Hello Chaps,

I am trying to configure my TK22 for an airsoft Jagdpanther and I am having difficulty getting the gun to work properly.

I have rewired it EXACTLY as per the Clark website instructions and still have this problem.

What is happening, is I have two way gun elevation when I move the left stick at about 3/4 of it’s travel, but the airsoft gun fires whilst the elevation motor is still rotating.
I also have no gun boom, reload or recoil of the tank occurring.

My tank is quite old and has an old style airsoft gun that does not have a microswitch on it, but it shoots brilliantly and I would like to keep it as is. I notice that the website talks about a microswitch on the airsoft.
Could this be the reason I am having trouble setting this up and if so, how do I over come this problem?.

Cheers for any help in advance

CaptB

Captain Have you configured the board to run the airsoft gun or is it still on the manufacturer setting which would be Tamiya IR?

Hi Freaky,

Yes - I asked Clark to configure the board for me for airsoft before delivery. Clark has just responded actually - he confirms that the airsoft gun needs a microswitch added to it. The latest airsoft guns have this switch mounted at the back for the hull recoil synchronisation. The Clark board uses this to stop start the airsoft firing. this is exactly what I wanted to know. It was'nt obvious to me that the Clark board would'nt work with my current airsoft gun. The Clark website assumes that your airsoft gun has this microswitch which of course, none of mine do since they are so old.

So, beware - if using the Clark board for airsoft control, their is a bit more to it than just re-soldering a few wires etc.

Cheers

CaptB

I have the same problem with my Taigen Tiger. I ordered the TK22 from clark direct and explained that I had the Tiagen with the airsoft, he said no problem. I also asked where to get the Sony remote { since there no where he in the states ] to program the unit later when I wanted to up grade the tank. He said he would send one with the board. Well I paid with pay pal and it was approved right away. He said he would air mail it our that day. 16 days later I got the package only the board was there no remote. So I started to install the new board as per the instruction that came with it. Started it it up and it sounded pretty cool then when I applied the cannon it happened, busted the air soft unit. So I tried to contact Clark and no reply. So started to do some research and found out there is a addendum to the instructions that indicate that you need to cut two wire and procure extra wire some ohm resistors j s t connectors and do soldering to make this unit work. What the hell is this all about? Why didn't he included these items in the package and indicate this in the instructions? You would think for the amount of money spent you would get it all in the package.
I am new to this aspect of the hobby and me and my friends are just trying to learn about tanks.
As for Clark he has a really cool product but poor instructions and after the sale service.
Sorry for ranting
Thanks

Hi Philco,

Welcome to the airsoft club of Clark madness. I thought it was just me but as you say, the instructions are not good enough. Now, I have been doing some more research and have established (I think) that to make the Clark board work properly with airsoft, you need to make sure that your airsoft gun has the microswitch fitted to the back of it. the board will use this switch as a signal to recoil the tank and thus initialise the cannon sound etc. I've yet to try this as I have been short on time but I'll have a go over the xmas break and will post further.

cheers

CaptB

Hey Phillco, things like your problems are one of the main reasons I decided to stay away from the clark boards. I found out FAST that customer service is an extremely important thing in this hobby and who you're dealing with can make a HUGE difference. Some people do what they say they'll do when they say they will, and some people don't. That's why I'm so glad that Erik hooked me up with Kevin Grannum at RC Tanks Australia. That guy really knows his stuff and if there's any problem at all he's on top of it RIGHT AWAY. He also goes a step beyond in the instruction area by creating installation videos for all his products. I just ordered his RC2TG, which is specifically designed to use hobby grade radios with airsoft tanks. I'll be doing one of those goofy squad videos about it in the next couple weeks so that will give you a chance to check out Kevin's stuff, and maybe you'll want to give them a try. As far as I know a good hobby grade TX with memory can be used to operate tanks with either board so it may be a viable option for you. Convert your airsoft tank to hobby grade control for just over 40 bucks.

When it comes to electronics, service is everything.

IF you ordered from Clark directly then you pretty much have to deal with him on the issues. There are a few Clark users on this board, but most of them are probably into the IR side of things. They might be able to help. I dabbled with them for awhile, but I am afraid I never really got into all the details of the board. They seem like a great value, and they certainly offer up a lot of options, but with these options comes some complexity that can cause issues from time to time.

Airsoft unit motors have to be wired to work in the right direction. If you mix up the polarity the unit will just sit there making a ratcheting noise. If yours is doing this then try reversing the leads to the motor. As I guy who sells electronics, I can tell you it is a product that needs a lot of support, There are a lot of Electro-mechanical devices in a tank, and not everyone is up on the stuff. It can take some hand holding to walk a person through a first install.

This is why I never distributed the BARC stuff. It is inevitable that some people will have trouble, and they will need help. When they do, I want to be the guy they come to.

Setting up airsoft with the clark board is easy. Unlike the above I have and do set this up by setting a preference in the programming. You do NOT have to re-wire the Heng long system nor the Taigen system to get airsoft working. You just don't.
IF you are going to IR Battle with a Taigen /Asiatam style recoil system then yes you need to cut 3 wires off and solder 4 wires on to the recoil/elevation unit. You can IR Battle with Heng Long but that system is messed up with performance in reverse of what you want so why would you use that anyway?
IR Battling - do yourself a favor and mod the HL recoil to accept a servo, far far better than any other system on the market.
All of this is easier than one thinks, all you need is some advice. That is why Immortal Hobbies supports the Clark Board. I am biased but overall it is the best unit in the marketplace.

I used to sell and support other products mentioned in this thread but all it took for me to change was one Clark TK20 and I switched my business.
My point of this response was that if you need sales and support with the Clark Board Immortal Hobbies is the place to buy the product. There is nothing I can not walk a person through and I stand behind the boards I sell.

Where do I get the Sony remote to do this programming? I have looked on Amazon and e bay but it looks like it not available. I would like to make this board work since I spent good money for it and can't use it. If you have any information on the best way to make this work I appreciate it. Your web site is in my bookmarks.
Me and some of my friends are trying to start a club here in Florida and are just getting started. Your web site has some very interesting products and look forward purchasing from you in the future.
Thanks
Phillco

you get the sony remote here in the radios/electronics parts
http://www.immortalhobbies.com/immor...egory=10646606
They are in stock

I see you handle the remote but are out of stock, when do you expect them in? Or is there another type or brand I could use.
I have had this TK22 for over a month and still not able to use it.
Thanks for you help
Phillco

Got an Android smartphone with an IR port? Most of the new models come with them except for funny enough, the Sony phones. If you do you can download an universal remote app from the marketplace and set it to Sony. This SHOULD work, but I have yet to get mine so far. I copy all kinds of random IR signals from my phone, I've got three remotes all built in on one screen on mine: tv, cable, and the PC cable tuner.


I have yet to play with a Clark board yet but I'm pretty sure they are plug and play for the latest airsoft tanks. If not, the new airsoft unit with a microswitch is only $10 and is well worth a replacement if you are worried about modifying your current one. Curtis can get you one of those from us too, so don't worry on that front. Also guys, remember when you order overseas it will take a while, that is why you should support your local hobby shops or distributors. You could of got from Immortal I'm sure a lot quicker and had the NA Clark guy to help you with stuff

Now I wished I got the board from you.
We live and learn
Thanks for your help

This is the next one on my list

Anyone know how to set up airsoft with Clark board, mine doesn't work yet. Do I have to make 4p connector? I think yes, but haven't try any work yet. Is Clark board will have two way move for the barrel up and down, then I am pretty sure I have to mod to 4 p.
Any one know about how to delay cannon boom, now the TK board boom immediately when it fires, but the airsoft unit will have a few seconds to load up and shoot. HL board use a trigger switch to detect airsoft unit status, and it boom simultaneously. can TK board take the signal? or at least boom the thing 3 seconds after fire.

can someone share the tk22 board specification too. Can tk22 handle new upgrade version of motor? what the amp for stuff like light - I want upgrade headlight to high energy led.

I can't tell you how to do it but can tell you I have a Mato Metal Tiger all delivered with the Clark board set up and out of the box the airsoft spools up and the airsoft fires and it is timed to work together. Ie airsoft fires when the cannon booms. I haven't taken it apart as I am just going to resell it, but there must be a microswitch on the airsoft that actually triggers the Clark board for the cannoin sound. Just wanted to let you know it can be done.

Yes the Clark board does use the trigger switch for sound. I would check the make sure it is in the correct firing mode. Have you checked the manual on his site yet first? He goes through a pretty decent install. I also made a video on how to install an airsoft one in one of our tanks here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOE0-61Mzhs I did have to change the wiring a bit, but it wasn't too difficult. Have you tried contacting the vendor you purchased it from and asking? (sorry I always ask this, but they should be able to help if they sell the product)

Well, this is an old thread I initially posted and I see people are still having trouble with the Clark Airsoft set-up. The good news is that the Clark board can be set-up okay by doing the wiring mod that Erik points out and also making sure your airsoft gun has the microswitch - my unit was old and didn't have this so I had to swap it out in the end. fortunately, I think the shooting power is as good or slightly better than my original so I'm pleased with it. the other observation I have with the clark board is that the engine noise isn't very loud. The gearbox noise drowns out the engine sound, but the gun firing and Mg are okay. Have others found this too?


cheers

CaptB

And just completed the set up for leopard of TK22, honestly it is a busy and messy process, the instruction is not clear

what does the 2 Ohm resister do on the turret turn and elevation motor. Isn't a foot long wire already 1 Ohm?
And what is the 100Ohm on airsoft unit do, when I connect it, airsoft unit will not fire, even I plug in a 5v power directly to the unit.

The engine sound sucks, it is not proportionate to the throttle response, it is more like a broken generator.

RANT is done.

Yes I am becoming disillusioned with the Clark Boards. The sounds with the basic HL speaker set - up are not that great - just a bit different from the RX18 setup.

I have just spent the whole day wrestling with the wiring mod on a HL King tiger and a Clark Upgrade. As has been said, it's only one wire and a few resistors to install but honestly, mine was a nightmare. It turned out that the 8 -pin connector with the colour coding as per clarks instructions is wired in mirror fashion to the HL connector. On top of this, the 3 pin connector to the turret elevation and the single black wire to the airsoft were not soldered to the correct pins on the 8 pin connector interface board. also, my Clark board would not initially program for airsoft (????) so I could'nt tell if it was working or not - I got their in the end but I am an engineer and I challenge the average joe to do this without any technical skill or fault finding experience.

I know that my issues were probably more to do with HL than Clark but the variance in build quality I have seen with HL is so great, that it makes a Clark upgrade a bit of a lottery.

I like the idea of the Clark board and wanted to upgrade all of my key tank models to it, but the execution of this product is losing my interest.

I've got a taigen Tiger 1 to upgrade next - lets see if that is any easier.

cheers

CaptB

If you want it to be a lot easier, go for the IBU2 or the Asp. Way better sound, much easier install, and with an IBU2 you would not have needed the trigger switch and could've kept the old airsoft unit in your Jagdpanther. The bad part is that you either learn to live with cannon sound and BB fire being a bit off, or you spend lot of time fine tuning the timing on the micro SD card. That's my only complaint about the IBU2 in an airsoft tank. The Asp is (IMO) the best tank board on the market today (to be fair, I have not tried the elmod). Here's a quick video of a Taigen Tiger One with the Asp board, it's an airsoft tank, and has barrel recoil. I'll stack this tank up against any airsoft tank in the world and dare them to tell me their tank will do more cool stuff than mine will. And if their tank WILL do more cool stuff than mine, I want to copy it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4Kk89AwnDc And since I have two extra wires in the slip ring I've just decided to add an LED machine gun in the turret where the airsoft LED is, and with the Asp it has a separate plug in for machine gun 2 and a separate switch so I'll be able to fire hull or turret mg with separate switches and both will have LED and separate sound. And here I foolishly thought I was all done upgrading this tank!

One thing to be said for the TK22, at the end of the day it's still about 50 bucks cheaper than either the IBU2 or the Asp. To me the extra money is well worth it. The sound alone on either the IBU or the Asp makes it worth the extra money.

I think it's more of an issue with the HL quality variance in their builds, rather than clarks...........One could follow Clarks instructions and get a good result, providing the HL tank is assembled and wired the way Clark assumes it is. This is the problem I think. The Clark board is okay for the price. Just not an easy swap out for the un-educated I fear.

cheers


CaptB