Newbie looking for advice
10-21-2017, 06:30 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Newbie looking for advice
Hello everyone,
Today I attended the RC tank battle being held at the AAF museum in Danville VA and think I have found myself a new hobby. I love history especially WW2 and believe this would be perfect for me. I watched several battles and enjoyed my first visit to the museum. I also spoke with several individuals who were battling and appeared to be veterans of the hobby and knew what they were doing. Both were very friendly and answered some questions I had trying to understand how the battles operated and what the rules were. I have been looking at possibly purchasing an RC tank for sometime due to my love of history, but I am not sure where to begin. From what I've read and researched I know I would like a Tamiya because of the realistic sound effects and of the reviews they receive. The only thing with the tamiyas though is they have to be built and painted and I simply do not have that level of skill. I guess what I am asking is does anyone know of individuals/sites that are trustworthy and sell already completed Tamiya tanks that won't completely empty out the bank. I know the Tamiya are the most expensive brand, but I figure they are worth the money in the long run and will last for several years so it is worth it. I have no idea on where to begin searching for RTR tanks or anything else I need in order to start this new found hobby. I appreciate all replies and any help that anyone of you all can give.
Thanks,
Mark
Today I attended the RC tank battle being held at the AAF museum in Danville VA and think I have found myself a new hobby. I love history especially WW2 and believe this would be perfect for me. I watched several battles and enjoyed my first visit to the museum. I also spoke with several individuals who were battling and appeared to be veterans of the hobby and knew what they were doing. Both were very friendly and answered some questions I had trying to understand how the battles operated and what the rules were. I have been looking at possibly purchasing an RC tank for sometime due to my love of history, but I am not sure where to begin. From what I've read and researched I know I would like a Tamiya because of the realistic sound effects and of the reviews they receive. The only thing with the tamiyas though is they have to be built and painted and I simply do not have that level of skill. I guess what I am asking is does anyone know of individuals/sites that are trustworthy and sell already completed Tamiya tanks that won't completely empty out the bank. I know the Tamiya are the most expensive brand, but I figure they are worth the money in the long run and will last for several years so it is worth it. I have no idea on where to begin searching for RTR tanks or anything else I need in order to start this new found hobby. I appreciate all replies and any help that anyone of you all can give.
Thanks,
Mark
10-21-2017, 10:09 PM
#2
Hi, welcome to the forum and to the hobby. I will give you my opinion, which I know Its different for many of the guys here... But hell, it my opinion!
I am owner of Tamiya, Heng Long and other brands tanks. For me, the best part of the Tamiya kits is to build them,,, But some kits (like most of the world war 2 ones) are very old, the molds come from 1975 and some of them need some upgrades or you will have breakdowns. At the other hand the electronics back in the day were great, but now are very very VERY aged, obsolete and... Yes, boring.(Yep, I know some fans will come here saying they love the tamiya electronics...) So in my opinion if you are going to pay somebody for building a tamiya for you, it just does not worth it.
As a first tank Id start with a cheaper one, like a Heng Long, ready to run... Or even a stronger Taigen one with sturdier hull... And if you like it you can always upgrade the electronics and so on. And once you have enough confidence in your skills, you can buy the Tamiya one of your dreams, enjoy building it... And replacing the stock crappy tamiya electronics for another ones, lol.
But anyway, dont be scared of building a kit. They are very easy and the manuals are just perfect.
I am owner of Tamiya, Heng Long and other brands tanks. For me, the best part of the Tamiya kits is to build them,,, But some kits (like most of the world war 2 ones) are very old, the molds come from 1975 and some of them need some upgrades or you will have breakdowns. At the other hand the electronics back in the day were great, but now are very very VERY aged, obsolete and... Yes, boring.(Yep, I know some fans will come here saying they love the tamiya electronics...) So in my opinion if you are going to pay somebody for building a tamiya for you, it just does not worth it.
As a first tank Id start with a cheaper one, like a Heng Long, ready to run... Or even a stronger Taigen one with sturdier hull... And if you like it you can always upgrade the electronics and so on. And once you have enough confidence in your skills, you can buy the Tamiya one of your dreams, enjoy building it... And replacing the stock crappy tamiya electronics for another ones, lol.
But anyway, dont be scared of building a kit. They are very easy and the manuals are just perfect.
10-22-2017, 01:42 AM
#3
Mark,
The Tamiya kits are not dated. The Sherman and King Tiger are from the early '90's, yes, but the level of detail is today as good as most other brands. The Tiger 1, introduced in 2001 with the first electronics, is still considered the bench mark of RC tanks and RC tank kits. Pershing, a new King Tiger, Panther and others all came later. The electronics are 'plug and play' and the Tamiya protocol of infra red battling is the one that is used by all.
The instructions are first rate for all the Tamiya tanks and while Tamiya is surely not a 'shake the box and it's done' kit, they are very good kits. Lots of cosmetic upgrades if you so desire or build it out of the box and it's still a well detailed tank that runs very well.
I do not know where you are located but you should try to find local tankers in your AO and they can assist you in either building or obtaining an already built tank. I will caution buying one from Ebay, unless the builder is well known you don't know what you are really getting. If you are in the general area of Danville there are several tankers and clubs in the area. I will again caution you about buying a built tank from Ebay. There is one in particular you do not want to work with and this person is known.
The Tamiya kits are not dated. The Sherman and King Tiger are from the early '90's, yes, but the level of detail is today as good as most other brands. The Tiger 1, introduced in 2001 with the first electronics, is still considered the bench mark of RC tanks and RC tank kits. Pershing, a new King Tiger, Panther and others all came later. The electronics are 'plug and play' and the Tamiya protocol of infra red battling is the one that is used by all.
The instructions are first rate for all the Tamiya tanks and while Tamiya is surely not a 'shake the box and it's done' kit, they are very good kits. Lots of cosmetic upgrades if you so desire or build it out of the box and it's still a well detailed tank that runs very well.
I do not know where you are located but you should try to find local tankers in your AO and they can assist you in either building or obtaining an already built tank. I will caution buying one from Ebay, unless the builder is well known you don't know what you are really getting. If you are in the general area of Danville there are several tankers and clubs in the area. I will again caution you about buying a built tank from Ebay. There is one in particular you do not want to work with and this person is known.
10-22-2017, 02:37 AM
#4
I knew I was going to start another small forum fight, lol. I wont talk about the newer tamiya kits because I dont have them, but the Sherman kit sprues comes from 1975, and not sure about the king tiger, but it is old too. The level of detail is inferior to other brands (hatches wont move, a lot of kits wont have even lights and so on) Mosft of the kits at 1/35 scale has more detail. Yes, the electronics are plug and play, but most of after market ones are too, so I see no benefit there. With the tamiya electronics there are SO, SO, SO many things that you wont be able to do compared with the after market boards that I need to keep writing here for hours.
And about the IR batling, all the aftermarket boards use tamiya protocol but way more configurable (I have some electronics where I can battle even with machine guns, select between piercing or explosive rounds, and even set the total amount of virtual ammo that I am carriying....
Now if you want, I can start telling the amount of desing flaws and breakdowns I had on the expensive tamiya kits.
But yes, again: I enjoy asembling them, and I preffer to build a Tamiya tank than buying a ready to run heng long, BUT ww2 kits are old, outdated and the electronics are crap. Im sorry if anybody gets offended but...
And about the IR batling, all the aftermarket boards use tamiya protocol but way more configurable (I have some electronics where I can battle even with machine guns, select between piercing or explosive rounds, and even set the total amount of virtual ammo that I am carriying....
Now if you want, I can start telling the amount of desing flaws and breakdowns I had on the expensive tamiya kits.
But yes, again: I enjoy asembling them, and I preffer to build a Tamiya tank than buying a ready to run heng long, BUT ww2 kits are old, outdated and the electronics are crap. Im sorry if anybody gets offended but...
10-22-2017, 03:08 AM
#5
You have your opinion and I have mine. We're talking to a new tanker here, not those of us who have been doing this for a while. You have to crawl before you walk and walk before you run.
10-22-2017, 03:37 AM
#6
I will make no comments on Tamiya or other brands, but would like to point out that this is not the kind of hobby where you can just buy a ready to run tank and live happily ever after. If you pay someone to build it for you you'll never really understand how it works and when something goes wrong (and it will, NO vehicle runs forever without maintenance and repair) the frustration you'll have at not knowing what you are doing will cause you to pull out whatever hair you have left.
What I'm saying is, no matter what brand you buy, build it yourself. There's lots of help at this forum from guys with decades of experience and the Tamiya kits have very clear instruction and so many guys here have built them that every single snag you might run into has been discovered and remedied, so even if you just buy the kit and just put it together without even painting it, you're going to be way ahead because you'll understand how everything fits and works together.
Once you have an understanding for how things work and what it takes to build a battle ready RC Tank you'll find that you no longer want to buy a pre-built tank from someone else, you want to do it yourself and apply your own ideas to make things better and give you the edge on the battlefield of having a well tuned machine, as opposed to a toy tank, can ya dig it?
What I'm saying is, no matter what brand you buy, build it yourself. There's lots of help at this forum from guys with decades of experience and the Tamiya kits have very clear instruction and so many guys here have built them that every single snag you might run into has been discovered and remedied, so even if you just buy the kit and just put it together without even painting it, you're going to be way ahead because you'll understand how everything fits and works together.
Once you have an understanding for how things work and what it takes to build a battle ready RC Tank you'll find that you no longer want to buy a pre-built tank from someone else, you want to do it yourself and apply your own ideas to make things better and give you the edge on the battlefield of having a well tuned machine, as opposed to a toy tank, can ya dig it?
10-22-2017, 04:00 AM
#7
Excuse my fellow tankers Mark but welcome to the forum! You are right, it usually takes only the first visit to Danville to get hooked! I know it happened to me my first battle date on the first day of 2005 here locally. I rushed built a Sherman kit I had for 10 years in less than 2 weeks to have it ready... I left slot car racing for good after that. I had raced all over the country too for 15 years.
As you can see from my start date here on the forum I've been at it a while plus a few years so I don't have to tell you what you already know... a battle ready Tamiya tank would be the first step into attending these battles... either new from a kit or slightly used. After that and some exposure to building/repairing tanks, other brands or manufacturers with the appropriate equipment can get the mission accomplished too, but they are not kit ready.
I would not offer to build a tank for you as my hands are full right now BUT I can assist you in anyway in getting there, but as mentioned before, find someone close (or I can help you with that) you can trust to build and or paint it, but get ready to set aside some labor time for doing so because it isn't easy. I have built only one commission and many for a "few friends down the street" but I would say a good $100.00 give or take a few to build and base paint one would not be too unreasonable.
Be prepared to learn quickly how to repair these, even if you do buy a used tank. What you saw on the battlefield there was years of experience of putting tanks together to last and dominate. It can get a bit rough on tanks in that environment quickly... so DON'T get disappointed too fast. They break, we repair to fight another day.
Where are you located by the way? You must be close to have visited there!
As you can see from my start date here on the forum I've been at it a while plus a few years so I don't have to tell you what you already know... a battle ready Tamiya tank would be the first step into attending these battles... either new from a kit or slightly used. After that and some exposure to building/repairing tanks, other brands or manufacturers with the appropriate equipment can get the mission accomplished too, but they are not kit ready.
I would not offer to build a tank for you as my hands are full right now BUT I can assist you in anyway in getting there, but as mentioned before, find someone close (or I can help you with that) you can trust to build and or paint it, but get ready to set aside some labor time for doing so because it isn't easy. I have built only one commission and many for a "few friends down the street" but I would say a good $100.00 give or take a few to build and base paint one would not be too unreasonable.
Be prepared to learn quickly how to repair these, even if you do buy a used tank. What you saw on the battlefield there was years of experience of putting tanks together to last and dominate. It can get a bit rough on tanks in that environment quickly... so DON'T get disappointed too fast. They break, we repair to fight another day.
Where are you located by the way? You must be close to have visited there!
Last edited by Panther F; 10-22-2017 at 04:03 AM.
10-22-2017, 06:50 AM
#8
Senior Member
Was planning to visit AAF this weekend but things got in the way. Didn't know an R/C battle was scheduled or would have made it up there for sure. I'm near Winston Salem so Danville is just a short hop. I've been in modeling seriously for a very long time and was thinking about tanks for a year now. World of Tanks got me more interested awhile back, but it sucks in so many ways. Screwing around with WoT triggered the discovery of the AAF museum but the battlefield has been empty the two times I've been up there.
Are any modelers regularly at Danville other than the scheduled battles? The drive is worth it to make contact face to face with an experienced modeler. Beats typing all to hell.
Are any modelers regularly at Danville other than the scheduled battles? The drive is worth it to make contact face to face with an experienced modeler. Beats typing all to hell.
10-22-2017, 07:25 AM
#9
Was planning to visit AAF this weekend but things got in the way. Didn't know an R/C battle was scheduled or would have made it up there for sure. I'm near Winston Salem so Danville is just a short hop. I've been in modeling seriously for a very long time and was thinking about tanks for a year now. World of Tanks got me more interested awhile back, but it sucks in so many ways. Screwing around with WoT triggered the discovery of the AAF museum but the battlefield has been empty the two times I've been up there.
Are any modelers regularly at Danville other than the scheduled battles? The drive is worth it to make contact face to face with an experienced modeler. Beats typing all to hell.
Are any modelers regularly at Danville other than the scheduled battles? The drive is worth it to make contact face to face with an experienced modeler. Beats typing all to hell.
10-22-2017, 07:31 AM
#10
If I were that close I think I might try calling the museum to see if any of the regular RC Tankers will be in on any given weekend (besides the scheduled battle days). I imagine they probably have scheduled time periods for maintenance and building new stuff, maybe they'd be OK with you coming up on a day like that, especially if you volunteer to help out.
10-22-2017, 10:00 AM
#11
R/C tankers are only present on Battle weekends. You can look at the museums website to see dates. If you happen to visit the museum during a non battle weekend they will probably still let you drive your tank around the battlefield. Just call the museum before your visit to ask.
10-22-2017, 10:01 AM
#12
Mark,
The Tamiya kits are not dated. The Sherman and King Tiger are from the early '90's, yes, but the level of detail is today as good as most other brands. The Tiger 1, introduced in 2001 with the first electronics, is still considered the bench mark of RC tanks and RC tank kits. Pershing, a new King Tiger, Panther and others all came later. The electronics are 'plug and play' and the Tamiya protocol of infra red battling is the one that is used by all.
The instructions are first rate for all the Tamiya tanks and while Tamiya is surely not a 'shake the box and it's done' kit, they are very good kits. Lots of cosmetic upgrades if you so desire or build it out of the box and it's still a well detailed tank that runs very well.
I do not know where you are located but you should try to find local tankers in your AO and they can assist you in either building or obtaining an already built tank. I will caution buying one from Ebay, unless the builder is well known you don't know what you are really getting. If you are in the general area of Danville there are several tankers and clubs in the area. I will again caution you about buying a built tank from Ebay. There is one in particular you do not want to work with and this person is known.
The Tamiya kits are not dated. The Sherman and King Tiger are from the early '90's, yes, but the level of detail is today as good as most other brands. The Tiger 1, introduced in 2001 with the first electronics, is still considered the bench mark of RC tanks and RC tank kits. Pershing, a new King Tiger, Panther and others all came later. The electronics are 'plug and play' and the Tamiya protocol of infra red battling is the one that is used by all.
The instructions are first rate for all the Tamiya tanks and while Tamiya is surely not a 'shake the box and it's done' kit, they are very good kits. Lots of cosmetic upgrades if you so desire or build it out of the box and it's still a well detailed tank that runs very well.
I do not know where you are located but you should try to find local tankers in your AO and they can assist you in either building or obtaining an already built tank. I will caution buying one from Ebay, unless the builder is well known you don't know what you are really getting. If you are in the general area of Danville there are several tankers and clubs in the area. I will again caution you about buying a built tank from Ebay. There is one in particular you do not want to work with and this person is known.
"What Bob said."
The best good way to enter the Tamiya IR RC hobby is to buy a new kit, TBU, battery, charger and radio from the AAF Museum and build it and seek forum or AAF rc tanker help as needed.
FYI, there are many guys who prefer to buy commissioned new built Tamiya IR RC tanks. Talk to the tankers at the AAF Museum and I am sure they will point out the best of the commission Tamiya IR RC Tank builders.
Tamiya RC Tank Reliability: Depends how well you build the kit and what performance parts you add to your model to make it relatively bullet proof, as well as how you drive during a fight; ALL have a lot do do with the reliability questions. I know from experience
My WWII Tamiya IR RC Tanks Builds:
10-22-2017, 01:41 PM
#16
Hey Benny B,
I have been an airplane modeler since the mid 70's and am still building and flying scale stuff. The tank thing was just something Brenda & I want to try and we had a great time building the Sherman but the "Rolling Thunder" format was just to complicated last September. We are planning on attending the fun-run this November and see if that is more relaxing for us "newbies"
We have not given up yet
Larry & Brenda
I have been an airplane modeler since the mid 70's and am still building and flying scale stuff. The tank thing was just something Brenda & I want to try and we had a great time building the Sherman but the "Rolling Thunder" format was just to complicated last September. We are planning on attending the fun-run this November and see if that is more relaxing for us "newbies"
We have not given up yet
Larry & Brenda
Last edited by 1qaz; 10-22-2017 at 02:35 PM.
10-22-2017, 02:32 PM
#17
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey everyone I just want to thank you all for responding back and taking the time to help me out and give me some things to think about. I live in Bristol TN so Danville is about a 3 HR drive for me, but def an easy day trip if I get a tank and start attending the battles. And I will check out the pm that were sent to me also. I think it would be fun to build one of the tanks and I see what a lot of you all are saying about knowing how they are made so when something tears up down the road I would at least have a possible idea of what the problem is and that makes sense. Just a lot of decisions to make on what tank and what brand but I really do appreciate all your help with giving me new things to think over
10-22-2017, 02:38 PM
#18
Hey Benny B,
I have been an airplane modeler since the mid 70's and am still building and flying scale stuff. The tank thing was just something Brenda & I want to try and we had a great time building the Sherman but the "Rolling Thunder" format was just to complicated last September. We are planning on attending the fun-run this November and see if that is relaxing for us "newbies"
We have not given up yet
Larry & Brenda
I have been an airplane modeler since the mid 70's and am still building and flying scale stuff. The tank thing was just something Brenda & I want to try and we had a great time building the Sherman but the "Rolling Thunder" format was just to complicated last September. We are planning on attending the fun-run this November and see if that is relaxing for us "newbies"
We have not given up yet
Larry & Brenda
10-22-2017, 05:52 PM
#19
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: King,
NC
Posts: 1,567
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi,
I am a regular at Danville and live in King, just up the road from you. PM me if you want to meet. We have an awsome RC hobby shop here that is very helpful also. I do build custom battle tanks in 1/16 also for people I know.
Herman
I am a regular at Danville and live in King, just up the road from you. PM me if you want to meet. We have an awsome RC hobby shop here that is very helpful also. I do build custom battle tanks in 1/16 also for people I know.
Herman
10-22-2017, 05:54 PM
#20
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: King,
NC
Posts: 1,567
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi,
I am a regular at Danville and live in King, just up the road from you. PM me if you want to meet. We have an awesome RC hobby shop here that is very helpful also. I do build custom battle tanks in 1/16 also for people I know.
Herman
I am a regular at Danville and live in King, just up the road from you. PM me if you want to meet. We have an awesome RC hobby shop here that is very helpful also. I do build custom battle tanks in 1/16 also for people I know.
Herman
10-22-2017, 08:19 PM
#21
Oh boy the tamiya vs not tamiya rears it's head again. Either way your going to spend roughly the same amount, especially if you include wrenching hours spent. If your planning on attending events at Danville for the entire weekend which means your tank may be on the field operating for 8+ hours I'd recommend the Tamiya Sherman or Tamiya Tiger 1. If you have another chance to visit before the holidays(last tank meet of the year is weekend of Nov. 10-12.) You could grab a kit/Radio/Batt and possibly find someone to help with it.
10-23-2017, 03:43 AM
#22
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: State College, PA
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lots of good advice from vets on here. My son and I just started this Spring and the learning curve was pretty overwhelming at first. I have been to two ACE events at Danville. Everyone is helpful and will share advice, info and lend a hand to get you comfortable. I purchased a " battle ready" non-Tamiya Tiger 1 and regretted it for months. The first trip was a nightmare but a true learning experience. Our last trip in Sept had my son running the tank on Fri/Sat/Sun with just minor issues. I was horrified (then proud as hell) to see him have it in pieces learning from an ACE member how to fix something on his own. I stayed away and it built his knowledge and confidence. BennyB has helped me stay on the road to success with these things. Green Amphibian boosted my confidence enough to pull apart the turret on a PzIV (non-Tamiya) that I bought to run in IR battles; it felt good and really helped me understand how things work. You won't learn unless you tear these things down and get to know what makes them tick. I ended up leaving with a new KT kit from the museum. If you buy a kit ask one of the guys what upgrades you should make to have a battle ready, reliable IR tank. If you are there on a non-battle weekend as the museum staff for help with the kits or parts. They have a huge stock of parts and are very knowledgeable on the subject.
Good luck and enjoy!
Pat
Good luck and enjoy!
Pat
10-24-2017, 07:15 AM
#23
Senior Member
Was just talking to Chris and Charley. they couldn't find your card but had your number. OK if I give you a call?
10-24-2017, 04:22 PM
#25
Hey everyone I just want to thank you all for responding back and taking the time to help me out and give me some things to think about. I live in Bristol TN so Danville is about a 3 HR drive for me, but def an easy day trip if I get a tank and start attending the battles. And I will check out the pm that were sent to me also. I think it would be fun to build one of the tanks and I see what a lot of you all are saying about knowing how they are made so when something tears up down the road I would at least have a possible idea of what the problem is and that makes sense. Just a lot of decisions to make on what tank and what brand but I really do appreciate all your help with giving me new things to think over
And three hours is an easy drive - I used to drive about 12 hours to get there from Connecticut.