ORIGINAL: YHR
In Canada we have a store called P
rincess Auto. Basically a surplus store, with their own brand of tools and auto parts thrown in. I found a 6.75- 7 volt 7000mAh sealed lead acid battery for $7.00. It looks like the batteries they use for emergency lighting in hallways of buildings. I installed this in my Heng Long Tiger. Well I am happy to say with the 3:1 gears, and the slightly lower output voltage, I had a tank cruising around in the grass and light snow at scale speeds. Never had one issue with the running gear and the added weight of the battery had this tank plowing through the grass and snow for over an hour. I gave up trying to run the battery dead.
Has anybody had any experience with these batteries in tanks.? I bought two of them, and I am pretty pleased with them so far. I don't think they like to be run dead, but with run times of over an hour, I doubt they ever will be. After and hour it is time to try another tank!!!!
Also I have to mention the 3:1 gear reduction. This really is a must have. The increase in torque is something you really need to experience to appreciate. No stalling, no jerking around, just a steady pull that gives the tank the right feel, as it climbs and plows through stuff.
I used old Cox slot car gears(sidewinder gear and a pinion gear mated together) and added the extra gear on my standard Heng Long gear boxes to give me the 3:1 ratio. Someone on this forum did a thread on the concept, and I used that as a guide when I fashioned my own.
Regardless, the battery and the do it yourself gears are just a couple of examples of how to enjoy this hobby, without spending a bundle.(Not that there is anything wrong with that!!!!!!
) IF you want to stretch your hobby dollar, always keep lookout at these surplus type stores. I also picked up 4 Mabachi 6-12v can motors for $0.99 a piece. They are a little shorter then the stock motors but they work well in 1/16 scale tanks.( I have them installed in my Panther conversion) This is next on the list for the gear ratio mod.
Happy tanking