Sturmgeschutz III - don't do this at home, kids!

[quitcherbitchen]

Hi Bob,
One thing I am not happy with is the tracks come off to easily. Almost any turn will de-track it. I have to slow down to a crawl to make a turn. I believe it has to do with the idler wheel. It’s too floppy and can’t be tightened any better. It is the metal Heng Long version that has no bushing. I ordered a Mato metal idler that comes with a bearing. I am hoping that will have better performance.

I have the same problem with my Panzer III which is the same chassis. I have the upgraded Idler wheel with bearing. It doesn't solve the issue. What solves it is keeping the stock plastic Idle wheel. I noticed the tension gets thrown out of whack using the metal idler. Gets really tight and without a track tension adjustment. You are at the mercy of removing or adding links which make it too tight or too loose. Nothing in between. It is like the metal idle wheel is slightly larger diameter.

[SoCalBobS]

Toucan Hobby. Toucanhobby@outlook.com

[DevilDog77]

Bob,
Here is what comes with the 6.0S upgrade kit. You also need the 6.0S board. I got it without the 6.0 transmitter because I already had one. FYI you can bind all your tanks to one 6.0 transmitter. It is hilarious if you have all the tanks on. They will all start up and drive in unison. LOL!

Where did you get your upgrade kit from?

[Rubicon99]

why remove the camera? just wondering. Is it against the rules?

It along with the MG shield are obscuring the right side of the IR receiver thus could possibly interfere with IR beams fired at the right side of the tank, which in turn might not register a hit when it should. If so this would be considered as not “fair play” and good why to upset other players.

Having obstruction is a balancing act. Some have no effect on IR beans some have a small effect some can totally block the IR beams.

[SoCalBobS]

why remove the camera? just wondering. Is it against the rules?

Normally objects that block IR reception are frowned on. More to the point, restricting your vision to the field of view of a camera eliminates peripheral vision, a disadvantage if others aren’t using cameras.

I'm only partially serious, though. Machine guns, hatch covers and other clutter have been present at battles I’ve attended.

[quitcherbitchen]

why remove the camera? just wondering. Is it against the rules?

[karltrek]

Looks awesome Bob! 😃

[SoCalBobS]

"Baby Battler" Project Complete.

SturmGeschutz III upgraded to 6.0S, Airsoft gun deactivated, IR emitter in barrel, IR receiver in cupola, FPV camera/transmitter held in place with magnets. For club battles, I'll remove the camera and mg shield...maybe!


I put a couple more photos in the gallery thread.

[SoCalBobS]

This is a continuation and finale from post #51, where I detailed the steps I took in upgrading my StuG 5.3 to 6.0. The following information is also gleaned from another of my threads, "How to Eliminate Airsoft Shooting".

In Post #51 I mentioned my main board burnt out at about the last step, testing the gun cocking motor and trigger circuits. I was concerned I'd done something wrong. Turns out it was a defective airsoft gun, most likely the trigger circuit. This fooled me because it had been working fine prior to my upgrade. When I hooked it up to the new board, the gun malfunctioned again, fortunately just constantly running the motor.

My plan all along was to eventually eliminate the airsoft function, so with Karltrek's advice, I did just that. I gutted the gun (keeping the separate elevation motor circuit and the airsoft gun frame) and ran the IR emitter into the barrel. I jumpered the trigger circuit, and now all works great.

I'm waiting on a LegoDEI IR receiver. When that's installed I'll post a photo of my "baby battler". It's the smallest tank in my stable. BTW, I tested the StuG with a stock IR Rx against a tank with the LegoDEI. On an overcast morning, reception range for the stock was 10 feet, versus 50 feet + for the Lego.

[karltrek]

Aha! It wasn't my mistake! 😂 I got my new 6.0S board, plugged it all in, and with a $35 wince and cringe 😨 (the cost of a board) I.....tried to fire the cannon. The motor worked, as it did with the prior board, but in this case it did not activate the trigger, the motor just kept running. Karl, your diagnosis appears correct, something I would not have thought of since the gun had worked fine before. Bad gun, specifically the trigger it seems! I've already ordered a replacement.

Time for a drink.

Toucan would probably get you the unit faster but I noticed that they really raise the price. Significantly. They are now charging $20 for a part that was recently $9. I hope Motion RC restocks soon.

[SoCalBobS]

Aha! It wasn't my mistake! 😂 I got my new 6.0S board, plugged it all in, and with a $35 wince and cringe 😨 (the cost of a board) I.....tried to fire the cannon. The motor worked, as it did with the prior board, but in this case it did not activate the trigger, the motor just kept running. Karl, your diagnosis appears correct, something I would not have thought of since the gun had worked fine before. Bad gun, specifically the trigger it seems! I've already ordered a replacement.

Time for a drink.

[SoCalBobS]

[QUOTE=karltrek;n276321]

https://www.banggood.com/Heng-Long-B...r_warehouse=CN[/QUOTE

Cool. At that price, it's a no-brainer, although the extended shipping time is a bummer. Ordered.

[karltrek]

I thought that might be the sequence, but if it is a momentary, would that be on long enough to fry a board. Food for thought.

https://www.banggood.com/Heng-Long-BB-Shooting-Machine-W-or-130-Motor-Pull-Back-Spring-for-3818-3819-1-or-16-Rc-Tank-Car-Parts-p-1381788.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN

[SoCalBobS]

The trigger is simply a momentary contact switch on the air soft gun that activates both the cannon sound and the track recoil when the piston is at it's most rearward travel a split second before firing.
If the trigger is plugged into another port that runs a motor or sends current to a light it would create a dead short that could possibly burn out the unit.
Steve

I thought that might be the sequence, but if it is a momentary, would that be on long enough to fry a board. Food for thought.

[Sureshot]

I'm not 100% sure what triggers the IR flash in the firing sequence. It is triggered both by the cannon and the machine gun.
From watching the IR with my cell phone camera on several of my tanks it seems to flash right at the end of the cannon firing and when the machine gun fires the IR flashed a couple of seconds after the gun starts firing and then every few seconds if the mg button is held down.
I received a Panzer IV last week and when I test ran it everything worked except the track recoil and cannon sound. I opened it up and the trigger plug was unplugged. I checked the book to make sure where it went and plugged it back in and all was well.
I didn't check the IR when it was unplugged so not sure if it was working or not.
Steve

[Sureshot]

The trigger is simply a momentary contact switch on the air soft gun that activates both the cannon sound and the track recoil when the piston is at it's most rearward travel a split second before firing.
If the trigger is plugged into another port that runs a motor or sends current to a light it would create a dead short that could possibly burn out the unit.
If you wanted to eliminate the airsoft you could possibly trip the trigger switch with a servo or solenoid of some sort and just use the gun housing for elevation control.
Steve

[karltrek]

Very good point, which I hadn’t really considered strongly. My other option is to eliminate the gun entirely in favor of a barrel mounted IR, since I’d planned to use it in club battles anyway. I’ll just have to research how the gun is linked to the IR flashing. I’d also still want the gun noise so I know I’m firing in the field.

It seems that the firing process that is accomplished by the BB Shooting unit is needed for the IR feature to function. I don't know how you could bypass it? When the motor was just spinning in my StuG it would not finish the firing sequence and so IR function would not register a shot.

[SoCalBobS]

Very good point, which I hadn’t really considered strongly. My other option is to eliminate the gun entirely in favor of a barrel mounted IR, since I’d planned to use it in club battles anyway. I’ll just have to research how the gun is linked to the IR flashing. I’d also still want the gun noise so I know I’m firing in the field.

[karltrek]

Hi Karl. Yeah, I'd done what you said, texting sometimes doesn't impart meaning as well. I eliminated the 5.3 harness in favor of direct wiring. All hull functions - motors, smoke, lights - tested fine. The airsoft elevation motor worked fine. The cocking motor worked fine. When the trigger was activated is when the short happened. Some possibilities: bad board. wrong socket. reversed polarity. I would have thought the last would have just not functioned rather than causing a short. When the new board arrives I'll just have to be extra careful. I may have questions for you before I flip the power switch.

Don’t take a chance. Just order a new BB firing unit. They are cheap. And Toucan may have them in stock. If not I have an extra one I can send you. 😃

Both my StuG and Borntoolate’s has bad BB firing units. The motor would just spin. I replaced both. The StuG has a customized BB unit. It is the same as a regular one but they have glued a special channel on the left side for the lifting motor and shaved part of the rear of the unit for clearance in the tank. I just took apart the original unit an moved that side to the new one. It’s a very easy straight forward process.

[SoCalBobS]

Hi Karl. Yeah, I'd done what you said, texting sometimes doesn't impart meaning as well. I eliminated the 5.3 harness in favor of direct wiring. All hull functions - motors, smoke, lights - tested fine. The airsoft elevation motor worked fine. The cocking motor worked fine. When the trigger was activated is when the short happened. Some possibilities: bad board. wrong socket. reversed polarity. I would have thought the last would have just not functioned rather than causing a short. When the new board arrives I'll just have to be extra careful. I may have questions for you before I flip the power switch.