Discussion Thread: M109A2 Paladin Howitzer by Tongde

[SoCalBobS]

Although I know local r/c tankers own this tank, I've not seen any talk about it. So, here goes:



I bought this tank to use as a demo for prospective hobbyists. I'll be keeping the Tongde electronics for now. I won't be battling or otherwise abusing this guy so I got the plastic version. This means bushings instead of bearings on the road wheels, and the nylon housed gearboxes. Both are upgradeable so if they don't last, I'll do it.

I haven't opened it up yet, but I did conduct the mandatory two minute drill to ensure everything works, which it does. The IR emitter is under the barrel, to the left. It activates my remote IR target. Later I'll start up a Heng Long tank to test the IR compatibility back and forth. Airsoft works, and the cannon recoil is like HL's, spring operated after the BB is launched. I'll be keeping the Airsoft capability, to show it off. It'll be the only tank in my pantheon that shoots BB's! Picture 2 above shows the range of elevation. The first few cycles, the barrel needed assistance to reach max, but it seems to be loosening up. It does fire bb's at that angle - no clue how far they went!

This has by far the most add-on parts of any tank I own, almost to the level of a static model.

Anyone with observations to share or inquiries are welcome to post here!

P.S. I got this from Toucan US stock. It was literally overnight shipping (plus one day processing time) because they have a California warehouse and I'm in San Diego.

[SoCalBobS]

Just a little update. IR compatibility seems to work.

M109 with TD 3.0 board and their stock IR emitter and little apple vs a HL with 7.0 board, high power IR emitter and LegoDEI receiver work fine at short range. Both took the required 5 hits and shut down afterwards. The M109 shimmied at hits but no more than the HL. The only variable I didn't test is whether a LegoDEI receiver mounted on the M109 using the TD board also works. No reason it shouldn't, but one doesn't know until it's tested.

Also, driving and steering is not bad. We've removed TD boards in favor of HL because of their driving smoothness, but the TD's is quite acceptable.

[DavidN]

Here is mine. I haven't really tested out much yet.

[SoCalBobS]

At this point I have repainted the SPG and added the supplied Egyptian decals. Weathering and detailing will start presently. This won't be used in club battles. The tracks are narrow and long. I'd bet they'd be prone to detracking and in any event are not meant for rapid CQB on rough terrain. Although these photos are outside, it's interesting to note that Tongde has a disclaimer in the manual that it's for indoor use only! It's a fun kit though. I will take it to our battlefield to see how far the bb's travel from that 45 degree angle. I did it in my yard, never did find the bb's.

[DavidN]

FYI, one young member in our club has been battling with his M109 in 4 events so far. He fought with it quite rough and it is still running. I have many tanks to battle so I plan to use mine on hard surface only, hehe!

1st picture...Bryce and his M109 in fierce battle.

[SoCalBobS]

Waiting for battalion orders…



Outgoing!

[SoCalBobS]

I want to share a positive experience I've had with Toucan Hobby and Tongde. The tank came with a missing part, a retaining ring that keeps the drive shaft from drifting out. Such a tiny part, but essential to work. I described the part, along with a photo, to a Toucan rep. They contacted Tongde, who replaced the part. It took weeks, but it came. Also, Tongde must have realized the part needed something different, so they sent me some more practical c-clips. I wonder if they altered their manufacture accordingly. Very professional customer support. I look forward to working with both companies again once trade difficulties are resolved.

[SoCalBobS]

I got some outdoor shots today:

[SoCalBobS]

One of the reasons for the outdoor excursion was to test the bb range at various barrel elevations. As expected, 45 degrees yielded the farthest loft, at about 60 feet. They had an acceptably small spread too, most somewhere within a 10 foot spread. Given their light weight, and a small breeze, I give it a thumbs up!