Ok Gents,

I am starting this post, as it seems there are some newcomers who want to get into "Battling". If people would be so kind to give their reviews on the various Electronics Packages (SLU, IBU, Elmod, DBC3). Most of us know the easy plug and play and quality of Tamiya, but this is for the other packages out there. Heck this might even help me out on a decision. My tanks will all be for backyard battles for now, no time for organized battles (YET) and since these will be for my father in-law and brother in-law, and they are cheapskates all the tanks purchased will come from my pocket, I would love to have 4 or 5 Tamiya's but well you get the picture. So with that being said, how do these third party systems rate?
I will add I have a 2nd version Elmod which is pretty darn good and I know the new ones can be quite expensive. The SLU and what YHR is offering seem to be at the top of my list for future purchases, I just wanted to hear from others and hopefully help out some of the newer members, Thanks guys.

Cheers,
Wade

well i have to say the sound and the control of the SLU is amazing you have different sounds for the different tanks out there you have your Pershing the new Sherman sound is awesome the Maybach 230 andthe 120,plus the sound of the Russian diesel in my T-34
it takes time to install but way well worth it in the end when you hear that baby start up
i am also using the 2.4 Ghz radio from Hobby King i can't say anything about the other battle units cause i don't have any except the DBC with a TBU on 2 HLtanks my PantherG and my KV-1 they work fine but they just have HLsound i also have the Momentum chip in both tanks so that i'm not a pillbox on the first hit
i have not battled with my SLUas of yet but will soon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...;v=Qi6xbsFo2EM

I have the Mako for my IR StuG III G. It works perfectly, was simple plug and play, but hasn't added anything to the performance or correct any short comings the HL tank. Base line, the tank was $130 and the Mako was $30 and I'm fighting my other Tamiyas.

I have a DBC-RC2HL on the way to hopefully get a bit more out of my next HL, a Pz IV. I'll certainly let you know about that when I get it. It's the Matomart metal upgrade for $140 ($32 shipping to NY) and since my StuG just broke/threw a track after the first few minutes in the grass, the metal is probably the way to go.

I'm kind of out of the loop, I only have had Tamiyas until a week ago, what is the SLU?

www.soundandlightunit.weebly.com/videos

Ausf the SLU has been great from what I hear. Also Dan (YHR) sells a chip to upgrade the DBC2 to a DBC3 which you can add a benedini sound card which he also sells. His site is www.battlearmorrc.weebly.com Oh and welcome aboard.


Cheers
Wade

Yousa, that's cool.

So let me wrap my head around this. For $209 C, I can take one of those and a HL elevation, turret, recoil and a Mato gearbox and work it all into my Trumpeter T-34/76?

i have a WSN which has Trumpeter stamped on the inside hull mine is a T-34/85 it would take some modifying i did a lot to mine but it can be done
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10710417i have the stock elevation motor but i modified a HLrecoil to fit the stock recoild works in it also i just happen to break mine so i had to make something work i have the stock L.E.D.'s for the machine gun the light was a green colour i switched it to a white one all the rest in in the build thread if you have any questions let me know

oh it also has the stock Turret motor i put
HL Panther metal gear boxes but i'm sure you could use stock motors if you wanted but they are plastic gears

A DBC3 in an HL Airsoft tank will allow you to have a full functioning airsoft HL tank and you can have a completely Tamiya compliant IR system,

Just a recap on the DBC3 features, as it appears people are not aware of all it does.

Completely Tamiya compliant IR, with weight classes complete with the interface with the drive motors to slow down the tank when it has been hit
Blocks the Heng Long recoil jerk
Removes the superspin
Adds Momentum
LED Flash
Interfaces with a standard RC receiver

If and when you want to add Benedini sound that option is available to you.

Plug and play for $100 ( to be clear this is not just for the DBC3 chip, this is for a complete plug and play DBC3.)

You will have to use a hobby receiver and radio. THe DBC3 does away with the Heng Long radio

If you want Benedini sound you then have to purchase the Benedini TBS for $139. This is a programmable sound card that allows you program what ever sound you want in the tank. So you don't need a sound specific sound card for each tank you own. If you put the sound card in a Sherman , you download a Shermans sound set. IF you move the sound card over to a Panther, then you just download a Panther sound set into it. The system is very versatile. You could have the DBC3 in every tank, and then just have one Benedini card to move around. It is plug and play and takes minutes to swap over. Or you could build a DBC/Benedini/ receiver package that you move between tanks. I have done up a video showing how simple it is to move a prebuilt package between HL tanks. It is available on my web page on the demo video page.

I can throw in my information on El-Mod here. IThe system is a stand-alone, full otion, hobby grade tank system. It is composed of three individual boards. One is the drivemodule, which controls all of the fucntions of the tank from driving the Tu's to all of the turret functions. You have 2 choices of boards, either the ECOor PRO, the latter simply offers more options, like extra machine guns, extra lighting options and so on. They otherwise work the same. Then we have the sound module or Soundblaster as Elmod calls it. Again 2 options here. One uses one speaker, the other can use 2 speakers and double the amplification for them. The last component is the CSI module or Battle system. this is comprised of a board, and apple (reciever to take hits), and the emitter which is the LED that fires at the opponents in battle. The thing about Elmod that I like is the complete control it offers to tweak the way the tank functions. This can be done via dip switches on the boards, or for even more control over parameters, Elmod sells a configurator optionally. this plugs into the board and you can then change any parameter in the tank, like how fast the turret can rotate or the main gun elevates and depresses, how fast or slow the tank accelerates, or how much inertia the tank has. One other thing elmod has that I have not seen in any other system, is the ability to actually brake the tank. Not like the others, where you pull the stick back and the tank slams into reverse. It brakes, like a real vehicle. I think it is a great thing that was integrated. Sound files are on a card and can be changed very easily to whatever type tank you are using. Also, you can create your own sound files and load them into the card. This does have a learning curve, but it can be done with a little patients and some practice. All in all, Elmod will cost you about the same as a Tamiya electronics package. Is it worth the price? Well, I believe so. I have bought about 5 units in the past couple of years and never regretted it. Also, the system today is different than the l=older gernerations. These are plug and play and are not difficult at all to install. Simply follow the instructions which are available in PDF files for whatever system you buy and that's it. From my experience, Elmod offers great versatility, very realistic sounds and driving. Is it for everyone? No, but it is well worth trying at least once. Any questions, feel free to ask.
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Our club has a good few slu users (me being one of them) I belive the slu offers a better ESC and better sound than the Tamiya. It isn't hard to install if you read the manual and watch the videos. The only thing the slu doesn't offer is 45degree and slope defence

I'll be using 2 of Dan's DBC3's ,1 in my new ZTZ99 with a custom made sound card from a Centurion.<div>The next will be my HE LEO2A5 with the proper LEO sounds.</div><div> I like this set up the best because of the Benedini sound card.</div><div>3Rd, is my HE Abrams. This one is getting the full boat El-mod system in it. When ever they ship it from Germany.</div><div>So, lots of good ways to get your non Tamiya battle tank up to Tamiya TBU battle code.</div>

Thanks everyone. I hope people keep adding to this, with their experiences and such. This will certainly help out some of the new members. There are a lot of choices which many of us know were not available to us a few years ago, this niche has definitely expanded and I am loving it. Keep'em coming. Thanks again.

Cheers
Wade

Yeah thanks for all the good info here.  Definatly some usual stuff for myself and others who are fairly new to RC tanks.</p>

I'm with you on that, I didn't realize how much is out there as an alternative to Tamiya and I don't know what to look for. It's great to have the info out there.

I know it's all probably been discussed before, but I wouldn't know what to search for, since I don't know what exists, Case in point, the SLU. Unless you asked this, I would have never heard of it unless I stumbled across a current build thread in which it's used.

I usually find stuff after I've already bought something. I just ordered a DBC-RC2HL on Monday. I didn't know there was a RC3HL until Tuesday when this thread opened.

Go to Dan's site which I posted a link above, he sells a chip to upgrade your DBC2 for $35 then you can add a Benedini sound card, and wow what a difference in sound. Check out his Sherman video on the demo page, it is outstanding.

Cheers
Wade

I will, I just would have rather bought the RC3 straight from Dan to begin with. I haven't even got the RC2 yet. Not complaining really, it's all good, I'm just using it as an example of a reason to keep info current.

A lot of forums have members that jump all over you if you don't search before asking, but a lot of times, I have no idea what to ask or search for...

Even if you did know what to search for, the search engine on here leaves a lot to be desired lol

What is NOT being said here is how easy it is to make a non Tamiya tank a Tamiya driven tank. All of my first conversions where using Tamiya electronics. Their modules fit very well straight from the start. Then you can add a servo for recoil and a servo for elevation if you wish. <div> The price does go up and down on the Tamiya electronics at times so it is best to try and buy not only what you need but to also buy what you think you may need in the future.</div><div>Now, when you can run a Tamiya electronics package AND a Benedini sound board together I'll be very happy indeed.</div>

Someone hereoncetold me about a system that used your own speed controllers, rather than having them built-in, so you just have a bunch of servo outputs on thetank controller. It was a British website I think, but I can't remember what they were called. Anyone here know what I'm talking about?

Thanks,

Russ

Email Dan and see if he will just do the upgrade for you since you havent gotten your boards yet. Maybe he has time to catch them. Maybe not either, but it is worth the try.