I'm waiting for a part from Backyard Armor so I can finish my torsion bar suspension.

The new toy is a 1981 DeLorean.

Bernie

[KENCHOCO2]

nice!!! choco

[cdm]

i've been busy with other projects :o

[bmanderville]

Anyone here installed the torsion bar suspension upgrade on a King Tiger? If so how did you mount the mechanism deck? I am again working on the tank in the comfort of my AC house, rather than sweat my a#$ off in the 100 degree heat and humidty work on the car.

Thanks,

Bernie

[cdm]

Well i was bored so i tinkered with the controls. From the get go i had it configured so that the right stick controls travel, and the left one is exclusively for the turret functions (contrary to the manual). Tonight i removed the springs (auto center feature) of the futaba from my right stick making it in turn behave the same way as an air controller. No more fighting the springs resulting in jagged movements. Gave it a little test in the garage and i can proudly say i can well fit the functions of a whole crew in my fingertips.

I am so switching to an FM controller soon. The interference in my yard is ungodly. I have to run over to my GF's place to actually enjoy it. :mad: I am thinking of 8 channels so i can put the lights and cannon on their own buttons.. it should be possible. In any case, i am bailing out on AM as soon as i finish my other projects. Leo is as sensitive as a heli when it comes to interference.

I was read the little setup booklet again tonight (i was really bored... :rolleyes: ) and i noticed that tamiya says that you should grease the gears every couple of runs. Haar that made my day. Since getting to the gearbox is next to impossible. Good thing is it uses bevel gear all over since we all know how grease sucking ball differentials are. Still, i found the "instruction" laughable at best.


here's some i don't think i've posted before.. old stuff...


poor xmod right?
http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part11/DSC0001.JPG

not quite...
http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part11/DSC0002.JPG

it won.. after trying to pivot on it a few times to grind and crack it.. ouch!
http://66.156.109.239/images/rc/leo/part11/DSC0003.JPG

didn't try that again.

[RrR]

Anyone here installed the torsion bar suspension upgrade on a King Tiger? If so how did you mount the mechanism deck? I am again working on the tank in the comfort of my AC house,

Thanks,

BernieWitch up grade kit did you get? Plus after a little twiking I have had very little to no trouble with my KT suspension.

[Patrik]

Whohoo! The thread is alive!

I have been out of this hobby for a while even though I still have my tanks around. A lot of custom mechanical work left on them to do...

Please, tell more about these upgrades for the Leo2, I have not heard of those before and now I am maybe closer than ever to getting a Leo2.

http://www.student.itn.liu.se/~patjo553/tank/allmoststuck.avi

http://www.student.itn.liu.se/~patjo553/ktigers/alla.jpg

[bmanderville]

Witch up grade kit did you get? Plus after a little twiking I have had very little to no trouble with my KT suspension.

Backyard Armor kit. WECHOE products. The instructions say to use double sided tape, ok no problem, but what is the tape to stick too?

Bernie

[RrR]

Backyard Armor kit. WECHOE products. The instructions say to use double sided tape, ok no problem, but what is the tape to stick too?

BernieI will go look at the pix and give you any info I can gather.

[RrR]

All I could find where the Elite Armor suspinesion up grades? Do you have a link for you kit? Pix? or something? But the parts I looked at on BYA did not look like thay used or needed double sided tape.

[cdm]

There is no tape, it is a drop in kit... post photos if you can. First time i hear of that "issue".

Rule of thumb in RC: you don't have to use everything that's included...

[RrR]

There is no tape, it is a drop in kit... post photos if you can. First time i hear of that "issue".

Rule of thumb in RC: you don't have to use everything that's included...
No kidding!I looked at the BYA suspenision kits for a half hour trying to figger out where servo tape could be used LOL. I even looked it the ideiler up grades too.

[RrR]

Patrik nice fleet you have there. But that one looks a little big to play with the others LOL. Oh is the Porsh turret KT R/C? or a model? or a little of both?

[cdm]

wow it's patrick! Dude i haven't seen you in ages.. you just went away from the uk boards all of a sudden?

[Patrik]

Patrik nice fleet you have there. But that one looks a little big to play with the others LOL. Oh is the Porsh turret KT R/C? or a model? or a little of both?

Thanks. Yeah, the humvee is a bit off, scale-wise =) The Porsche KT is Tamiyas DMD version but with the old clutch gear box inside. Don't ask me why (I don't remember but I think I had som interferense problems and swapped them around between the tanks for some reason), it just happened that way but it is back to it's original setup now.

wow it's patrick! Dude i haven't seen you in ages.. you just went away from the uk boards all of a sudden?

Some one remembers me? :D Who are you? I am sorry to say I don't remember seeing your screen name before? The only specifically uk board I signed up on wasn't that long ago but it had some form or crash recently and I don't think my registration survived. Were you on rcarmorforum.org or tankers.net maybe?

[RrR]

I know this is the wrong forum BUT any of you all have a Tamiya 1/16 sherman comanders hatch and loading hatch laying around needing a good home???

[discocool]

Looking for someone who has mounted a paintball rifle on to a tank or RC.

I'm currently designing a 4-wheel version of MechAssault and Armored Core, with an off-set paintball rifle. Rifle in 'left' hand, co2 cartridge in the 'right'.

I would love to talk to someone who has done this before. Or I'm open to commentary on the 'cool factor' and/or hazards.

[Patrik]

Looking for someone who has mounted a paintball rifle on to a tank or RC.

I'm currently designing a 4-wheel version of MechAssault and Armored Core, with an off-set paintball rifle. Rifle in 'left' hand, co2 cartridge in the 'right'.

I would love to talk to someone who has done this before. Or I'm open to commentary on the 'cool factor' and/or hazards.

Mounting any type of projectile weapon is generally considered a bad (as in potentially dangerous and law suit inducing) idea, even though BB shooting tanks can be found in retail, and many forums would not let you post about it.

Not knowing what you intend to shoot at and myself having been hit at very close range by a paintball (http://www.student.itn.liu.se/~patjo553/paintball.jpg), all I can say is "don't do it".

[discocool]

The wonder and lawsuits of "liabilities".

I was thinking of using this on paintball ranges as a recon vehicle. Compelte with remote video. Sure, I'd get a few groin shots in, but what's a cup for anyways?

[tomzag]

The wonder and lawsuits of "liabilities".

I was thinking of using this on paintball ranges as a recon vehicle. Compelte with remote video. Sure, I'd get a few groin shots in, but what's a cup for anyways?

I added a 4.5mm bb gun into my rc king tiger with sound, gunflaash and recoil all synced together.
check the video here:
http://tomsrctanks.com/bbKTfo.html

yes, it is very dangerous, that is why I designed machenism to disable the shooting part if I want to and physical lock to block the bb out when disabled. then it became a regular full option king tiger.

[GRUNDIG415]

very nice....

[discocool]

I added a 4.5mm bb gun into my rc king tiger with sound, gunflaash and recoil all synced together.
check the video here:
http://tomsrctanks.com/bbKTfo.html

yes, it is very dangerous, that is why I designed machenism to disable the shooting part if I want to and physical lock to block the bb out when disabled. then it became a regular full option king tiger.


I've noticed a few online places that sell complete tanks, but is there somewhere I could buy:

Cannon Tilt control
Turrent rotation

And what kind of controller do you use? I'm assuming a 3-channel isn't enough...

Thanks - DC

[tomzag]

1/6 RC r/c jeep and german motorcycle with sidecar 1/6th

http://tomsrctanks.com/id23.html

jeep has machine gun sensor, will fire if any thing move infront of the machine gun.
enjoy and comments.

[RrR]

1/6 RC r/c jeep and german motorcycle with sidecar 1/6th
http://tomsrctanks.com/id23.html
jeep has machine gun sensor, will fire if any thing move infront of the machine gun.
enjoy and comments.Please no links to "stuff for sell" in the discussion forums

[tomzag]

sorry, did not intend for ad, just want to share the video. I put the price there when I tried to sell it last year. they are not for sales anyway.

[RrR]

sorry, did not intend for ad, just want to share the video. I put the price there when I tried to sell it last year. they are not for sales anyway.Ok cool. But we get a lot of those here So sorry If I was wrong about your link. :o

[discocool]

Many thanks to Tom from TomsRCTanks.com. He's sending me a turret and cannon lifting assembly. It was the missing piece!

I've went surfing and found tons and tons of tank information (no pun intended). This web page has helped me visualize the paintball gun and get a grip on turret rotation: http://www.rctankcombat.com/tanks/

They make them out of plywood and use windshield wipers for control - crazy stuff. The battery is humungous and the overall weight of these battle tanks are 60+ lbs!

Uhm.

Not mine. I've come up with a design that somewhat resembles the Blood Asp from the Battle Tech series. http://mechwarrior.mytopix.com/blood_asp

Drop the legs and add an aluminum armored-plated E-Maxx with stiff suspension. Remove the twin Titan motors, replace them with 2 55-turn lathe motors – for extra torque. Stretch the frame moving the engine assembly to the front-ish of the rc. Batteries too. The turret assembly will be placed in the rear, balancing it out. Think of the APC vehicle in Aliens. But with better suspension.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Aoshima-Alien-1-72-DIECAST-APC-w-Marine-figures-queen_W0QQitemZ5990823478QQcategoryZ90910QQrdZ1QQc mdZViewItem

Remove the back weapons and replace with internal pb storage. Place an armored, fully automatic, laser sighted paintball gun on the left arm and a 12 oz co2 tank on right, heavily armored of course – don’t want any explosions! The antenna will protrude from the top and resemble some cool radar dish and not just a wire. A cockpit head will be installed to house a shock resistant, night enhanced camera with X and Y movement. It is hoped that I can wire a Silon-like sweeping light for the eyes. Ooooo.

I’m still hoping to find a 9+ channel ground controller. Futaba makes one….but…I really want to the wire the controls to a dual PC joystick. Kinda like the controls in the jet fighting arcade game, Afterburner. I wonder if that can be done? Anybody know if you can make your own receiver/transmitter?

Any way. I’m very excited about this and will post pictures as soon as I get them.

[discocool]

Attached (hopefully) is a frontal drawing of the Mech.

Drawn in Visio with acurate scaling of E-maxx base and gun (left arm) Everything else I'm pulling out of my....

The balls feed from the top and to the left (dark lines) from a internal hopper at the rear. Middle section sizing will be determined by size of torso gears (to arrive).

All made from alum. I hope it doesn't get too heavy....

[tomzag]

discocool
I could not figure out how you are going to use tamiya turret rotation unit and gun elevation unit for that robot. I never really saw one. hope they will work for you.
and send me some pictures after you finish it, so I can learn how to use them on robot.
On radio, I do have one 8 channel futaba radio, it was for heli, but i CHANGEED the crystal module for ground. let me know if you interested.
thanks, and good luck.tom

[discocool]

Here is a front VISIO drwaing of my mech creation.

Spyder gun on left arm - co2 on right. Shock monuted base with ball and scoket for support. - the red things are paintballs.

I sould be cutting parts in the next two weeks and hope to have a real picture soon.

[discocool]

oh - and it sitting on a e-maxx base. I'll need to move the motor to the front (with the batteries) so I can mount the turret on the base. I'll need to extend the wheelbase for added balance.

In the end, it is hoped this will travel 10-15 mph and fire 5-10 rounds per second.

PS - the red dots to the left and right are button sensors that you hit to 'kill' the mech. - *drooling!!!!!!*

[Patrik]

Anyone on here familiar with the german rcpanzer.de board. I tried registering but I am not getting any confirmation e-mail.

[tomzag]

do not worry, they are just very slow.

tomsrctanks.com

[Patrik]

ok, will wait then. thanks.

[SGTBailey76]

I just purchased a Tamiya full option 1/16 Sherman tank on Ebay. I mainly bought it to display on my desk. (I am in the Army) I will be running it occasionally while I am here in Kuwait. The two different surfaces we have here are loose sand and hardpacked sand. Is there anything I need to replace right away? Also what size servos do I need to use? How many? Will standard size servos work? Micros for the turret?

What radio do you recommend? I would like to use FM because we have a fair amount of interference here on base.

What paint colors do I need to buy in order to give a realistic paint job?

[GRUNDIG415]

you do not need servos for the tank,everything comes in the box u need except receiver,transmitter,7.2 volt stick batt pack....
the radio i have is the futaba attack surface radio...awesome....they have it at www.towerhobbies.com

the sherman uses OLIVE DRAB,i user a big can of KRYLON olive drab,they are at the local auto parts store....etc of AUTOZONE....

[cdm]

you do not need servos for the tank,everything comes in the box u need except receiver,transmitter,7.2 volt stick batt pack....
the radio i have is the futaba attack surface radio...awesome....they have it at www.towerhobbies.com

the sherman uses OLIVE DRAB,i user a big can of KRYLON olive drab,they are at the local auto parts store....etc of AUTOZONE....
army base + 27mhz radio... bad.

go 72/75 or something else. over the past several months i grew to detaste the 27mhz band.

[SGTBailey76]

army base + 27mhz radio... bad.

go 72/75 or something else. over the past several months i grew to detaste the 27mhz band.

27 is definately out. I will use 75 surface frequency. All of the Futaba 4 channels are available with surface 75.

[SGTBailey76]

you do not need servos for the tank,everything comes in the box u need except receiver,transmitter,7.2 volt stick batt pack....
the radio i have is the futaba attack surface radio...awesome....they have it at www.towerhobbies.com

the sherman uses OLIVE DRAB,i user a big can of KRYLON olive drab,they are at the local auto parts store....etc of AUTOZONE....

I am looking to do a little more detail than just painting everything green. I don't know what other colors are needed for all of the details.

As for the no servos needed thing, how does the turret spin if there are no servos?

[GRUNDIG415]

all of the gears on the upper ring of the turret...they control the left/right motion of the turret...
some paint schemes i have seen for this sherman is the ones they used in the pacific war...

[cdm]

I am looking to do a little more detail than just painting everything green. I don't know what other colors are needed for all of the details.

As for the no servos needed thing, how does the turret spin if there are no servos?


motors. turret and gun elevation. only the leo2 uses a servo for the gun elevation.


for the colors you can just mix and match over time. that's what i do anyhow. yes i know the little paint booklet is there to tell me what to color it but who ever reads those right ;)

[SGTBailey76]

motors. turret and gun elevation. only the leo2 uses a servo for the gun elevation.


for the colors you can just mix and match over time. that's what i do anyhow. yes i know the little paint booklet is there to tell me what to color it but who ever reads those right ;)

Thanks for the info. I will probably try and model one after the 3rd Army when Patton had command. I am currently assigned to 3rd Army here in Kuwait. Now where did I put the movie "Patton"?????

[GRUNDIG415]

send us pics when u have a chance....

[bohica_]

I just got the 1/16 tiger 1 and was wondering if anybody has ever put in brushless motors or ran LiPoy battery's?

[cdm]

i've thought about polymer/ion batteries but i am not sure if they will suffice.

no, you CANNOT run brushless with the ESC that comes with these kits.

you can't change it, because it is an integrated unit. Why would need brushless anyhow? it is the most pointless vehicle to put one in :confused:

i've also thought about a split type battery that is housed in the hull as well. that would give me amazing run times indeed and then i can use polymers since i will have the space to join them up.

[5150SR71]

Hey guys! Got a radio question for you. I gave my Tiger to my buddy and have just ordered the Leopard so we can do some battles. He's happy with AM but I'd like to go FM since everything else I have is FM.

I did hook up my 6XA Futaba radio to it but it sucked for two reasons. First was I'd like to remap the firing of the main canon and machine gun to one of the switches.

The other thing that sucked was the left or throttle stick. It was set up for airplanes so it was a 0%-100% for airplane throttle rather than the 50%-50% that the tanks need. It was doable but if you aren't careful you would slam it back into reverse instead of it self centering. I talked to Futaba but they said it would be more trouble than it's worth to switch it over. Although it doesn't seem like that big of deal to me.

Any ideas on this? How have you guys done this or has anyone got it figured out? Love the tanks and would just like to have the added protection of the FM.

Thanks guys and great post!
5150

[bohica_]

Is your 6XA Futaba radio 72 megahertz or 75 megahertz? You have to be carefull, because 72 is the freq for RC aircraft. These TX's have very good range and if you are close enough to some body flyen you can lock them out (shoot them down). 75 megahertz is for ground use, check out the Futaba 9CAPS PCM is for Surface Use, 75 megahertz. This radio is perfect for Tamyia Tanks, Brad



http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHKS9**&P=0

[bohica_]

you can't change it, because it is an integrated unit. Why would need brushless anyhow? it is the most pointless vehicle to put one in :confused:

I did not want a brushless for speed, you can get brushless motors now with alot of TQ. Brushless motors W/ liPoy's are very efficient and run time is no comparison to NiMh or NiCad.

[cdm]

I did not want a brushless for speed, you can get brushless motors now with alot of TQ. Brushless motors W/ liPoy's are very efficient and run time is no comparison to NiMh or NiCad.

don't forget that this is very negligible with the number of gears and ratio. the motor will make no difference whatsoever.

it is not about speed. speed is irrelvant in tanks.

you have a machine that is geared low with tons of torque from the gearbox, not the motor. friction is substantial and the motor is mostly used to push the gearbox itself on level ground.

you do not need more torque either. even with the present factory amount you can break, bend and otherwise disintegrate the metal parts...

to me, it is a null desire so to speak. polymer batteries though might be quite nice.

all technical limitations aside of course...

[discocool]

I've finally finished the arm (gun) for my 'mech' (I'm still triying to figure out a name)

For supports I started with Alum, but after the 20 minutes it took to hand cut one piece I gave up. SO I switched to red oak and my hobby scroll saw made short work of it.

The armor is a soft-ish alum, about 3 mils thick. It weights about 3 lbs.

The gun I used is a Sypder Victor, but I bought a used E-Spyder and took the trigger off it and placed it on the Victor. (I already made the template for Victor)

I have yet to fire it in this stage, as I'm uncertain about how long the attachment arm should be to the torso. I'm having difficulties making a troso, due to the amount of shock resistance needed for PB impacts. (I shot at a pumpkin this weekend. Lordy was that fun)

More updates later.

[bohica_]

it is not about speed. speed is irrelvant in tanks.

I have never said I want more speed!! :confused: I realize the gearboxes are geared in such a way to provide ample TQ for the stock 380 motors. My point is with a brushed motor vs blushless motor, is Longevity and efficiency. A brushed motor can not compair in that aspect to brushless.

[cdm]

I have never said I want more speed!! :confused: I realize the gearboxes are geared in such a way to provide ample TQ for the stock 380 motors. My point is with a brushed motor vs blushless motor, is Longevity and efficiency. A brushed motor can not compair in that aspect to brushless.


i mentioned speed since you were the one who brought it up assuming i was talking about "speed".

efficiency.. what efficiency? your drivetrain will eat anything that the motor gives you anyhow. that's the point. you will not feel the benefits.

for the price of a brushless, you can buy a pack of stockers that will each outlive the model itself. i highly doubt anyone racks up the miles on those things like you do on a touring car, knowing how tamiya built them...

brushless are good for high speed applications (less friction and technically higher speed with a direct drive bevel and pinion), flying and boats. boats because heat is a major issue, flying because every last mah of battery counts.

besides, any of this is quite abstract unless you can hook a dual brushless controller and make it work with the model.

nobody is denying they are better, what i am getting at is that it is of no benefit other than that of saying you've done it (again, know of a dual brushless ESC that will work with the MFU unit in your tank?)

[5150SR71]

Hey Bohica, thanks for the input on the radio. I'm that sounds like it's dialed for what I'm looking for but I still have the question of whether or not I can map the options to the other channels. Like the lights, machine gun and main gun. Doesn't do me any good to have 9 channels if the same 4 are used for the tank. Know what I mean? But not having the radio in front of me I can't tell if that's an option. It doesn't look like it from reading about it but I might be wrong.

Let me know what you think and thanks again for the info!
5150

[RrR]

that's the point. you will not feel the benefits.. "i highly doubt anyone racks up the miles on those things like you do on a touring car, knowing how tamiya built them... "Well when I swaped out the motor on my KT( cluch steer)from a RS-540 to an Intgey 55t lathe motor it made a world of diffrince with 4,6 and 7cell packs.Plus I run my tanks as much as any RC I have and had little to no trouble...

[cdm]

Well when I swaped out the motor on my KT( cluch steer)from a RS-540 to an Intgey 55t lathe motor it made a world of diffrince with 4,6 and 7cell packs.Plus I run my tanks as much as any RC I have and had little to no trouble...

i could say the same for a quality brushed..

right now i am heading towards helicopters and it has been time consuming to say the least. tamiya has been stagnant for a long time and i've given up on waiting for them to release a new tank or truck (or anything new for that matter). this can't be said for the numerous companies coming out with new flying things around the clock. :D

and since everyone appears to be photo shy, here we go, one from the archives...

http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/4145/dsc001178tz.jpg
the reason why you need to get the aftermarket idler kit. this was a constant (no i am not running it on the carpet in the photo and would advice anyone against running these on any carpet really...) occurance when turning. i feared my sprocket teeth would simply break off..


http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/6931/dsc000371qm.jpg
same sprocket, almost a year later...


http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/6141/dsc000611hs.jpg
track wear after several months of 20% pavement, 10% snow/ice, 60% grass and 10% coarse gravel use.

[BloodClod]

Hi all,

I am running a Tamiya Leopard 2A6 and have just swapped to the adjustable idler kit. For sure the stock tamiya idler settings were either TOO lose or way TOO tight.

Anyways, here's the question - what is the right tension for the tracks?

I have them set so there's very little slack when the tank is on level ground. It feels a bit tight... but it's better than the stock loose setting. On my first run the loose track got so out of shape it knocked some parts off the tank like the upper support wheels.

What's a good measure of tension for the tracks?

Any input would help.

Thanks.

[Artbing]

Hello from the Netherlands,

I've got 2 1/16 tamiya Flakpanzer gepard that i'm rebuilding and repainting. In my country it is very hard to come by any type of tank from tamiya or any other brand. And when i find one then their so expensive that i can't offord one.
So it would sime to be a world wide problem

on of my tanks:
http://owa.confra.nl/mark/a.jpg

[cdm]

Hi all,

I am running a Tamiya Leopard 2A6 and have just swapped to the adjustable idler kit. For sure the stock tamiya idler settings were either TOO lose or way TOO tight.

Anyways, here's the question - what is the right tension for the tracks?

I have them set so there's very little slack when the tank is on level ground. It feels a bit tight... but it's better than the stock loose setting. On my first run the loose track got so out of shape it knocked some parts off the tank like the upper support wheels.

What's a good measure of tension for the tracks?

Any input would help.

Thanks.

experimenting really.. you want enough slack so full suspension movement can take place in at least 2 wheels at the same time and enough so that debris can roll over the wheels without causing a jam or the motor to strain.

this is how i run mine (just took the photo). this is as far as it will go when i gently push against it. any more force and the rear wheel lifts off. it is not exact science but i've found this tension to work the best for me. i can't give you idler positions because i've added some weight to the model so it sits a little lower than a stock one which will throw it off for other leos unless the weight is matched.

http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/395/dsc000612kb.jpg

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5364/dsc000628mi.jpg
at this point the track is tight enough that you can't really flex it, yet does not lift the rest of the wheels up nor is it taught over them. you can vibrate it without any force at all, but you can't press it without causing the suspension to move..

i wish it were exact science.


Artbing, the more i see those vintage tamiyas the more i want to pick one up. one day i'll just do it but i'll have to take funds from elsewhere and that is always an issue (i have too many hobbies as is).

the gepard will look great once you are done with it. your drivetrain looks well preserved which is great.

[BloodClod]

Thanks for the pic and info. I'll have to check mine when I get back today.

[BloodClod]

Another quick question. Does Tamiya sell replacement LEDs for their battle systems? If so, a part number would be great!

Alternatively, are there specifications for a similar LED that may work? I can check out the electronics store.

[AgentJohnson]

What tank has the most driving performance? I might be able to afford a Tamiya with no options , but I'm hoping something might be pretty good and cheaper. Plus, I really want to see some supension action and run kinda hard . Any suggestions?

[Patrik]

What tank has the most driving performance?

The Leo 2A6 I would assume. Downside is I have heard of a lot of problems with breakdowns. I don't have on so I can't say for sure. There are fixes to these problems though but that takes more money. The old clutch/brake steering King Tiger is faster than the DMD ones but is time consuming to keep setup properly and the DMD is much smoother at making turns. The clutch/brake gearbox can be geared down pretty easily with parts avalable in the kit plus a short piece of steel axle and a drilled hole. There are expensive gear down kits available for the DMD ones. The Sherman wasn't very exciting to run, can't really say why.

Personally, I don't like the DMD system, the 380 motors are too weak for their task. Some people fit low rev higher torque motors but I prefer a bigger one with higher gearing for a smoother power curve. The Leo 2A6 system is a true regenerative steering gearbox, not an emulated one like the DMD. Go for the Leo 2A6 if you can spare the money.

Here are some vids (http://www.student.itn.liu.se/~patjo553/tank/) of my Porsche (Krupp, actually) turreted King Tiger. At the time of filming it was fitted with the down geared clutch/brake system and a RC-Line SP RF-10 speed controller instead of the kit DMD system and you can clearly see how the tank literaly stops when turning but OMG does it accelerate and brake better than the DMD. I don't think it is ever running at full speed but you get the picture. We ran it on two paralell 6V 3.4 Ah lead cells for approx. 75 minutes without any noticable loss of battery power.

And no, I am not the gigglish one in the oops clip...

[tomzag]

there are lot of video on my website:
tomsrctanks.com
enjoy.

[Patrik]

there are lot of video on my website:
tomsrctanks.com
enjoy.

"No mater whatcolor wolf you are, get out of my site. "

What has he done now? I remember him being involved in "something" on another forum but not what exactly. Not that it is is any of my concern, I just had to ask...

[BloodClod]

The L2A6 is very good in terms of the controls across all the functions. I've had the mock-shock absorbers drop off the chassis a couple of time when it got knocked around though because I first built them with glue. Now they are CA-ed.

Another question though:

I seem to have more vibration coming from one track then from the other. I've removed the track and inspected but just can't find the problem.

Is this something I should just live with as part of tank life or should it be operating smoothly? Currently it seems that there is a soft "clicking" when that one track is running like the track is straightening itself out a bit when going over the sprockets.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

[cdm]

clicking is normal but what track vibration are you exactly describing? if there is a lot of slack you will probably see the track bend while moving at speed. this is also normal especially on real machines. you don't see it with the replicas since they are too light for the forces to be visible.. that said, both of mine are the same tension and don't suffer from this problem... now, what i like to do is put the leo on its side (watch the detail parts) on a nice soft carpet and run it while observing for any irregularities. the return rollers tend to get dirt in them and stop rolling which may in rare cases result the track jumping on them as it passes.

i've CA, epoxied, and locked everything pretty much. my drivetrain will break at the molds before it comes apart at the part joints. which, is a common problem. check some of my older posts.. like wheels wanting to come off and stuff.

speaking of clicking, try mud. you will swear there is a 1000watt stone grinder attached to your model.. scary.

i am off duty tomorrow so i'll try to go play with it for the first time in a long time...


there are lot of video on my website:
tomsrctanks.com
enjoy.


few months back i turned the internet upside down looking for your site.. couldn't find it. bookmarked now for good since it's an awesome reference source and more.

[RrR]

"No mater whatcolor wolf you are, get out of my site. "

What has he done now? I remember him being involved in "something" on another forum but not what exactly. Not that it is is any of my concern, I just had to ask...Well wolfie and tom don't see eye to eye on things LOL Some thing about some one being a con man.

[BloodClod]

clicking is normal but what track vibration are you exactly describing? if there is a lot of slack you will probably see the track bend while moving at speed. this is also normal especially on real machines. you don't see it with the replicas since they are too light for the forces to be visible.. that said, both of mine are the same tension and don't suffer from this problem... now, what i like to do is put the leo on its side (watch the detail parts) on a nice soft carpet and run it while observing for any irregularities. the return rollers tend to get dirt in them and stop rolling which may in rare cases result the track jumping on them as it passes.

i've CA, epoxied, and locked everything pretty much. my drivetrain will break at the molds before it comes apart at the part joints. which, is a common problem. check some of my older posts.. like wheels wanting to come off and stuff.

speaking of clicking, try mud. you will swear there is a 1000watt stone grinder attached to your model.. scary.

i am off duty tomorrow so i'll try to go play with it for the first time in a long time...




few months back i turned the internet upside down looking for your site.. couldn't find it. bookmarked now for good since it's an awesome reference source and more.

Hey thanks again for the information. I guess I'll just live with the clicking. :)

[WW McBride]

BloodClod:

Replacements for the shooter LED? YES. Gotta dig it out of the Radio Scrap ID #... AH... 276-143, a 940 nanometre range IR LED:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062565&cp

RE: the track... try flexing each link individually, and make sure they move freely, or try rolling them over the dismounted sprocket-wheel. There may be some flash on the tooth-holes that is catching the links.

Did you try swapping the tracks left-right to see if the click moves? Is the click repeating with one track rotation, or sooner (might indicate a gearbox prob)

WhiteWolf (yea, ~that~ one) McBride

[BloodClod]

BloodClod:

Replacements for the shooter LED? YES. Gotta dig it out of the Radio Scrap ID #... AH... 276-143, a 940 nanometre range IR LED:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062565&cp

RE: the track... try flexing each link individually, and make sure they move freely, or try rolling them over the dismounted sprocket-wheel. There may be some flash on the tooth-holes that is catching the links.

Did you try swapping the tracks left-right to see if the click moves? Is the click repeating with one track rotation, or sooner (might indicate a gearbox prob)

WhiteWolf (yea, ~that~ one) McBride

I'll take off the track again and try. I've swapped tracks but the click remains on the same side. It seems to be happening a few times per rotation of the sprocket which leads me to wonder if it's an alignment problem. I've installed the adjustable idler and put a few shims to get the idler adjusted right. I think the front idler wheel has been shifted between 0.8 to 1mm outwards. I didn't think this would cause problems though since it's a minute shift.

What do you guys think?

Thanks again for your advice.

[discocool]

I've moved on to the turret twist. I was looking to get a 20 degree 360 horizontal tilt and a bit of a softening vertical thing going on.

I used a 3" lazy Susan, a 1/2" rod end (which I encased in oak), 4 standard truck shocks and a 1/2" shaft, threaded at one end.

I've mounted this to an oak base of 5x5 inches. T-maxx has a tray width of 6", I figured this would be a good start.

What is great about this design is the ability to adjust the 4 stabilizing shocks with OEM springs and oil. Right now I have stiff springs on it and it's a tad hard to make a smooth motion out of it. But once I add the weight of the top, I hope to balance it out.

My next step is to build the torso twist gear box. I'll be using a 55 turn lathe motor and a series of 48 pitch gears from Servo City.

[WW McBride]

I'll take off the track again and try. I've swapped tracks but the click remains on the same side. It seems to be happening a few times per rotation of the sprocket which leads me to wonder if it's an alignment problem. I've installed the adjustable idler and put a few shims to get the idler adjusted right. I think the front idler wheel has been shifted between 0.8 to 1mm outwards. I didn't think this would cause problems though since it's a minute shift.

What do you guys think?

Thanks again for your advice.

Lessee... still same side, multiple times per track rotation. Can you have a friend slowly give it power to that side while you hold it up and look underneath? Don't turn it over, changes the geometry too much. The spocket teeth could be contacting the first suspension arm (was a prob with the Tiger 1's) Does it happen in both forward and reverse?

Perhaps its the track guide-horns moving about, due to the sprocket mis-alignment? Does it happen just on the ground, or when you dry-run it with the chassis up on blocks? Could it be one of the other suspension parts catching and then popping clear? (guessing, don't have a L2A6 but had a few older Leo/Gepard chassis, with another one almost on the way)

I'd pull the turret/body and using just the DMD, listen to the gearbox on that side, and then along the suspension as you run it. Localizing the sound is an easier way than all the guesswork...

WhiteWolf

[cdm]

you can't pull the turret unless you pull all the wires between the two halves..... rendering the model dead. the gearbox is a single unit. it has no sides that you can identify.

this machine is not like the other tamiyas and the old rules don't apply. the sprocket mate is in the rear.. it contacts nothing. it's a leo.. rear wheel drive.

but to eliminate that, pull off the track and give it power. if it still clicks, it is a drivetrain issue (i'll cry for you).

i am thinking about the shims.. where you put them and why? the idler wheel will always flex outward due to the plastic mounting point.. it bends and you can't do much about it. however the tolerances are high enough not to cause an issue.

the only part that can cause any clicking is the sprocket since it's the only metal thing out there. the wheels are plastic/rubber and cannot make the noise you describe.

now here is the last thing i can think of. look at the idler. then look at the side skirt right on the side of it, near the front side edge.. does the track rub against it? if it does, that's your problem. you can't do anything about it and soon the metal track ends will eat away a little of the plastic and it will stop. or you can file it off yourself.

[BloodClod]

Thanks for all the advice so far.

I'm going to pull the tank apart and try again. I've just rigged up some longer wires to connect the motors to the DMD while the tank is apart.

I put the shims between the idler and the tank chassis because when I first installed the Schumo idler adjuster it would still be loose and not "clamp" onto the chassis like it should. When I tried to remove the adjuster I found that the two idler halves were so tightly friction fitted that it took a LOT of trouble to get them apart after.

By installing some shims, I took up the slack to mount the idler tightly and at the same time loosened the fit of the two idler halves so that they were still tight but removable for adjustment when necessary.

I'll update everyone on the results of my next teardown... thanks again for the help.