Converting Henglong old tanks to new 2.4Ghz

[Will01Capri]

Hi Guys
I have been researching this, but only made myself alot more confused.

What is needed to convert an old tank to new 2.4ghz operation?

I have some old tanks with RX13/14 on 27mhz.
Basically i am going to hand this over to someone else i know, but i want to put new RX18 2.4ghz in all my tanks.
I have found someone selling new 2.4ghz Henglong Transmitters and RX18 boards. but the price seems a bit steep.
From what i can see a Tx is £35 & a new RX18 with wiring £15-20, but somehow when you add these together it makes more than £70. So am i missing something from the setup?
I also see there are different versions of RX18 like V2 & V3 etc.

I suppose the RX18 will also give me the chance to use basic sound and smoke features and operate the existing motors etc with a bit of changing of plugs etc?
Please help or point me in right direction.

The other idea is to go get a 2.4Ghz flight set or 2 and be able to drive multiple tanks using same tx at different times of course

[silversurfer1947]

It is worth you having a good hunt the various topics on here. Quite a few people have tried retro fitting the latest RX18 to older tanks. I don't think anyone has yet completed the operation to their complete satisfaction. Wibblywobbly recently posted a wiring diagram showing the different connections on the 8 pin turret connections.

Third party transmitters will not work with any of the RX boards.

[c.rainford73]

For the best in flexibility I would recommend going with a quality board like the Clark tk60 or IBU2U. I run several of these boards and with hobby king receivers I have different models (separate cheap hobby king receivers) bound to my 9xrPro transmitter and all is do is select model in my remote and away I go.

Of course these setups are a bit more tinkering and price is a bit higher but to truly unlock the potential of your models and have the most fun this is the way to go.

I can program my rx/tx combo to operate currently 14 Different models with several different boards.

Of course the new rx18 mystery will be solved soon if not already by the likes of Mr Wibbly

[jarndice]

Richard the RCTA sell a board (the RC5HL)that allowes an aftermarket transmitter to work with an RX18 but It will only work with the old 27 Mhz RX18.
Shaun.
www.rctanksaustralia.com
RC5HL Limited Edition AUD 39.90/£ 24.25 Freepost.

[wibblywobbly]

To be honest buying new HL 2.4ghz conversion kits is a complete waste of money, it will add nothing to the value of a tank if you ever decide to sell it. You will still have low quality sound, no IR, and no programming.

For around the same money you could get a TK22 which will be better by a factor of several hundred percent, they are easy to install, the boards are the same size as an RX18. Take a look on You Tube and you will see plenty of demo videos, if that doesn't convince you then nothing will.

[c.rainford73]

To be honest buying new HL 2.4ghz conversion kits is a complete waste of money, it will add nothing to the value of a tank if you ever decide to sell it. You will still have low quality sound, no IR, and no programming.

For around the same money you could get a TK22 which will be better by a factor of several hundred percent, they are easy to install, the boards are the same size as an RX18. Take a look on You Tube and you will see plenty of demo videos, if that doesn't convince you then nothing will.

Well said mr. Wibbly I could not agree with you more

[Will01Capri]

This defo looks like what I need.
Lots of reading careful reading. It does look very complicated. Think the.most important thing is what transmitter to get and setup but leave it open for easy upgrades in future.
It talks alot about FS-i6s transmitter so will check that out unless any personal recommendations out there

[Jay-Em]

4th gen is the best controller Heng Long has ever released, but any Clark or IBU still runs circles around it afa funcionality and possibilities go. And re-wiring the thing for an older release tank, is a nightmare.

Together with a flysky, the Clark or IBU are still quite a bit more expensive, but they are also quite a bit more robust. Ànd easier to set-up once You get Your head around it.

Mixing-up the turret/gun/elevation wiring very easily blows the controller-chip on the Heng Long board. (Been there, done that) Never succeeded in blowing even the fuse on my IBU's, or my Clark. And I am quite proud of my talent for extracting smoke from wiring...

However much I like the 4th gen controllers (and I am really fond of them! ) they are still seriously limited. Afa the 2nd and 3rd gen 2.4ghz controllers go.... well... if You are fond of atricious rattling sounds simulating a Tiger 1, and hoppity-jerky control, go for it but to be brutally honest, they're toy quality at a steep price.

[Will01Capri]

I hear you.

It's funny but the 1/24 tank I built up with proper escs drives soo much better than my 1/16 tanks. It is a toy in comparison

[Raminator]

I'd say the IBU2 is the best bang-for-your-buck aftermarket electronics board. It's completely plug-and-play, and has a solid feature set at a reasonable price point. You can't really go wrong with it.