Let's talk IR emitters

[tank_me]

I've bought all my LegoDEI apples directly from them on Etsy. He has both the Tamiya and the HL version in his Etsy shop:

http://https://www.etsy.com/shop/LegoDEI?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=776907412

Derek

[cmdrcody]

The only other company I know of offering a comparable product is DGS Military in Canada:
https://dgsselkirk.wixsite.com/dgsmi...ir-upgrade-kit
It's HL compatible, so presumably with Lego also. It's $50 including shipping but comes with an emitter mount too.
(Screenshot)

However LegoDEI is a member of our tanking community and has always been trustworthy.

Ordered one of these IR kits yesterday evening after they responded to my email request for information on if they had one in stock for my HL Tiger1.
Definitely a nice piece since it has all the components and really good instructions for a very strong IR battle system. You should view their videos on how far the distance works on the IR emitter.
Being shipped from a location in California.
Will update once kit arrives and is installed. Testing results later.

[tank_me]

Dean at DGS is a good guy. DGS is a side business and he builds quite a few custom tanks to sell. My Firefly was built by him.

Derek

[MrChef]

I'm here to follow this topic. You guys are asking and answering a lot of the questions I have on this topic.

[RichJohnson]

The problem with the DGS system is it sits on top of the turret. There is no way to elevate your IR emitter on uneven terrain. This pretty much would not work in San Diego or LA as both fields are not flat.
One would have to come up with some kind of barrel clamp to mount the emitter unit on the barrel so it goes up and down, or remove it from its mount and install it in the barrel or sights of the tank that move with the barrel.

[Rubicon99]

The problem with the DGS system is it sits on top of the turret. There is no way to elevate your IR emitter on uneven terrain. This pretty much would not work in San Diego or LA as both fields are not flat.
One would have to come up with some kind of barrel clamp to mount the emitter unit on the barrel so it goes up and down, or remove it from its mount and install it in the barrel or sights of the tank that move with the barrel.

This too ^^^^^ was my first thought when I saw the emitter housing.

Overall I like his copy of the LegoDEI receiver it has the features I have been asking LegoDEI from day one of testing and market entry to include, so good job on that👍👍. Now the orientation of the IR receiver bulbs are a bit problematic given the way the instructions show to mount it, placed on an "x" to the front of the turret as shown. It should be at a "+" to the front of the turret. The "x" position tends to not accept direct frontal turret hits much past 20 feet. That's a problem when everyone else's tank does not have this happen. To correct this just make sure when it's mounted to set the receiver with one of the black IR bulbs facing the front of the turret.

[tank_me]

I typically like it to move with the barrel which is why it ends up in the mantlet or in the case of the SU-152 in the gun barrel with the flash unit.

Derek

[RichJohnson]

Yep, every tank I build I build.up the basic tank to run, then operate the turret, then the IR system and generally I plan ahead of where I will put the IR bulb. I try now to put an orange flash in the barrel since I drove my tanks alot more than just battle and I like the flash, as long as I can install it in a gunners sight that moves with the battle like in the mantlet.
sadly modern tanks do not have direct gunners sights, they are a thermal viewer type. Even cold war tanks have stereoscopic sights on the sides of the turret and may not have a direct sight for the gunner.
THe merkava presented this problem. So the IR had to go in the barrel.
Luckily for me Leopard 1 tanks had multiple types of sights and I am fitting them in the direct gunner sight next to the barrel.

[tank_me]

I still put the emitter in the mantlet area for the ZTZ and once it is painted up, you can hardly notice it.

Derek

[cmdrcody]

I still put the emitter in the mantlet area for the ZTZ and once it is painted up, you can hardly notice it.

Derek

That looks like where I will put the emitter on my Tiger1 when I install the DGS system. Dean said it was going to shipped out Monday from CA.
Will post pics after install.

[DavidN]

I took Mike's M41 home from the LA battlefield today and converted it from the HL mushroom to the LegoDEI receiver. We will not feel irritated anymore at the next battle :-)

[Rubicon99]

I took Mike's M41 home from the LA battlefield today and converted it from the HL mushroom to the LegoDEI receiver. We will not feel irritated anymore at the next battle :-)

Thank goodness it's finally been converted over!!!!

[DavidN]

Jeff donated the LegoDEI. I donated the wires, the PVC coupling and my 1 hour :-)

[quitcherbitchen]

Thank you

[cmdrcody]

I installed the HL IR Upgrade Kit system from DGS Military Hobby in my HL Tiger 1. The receiver was installed onto the right turret hatch and the emitter was installed where the HL IR emitter was in cannon cowl.

[ccarley]

Lots of good info here, and I can add some of my experience here as well...

I decided when working on my M26, since it was getting new everything, to go with the high output IR emitter, and mounted it in the same spot as original Heng Long. We've installed LegoDEI receivers in almost all of the other tanks now since seeing how well they work. As far as range between original HL emitter and the high output with the LegoDEI receivers, we haven't noticed that the high output unit is better yet but our backyard range is nowhere near 100 feet, more like 20 to 30 at our longer ranges and any of the tanks with the LegoDEI unit receive hits well.

We haven't had a lot of tanks at the same time yet out there but I would definitely say the main gun needs to be on target to register a hit at these distances, without the 9mm setback on the emitter. We'll do some more testing though for sure.

Clay

[Rubicon99]

Lots of good info here, and I can add some of my experience here as well...

I decided when working on my M26, since it was getting new everything, to go with the high output IR emitter, and mounted it in the same spot as original Heng Long. We've installed LegoDEI receivers in almost all of the other tanks now since seeing how well they work. As far as range between original HL emitter and the high output with the LegoDEI receivers, we haven't noticed that the high output unit is better yet but our backyard range is nowhere near 100 feet, more like 20 to 30 at our longer ranges and any of the tanks with the LegoDEI unit receive hits well.

We haven't had a lot of tanks at the same time yet out there but I would definitely say the main gun needs to be on target to register a hit at these distances, without the 9mm setback on the emitter. We'll do some more testing though for sure.

Clay

The 9mm set back is to help reduce the "shotgun" effect of the IR beam. It is only one way to achieve this, but also having just a small aperture open like on many* of the HL tanks is just as effective.

*Not all the HL tanks have a small IR aperture so these models will need to have a set back added when using HP bulbs.

At 20-30 ft you will not see any difference. The HL bulbs age quickly and get very weak whereas the HP bulbs have a quite a long usable lifespan so adding them is a win win regardless.

[Richardrx8]

Where do I put the smoke drops?!?!

[cmdrcody]

Where do I put the smoke drops?!?!

In which tank model are you asking about?

[SoCalBobS]

Your manual will show where to do it, along with how to tilt them so the fluid rolls into the generator.