Laser designator

[windmill]

Its no secret there's a "aiming light" port on the MFU, but very little information about them.

Cue Amazon, 20 6mm laser pointers for $8.99. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e=UTF8&psc =1
I figured what the heck, and it turns out its as simple as adding a plug and mounting it. Really bright indoors, and a useful range of around 50' outside on a cloudy day.

[SoCalBobS]

Very interesting! Do you already have them? Keep us posted.

[windmill]

Very interesting! Do you already have them? Keep us posted.

Yes, the pictures posted are those I got.
I stuck a JST plug on one, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 plugged it in to the LED2 port on the MFU, and pressed the right button on the transmitter to make it work. Plug and play other than mounting it in the gun mantlet. Incorporating the wires into my T-72s 360 traverse conversion may take some doing.

[SoCalBobS]

Yes, the pictures posted are those I got.
I stuck a JST plug on one, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 plugged it in to the LED2 port on the MFU, and pressed the right button on the transmitter to make it work. Plug and play other than mounting it in the gun mantlet. Incorporating the wires into my T-72s 360 traverse conversion may take some doing.

Ah. Your pictures didn't come through.

[quitcherbitchen]

Nice find. Why are 10 each cheaper then 2? I also noticed the photo optic detection sensor below in upsell. What if you used that as the target? Might increase the range instead of the IR emitter.

[Broffermoon]

In process of mounting a 5mm red laser in the barrel of a Leopard. I will also mount one in my grandson's Torro Sherman. They are not IR compatible so I will be seeking a laser receiver to mount on each determine if it can be done. There may be an additional benefit in terms of cost and effective distance as well. If the laser combination will give us a reliable combat format, I will publish the process as well as the results. Waiting on 24 gauge wire. 24 gauge and smaller wire is very difficult to find in rural Kansas. Hopefully, tomorrow. Will keep all posted.

[Rubicon99]

In process of mounting a 5mm red laser in the barrel of a Leopard. I will also mount one in my grandson's Torro Sherman. They are not IR compatible so I will be seeking a laser receiver to mount on each determine if it can be done. There may be an additional benefit in terms of cost and effective distance as well. If the laser combination will give us a reliable combat format, I will publish the process as well as the results. Waiting on 24 gauge wire. 24 gauge and smaller wire is very difficult to find in rural Kansas. Hopefully, tomorrow. Will keep all posted.

Make sure you wear laser safety eye goggles. One of the reasons the laser aiming is not standard is because of the safety issues with lasers. Kinda stupid because BB are much safer.....LOL

[oldwolf]

I am going to see if I can mount one of these in an obscure location, probably near tge turret ring, on my T-34 85. I want it out of sight since the actual tanks had nothing like it, of course. I want to add it since the actual tank sights were quite a bit better than merely standing behind the tank and guestimating my aim. I am looking for aiming accuracy closer to historical accuracy. I suspect the biggest problem will be achieving reasonable precision aligning the laser diode with the barrel.

[SoCalBobS]

Just a "Debbie Downer" comment. A friend of mine added a laser to his Abrams. There is no "red beam" streaking out of the tank, only a red spot on the target. In daylight, and at battle distances - - 30 feet or so - the dot becomes a dim, diffuse red glow hard to see. Add to that if the beam isn't already hitting the target, it's near impossible to know which way to adjust your aim. There's also the issue of the laser being in a straight line while the pellet is dropping in flight.

Still, it's fun to tinker. Have fun.

[oldwolf]

Just a "Debbie Downer" comment. A friend of mine added a laser to his Abrams. There is no "red beam" streaking out of the tank, only a red spot on the target. In daylight, and at battle distances - - 30 feet or so - the dot becomes a dim, diffuse red glow hard to see. Add to that if the beam isn't already hitting the target, it's near impossible to know which way to adjust your aim. There's also the issue of the laser being in a straight line while the pellet is dropping in flight.

Still, it's fun to tinker. Have fun.

Lol, laser "beams" only show up in smoke filled rooms, etc. and OSHA has made those near impossible to find. I actually want it for BB shooting, so not particularly concerned with battle, which would likely be IR. Being in Maine, I have not come across anyone to battle against. So, basically I plink at targets. That is another reason for not mounting the laser diode to the barrel or mantlet. Elevation to increase pellet range would have the laser diode uselessly aiming over the target, since, as you mention, it is straight line.

If I find it becomes too diffuse to readily see against the target, I may aim it to strike the ground 10 feet or so in front of the tank to give a reference point online with the main gun, that point can then be aligned with the more distant target. I had thought of trying to set up an fpv "gunners" camera aligned with the barrel. That might give as good a sight as crouching down on my knees behind the tank to sight down the barrel, but would be very obtrusive on a WW2 era turret.

[SoCalBobS]

One thing I've done is use the magnet on the underside of the turret or tank top to mount a camera. You can see an FPV camera in this photo. It is offset, but you could glue your own magnet underneath. You can then place and remove it with no impact on "authenticity". If you set up a camera in line with the barrel, you'd have traverse so you'd only have to estimate elevation. You could also incorporate the laser diode in that mount!

[oldwolf]

Nice job! That blends in very well on the stug. Now that I think of it, an fpv camera setup is simpler on stugs, jagdpanthers, etc since gun and vehicle facing always align, so it does gunnery and driving all at once.

By the way, is that camera powered off the camera port on the board?

[SoCalBobS]

It can be, I just haven’t wired it. I use a 1S500 tucked in the rear deck. On 1S it has about the same range as the tank Tx, so static tells me “come back”.

[Broffermoon]

SoCal, you re too creative to be a "Debbie Downer" To point out considerations is important to put in the mix. Keep up the goodwork.

[Broffermoon]

Mounted a 5mm red laser in the barrel of the Leopard. Used shrink wrap to make a tight fit with the laser that also centered the unit in the barrel. With a dupont connector, plug and play. Used #2 LED location. In doors, very pleased with the bright dot. Haven't been outdoors yet, weather non cooperative. Working on a means to define a "hit" with my grandson. When we get together we will put on our laser glasses and play with some options to see if it is a genuine option for combat. In my mind it works, but real play will be the tell. I enjoyed the building process. Disassembly of the tank was definitely a learning experience punctuated by trial and error. Disconnected the airsoft and removed the smoker. Now looking for a better speaker assuming that the source is reasonable quality. Understand that the stock speaker is 8 ohms and the amplifier is 3 watts. Lots of room in the Leopard, what speakers have you mounted in you larger tanks? Appreciate your help.

[oldwolf]

So, I got my red laser diode designator for my HL t-34 installed, finally. Things were slowed down by my ordering the wrong connectors but eventually that was straightened out. As long as I was going to be pulling things apart I decided to order one of Legodei's HL IR recievers. I would replace the plug for the HL reciever so as to use the Legodei one instead. As long as I was ordering that I figured to get a couple things to shoot at and be shot at by. I got one of the modular IR targets and one of the IR tank mines. All of Legodei's stuff works great by the way. After some fiddling around all is set up and ready to go. Red laser dot comes on when right button is pressed and I am ready to zero and focus it. At the same time I tested the IR tank mine with the new IR reciever and it works great. I decide to also get an idea of how wide the tanks IR transmitter diode cone of fire is. I set up the modular IR target about 10 feet away. It works great but the cone of fire is shockingly wide! I am still hitting the target when aimed a good 25 degrees to the right of it, and that is on the side where the cannon barrel partially blocks the IR diode! I rotate the turret to see what the cone width is like on the left. Nothing happens. The tank's IR transmitter diode isnt firing. My immediate thought is that the new wiring I have installed has become entangled in the wiring to the IR transmitter diode and pulled it loose as the turret turned to the left. Back to the work bench.

Now here is where things get odd. I can find nothing wrong. No wires pulled loose, no detectable bad connections. It appears that, after hundreds of shots fired previously, just as I am starting to test the IR transmitters aim and cone of fire, the IR transmitter diode fails?! What are the chances? Before I order a new IR transmitter diode, can anyone think of anything else that could be the problem?

[oldwolf]

Picking up where I left off yesterday. I decided to do a simple test that it is indeed the IR emitter diode that is dead. I substituted one of the red laser diodes for the IR diode, reasoning that the red laser diode will put a visible red dot on the wall when the main gun is fired and if it does then I know the circuit is working and the IR diode is what failed. Sure enough, nice red dot on the wall when I fire the gun. At that point I decided to do a quick test to see if Legodei's modular IR target, since I have one right there on the work bench, will react to the red laser diode. To my astonishment the red laser diode triggers the IR target! Either the red laser diode is also emitting in the IR or the IR target is sensitive to visible red as well as IR, or both. Either way, has anyone experimented with using visible red diodes instead of IR diodes for tank to tank combat? I am thinking that having a visible indication of where ones "shot" is landing would both improve accuracy and add realism since actual main gun rounds usually make an obvious impact on or near their target.

[SoCalBobS]

Interesting discovery! Perhaps the next step would be to compare range, stock tank IR if you have one vs the laser one.

[oldwolf]

Interesting discovery! Perhaps the next step would be to compare range, stock tank IR if you have one vs the laser one.

Sadly, I don't since I made the discovery due to my only stock IR diode failing just as I started doing some testing with it. One thing I do notice, since the red diode is visible, is that it actually stays on for a fair bit of time. Maybe 1.5 seconds, possibly two. While this doesnt sound like much, it only takes the patch of light passing over Legodeis IR target for a fraction of a second, to trigger it. This means that one could hit two targets with one shot by traversing as the shot is made. Whether the stock IR receivers are as sensitive I don't know, since I only have the one tank.

[Sureshot]

If you fire the machine gun for a few seconds you will see the IR flash also, but not as long as when the cannon fires.
At least that is what I have seen watching with my cell phone camera.
The stock IR receivers have very little range, especially on sunny days if they work at all. Maybe as far as ten feet on a cloudy day.
The LegoDei receivers are the way to go.
Steve