DAK Pz IV Ausf G Build

[jarndice]

Oh my good friend you have no idea how much aggravation I suffered working on the Panzer 4 suspension.
Fitted shims, removed shims, I must have fitted, refitted the suspension a dozen times and each time you have to go through the performance of getting everything lined up then taken apart.
My early decision to use "R" clips on the roller axles paid off very quickly, it made the incessant strip-down bearable. I have no idea how I succeeded but it does now work so I leave it alone.
Fitting Magnets is not only a good way of fixing the Hull to the body but it certainly opened my mind to how many other uses magnets have in my builds.
The only good thing I can say is, it has finally driven me to DRINK!!!
Take care on a great build and thanks for the memories of frequent nightmares! shaun

[philipat]

hmm...not trying to drive anyone to drink or nightmares!

Do tell on the other uses for magnets. Always looking for new ideas.

You don't happen to remember what the final setup was for your suspension? what was shimmed...how much...etc... As I recall, you used the Asiatam brass gearboxes, too, right?

[jarndice]

The usual practice when fitting Sprockets to Gearbox output shafts is to tighten the screw then use a touch of Threadlock, then glue the sprocket cap in place and job done.
Which is fine until you need to remove the sprocket!!!
A small NEO-DYMIUN magnet glued into the inside centre of the sprocket cap will keep its magnetic attraction firmly against the sprocket screw and very tightly in place and will never work lose, and yet with a decent set of fingernails it can be easily extracted, with no damage to the sprocket or the end cap.
A few years ago I watched my lady stitching "Velco" strips into a raincoat, naturally it being women's work I forgot about it, (JOKE HONEST)
but A little later I was trying to find a way of fitting an "AR610" receiver in a Tiger 1 hull which would allow it to be easily removed yet kept securely in place.
I now use the same "VELCRO" strip to hold radio receivers, rx18 cases/clark boards, smokers and speakers in place, it means no more drilling holes in the hull floor, everything is secure and yet everything is easily removable,
I should mention that the "VELCRO" comes in a pack containing 2 strips both 20mm wide by 45cm long, one strip being male and the other female, both with a self adhesive backing which I ignore, instead I smear the area with "UNIBOND EXTREME" glue.shaun

[philipat]

Good tips. I think I'll use both of them.

[philipat]

I worked out the wiring for the upper hull. Lights and hull machine gun are hard-wired. The turret rotation motor is plugged in. The other plugs will go into the turret or come from the main board in the lower hull.

[philipat]

More progress on wiring the tank. Actually, I’ve finished the wiring setup. In a nutshell, the setup includes:

- UV LED in turret to “charge” glow-in-the-dark airsoft BBs.
- JST plugs to make it easy to separate the parts
- 360o turret using a ½" slip ring (12-wire)


Discussion:
UV LED in the turret. I basically did the same thing that Perry S. did with his setup (http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-tank ... t-bbs.html). My only challenge is that the LEDs don’t seem to be working. I’m not sure if I’m not supplying enough voltage or if they’re defective. I have new LEDs coming from an eBay vendor that tested them using 3V batteries; so, they should work on my 3.1V circuit. But, I installed everything so that I could get the rest done.

JST plugs. I used two sizes for this. Inside the turret, I used two sets of 3-pin miniature plugs. One set for the LED circuit and one set for the gun-and-elevation circuit. Soldering these to the slip ring’s wiring was a challenge because they’re so small. But, the slip ring’s thin wiring helped to make it a little easier. Be careful to note the color scheme (each wire has a different color or shade of color) so that you don’t cross circuits. Label bundles as you go. The 8-pin plug with side plugs came from Aliexpress. It’s an awesome piece of gear. Note that you need to order the right plug setup or it might come without the 3-pin plug for the LEDs. The pictures are the same for all tanks; so, ask. They were responsive when I had questions afterwards. Fortunately, after Erik let it out that they use JST-XH plugs for Taigen/HL, I ordered about 10 male/female sets (one side has pig tails). So, I already had some 3-pin plugs on hand that go into the board (no pig tails on this side...is the the male or female?) Just be careful soldering them to the board. Best way is to use the soldering iron to pull the solder away from the small holes in the board where the plug goes. Then solder the plug to the board. The 3-point junction board I used in the turret wasn’t absolutely necessary, but it made it easier to solder things together, especially since the LEDs all share a common positive and I figure I will probably have to replace the LED later. You could just go straight to soldering wires in a 3-way setup. I’m still working my soldering skills; so, this was easier.

360o turret. I always wanted one of these. I saw several innovative ways of doing it a few years ago, but couldn’t replicate it. Then, I finally saw Max-U52's video posted on RCU about how he installed Taigen’s setup. I figured I could do that. I used a 12-wire setup because I couldn’t find an 8-wire setup. I needed 3 wires for the LEDs, 3 for the gun and elevation, and 2 for the airsoft gun sound-and-recoil trigger. If you have an antenna in or on the turret, you would need an additional wire. I don’t know how many, if any additional wires going into the turret will be needed with Taigen’s recoiling airsoft gun, but I have room for growth. (Note: Taigen’s setup wouldn’t work because they only provide 7 wires on the slip ring for the setup that supports airsoft and a turret machine gun.) I glued the slip ring into the rotation ring and drilled a ½" hole behind it in the turret floor. The rotation ring’s were made by mating another rotation ring to it and filing out the teeth. It looks a little crude, but the rotation motor and gearbox didn’t seem to notice.

Watch it in action: https://youtu.be/RjEeVSvIG8k

[edpanzer]

Whoosh that went waay over my head!!! Must admit to wanting to do a 360 turret but wireing is like a foreign language to me, great work.

[HERMAN BIX]

Those 360 cable pivots ??...............I tested one on my Panther but it did not work as intended unless it was retained bang on in the centre of the turret ring. Made it impossible to fit.
Yours is off set by the looks. Does/will it still work correctly ?

Great IV by the way, there sure is more to them than meets the eye to get right.

[philipat]

It is offset. Here's the slip ring that I'm using: http://www.ebay.com/itm/300Rpm-Capsule- ... 1107355968?

It should work well. I took a break from the PzIV briefly to install the same setup in my PzIII, which was otherwise finished and working. I've run it several times fully buttoned up and spun the turret a few times completely. None of the wires were twisted when I opened her up to change the battery. I think the key is have the center portion (all 12 wires in a single bundle) pointed into the tank. That's the part that spins. The other end (2 bundles of 6 wires) remains stationary. This slip ring is rated for much faster turns than what the turret does. So, it should work for any of them. I also think you have to have the slip ring attached to either the turret or the rotation ring gear.

The dead center problem is what kept me from trying it for so long. I couldn't find a way to get around it. This seems to be the same setup Taigen is using for their 360 degree turrets.

Oh, there are several inches (like 3-6") of slack in the wiring between the slip ring and the control board. That might be helping...don't know for sure.

[philipat]

So, I've spent the last few weeks ordering and testing UV LEDs trying to sort out something that would work. And, I'm still working on that. I found some that hit the sweet spot in terms of voltage, but the current doesn't seem to be enough. I'll need to get some sort of a meter to test my circuits. Anyone know what I need to test current and voltage? Needs to work in terms of mA. Electricals are not my forte.

But, in the meantime, I got my TC back from a buddy that was painting him for me. KSOC kindly provided me a TC, "Otto". In putting it together I realized it was designed to have a hand in the air (actually holding the open hatch on an early Tiger I cupola). But, it reached way above the split hatch on a PzIV Ausf G. So, I used some putty and micro files to reposition the arm and blend it to look natural. Once I got it to where I thought it looked right, I gave it to him for detailing and painting. Of course, just like he did with the PzIII TC, he did a great job. Getting it was a little like Christmas, but in June.

• My work:

IMG_0025.jpg (77.26 KiB) Viewed 3831 times

Edit: Oh...I put magnets in his legs and a piece of a juice can lid in the cupola to hold him in place.

• His progress photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/1047456270 ... redirect=1

• Sitting in the turret (looks like the TC got a rare trip to the factory to check out his tank as it was being built):

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IMG_0042.jpg (94.03 KiB) Viewed 3831 times