Hello all, I 'm new to the hobby

[Max-U52]

Welcome to our addiction. you're gonna love it.

Where are you?

What do you want to get out of your tanks? Just trumblin' round the garden blastin' BBs at the squirrels, or do you have hopes of IR battles? It sounds like detailing is important to you, just one reason I ask where you are. We like to send parts back and forth and it always helps to know if the guy you want to help is even on the same continent.

Did you get the Panther tracks fixed? I might be able to help with that (if need be) as long as you're in the states. Otherwise I'm sure we can find someone closer to you that can help.

[pvt. pyle]

I am in Atlanta Georgia, yes I would love to meet up with tankers and have IR battles, I am a long way from that right now as i am still gearing up the tanks in my spare time. That brings me to several questions;
will the tamiya IR kit work on the HL?
Or is there a HL version of IR kits?
Will tamiya electronics work in HL?I have a HL tiger with the old electronics and I need to upgrade
What is the best aftermarket battery to use? the factory ones seem to suck

Yes, I would very much like to network with folks on different parts, it seems like ebay is about the only option and it can get tricky as a lot of sellers don't fully describe their products sometimes. I have not really researched the online stores so any help there is appreciated. Locally I have found 1 hobbystore that carries RC stuff! The hobbytown in Kennesaw, they had 5 Taigen tanks and sold all of them at xmas, no parts support at all, not even batteries no rc tank enthusiasts work there at all. The guys in the plastic model section have been cool they know alot about detailing and I bought some model paint there to repaint a few tanks. Yes I emailed the amazon seller about the panther tracks and they sent one out for free. The HL seems to be a hit or miss, some versions are extremely reliable others seem to break easy, makes me question should I have went with the Tamiya versions? So far I am a little over $1,300 for 7 tanks, that would have only gotten me 1 Tamiya though once you buy the kits and electronics, I would love to make the HL's a little tougher so I will take all the advice I can get.
thanks

[BarryC]

Greetings and welcome from Savannah, GA!

I've found upgrading the Heng Long tanks to be a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the RC Tank hobby.
I've been upgrading and detailing their M1A2 for some time now.

Cheers,
Barry

[jarndice]

You have come to the right place,
Gary (Max-U52) Is one of a number of top quality men in your country,
The Best Dealer for your upgrade needs will be -----
http://www.imex-model.com/
and the RC Tank Man in that store is "ERIC" They are based in Florida and have a very good reputation amongst the RC Tank fraternity in the USA.
They specialise in all things TAIGEN and Most TAIGEN Upgrades are good for Heng Long Tanks,
Fitting Tamiya Electronics in a Heng Long Tank is a bit like gold plating a plastic wheelbarrow,
There are some very good aftermarket Control Boards (MFU) that are much better than Tamiya's and are compatible with Tamiya I/R and a great deal cheaper and more user friendly,
Just some are ---IBU, ASP, Elmod,and Clark, there are others.
Heng Long used to make I/R Tanks but it was not compatible with Tamiya I/R and as the international rules of Fighting Armour in Radio Control stipulate it must be Tamiya compatible Heng Long stopped making theirs and now concentrate on Airsoft.
So now everyone fighting with a Non Tamiya Tank and that includes Taigen fits one of the Boards I have mentioned.
The Tiger 1 has more aftermarket bits and pieces available for both Heng Long and Taigen Tanks most of which are interchangeable. Batteries and Chargers have managed to split the modelling community over recent years,
Some including me swear by Li-Po Batteries others swear at them.
They take up a lot less space for the equivilent output of a Ni-Cad , BUT you need a much better charger than the factory provides to get the best from them,
My own is a "Turnigy Accucell -6" from----
www.hobbyking.com/
which is an international company.Shop around for the one that suits you but do make sure it can Charge Li-Po/Li-Fe as well as Ni-Cad/NiMh batteries.

[seb4]

Hello and welcome! I myself am also a newbie. I bought the Heng Long Leopard 2a6, great model out of the box.

The idlers have a weak attachment, so I replaced them and the sprockets with the Taigen steel ones. The ball bearing idlers esp are much better and have resulted in the tracks much less derailing from the sprockets.

Also replaced the motors and gearbox with the Taigen V2 380 3:1 motors and steel gearboxes. I have to say my copy is not that good it has a little wobbling drive shafts, whereas the original Heng Long gearbox (with plastic gear plates) has no movement at all after two months of heavy use.

It is big fun, but may I suggest only buy what you really need. Cleaning up the sprockets while in rough terrain goes a long way. I have always a stiff paint brush and a can of water when I go in rough terrain, so I can immediately clean the sprockets when they fill up with mud. Really helps in staying the tracks on the sprockets.

Enjoy your new hobby it is awesome!

[jarndice]

Hi Seb I did not know you were having trouble with the Gearbox output Shafts,
Every Tank I have built I always fit "Gearbox Output Shaft Bearings/Bushes",
It is not a difficult or expensive job and not only does it reduce the chance of the tracks being "Thrown" but it also lessens the stress going into the Gearbox Mountings.
The Leo is a little different but the principle is the same,
If you go to rctanks.de they are selling "Axle Supports" for the Leo 2A6,

http://www.rctank.de/TRACKS/WHEELS/GEARBOXES_8

They have two different versions on sale, "Axle Supports 8.08mm" at 18.90 Euros and "Axle Supports 7.99mm" at 22.90 Euros.
Postage extra of course,
I hope this helps.

[seb4]

Hi Seb I did not know you were having trouble with the Gearbox output Shafts,
Every Tank I have built I always fit "Gearbox Output Shaft Bearings/Bushes",
It is not a difficult or expensive job and not only does it reduce the chance of the tracks being "Thrown" but it also lessens the stress going into the Gearbox Mountings.
The Leo is a little different but the principle is the same,
If you go to rctanks.de they are selling "Axle Supports" for the Leo 2A6,

http://www.rctank.de/TRACKS/WHEELS/GEARBOXES_8

They have two different versions on sale, "Axle Supports 8.08mm" at 18.90 Euros and "Axle Supports 7.99mm" at 22.90 Euros.
Postage extra of course,
I hope this helps.

Thank you for pointing out, appreciate . Yes I know them and I need the 8.08mm supports. But I read elsewhere it is difficult to mount them on the hull, maybe depends on what tank it is, but yes, I probably will order them later. I have already spent a awful lot of money on modding