Batteries?
 

Good morning all:

I am ordering a charger and I want to order a few batteries while I am at it. I am just not sure what to order? We have three Taigen tanks and I want something that my son and I can interchange in each one.

What is the Voltage Rating and Rated Capacity (mAh) that I should be getting for our vehicles?

Is there a certain type or manufacturer that I should be considering?

If they do not have the standard Tamiya plugs on them is it difficult to replace the connector on the battery end (I have a bag of new male/female Tamiya ends).

I was looking at Tower Hobbies because shipping on the charger is free (Duratrax Onyx 245 AC/DC Dual Balancing Charger). Is there a better site to order both charger and batteries from?

Thanks,

Pat

I buy my batteries and charger (imax b6) at hobbyking. Buy a 2Slipo (7.4 volts) the higher the mah, bigger the battery and longer you will drive. Im using 5.600 mah.

I recomend you to bin the tamiya connectors and use XT60 or Deans. Replacng the connectors is very easy, you just need the solder iron and some heat shrink tube. Look for the connector name on youtube and you will find tutorials.

I use the tenergy tb6b. It hsa a pig tail that will let you charge many differnt battery types and connectors.

This will fit fine in the tiger1. https://www.amazon.com/Venom-5000mAh-Battery-Universal-Traxxas/dp/B00FE13L10/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1495460644&sr=8-6&keywords=nimh+battery+rc+5000+venom

This fits your PZ4 https://www.amazon.com/Venom-3000mAh-5-Cell-Receiver-Battery/dp/B0006O6GIA/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1495460722&sr=8-8&keywords=nimh+battery+rc+3000+venom

Once you get familiar with batteries you might consider a LiPo but unless you understand the charge / fire risk and discharge damage don't go LiPo.

Hi Pat, Troy offers very good advise, I use "LI-POs" But they have to be used with care,
With that in mind I would recommend you stay with "NIMHs" for the present,
I live in the UK and there is a dealer in the UK who will alter the connectors to suit your needs on request,
I feel sure that an American dealer would offer a similar service if you asked them.
Shaun..

You can get the tower hobbies 3000mah NIMH battery's at a great price...if you want better go with the duratrax onyx NIMH packs they come with the tamiya plugs also as does the tower hobbies packs but the onyx ones come in higher MAH ratings the larger # will give you more play time.

I use Venom 7.2V 4200mAh 6 Cell NiMH Battery with Universal Plug System.
Attachment 2216692
Good quality battery with very flexible lines and the connectors are rock solid.

Thanks for the responses and the links. I have our charger and a pair of batteries on the way for the PzIV.

Next project a new transmitter for the Tiger 1 and a Clark for the PzIV. They will both have to wait a few weeks for me to save up some funds.

Thanks again for the help!

Pat

What batteries and charger did you buy, Skip? Are you planning to do your PzIV like Philip did, using two batteries that charge in the tank? Most people (myself included) don't think it's a good idea to charge batteries inside the tank, but Philip's set up looks good and should be plenty safe, since he's using nimh batts. I wouldn't try that with lipos, but with nimh batts it seems to be OK. At least I haven't heard of any problems with Philip's set up.

Can't wait to see photos of the PzIV build! :)

Gary:

I haven't decided what to do with the battery situation for the PzIV. I ordered the Duratrax Onyx 245 charger and a pair of Venom NiMH 5 cell 3000mAh batteries for the PzIV..

I am having issues with the Tiger 1 gun elevation still and I am hesitant to start on the PzIV until I figure the Tiger out; it is really frustrating and I may just sell it if I can get my money back out of it and pick up a Tamiya kit.

I won't be charging in the IV; I don't like the idea. I have not decided what to do in order to make battery replacement easier; I really do not like the separate battery box with screws on the bottom. I may beef up the chassis, remove the battery box and use magnets to keep the upper chassis on. I am just not sure. I was so excited to get working on it but the Tiger has really put a damper on things. I get frustrated when I can't figure out how to fix something that should be simple.

Thanks,

Pat

Every Tank I buy I strip out the interior and superglue a sheet of "Velcro" to the floor of the Tank then a patch of "Velcro"is glued to the base of the Control board , the Smoker and the Battery and anything else that would usually be glued or screwed in place,
This allows you to move or remove anything in the Tank without all the aggravation,
and of course nothing moves unless you move it,
It also saves a lot of otherwise wasted space.
I long ago discarded the screws used to hold the Body to the Hull of my PZ4s and instead use "Countersunk Neo-Dymiun Magnets which I screw onto the internal fixing towers at the front of the Tank and at the rear,
I do not recommend gluing the magnets in place as they will soon pull out,
You will have to shorten the towers and it is a case of trimming until it is right. but once it is done you will wonder why it isn't a standard fit.
Shaun.

Good choice on batteries and charger. The 245 is a dual charger, right? I have the 240 and it's still going strong after four years.

What's wrong with your elevation? Is it Heng Long or Taigen? Airsoft or IR?

Shaun: If you have any pictures of a tutorial link to what you did please share it with me. I was thinking of removing the battery box so that everything is inside the lower chassis instead of having two separate compartments.

Gary: Yes, the 245 is a dual charger; it will work well with my son and I both running tanks at the same time.

The Tiger 1 is a Taigen with a Clark board. When I use the lower or raise elevation feature the main gun will fire. It is set at 45 degrees (right or left) on the left up stick and center is fire. I have tried to tune it out but can't seem to get it. I am not sure if buying a new transmitter will fix the problem or if it is just a function of the location of the Clark boards? My current transmitter is just a cheap $30 one I believe.

I tried downloading Digital Radio and I bought the connector cable but for some reason DR won't work on my computer. I have installed it and the drivers countless times and can't get any combo to work. Rustytrax sent me a Y cable to try but I honestly can't figure out how to hook it up. I am not sure if the servo if broken now; I don't seem to be getting any elevation at all anymore on it. Other than that everything else seems great on the tank. Firing when not wanting to is a huge issue when you are behind team members or if you are in a spot and seconds count on your reload.

I know some guys run momentary switches to use as fire buttons on their tanks. I am not sure if it will work with my Clark board or if I have the ability to install one in my transmitter.

Pat

To test everything in the turret itself you might try swapping receiver cables so you have throttle on the left stick and steering on the right. Then you'll push the right stick halfway forward (assuming you have throttle on left stick) and move the left stick from left to right to get elevation. It might not be exactly halfway on the right stick, but you'll be able to play with it to see if you get better response. If elevation works well like that you know the problem isn't in the mechanics in the turret, but is somewhere in the board or the TX. Sometimes small trim adjustments can make it easier to use elevation as well. I usually run my tanks with throttle and steering on the same stick, but clark is the exception, and every tank I've had with a TK22 has been set for throttle on left stick and steering on right. I got used to driving like that with my halftrack so the switch back and forth isn't a big deal for me, but I've heard some guys have a problem with that. Too bad you can't change the sounds on the clark. Then you could run that in the PzIV and get an IBU for the Tiger.