Back when I was going to Dville, and last time was '06 if memory serves, it was a grand experience. Speed checks, emitter and receiver performance and range checks, and overall tank checks were pretty strict. If you were new and showed up with a way too fast tank, we had plug in resistors that would slow you down enough to fight that weekend, and all the lads would pitch in to make your first experience a good one including tips to get you up to snuff for speed, reliability, and performance. It is well worth the trip for both the battle experience and the choir practice after the battle day is over. AAF Museum Battle Days is an experience you should not miss.

Freakydude, no one cares much about what kind or what brand of tank anyone has. We've been modifying T34's since they first appeared rather some years ago, as well as P3's from their debut. In our personal stable we have Hooben, Heng Long, Tamiya, and Wasan. Big deal. The plethora of electronics systems that have entered the market in the last few years do make things interesting, although I don't use them, I stick to Tamiya simply because in USA the electronics, aka DMD and TO units, carry a life time guaranty and Tamiya USA is quite good about taking care of said guaranty. That being said, in the years since I bought my first Tiger 1 when Tamiya introduced them way back when (my first Tiger 1 had the on/off switch in the hull floor right in front of the idler systems....sticking out the bottom!), I've never had a DMD or TO crap out. For someone like me, eyes going and fingers arthritic, the plug and play gig makes it easy. Period. If someone else comes out with a similar plug and play system that's as good as Tamiya for less money, you can rest assured I'll use it. However, I'm NOT going to spend hours on the computer learning how to download various engine, transmission, track, main gun and MG sounds, then spending many more hours putzing around trying to get said sounds in to the electronics. To some that is the fun of it, and some of the lads are quiet good at it. Me, I can barely find the 'on' switch for the computer. I have other things to do with my tank time.

Now, my friend, in case you hadn't noticed, hardly anyone says anything derogatory about Heng Long, Hooben, Wasan/Trumperter or Tamiya....except you. Of course you can build something that will in the end be as good or even better than Tamiya. Who cares if it's better than Tamiya, Hooben, Wasan, Heng Long, or whatever? It's the same as hot rods. Back when I was young, and that's a LONG time ago, Ford and Chevy owners were constantly at each other's throats as to whose car was faster and better. However, back then or today, I can guaranty you I can, and did back then, build butt kicking cars on a shoe string budget. Even today, I can take a Fox body Mustang or LTD II and massage it to the point that it'll beat anyone's 50 grand Shelby Mustang or 100 grand Benz in either drag racing or a road course, and I can do it for WAY less than buying a new Shelby or Benz. However, in either hobby, cars or tanks, no matter how good you are with your tank or how fast your car is, somewhere, somehow, someone is going to wax you. It may happen only once, but it WILL happen.

You see, that's the fun of both hot rods and tanks. We take what we have, modify it, tweak it, massage it, and end up with something better. Instead of doing what you are doing, how's about some build posts, what you've done and how you did it, photos and descriptions of the parts you used to modify the tank, where you got the parts and why, cosmetic or functional? That would be interesting to see.