Simon Cornes Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 The idea of an R/c tank has been in my mind for awhile and I'm now trying to work out the best way to start. I am looking at the Heng Long Tiger I and I have listened to the You Tube tutorials about 'what to do next' and the opinion seems to be steel gearboxes then metal tracks, sprockets and idlers then metal road wheels. I am also looking at eBay and you see quite a few models which have stopped working in one respect or another so could be a pile of trouble if you don't have a load of spares. Equally you also see some 'fully loaded' and well built tanks but are they the latest spec? In the past I have done a lot of r/c modelling - mainly model boats - so I have suitable r/c gear although I can see that the stuff included in a tank is possibly a bit more specialised. I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that the best way forward is to buy a brand new HL tank, probably from Howes, and then to replace plastic bits with metal when the plastic wears out? That way you get the latest version of the kit and a degree of buyer protection should it not work 'out of the box' and can then plan your upgrades. Is my way of thinking about right? I would be interested to know your thought!! Thank you Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry_the_Spider Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 I’m in the same situation. I bought a Heng Long Tiger from Howes at the weekend (waiting impatiently for it to arrive) with my January WFH diesel savings. Have gone for the base spec with a view to upgrading to a metal gearbox if/when I have to. Not sure about metal tracks as the kids will want to run it in the house and I don’t want to chew up the wooden floors! I’ve already got a few bigger batteries from my RC cars. Going to get a Sherman too when they are back in stock, but I want to give the Tiger a good run first to make sure that it isn’t rubbish. What do you intend to do with regards to painting it? I think that I’m going to keep mine grey but will be adding a bit of grime and filth. Will paint up the commander figure though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 I ended up buying my tank from a more local company via eBay and saved all of a fiver in the process!! It is being delivered tomorrow, all being well. Last night I read a very interesting review on www.hobbysquawk.com last night. I have never heard of this website but I just Googled 'Review of Heng Long Tiger 1' and it came up. It makes very interesting reading and I recommend it - gave me a lot of confidence in the basic product! Saw some interesting You Tube video via the comments on that site. You have an interesting point about metal tracks v damaging your home!! Seems like the tank battery pack comes with 'tamiya' plugs so your batteries should be fine! I was shocked last night at the price of AA batteries! The number you require for the tranny seems to be either 6 or 6 !! I hope its 6 as I pulled the cells out of a Futaba tranny that I had used for yacht racing and found that I had 2 leaking cells. I am no trying to find a source of 1.2v 2000Mah Ni-Mh AA cells at a sensible price - oh for Maplins!! As far as painting, well, having looked at some threads in the WIP and Ready for inspection sections of BM it seems like good source is the Osprey book on building the Tiger 1. I ordered a copy via Amazon yesterday for less than £10 including postage but later discovered it was coming from the USA so I might still be waiting next year! I also discovered an interesting site dealing with the Tiger I in general - www.alanhamby.com and that has a section on the evolution of the colour schemes. I think that the HL tank is moulded in ABS so I'm not 100% sure how well enamel and acrylic paint will work with it? Do you have any ideas on that? I started of thinking 'Panzer Grey with white winter camouflage' but I'm starting to wander towards dessert yellow with dark green and red/brown disruptive camouflage. I have an idea those tanks may have started life in North Africa in yellow and moved up into Europe and got the green and red /brown but I haven't read into the subject yet so I don't know. As for after market, well www.welshdragonmodels.co.uk seems to be the best place to start but there is a lot of stuff on ebay to! All very exciting isn't it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry_the_Spider Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 It is very exciting! Shame that the snow is going, but the kids have already been ripping about in the garden this morning with a couple of cars. 6 batteries in the radio. I've got some cheapo AAs coming with mine so that I don't have to venture out in the Zombie Plague to pick some up. This paint scheme is on another thread. Think I'll go with this as I'm more used to 1:72 aircraft and masking up a 1:16 Tiger will require more BluTac than I have available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 Ha ha!! You’ll have to invest in blue tack then!! I’m an aircraft man to - 1:48 and 1:32 these days - so this is a bit of fun! It seems as though the latest spec Heng Long r/c is quite highly thought of compared to Taigan but it looks a bit plasticky! I prefer Futaba!! I see you have a Grasshopper - built a couple of those back in the 80’s !!! Still sound though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry_the_Spider Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 They're both latest spec 2020 Lockdown #1 projects. Tanks are Lockdown #3 (painted the living room for #2). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 Well you’re organised! I had a dig in my r/c draw and found some more AA cells. Out of 10, 3 are dead and leaking but the other 7 might be okay - I’ve got 4 on charge now. They’re 2000’s so might take a bit longer than overnight to fully charge. I may charge this lot until bedtime and the others until tomorrow morning so I can have 6 to use for the initial checks to make sure it basically works. I have a 5 channel 2.4 GHz combo bought 10 years ago and never used but maybe still not ideal for r/c tanks. Really think I need to see how the basic tank works before ‘upgrading’ but Howes sell an interesting metal gearbox/track/sprocket/idler update but I’m not sure about the quality. One thing I picked up was that if you were buying gearboxes you should buy ‘steel’ ones not ‘metal’ if you want the real McCoy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niall Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 The HL 2.4gig tanks come painted and with their own transmitter and reciever/operator unit and a 7.2v LIon battery and simple balanced charger. Their Sherman comes with separate tools and some stowage which needs to be fitted to the hull. The only addition needed is the AA batteries for the transmitter. The worst part of HL tanks in my view is that they come with stickers for markings, not water slide tranfers. My comversion of their Sherman into a Firefly is here - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 (edited) Thanks Niall I'm moving forwards with my thinking - maybe a three colour German Yellow based paint job rather than Panzer Grey? One thing I'm not sure about, did the paint go over the rubber road wheel tyres? And, yes, masked and sprayed numbers! I'll have a look at your thread in a minute! Simon Read it now - that is very impressive! Where do you get your magnets from? Edited January 25, 2021 by Simon Cornes Updated after reading thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niall Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 HL models come painted. Its tyres were not soft plastic/rubber, just painted black wheel "rims". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry_the_Spider Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 ...waiting impatiently for a knock at the door... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 Mines arrived!! Wow - tremendous!! I out now so can’t do any more until this afternoon. I have but the battery on charge - should be about 4 hours. Can’t see how to get into the hull yet to see the gubbins but it is very impressive!! Youll be pleased I’m sure!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry_the_Spider Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 Does it feel "solid"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 I would say more ‘scale model’ than Tamiya off roader. Some nice detail but be careful with things like hatch hinges - fine if you’re careful but wouldn’t take heavy treatment! Running gear a bit sloppy but then what’s the metal alternative like? I have no idea!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry_the_Spider Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 It is here! Dived in without reading the instructions so I don't know it the red aiming light is broken or if I have disabled it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 Well I’ve just spent the best part of an hour off and on playing with it. I see what you mean about the red aiming light. I thought you had to turn the bb firing on first but I can see mine would fire if I put bb’s in - I haven’t yet! It certainly goes off at quite a lick if you’re heavy with the throttle- totally un-scale!! I found out how to turn the lights off and on with the tranny but I might just unplug them! I still don’t know how to get into the hull yet!! The other thing I’d change is the gun elevation. I push the stick forward and it goes up, pull it back and it goes down. I need to reverse it somehow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry_the_Spider Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 So is your red light working? Mine has blinked on and off a couple of times but there is no consistency to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 You mean the one next to the main gun I think. No, I haven’t seen that flash once!! I will have to try again and see if it does at all by pointing it at myself. I’ll let you know later!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 Just tried again - no. But do you need to actually fire a bb for it to work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry_the_Spider Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 Apparently it should come on when you press the right hand trigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 I wonder if it’s connected to the radio? I really need to know how to get the ‘lid’ off !! I was thinking of replacing it with a machine gun anyway or connecting a white led to the ‘bow’ machine gun via a Y lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 I need to sort out my right stick - it should be forward- reverse- left - right but I’ve got right- left on my left stick!! I have just read that the IR flashes shouldn’t be visible! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry_the_Spider Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 Mine did that. There is a fix on the smallest of the printed documents. The only time I've seen the light flash is via the screen on my phone. Maybe it isn't supposed to be visible. Have you actually seen a red light? On YouTube it illuminates the target, but that could be an older pre-IR variant. Will have to investigate. Been practicing reverse turns whilst rotating the turret the opposite way to keep the gun on a target. Great fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 Right - okay. I must admit that I found the instructions quite confusing. Its a bit like Mode 1 and Mode 2 with r/c - flying - left or right stick throttle! I wouldn't be surprised if I managed to switch it over myself! Must try again tomorrow. Di you have a look at that review I suggested? Some good info including being able to select a lower top speed to make the throttle less sensitive I suppose. I must admit that I was having some trouble turning the turret whilst moving forwards, seemed to be stopping momentarily. Probably just me! Still don't know how to get inside it though!! You're right - it is great fun!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry_the_Spider Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 Think that I may have sorted it. The Tiger Version 6 doesn’t have a red Targeting LED like I have seen on videos of the Sherman (older version?). The flashing light that I’ve seen on the Tiger Version 6 videos is the IR emitter. This is invisible to the naked eye but cameras can see it, hence it being visible on YouTube. I shot some video footage of the Tiger with my phone and when the gun fires the light flashes, but whilst the phone can see it the human eye can’t! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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