Is there any reason to believe that the electronics will suffer if I use a 7.2v in place of the 9.6v that camewith my Matorro Sturmtiger? The voltage is lower, after all. My plan is to remove the triple plugs from the tank and replace them with Deans', which has simply a positive and negative. By the way, if red is positive and black is negative then what is the blue wire...ground? Can I solder it with either the red or black or should I just omit all together?

I haven't even tested the tank because I think I am going to install a Tamiya Tiger DMD and MFU eventually. First, I think that I will make a few modifications, some paint and bit of weathering. I will replace the handles with wire, pin the tow rings so they don't come off, damage the skirts, open the hatches, remove the BB shooter and loader etc.

Thanks!
Chad

[&o]Unfortionatly you can't do that the 3 wire plug is another voltage tap into the cells so the tank gets a certain voltage to run some stuff and the full 9.6 to run other things....
you would have to some how make taps into the 7.2 volt packs cells at the acording voltage that the tap is on the 9.6v pack.

ya that blue wire is tapped a cell or 2 before the stick ends. I would recomend just changing out the guts for a hl smoke and sound package. i cant see that not working out.

Hey all. After a brief hiatus from R/C tanking, I am thinking about getting back into the hobby, and the Sturmtiger is one of my possibilities right now. Since it uses this three wire plug, could the charge lead still be adapted to a decent charger (just using the red and black on the plug and cutting the blue off)? Does Mato or anyone else sell replacement packs? Could Radio Shack or similar "toy" 9.6 packs be converted for use?

I have a set ordered from Mato, so I will try to install them after the tank is redone...at least until I can get my hand on some Tamiya guts. My goal is to have a fairly accurate model that I can battle with and I prefer the TBU because all I have to do is mount it and plug it in.

The charger that the Sturmtiger comes with has only a red and black wire, so the blue is not involved when charging. I'm thinking now, that I may use two battery packs - 7.2 for running the motors and 9.6 for the electronics. There is enough space in the lower hull for both. If it all fries, I guess it won't matter since I don't plan to keep those boards in the tank.

For now, I plan to just enjoy the remodelling job. [sm=thumbs_up.gif]

Chad

Hi Titan20 i just cut the plug off of the cheap wall wort charger they give you and i use one of my good RC chargers... I charge it at a really low charge rate so it equalizes the cells out ...Stupid desighn they use because of the taps in the pack some cells get drained really low and the others in the pack don't...makes the pack not last long...wish they used a standard hen long type set up because this way stinks..and the tank don't have the power ..tork of a hen long and it don't turn with good power ...that's the down side..

Thanks for the info, Shen. I am still undecided about a tank. . .still thinking about that Bulldog, too Of course, the VS T-72 is going to be hard to resist.

Hope you are not going by the dates on VS web site.......they are so unrealisticly dated it's not funny! some tanks listed up there where supposed to come out and they did not apear for a year or so after the so called release date they shown....that tank won't be out maybe late next year i bet or later!

Guys...

I'd have asked " Where in the pack is the tap " as that will tell you the voltage needed by the 'limited' components. If this 'limit' is under 7.2v, sure, you can safely dispense with the blue tap, and just go red & black all the way.

If it ~isn't~ under the limit, perhaps a 5v regulator (like used for electronics boards) is called for, or a dropping diode or two. There ARE better ways to do this that critically unbalancing a battery pack.

IMHO.

(who uses a 5v regulator to run his LED chaser circuitry in his RC mods)

I use LM7805's in 3 of my tanks.