[X(]BROKEN!!
Yep my HL m26 started doing the HL typical blip on blip off speed thing and broke and also started pulling to the left then puff up in smoke!!

I am sick of these HL tanks they all break the same way they start stuttering then break!!
my best bet is probably buy a new one with metal gears.... because HL electronics suck so bad that if you buy the electrics upgrade kits half the time you burn them out because hl has so many varyations of the electronics some dont mix and match!![X(]

Did it blow up? sure looks like it!

[sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif] Man, I hope my tank dosnt look like that when she goes.

Richard L has information about HL improving their electronics, hopefully in the near future.

Yea i hope so i am sick of keep buying boards and re fixing all these HL tanks... It's making me want to just get rid of them all!

Well there is always Tamiya..... I personally like fixing them.. but everytime I do repairs... I don't just fix I upgrade... Ya likely I could have bought a Tamiya... but hey... I didn't and I get alot of satifaction... the only thing I have not done which I want to is Retro fit my HLs with metal hulls....

Also for the price.... I figure I can't complain!!!

KT

yes that maybe true but when you own 5 hl tanks it could drive one crazy fixing them all the time!!
It's a no brainer that you must up grade the air gun... but HL is just plane stupid in my opinion there electronics have faults they always break down the same way by studdering at speed on of sputtering when you see this your tanks electrics are broken!

If HL could just put better rated parts in the tanks this would not happen... HL caint find the faulty part causing the problem ...or do they even care because I always hear alot about the stuttering on and off speed problem it's definitly a fault in there electronics that they must figure out and improve.

what is the stuttering problem? I have not had this?

KT

The Sabertooth 2x5 RC or 2x10 RC would solve your problem. However, you would lose smoke and engine sound.

I wish I knew exactly which parts can be upgraded, I have a bunch of boards to fix. The Toshiba part though is $12, the boards are about that, so it doesn't pay to fix them. I have a couple with bad 772s, don't know of a better one to install, if there is. Yeah, it can be frustrating, but they are tanks and tanks break. You frustrated with 5, I have 10!

Hi Jams ... You may want to try this get the the output fets the black things on the aluminm heat sink un solder them from one board and solder them on to the new board STACKING them ... have 2 soldered in the samme way as the one was on the board... do this and put 2 for each exsisting fet that was originally on the stock board and your output should get much stronger and less likely to burn out from your motors...... I do this with mini z cars by doubling up the fets or outputs you can then run a hotter motor.... it should work for the tanks also.

I am literally attaching a pentium heat sink from an old computer to my HL heat sink which has a small fan attached... very EASY to do...

KT

At least you can always fix a tank. Try flying a WWII warbird with a mechanical or radio failure that happened in mid air, and chances are it will be totaled. That's $400+ down the drain, not counting the labor and time you spent putting it together.

Very True Richard... hence I fly Foam Fighters and carry 5 minute epoxy... EVERYWHERE... haha

KT

Been running running Tamiyas for about 2 1/2 years. No electronic problems at all. I've have the Sherman, Pershing, and Tiger I. The Sherman, which was the first and is driven the most, had one gear box go bad. The Tiger sucked a gear due to "operator error". When a tank that has not had track pin problems, suddenly start pulling pins every battle, STOP and look at your tank! One of those neat metal Tow Shackles, the kind with the threaded pin was the culprit. Seems the pins had worked its way loose, and the flat head was acting a Pin Puller. Repeated stress on the gear box from loose pins and jammed track finally cause the gear box to fail.
The Pershing, which is the current favorite, has run fine for about 2 years. The biggest problem is getting everything to fit inside neatly so it doesn't interfere with the turret rotation. Otherwise, it runs great.

That being said, I would like to try the Panzer III, but only when Mato toys is shipping it. Is it true they turned down the first batch from HL?

Kevin O
<S.C.A.T.>

www.socalareatankers.com

Yes, it's true based on the e-mail reply I got from them. I'm waiting for the second batch with the bugs worked out.

what was so wrong with the first batch?

I don't know. They never told me. They only told me they were not happy with the quality.

From what I have read on this forum, it sounds like Mato is good about supporting what they sell. If the first batch of Panzer III were trouble prone, it would have blown back on Mato more than HL. If a little more time gets us a better tank, I'll wait.

Kevin O
<S.C.A.T.>

www.socalareatankers.com

Seems like I'm not the only one having problems with HL electronics....I know zip about electronic stuff...I work on 1;1 scale tanks and am a musician, so this stuff has to go to a local hobby RCshop....SO....what's the best suggestion on replacing an RC unit that won't break my piggy bank or get me loaded down with stuff I don't need?

Bill

The Henglong boards do have some issues, but truthfully, the two I fried happened after I did some tank modes, not before. Metal gearsets and tracks being the biggest culprit would be my bet. If you are adding metal gears, hook up your drill to the output shaft and run them in using that. Metal gears will require some running in, and the extra ampereage drawn by the motors will be the reason the ESC will fail. Let your trusty drill do this task. Additonal heats sinks to power transisters will aid help as well.

At $15.00 a piece from Mato I don't mind the odd board that goes up in smoke. If you go to the local hobbyshop you can spend that on an RC wiring harness switch!!!!!

That is the catch with the Henglong tank. If it was a $600 tank I would be unhappy, but at less then a $100 and a good supply of parts, they are a pile of fun for the tinkerer.

Hey YHR,

I know thee has been some discussion about breaking in metal gears... but can you give some specifics? FOr how long shoudl I run them on my drill.... can I run them while they are still wired to teh board.... is there any other suggestions to break them in better (Besides filing the teeth)...

Finally for heat... I have attached a pentium heat sink with fan attached to that to the factory HL heat sink (I flipped over the board in the hull, to do this and for more room...) I have not run teh tank yet but i hope this will deal with over heating problems.

KT

The metal gearsets I have experience with are the ones from Mato. They supply the metal gears that replace the nylon ones. These were not preassembled metal gear boxes. I had the gear boxs out, so this is when I ran them using my drill. It was probably for over an hour. Use some tooth paste that has Baking soda in it. This will accelerate wear, and washes out easily with warm water. I work them until they free wheel with little resistance and definetly no cogging!!!!!.

Rule of thumb???

For me it is until ( with the motor removed) you can turn the box easilt with your fingers by twisting the output shaft. if its that free, its ready.

MG, with what you siad, even the tone of sound that the metal gears put out while the tank is out terrorizing sounds in sinc![sm=thumbup.gif]