IBU3 and the Taigen airsoft barrel recoil...

[43rdRecceReg]

http://www.rctankelectronics.com/store/ ... html...The issue of Taigen airsoft barrel recoil has been bugging me for a while now. I know Max has been looking into this too. The thing is, it looks much better than track recoil..especially in slo-mo and
when you also have a dayglo 6mm BBs flying out of the barrel. Moreover, if you want to combine airsoft barrel recoil with great sound effects you can rapidly reach an impasse, as the Taigen system works well with stock electronics, but not at all..as far as I can tell, with the Clark TK22 board, nor with the IBU2, I think (?..i'm waiting to be contradicted), but can be made to work with the ASP, by unconventional means...it seems
Now, though...there's light at the end of the.....well, barrel.. as the spec for the IBU3 on Tankbear's website lists (as per link) a dedicated port for the Taigen Barrel Recoil System..unless I'm much mistaken, and it is, quote: 'Recoil port for Taigen BB servo recoil". At last. Well, if it all works as it's intended, I have two tigers waiting for IBU3 heart transplants

[Tankbear]

I’m unclear what your saying about the taigen airsoft recoil.

The Taigen recoil unit was introduced last year the Clark, IBU, ElMod where all introduced before that. Taigen tanks with the airsoft recoil come with taigen electronics which are modified with additional hard wiring to make the recoil work, therefore not using a standard Taigen MFU so it’s unreasonable to expect other control boards to work with newer devices which require more than the standard wiring.

There are details of two separate ways to connect the airsoft recoil unit up to the IBU2 and therefore other systems in the IBU2 manual on page 8.

The IBU3 will be plug and play for the airsoft recoil unit because the manufacturer was aware of the unit and connections during design stage and could include it.

Ian.

[Max-U52]

The airsoft recoil doesn't work with the IBU2 because the IBU2 doesn't use the trigger switch, which in my opinion is a mistake. It's VERY difficult to get the airsoft timing right, and involves repeated removal of the SD card for adjustment. That could be just me, and others may have had more success, but for me that's the only thing about the IBU2 that I don't like - no trigger switch. This is why, as much as I love my IBU2s, I still say the Asp is the best board on the market today for airsoft tanks.

[Tankbear]

The problem with the trigger switch is that it’s activated after the gun is fired which is very obvious on the IR version tanks where the gun would recoil then you get the muzzle flash and sound. The after market electronics have gone for the realism route of sychronising all the features at the time of firing. I can aprreciate this now makes the airsoft timing out, but back when people where asking for for more realistic systems they didn’t particular rate using airsoft up there at top of the list.

As a solution I suggest to people wanting accurate airsoft timings is this.

The airsoft works like this, hold stick up and supplies power to the motor which winds up tension in a spring until it gets to it’s limit and the spring fires the BB out and the whole cycle starts again. Quite a basic system needing the user to supply power until it fires. (or timings in IBU2)

Now think how a asitam/taigen recoil works. There is a constant power to the motor which goes through a contact switch the contact switch opens as the recoil has built up the spring tension and is ready to fire. Because the switch opens the motor stops and the system is ready to fire. Then when fire signal is sent it bypasses the above switch and powers the motor for a fraction of a second which activates the recoil and it naturally self powers back into the primed position.

So my solution to those wanting spot on timings is to intergrate the recoil method into the airsoft and boom done. Now I know it’s not easy and requires soldering and mechancial work but in the years before the market was full of ready made equipment that is how we did things.

Ian

[Rad_Schuhart]

I agree with you, Max, its impossible to set the correct timing for the airsoft spring. The ibu2 Pro is a nice board and the technic support is maybe the best one I've ever seen, and the board it's very nice too.

But for being perfect I would only add the airsoft capability and being able to play sounds longer than 45 seconds. 45 seconds its just not enough. Well a price reduction wont hurt too, ASP its 95 euros.

Tankbear: How do you do it? I asigned the TRN switch for cannon fire and when I press it it only winds the spring for the time asigned in the SD Card. It doesn't work keeping pressing the button until it shoots.

[Tankbear]

I was refering to the HL/Taigen with respect to holding the stick, the IBU2 you just need to flick the stick and the timings in the setup file take care of how long the stick is held. I don’t use airsoft either, been part of a tank club no insurance company (in UK) will provide cover on airsoft equipped tanks so I don’t use them at all.

And the IBU2 doesn’t have a limitation of length of sound file in time. It has a limit of 1mb, but if you strip your sound file to mono you can get over a minutes worth of sound. I’ve even used files larger than 1mb and worked fine getting a full 3 minute + song played. The manufacturer states 1mb as probably only what it’s been tested too, but I’ve not had issues with larger files working.

Ian.

[Rad_Schuhart]

I took a look to my Ibu sounds, and all of them are mono, with a frecuency of 22050 hz. With that spects I can have about 46 seconds until I reach the megabyte. I dont know how you can get 3 minutes or more... Maybe with less quality sound?

Anyway my board doesn't work with sounds larger than 1MB. So if you can give me any tip I would apreciate it a lot. This is a test video that I did with my sounds, with unplugged motors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhEKG2bUNXQ

Returning to the airsoft: Yea I thought you were refering to the airsoft unit. Yes I know that it works with the timming set up, but do you know if there is any way to fix it, building a microswitch or something?

[43rdRecceReg]

I’m unclear what your saying about the taigen airsoft recoil.

The Taigen recoil unit was introduced last year the Clark, IBU, ElMod where all introduced before that. Taigen tanks with the airsoft recoil come with taigen electronics which are modified with additional hard wiring to make the recoil work, therefore not using a standard Taigen MFU so it’s unreasonable to expect other control boards to work with newer devices which require more than the standard wiring.

There are details of two separate ways to connect the airsoft recoil unit up to the IBU2 and therefore other systems in the IBU2 manual on page 8.

The IBU3 will be plug and play for the airsoft recoil unit because the manufacturer was aware of the unit and connections during design stage and could include it.

Ian.

Well, Ian, I'm saying that the Taigen system doesn't work with the Clarke, IBU2, etc., and you appear to have confirmed this. I realised some little while ago, although I'm still new to rc tanks, that the respective firmwares and PCB configurations on these controller boards all predate the introduction of the Taigen airsoft recoil; although a newcomer to the hobby might not know this. Now that the Taigen Tiger turrets containing the new airsoft recoil system are more easily obtainable (I had to import my first from the US at great expense..the second from rctank.de), there's always the possibility a newbie might invest in the turret without realising that it's not going to be plug n' play with the usual controller boards in the upgrade path. It's a pity that Clark hasn't kept abreast of developments, or he might have made provision for this. His board remains 'either/or': either you have Airsoft and no recoil; or recoil and no airsoft. This appears to be the picture with IBU2 as well, although a mod to the ASP has a solution. For this reason, I thought it worth mentioning that your forthcoming IBU3 has the capability to operate the system, whereas the others will probably disappoint the first time builder buying and using these turrets; as they disappointed me, in fact. Live and learn though, eh? C'est tout...but I really look forward to trying the new board out.
Roy.

[Max-U52]

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the IBU2s at all and I really do love them. Hey, I've got FOUR already and plan to buy more, but now I think IBU3 to get that airsoft recoil port. I understand that when IBU was designed the hobby was very different, and attitudes towards airsoft vary by individual and nation (restrictions, etc).

I'm very interested in what you said about airsoft recoil, Ian, can you elaborate? You said it requires soldering, but I'm not sure what you meant. If there's a way to adapt this airsoft recoil unit to the IBU I'd sure like to hear more.

[Max-U52]

Ian, I tried to find those instructions on page 8 and was unable. Could you please post a link to the proper manual?