How do you Tank Battle at club meets?

[General Jumbo01]

How do you get on with your wider tube spec? I'm using 3mm matt black tubing, 11mm long. This gives me a more or less parallel IR beam so you have to be accurate. Any shorter or wider tube and the need for an accurate shot goes as the spread of IR light gets too wide.

I feel we need to tighten the rules. Maybe FPV would need to be introduced.

[Tiger6]

You have to bear in mind that you are more often than not unable to stand right behind your tank when you are taking aim, and you might not even have direct line of sight from your tank to what you are shooting at, so making the aim 'too accurate' just results in a lot of shooting and not much hitting.

The spec of 5mm inner diameter tube with the crown of the emitter 9mm was invented by Tamiya, and was adopted as the defacto standard by every club who cared about this sort of thing. I originally had a similar emitter set up to what you are talking about, and it flat out didn't work once I got outdoors on uneven ground (not to mention the Tamiya spec tanks could hit me at many times the range I could hit them).

[Tiger6]

@Wibbley - Wicksted at War next year is probably our best bet for getting space, they had plenty of room last year and it is pretty central for everybody

[General Jumbo01]

You have to bear in mind that you are more often than not unable to stand right behind your tank when you are taking aim, and you might not even have direct line of sight from your tank to what you are shooting at, so making the aim 'too accurate' just results in a lot of shooting and not much hitting.

The spec of 5mm inner diameter tube with the crown of the emitter 9mm was invented by Tamiya, and was adopted as the defacto standard by every club who cared about this sort of thing. I originally had a similar emitter set up to what you are talking about, and it flat out didn't work once I got outdoors on uneven ground (not to mention the Tamiya spec tanks could hit me at many times the range I could hit them).

That's why l suggested FPV. You are then always looking straight down the barrel. As for Tamiya spec, things have moved on.

The venue needs to be booked but we need to sort out the thorny subject of standards, which is what we all need - ONE good standard for all IR battles. If we can agree the rules etc, I'm prepared to find a manufacturer who can produce the custom boards we'll need. To do that we should first agree somewhere central where those interested in actually making the changes can meet to discuss all the good (and bad) ideas and then agree objectives, individual actions etc. That meeting needs to start in the morning in a quiet conference room that attendees can sit around. Most local council premises can provide this cheaply.

But most of all, it needs to happen now! There's a lot to do and we need a few months to try it all out before we take it to the public, and that's AFTER we've agree and producers new rules/standards

[Tiger6]

The tamiya spec is the standard, there is over 15 years of experience out there of running battles with it. All of the other brands of aftermarket boards meet it.

Before you go charging off coming up with all maner of rules and extra bits of hardware, you should perhaps consider the lessons of Danville. Their fun run rules battle days (which are basically the rules that Tom and Dean already posted) are by far and and away the best attended, with only a small dedicated group attending the hardcore weekends.

Why is this? Because people don't want to spend a small fortune on expensive gear reductions to achive scale off road speeds? Because people don't want to drive half way across the country only to find out that their tank doesn't meet the specs, or they have unwittingly fitted an aftermarket emitter that is way more powerful than the standard ones and is wiping the floor with everyone else?
If you insist on extra electronic gizmos, expensive gearboxes, custom electronics, etc, people will be turned away by the cost and hassle.

[Black Knight]

Why not get a National Governing Body set up? They could then standardise rules/regulations and form separate disciplines for Tamiya IR Battles as well as other (less strict?) rule sets? People could then chose to build/compete in one discipline or another with prior knowledge of the rules of engagement/regulations on kit/equipment and thus get the greatest levels of enjoyment based on their personal preferences

[wibblywobbly]

Believe it or not there is a worldwide standard already set up. Basically its the Tamiya standard, as Tiger6 has described. 11mm tube with the tip of the led 6mm from the end of the tube. FPV is a non-starter and isn't required, some shots hit and some miss, just like the real world. The added expense would put many off and having a camera stuck on a tank instantly wrecks the scale look.

All of the main systems comply with the standard, eg Tamiya, Clark, IBU and Elmod, there is a technical spec that all systems are designed to meet, and all have battle damage onboard.

Personally I wouldn't get too worked up about meetings and the like, it will simply put people off. The objective is to have an enjoyable day/weekend, and have a laugh, rather than have someone with a clipboard and a book of rules. I've been to many shows/meets where nothing more than a 'date/time' was announced, people turn up, and it happens. The events were brilliant.

phpBB [video]

[Son of a gun-ner]

I really like the idea of battling with cameras.

But depending on the camera type, surely some will obscure the apple from taking hits and be in conflict with the rules

[wibblywobbly]

Tiger6 mentioned the Wicksteed at War venue. This is a drone video of the site. The Grantham Club hosted this battlefield in 2018, and the setting up was in progress when this video was made. The gazebo's and cars can be seen centre screen at the 3:13 mark. Plenty of space there as Mart said, and fairly central.It was an excellent weekend!

phpBB [video]

[General Jumbo01]

FPV needs a tiny camera that can look out of a 5mm hole next to the IR emitter. You won't see it. Higher powered emitters pose no threat to anyone else if the tube length and diameter restrict the beam spread. Its either on target or its not.

High cost electronics? Why, get it made in China (where its all made anyway). It would be no more expensive than any MFU board.

I'm sorry, But the quickest way to get bored with a hobby is for it to have no structure or competition. A wandering monthly programme using various club venues would be superb but, if all you want to do is talk and have free for all's then that's not for me. Add structure and competitions and talking and socialising becomes more meaningful and more fun - yes, more fun.

Sounds to me as though this is a hobby that's lost its way, which might be why all the magazines, real or 'e', have folded, why there are so very few clubs around, some of them not at all active, afraid of change and new ideas. Harsh? Maybe, but l suspect its true.

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