pricetag on tanks?

[davegee]

I received my HL Sherman tank via FedEx yesterday in good shape. Just three days from the LA area to my home in NW Wyoming. Very good service.

I started in on Alpha's suggested 2 minute test drive to be sure everything is in working order. There were two tests I was not able to complete before it was suggested I turn the power off and fully charge the battery. There may not be any problems with it at all since I am totally new to tanks. But here are the two issues I observed, for now.

1) Repeated pressing the "V" switch on the front of my V7 tank didn't change the volume at all, up or down. The volume seems to be at an acceptable level to me indoors, but I'd like to be able to adjust the volume through its full range.

2) When I first powered the tank up, I did get a momentary whiff of smoke and saw a few tendrils of smoke coming from the exhaust, but that was it. Tried pressing the Smoke switch on the transmitter, but that didn't seem to help one way or the other.

The tank moves very well as does the movement of the turret. All lights, and machine gun lights and noise, as well as engine noise is fine. Did not test the firing of the gun yet with the orange BBs. Will try that later.

If anyone has suggestions for me to try once the battery is powered up again, I appreciate it. Very impressed with the details and workmanship of the tank and other parts, that I have not added yet.

Thanks,

davegee

[SoCalBobS]

Battery: stock ones are erratic in quality. They come with partial charges, sometimes almost none. Charge it completely, you probably already have done so by now.

Smoke: also usually not full, manual recommends it be filled per their process. Sherman’s are very hard to fill, too many turns in the exhaust tubes.

Volume: just the V key isn’t sufficient. There should have been an addendum sheet with your manual for the 7.0 board. I can’t find mine, but I’m sure others will answer you.

Edit: Hold V down while moving left stick up or down.

[DavidN]

Yes! For TK7.0, to change volume, you press the "V" button and move your left stick up to increase or down to decrease. The volume for TK6.0 is the repeated pressing process on the "V" button.

[davegee]

Battery: stock ones are erratic in quality. They come with partial charges, sometimes almost none. Charge it completely, you probably already have done so by now.

Smoke: also usually not full, manual recommends it be filled per their process. Sherman’s are very hard to fill, too many turns in the exhaust tubes.

Volume: just the V key isn’t sufficient. There should have been an addendum sheet with your manual for the 7.0 board. I can’t find mine, but I’m sure others will answer you.

Edit: Hold V down while moving left stick up or down.

Thanks, SoCalBobS: Some of the guides by Alpha are a little out of date now. I had old instructions included with the model, but there was photocopy of some additional instructions, although the translation from Chinese to English is a bit tough, in some parts. Anyway, I did find at least for the volume adjustment, I have to push the V button on the transmitter, and also moving the left control stick up or forward at the same time to get the volume to increase, and push V button and move same stick towards you to reduce volume, in increments.

Still haven't been able to get the smoke to come out yet. Did add a little bit of the glycerin into the tubes with the tank facing down to help gravity drain the fluid into the tank. I could hear the little motor in there working when I pushed the S button on and off, though.

[SoCalBobS]

Smoke is a two-step process. A wire heats up which makes the fluid smoke, and the fan blows it out. Both power cables have to be plugged into the board. Heng Long fluid doesn't emit much smoke. I've been using "Mega Smoke" or "Mega Steam" fluid sold for model railroading and it puts out a lot.

Part of this hobby is "maintenance". Sooner or later you'll be opening up your tank, to tinker or repair. When you feel comfortable doing so, when it's opened you can pull the smoke tubing off and inject the fluid directly.

[davegee]

Smoke is a two-step process. A wire heats up which makes the fluid smoke, and the fan blows it out. Both power cables have to be plugged into the board. Heng Long fluid doesn't emit much smoke. I've been using "Mega Smoke" or "Mega Steam" fluid sold for model railroading and it puts out a lot.

Part of this hobby is "maintenance". Sooner or later you'll be opening up your tank, to tinker or repair. When you feel comfortable doing so, when it's opened you can pull the smoke tubing off and inject the fluid directly.

Thanks, SoCalBobS: I did take the tank apart to get a better look at the combustion box. The fan works, for sure, as I turn the switch on and off. Also, I can feel the metal combustion box getting very hot to the touch, and some popping inside of the glycerin as it heats up. But very little smoke, which is a little disappointing. I think I'll buy some of that Mega Smoke that you mentioned to see if that helps.

Question: how much fluid are you supposed to put in the box? I know it says 2 ml, but I don't know how much 2 ml is. I put about an eyedropper full or close to it, on each side. I'm not sure if that is too much for it to heat up, or not.

Everything else really works great. I fired the gun at the paper target successfully knocking it down from about 10 feet away, or so. It's very impressive in the drive motors and sound. I'll forget about the smoke for right now, and will start putting on the decals and the extra doodads on the exterior of the tank.

Regards,

davegee

[SoCalBobS]

I wouldn’t put any more fluid in it. If there’s too much it supposedly floods the wick in the box. I’d turn the smoke on for a while to see if it starts to smoke. The only caution is if you smell burning cotton, it’s the coil starting to burn the wick. To see what to expect with good fluid, check out a video link in my “test track” thread - the first one, not the Sherman one.

[davegee]

I wouldn’t put any more fluid in it. If there’s too much it supposedly floods the wick in the box. I’d turn the smoke on for a while to see if it starts to smoke. The only caution is if you smell burning cotton, it’s the coil starting to burn the wick. To see what to expect with good fluid, check out a video link in my “test track” thread - the first one, not the Sherman one.

Sounds good. Can you direct me how I get to that thread to see it?

PS: got all the doodads on my tank last night. Everything works beautifully except for the smoke, that we've talked about. I ordered some of the smoke fluid for model trains; I assume they must use a similar combustion box like we do on these tanks.

Thanks,

davegee

[SoCalBobS]

Look through the thread titles for "Test Track".

You can also view a clip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CclFYBFDSNS/

[davegee]

Look through the thread titles for "Test Track".

You can also view a clip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CclFYBFDSNS/

very impressive smoke! Is that from the mega smoke fluid for model trains that you recommended me try? Mine is shipping out today.

Also, very nice job weathering your tank. Is that a Walker Bulldog?

Cheers

Dave

[SoCalBobS]

Yes on the smoke. The Instagram tank is a Pershing.

[Vaseline]

Bob that is alot of smoke Nice

[tank_me]

I remove the smokers out of my tanks pretty much the first day I own them. Most of the smokers either don't put out that much smoke, they drain your batteries faster, they put out smoke in unrealistic ways, are ported to the wrong locations, or put out smoke on tanks that don't smoke (IE: most modern tanks). If you watch the Tiger 1 starting up in Bovington from this week, that tank didn't smoke one bit. Smoking tanks are not a good thing as they tell the enemy where you are unless you are intentionally dumping oil on the manifold to produce a smoke screen. For some reason, people like to see smoke coming out like a locomotive.

[SoCalBobS]

I'm one of those who "like to see smoke coming out like a locomotive". When I don't want to, I turn it off. To each his own.
'

[davegee]

Well, I got my very first tank basically completed. I put on many of the extra doodads that adorn the tank on the exterior. My wife painted the tank commander and I embellished it with some black and dark umber washes to try to convey how filthy these guys got in their work. I downloaded a few period photos of Sherman tank crews posing with their tanks after a battle.

Everything works pretty much as advertised. I haven't tried the electronic warfare battling another tank yet, but if I get another one, or if a buddy has one, we'll duke it out electronically. IF anyone can give me any tips or pointers how the electronic battles work, I'd really appreciate it. I'll post a few pics taken a few minutes ago in my basement. Look forward to taking it outside for better pics.

Cheers

davegee