Non-RC to RC Tank (summer project)

sg219 · Post by **sg219** » Fri May 13, 2005 2:26 am

I bought a tank at TRU a couple of days ago with the possibility of being able to make it an RC tank. It was $24.99. Great detail, the tracks move, and has a working suspension.

U.S. M1A1 Abrams

http://www.forcesofvalor.com/product.aspx?pid=182

The bottom is plastic and the upper body is mostly die cast. The turret is mostly a soft plastic, some metal.

Anyway....

I want to run it using two 130 motors and Lipo's.

I can add bearings to the two axles to make the treads spin freely.

I need a PCB that has tank steering or something else that would work.

Is there a way to do it with an Xmod board? 2 Xmod boards? Maybe on the same freq and use the steering/servo to work as a brake to slow one side or the other somehow? I would love to install a Nelly.

There is plenty of room under the hood.

I would like to make the turret spin too, but not nessasary. Hell, if I could make it shoot, I would.

I know I can go ahead and buy a RC tank, but that wouldn't be any fun.

Suggestions....

betty.k · Post by **betty.k** » Fri May 13, 2005 3:26 am

can't help with the xmod thing. if you're going to use 2 lipo's then i'd say get 2 micro escs and a small rx. not much out there really.
my little tank i made up from tamiya kits i powered with a pcb from a cheapy dual motor wheelie buggy that took 2 x aaa's. i used 4 x aa's in the end and fried a few on the way before i figured out how to wire in 2 biff turbos. they get warm but just survive. but these are tamiya crappo motors we're talking, 70t! i had to replace the copper wipers with real brushes too. anything hotter will fry the lot.

you should look into those tamiya kits, they make a few different types of gearbox kit. you'll need a torquey setup.

hunt back to some of my old threads on ausmicro about it. there's a few in misc rc too.

Jeep · Post by **Jeep** » Fri May 13, 2005 6:52 am

Cool project, good luck with it.

sg219 · Post by **sg219** » Fri May 13, 2005 2:11 pm

I have a couple of things that I could possibly take the PCB out of that have tank steering, but what I'm worried about is range and, like what you said, tourqe and speed.

I have a couple of the motorworks tanks, but the range on those are just not practical.

Then if I take a PCB out of a cheap larger tank or ride, I'm stuck with a stock ESC. Which in most cases will drastically SUCK.

I need something like this to be able to control both motors indepentantly.

http://www.botic.com/alsrobotics/mixer_delux.html

Can any of you tech wizards make something like this? Ph2t?

I'll keep on thinkin'.

ph2t · Post by **ph2t** » Fri May 13, 2005 5:32 pm

Dude, go a buy a crappy micro tank or micro hovercraft/boat thingy.

Unlike micro cars these tasnk/boats/crafts have two motors and therefore are already setup to do what you want. The only difference would be to run a hotter mosfet/transistor setup to handle larger (130) motors. Getting the tammy gearing sets as betbet said is good as well..

Then ya all set.

I bought this recently, it's a good example of what I'm getting at.

Item title: New Mini Fit Racer Radio Control HOVERCRAFT Twin Rotors
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... 5971857709

cheers,

ph2t.

Mazda787b · Post by **Mazda787b** » Fri May 13, 2005 9:04 pm

SG,

For something like this, you yould need a stick radio and have it set up so that each stick controls the motor. If you got a small 2ch rx, and 2 ESCs connected to two motors. Or, if you could simply find a 27mhz AM 2-stick tx, you could use two xmod boards and save yourself a whole lot of money.

This sounds like a great project. Good Luck!

betty.k · Post by **betty.k** » Sat May 14, 2005 3:22 am

actually there's a way.
the dynatrack tanks i got came with non propo electronics requiring an rx and 2 servos.
the servos were attached to a funny slider thingy that switched 2 micro switches. 1 servo controlled forward/stop/reverse and the other switched off one motor or the other to control steering.

there was also a wiring option for an esc to be included. both motors were run through the esc and one of the servo switches remains to cut either motor for steering. this gave me propo throttle but still non propo "motor cut". at first i used the crappy electrics from a 1:12 nikko buggy. this is how it looked:

i hope that makes sense! (off me gourd over 'ere!)

anyways some advantages of that setup is you can use a pistol tx, just turn left and the left motor cuts out. but the propo throttle kinda fills that gap if you get me.

having said that i totally prefer a stick tx with 2 forward reverse levers. and if you're buying new electrics may as well get a 4ch stick tx/rx set. ch3 could be pan for the camera and ch4 tilt (or launch rockets or squirt acid etc!) and 2 separate escs for each motor are best. cheap stock 1:10 stuff is fine with small motors.

i've never seen a 2ch stick tx with 2 forward reverse levers (gimbles!) available separately from a tank (like a proper radio requiring crystals), that's why i modified mine. a 4ch should be cool though.