Your local big box home improvement store or local hardware store would have real steel cable pretty cheap. I just hollow out the end of the tow cable, take it with me to the store, make sure it fits and just buy a couple feet of cable for less than $10. Then it looks and acts like the real thing. Steel tow cables aren't very flexible in real life and they are heavy as heck.
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Originally posted by tank_me View PostYour local big box home improvement store or local hardware store would have real steel cable pretty cheap. I just hollow out the end of the tow cable, take it with me to the store, make sure it fits and just buy a couple feet of cable for less than $10. Then it looks and acts like the real thing. Steel tow cables aren't very flexible in real life and they are heavy as heck.
The tow cable thing is fun to do even if it is not 100% successful. Now, I have to do the repair of the poorly configured LED headlight. Wish me luck.
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Originally posted by keilau View Post
I was not able to find gauge 18 twisted cable. Plenty of single solid wire in gauge 18 at hardware store. The gauge 18 speaker cable uses heavier stranded wires. I should have used them instead of the test lead wire where the stranded wires were too fine.
The tow cable thing is fun to do even if it is not 100% successful. Now, I have to do the repair of the poorly configured LED headlight. Wish me luck.
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Originally posted by tank_me View PostYeah, I wasn't referring to speaker wire, but stainless wire used for various uses. It's usually with the rolls of chain. You can usually buy it by the foot.
https://www.amazon.com/Thimble-stainless-Perfect-Railing-Outdoor/dp/B09J5FSK7G/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=Stainless+Steel+Cable&qid=1698 886865&sr=8-8
I already glue the plastic hook and cable together. Replacing the cable now is too risky to ruin the hook.
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I also used picture hanging wire. The cable arrangement Tongde came up with fir the rear fenders seems odd, I haven't found any pictures of a real M60 set up this way. Maybe there is one somewhere? The tow cable setup on the turret is wrong for sure, they have one cable wrapping around the rear of the turret, then I see there are slots back there. This is how it should be...two cables. I've eliminated the cables ffrom the rear fenders and modified the turret cables to look this the real one here.
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Originally posted by HDMM View PostI also used picture hanging wire. The cable arrangement Tongde came up with fir the rear fenders seems odd, I haven't found any pictures of a real M60 set up this way. Maybe there is one somewhere? The tow cable setup on the turret is wrong for sure, they have one cable wrapping around the rear of the turret, then I see there are slots back there. This is how it should be...two cables. I've eliminated the cables ffrom the rear fenders and modified the turret cables to look this the real one here.
I have the Tongde US Marine Corps M60A1 RC tank and model the tow cable accordingly. The tow cables were moved from the torrent to the rear deck to make room for the reactive armor plates.
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That may be the correct location to mount them for the ERA equipped tank, but there is no way they would be routed through that lifting ring. A) the end connector probably wouldn't fit through the lifting ring, B) the cable would be too stiff to route it that way, and C) you want to be able to access the cables fast in a combat zone. Any fiddling around trying to get them through a lifting hook would be time you don't have when you are being shot at or need to move fast. Tow cables on an M60 or any modern US tank are HEAVY and rough. You want to handle them with gloves and usually more than one person. The cable itself will cut your hands if manipulated ungloved.
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Originally posted by tank_me View PostThat may be the correct location to mount them for the ERA equipped tank, but there is no way they would be routed through that lifting ring. A) the end connector probably wouldn't fit through the lifting ring, B) the cable would be too stiff to route it that way, and C) you want to be able to access the cables fast in a combat zone. Any fiddling around trying to get them through a lifting hook would be time you don't have when you are being shot at or need to move fast. Tow cables on an M60 or any modern US tank are HEAVY and rough. You want to handle them with gloves and usually more than one person. The cable itself will cut your hands if manipulated ungloved.
I am trying to figure out how much mod I should make. Tongde molded the tow cable hook to the top of the cable stab. To make it correct, I will have to cut the stab off the hook, glue it to the tank and position the cable hook through the stab. Probably glue the hook to the top of the fence. I will give it a try tonight and post the picture.
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Try googling for pictures of the real tank. Prime portal might have pictures http://www.primeportal.net/tanks/gre...60a1_rise_era/RC tank parts and accessories I make
www.RichardSJohnson.net/id28.html
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Originally posted by RichJohnson View PostTry googling for pictures of the real tank. Prime portal might have pictures http://www.primeportal.net/tanks/gre...60a1_rise_era/
There is a Cantigny park war meseum with a good collection of WW1 tank to Abrams. The tank park is administrated by the First Division Meseum with a desert storm theme. They have more than one M60 Patton tanks of the US Army A3 variety. The park is in Wheaton, IL and only 20 minutes from where I live.
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The USMC M60A1 RISC with ERA was given a lot of credit for the decisive win in tank battle during desert storm. I first thought that there ought to be lots of tank museum display or walk around for modeling reference. Was I wrong. There are a few exhibits of USMC M60A1 RISC, but the pictures are all behind closed door for member only. Many news clips for sure, but not useful for modeling. The Prime Portal collection RichJohnson referred to was the best and only one I saw.
Further search on Google, I found a Takom 1:35 model kit of the USMC M60A1 RISC with ERA. I cannot find a kit manual of it, but I have a build review of this kit from my Finescale Modeler subscription. It has some nice pictures of the kit details. It shows the same tow cable holding stab as the Tongde. But the 30 meters scaled cable is very long compared to the Takom kit.
At the National Museum of the Marine Corps, The picture of the M60A1 at entrance shows the same cable holding stab at the end of the tank.
By Kater Miller, NMMC Outreach Curator The 100-Hour War The 30th anniversary of the ground assault phase of Operation Desert Storm began on 24 February 2021. The ground assault was a short...
Many thanks to HDMM, tank_me and RichJohnson for your insight and suggestions.
I will do no more work on the tow cable. Wash and painting were done. After the decals, I will declare victory. (I may write a summary of my Tongde M60 impression.) By far, it is the best running 1:16 scale RC tank among 5 other Heng Long's, no Tamiya or other high priced brands.
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RC tank parts and accessories I make
www.RichardSJohnson.net/id28.html
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Originally posted by RichJohnson View PostI just remembered Toad Man. How could I forget him. I just found he has a M60A1 RISE gallery here.
https://www.toadmanstankpictures.com/m60a1_reactive.htm
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Just came across this build journal of the TongDe USMC M60A1 with ERA at the UK RC Tank Warfare site today. Apparently, a lot of our fellow members have been visiting this thread for months. Some very useful information.
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Originally posted by keilau View PostJust came across this build journal of the TongDe USMC M60A1 with ERA at the UK RC Tank Warfare site today. Apparently, a lot of our fellow members have been visiting this thread for months. Some very useful information.
https://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/foru...ic.php?t=34429
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Originally posted by Rubicon99 View Post
Yep he almost completely rebuilt the tank and its armor plating. Lot of work cosmetically but very little in the way of mechanical running upgrades.
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Originally posted by Rubicon99 View Post
Yep he almost completely rebuilt the tank and its armor plating. Lot of work cosmetically but very little in the way of mechanical running upgrades.
The Tongde plastic gearbox came with a long crack on the case. I got the metal gearbox, but was disappointed that the cases were made with soft alloy again. I replaced all the mounting M3 screw with hard steel ones. During work on the suspension, I had to remove and reinstall the gearbox. No matter how careful I was, I stripped one of the 6 screw threads on the gearbox. The standard 18mm M3 machine screw cannot be tightened and the 20mm screw is too long to fit. I have to customer made a 19mm screw to mount the gearbox securely.
Now, the TD M60 runs very well. But I am still scratching my head on how to fix the headlight LEDs.
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Originally posted by tank_me View Post
That's because Louis more focused on the accuracy of the tank than actually running it and he definitely doesn't battle his tanks.
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Originally posted by tank_me View Post
That's because Louis more focused on the accuracy of the tank than actually running it and he definitely doesn't battle his tanks.
He also mentioned his roundabout budget for it was $400 for that tank. Not like the $2k on his amazing Bradley.
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