samarkh

Hi,
I was thinking about a new / modifying RC gear for the HL tanks. and having seen what can be achieved I wondered what the least / optimum number of channels would be needed.
I think:
Forward/Reverse
Left/Right
Canon Up/Down
Canon Fire
Machine Gun
Smoke On/Off

would be my basic set.

Any others?

Yours Simon M.

blitzkrieg65

Head light / tail lights on/off, gunner pops up and down out of the hatch!

The Blitz

fv432

LOL blitz
simon think you might have the basics pretty much covered
When they gonna be ready [)]


Rob

samarkh

Have you seen the tank commander on the [link=http://www.rctank.jp/machine/tiger-e.htm]RC Tank.JP[/link] web site? (Also [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ucRWpFEAa8&eurl=http://www.rctank.jp/machine/tiger-e.htm]YouTube[/link])?



I'd like to add to my perfect wish list brake light

Yours Simon M.

123Splat

You gonna mix in the xmitr, recvr, or driver board?
If you don't use mixer logic some where, your'e gonna need:

Left forward/stop/reverse
right forward/stop/reverse
then
Turret traverse right/stop/left
cannon up/stop/down

cannon fire
mg fire
etc........

971wright

Hi Simon 6channels any more the cost goes to high spektrum2,4ghz dx6 is about £99 at the moment rec are about £45 it has ten model memory this is the best allround set at the present time in england ,the dx7 is over £200 see what i mean about 6 channels of of you only wanted 4 channels about £60 for 40 mhz set.


regards pete

samarkh

Your correct with the channel to cost equation, it is not linear. At the moment the [link=http://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=SPM6600]Spektrum[/link] offer is jolly tempting, especially when you combine it with their offer of a free receiver. (I think the offer ends soon though?)

Yours Simon M.

samarkh

By the way...
This is just blue sky thinking, It will most likely not come to anything, especially since darkith (David) is offering what is probably the perfect answer, but I like the commander popping out of this hatch every so often.

What would be cool also is the ability to change gear, eg speed limited to scaled 1mph unitl button X pressed then limits to.. well you get the idea.

Yours Simon M.

971wright

Hi Simon yes it does end soon but its a very good offer if you buy 2 extra receivers get 2 free that covers 5 tanks alltogether but it will cost almost £200 for it.

regards pete

darkith

Yeah, I purchased a DX7 for my heli, plane, and tank needs.
Deal ends at the end of the month.

I *thought* I saw somebody saw that the 2 rx deal was only valid for Canada/US, and that UK customers could only get 1 free, but I may be blowing smoke out my exhaust stack.

D.

fv432

one thing that makes me wonder is why someone hasn't come up with a direct replacement for the DMD/MF unit's
or are the cost's too similiar to be viable?
Or another more sinister reason (mr tamiya sends out his ninja's and they do your workshop over)



Rob

971wright

Hi Rob there is one out there this is the site http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/R-C-Tank-Twin-...742.m153.l1262
dont no if it does all the sounds but it states its a direct replacement for tamiya dmd 0-1 .

regards pete

ksoc

The Tamiya DMD handles the Drive Motors only:

- The servo leads plug into the Rx
- Diagnostic lights
- Steering trim
- Power switch.


The Tamiya MF is tied to the DMD with a cable. It deals with all the Full Option (FO) features

- Turret rotation
- Gun elevation
- Main gun recoil (except Sherman) / flash unit
- Machine gun LED
- Is where the speaker plugs in, handles all sounds, and where the volume control is located

samarkh

Hi David, ( darkith ), how many channels are you recommending for your system, and have you plans to add more features to increase the count even more?

I must admit that I'm confused between the number of systems between makers and 'add ons'.
Can someone please explain to a simple boy like me whats what, and what does what?

Yours Simon M.

darkith

Hrm, not sure how helpful I can be.

One big things is that you have to distinguish between functions, features, and radio channels. (And don't mix these channels up with radio frequency channels!!!).
For example, you can have a "Cannon fire function" and "Turret commander doffs his hat and waves function", but on the same radio channel (stick up for one, down for the other). And the "Cannon recoil feature" occurs when the "Cannon fire function" does...so it doesn't need a radio channel mapping.

The new DBC-RC2HL which connects a regular RC radio to a Heng Long ESC requires 4 channels for people who might have older 4 channel FM radios. But I wouldn't be surprised if a fair number of users will be using 2.4ghz radios, so I'm planning on offering a 5 channel mode.

Are you planning on just replacing the radio gear, or the radio gear and ESC board?

D.

971wright

Darkith Ihave this right do I if I bought your new system Icould use the heng long board for speed control and use the heng long controler and later buget permiting can update to differant radio still using the heng long board for speed contol then later still new esc so it can be done in stages to keep the spend down. unlike el-mod if you start with conversion for heng long you have to spend more to change later if this is so you will be hearing from me to order sets have 2 up and running and a3rd on the bench with 2 more after that.This outstanding.


best regards pete

samarkh

So I think the complete set is:
Essential
Forward/Rev
Left/Right
Up/Down-canon
Left/Right-turret
Nice to have
Canon Fire (Main gun recoil/ flash unit)
Machine Gun
Head light / tail lights on/off - Brake light
Smoke On/Off
Aim Laser
Fun
Change gear
Machine gun move
Aerial up down on Panzer III
Gunner pops up and down out of the hatch

darkith

I think Cannon Fire function & flash feature would be essential, doubly-so if IR battling was in the books. The recoil feature would still be nice to have.

Some of the other fun functions (aerial, MG move, gunner move) could be left as "hookup your own servo to a RX channel and DIY" features. No need to implement them in separate hardware I think.
Some things could be done with maybe a few general purpose on/off outputs for the "aim laser", "headlights", etc. Brakelights need to be a purposefully unique feature since they'd tie into the throttle.

There's a lot of functions and features you can add, have to be careful you don't go too far. Any then there are the features which add realism to the driving experience, such as accleration, momentum, and braking simulation. Or your gearchange mentioned. Or sound that varies correctly with functions (such as having the engine rev up when turning a hydraulically powered turret on a sitting still tank).

My $0.02.

D.

samarkh

Yup your correct, the Canon fire should be in the Essential list. I was repairing the lads PS2 controller today, and wondered if it could be pressed in to service? Two joysticks, and stacks of button.

That's my £0.02 worth, and due to the exchange rate its worth more than yours

Yours Simon M.

samarkh

Of course using a PS2 gamepad is that some have rumble motors, and making them work when hit would be even better! Just need to find affordable, approved transceivers, for about $1.00

Yours Simon M

darkith

Hrm, I don't see why not. I saw somebody write code to interface with a PS gamepad a while back, didn't look too hard.
Transceiver modules are pretty cheap, though not $1, either 2.4ghz (xbees, bluetooth, etc) or 900/868 ISM bands. I even built my own 900mhz micro airplane radio from just the raw chipset, as it only needed a crystal and few caps (not bi-directional, but could have been with a slightly different chip).
You could try looking into the wireless gamepads (the Wiimote uses bluetooth and can be easily interfaced), but they tend to be more expensive.

Question is, why don't you want to use a standard RC radio system? Lot more to invent if you start that close to scratch.

D.

samarkh

Hi Dave, Its more 'blue sky' thinking. Very likely come to nothing, just the gamepad looked like the perfect tank interface. Stick controller doesnt seem to fit properly with full tank control for me.

Yours Simon M.

darkith

Heh, that's because for a realistic feel, you really need at least a separate driver and TC, all using first person video (FPV) from their appropriate spots in the tank, with stereo vision for depth.

Well, you did say it was blue sky thinking.... [)]

D.

edit: lame anti-sql injection code stole my smiley's semi-colon.

samarkh

I like your thinking Dave

Yours Simon M.