WSN T34 Recoil

[silversurfer1947]

I can see it - it's very quick though and could do with a bigger throw. I will check the elevation wire connections.

[MichaelC]

Richard, the WSN recoil is very short throw so unless you start modding the stock you won't get much more than that. Also, did you keep the spring mechanism (I think ?) that will help with the speed and the throw as well if you remove it.

[silversurfer1947]

I took the spring out on wibbly's advice. I am not sure the way I have the servo arm set is giving the maximum possible throw. I will have to put my mind to working out the best position and arm length. To my mind, a gun should have a fast back and slow return, but I am not sure if this is possible with a servo. I did think the spring which kept the barrel fully recoiled would have the desired effect but Rob said servos working against springs was a bad idea.

[MichaelC]

You are right about the recoil, but Clark's pre set programming doesn't do that. You can use IBU which does allow some adjustment (and sometimes not for the better in my opinion. Clark has no choose and make one profile and it is pretty good, but IBU is up to you and can get some really crazy recoil).

You can try mounting the servo differently, or use gears instead of linkage arm to get more pull/travel.

[silversurfer1947]

Progress report

I'm in the process of turning the servo round and will report back. In the meantime, I am trying to sort out the elevation. (Interestingly, I fitted a Clark board in a Sherman, to replace Taigen electrics and have no elevation there either). The connections to the 8 pin plug are as follows:

1. Machine Gun
2. Headlight
3. Machine Gun & Headlight
4. Elevation
5. Elevation
6. Not connected
7. Turret Rotation
8. Turret Rotation

Reading the instructions from Clark's, the connections should be:
1. Machine gun LED-
2. Head Light LED-
3. Machine gun LED+,
Head Light LED+,
AUX Power+
4. AUX Power-
5. GUN ELEVATE MOTOR
6. GUN ELEVATE MOTOR
7. TURRET MOTOR
8. TURRET MOTOR

Pin 3 look to be a common power feed. It would seem that the elevation controls are not connected to the correct pins. Before I change them over, I shall be grateful if someone could confirm this, or whether I have misinterpreted things. I would hate to c**k things up completely.

[MichaelC]

This is correct. On stock Heng Long/Taigen tanks, the eelvation unit shares the same positive feed for both the airsoft unit and the elevation unit, and hence you cannot reverse the direction of the elevation (you have to cycle thru). One exception is the new T-90 which Heng Long has addressed by splitting the power feed. Clark splits it for you to allow independent up and down motion and hence the change in wiring if you are converting from stock Heng Long/Taigen tanks (Other than the T-90).

Bottomline if you are on Clark board, elevation motor should be connected to pin 5/6 and you should be fine.

[silversurfer1947]

Thank Michael. Sorry for all the basic questions, but I am learning a lot, and, hopefully, should not need to ask again. Famous last words though.

[wibblywobbly]

Just to clarify a couple of things, though you may have figured them out already.

The servo reverse is a matter of hooking up an IR sensor (you only need one), and an led.
You then press the remote button until the led flashes the number of times that you need.
Remember that if you press it after you have reached the setting you want, it will revert to the previous one, eg back where you started.
Remember to save the profile when you are done, otherwise the settings will be forgotten when you turn the tank off.

The recoil distance is determined by the length of the arm on the servo, eg a longer arm = a bigger arc.

The elevation is not like an HL tank, you have to move the stick diagonally up, left or right, and in my experience it is difficult to find the 'spot' until you get used to it. My solution is simply to get the barrel level and disconnect the elevation motor, or run the the positive wire through an old switch. Elevation is never used on a flat surface and accidentally moving the barrel when firing is a right Royal pain in the backside.

[silversurfer1947]

I have in fact turned the servo round so it is acting on the other side and no longer needs reversing. I will have to try out the programming though at some stage.

Remembering some of what they tried to teach me at university, I had realised the need for a longer arc. All the arms that came with the servo are the same length and I was using the outmost hole. However, with the way I had it mounted, I don't think it was operating properly. We shall see when I have it all reassembled.

I take your point regarding the need for using the elevation. Part of it is me trying to learn as much as I can, so next time around things might get a bit easier. I need to fix the Sherman as at present as the barrel points down and gentle pressure indicates an unwillingness to move without power.

[silversurfer1947]

All done. Rob you are right about the elevation control. I thought it still wasn't working, but waggling the stick around, all of a sudden it started moving. It's definitely hit and miss at present. Anyway, the gun is now at a reasonable elevation, where it will stay, unless I move it by accident. I may well follow your advice and put a switch in line to disable it.

phpBB [video]

This is the revised recoil. Hopefully, it looks a bit better.