ORIGINAL: thecommander



The Tiger I looks like it is progressing nicely Soulfly.
Karel and Ern are right on the money with those two statements. Never tell the wife how much everything costs. Just the good deals or sell a few things to keep her off your back. As for the battery charging, it will depend on what you do with your tank and how you use it. If you just drive it occasionally then slow charging in the tank is not too bad as long as you keep a wary eye on it. It you battle the tank as I do, you should not use the battery strap and should NEVER charge the battery in the tank. The heat is not good for the battery, the tank electronics, or is a safe thing to do. I have seen batteries catch fire, rupture, leak and melt into the tank plastic. You should always rotate batteries to cool them down between discharge/use and charging. At Danville we have fans and cool the batteries between these cycles. A Tamiya ''Y'' connector will link the DMD & MF but there are other options. Most of us in Danville use Deans connector in lieu of the Tamiya connectors. It is more dependable and secure. The Y connector adds resistance which is no good. I would recommend you splice/solder the two together and add Deans connectors to the new paired +/- leads. It will not void your warranties on the DMD or MF with Tamiya as this is a common practice. If you do damage the DMD or MF by over-charging the battery Tamiya WILL NOT replace them due to miss use/ abuse. Charge your batteries in a cool area clear of flamables. Your workshop and new tank are worth more than a little convienance. A slow charge is much less risky than a fast charge. You only really need one good high capacity battery for your tank. It will need much less attention and 5000 milleamps are readily available. As for removal of the battery for charging and changing it can be easily removed but removing the turret and slipping it out the large turret ring. That way you can secure the tank deck and air hoses. I do recommend you cover the gearboxes to keep oil & lube in and dirt & loose wires out. Point the connector end of the battery away from your gearboxes on any RC tank. If the battery wires get pinched in the brass gears it will set the tank on fire immediately. I always preach about ''Wire Hygene'' and take great care with my builds to keep it neat and safe. The Tiger has a lot of room but some like the M26 Pershing, are real tight.
I wish you luck and enjoy the build, Bob thecommandernj