RichJohnson

I use a dx5e radio and have not been able to get my lights on my stock sherman to come on, so on my Ez8 build using pershing TO/MF i want to just put a small lighting battery on a switch rather than use the MF.
what voltage is supplied to the lighting circuit?

tomhugill

I would get a multi meter, it will be very useful for other things, you should be able to find out when you have one!

(I assumed 7.4 but I'm not 100%).

RichJohnson

You missed the point, i cant get them to turn on with my digital radio so I need somebody else that has working lights to test it for me and tell me the voltage.

Max-U52

Can you get to the leads to the LEDs? If so, just start with one battery, 1.5 volts, and then two, 3 volts, and so on until they light up.

tomhugill

Also make sure none of the bulbs are damaged or the circuit broken and it seems to be in series and any breaks will stop it working

RichJohnson

LEDs? The tamiya lighting pack is little bulbs, not LEDs, at least for the sherman.

ausf

If you can't get your answer, I seem to remember the voltage being listed somewhere for the wiring harness, either in the manual or on the AAF parts list or maybe Tamiya USA.

For the most part, Tamiya over engineers everything, I would safely assume the harness (IIRC it had a resistor board in line) was designed to handle their optional voltage outputs, which is considered the 7.2, but really goes up with your battery top off.

Even though they're incandescent and not LEDs, Max's suggestion to slowly increase voltage is valid and even better since a LED will handle too high voltage for a while before failure. Incandescent will just get brighter until it's a tiny artifical sun and burn out.

That harness is a dispointment anyway, the bulbs don't hold up well to any type of abuse/vibration over time. If you're going the separate battery route anyway, you may want to go with LEDs now. Evans Design sells warm white (plus red for the tails) SMD LED prewired with resistance for a few bucks.

Rad_Schuhart

Keep fighting with your transmiter. If you are able to shoot cannon and machinegun you will be able to switch lights.

Anyway the sherman lights are a complete ****. (Both versions, the one with optic fibre and the other with small bulbs) so I replaced the bulbs with small smd leds for the rears and normal leds for the front.

I really really love how it works now.

Max-U52

If you need some warm white LEDs I'll send you some, Rich. I think I still have your address around here somewhere so just let me know.

RichJohnson

That would be cool Max.

So I tested the Sherman light circuit with 6v and they are a little dim. So I would say they likely are direct 7.2 v pass through from the battery.
I thought maybe they were less but I can easily make a 4 AA pack and self power them to turn on manually when I want rather than on the transmitter.

Thanks guys.

Rad_Schuhart

If you cant activate it with your radio (I encourage you to keep triying, mine is electronic too) you can just plug an electronic switch to your transmiter's receiver and switch on and off the lights with a free channel. It will cost you no more than 4 euros. Easy, fast and no extra batteries.

Ex_Pat_Tanker

Got a link to that switch? I use the Turnigy ones, but they are typically 10 euros plus shipping.

Rad_Schuhart

This is the one I have: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...ff_Switch.html

Ex_Pat_Tanker

cool, I'll have a look at them for sure.

ausf

Those are cool. I have a some Turnigys from HK, I'll definitely add a few of those on the next order. Definitelt better deals than the original Pico.