Taigen battle system

[General Jumbo01]

I'm on it, today's project. I'll locate the emitter and then try external tubes first, then if successful open the turret and make a permanent fix. I'll also try outdoors where reflection should be reduced (hadn't thought about that).

I'll then see what l can do to tone down the IR receiver's appearance. I'm not sure why the plastic casing is not clear rather than transparent blue but the bright printed label around it's base will become 'matt dull'! I saw somewhere that someone has fitted sensors around a commander's waist - that's smart!

Thanks everyone.

Sent from my ASUS_T00G using Tapatalk

[General Jumbo01]

24+ hours later......

The now camouflaged receivers look so much better and are not operationally affected. With no refective surfaces within 3 or so metres the tanks still register a hit when the barrel is at up to 90 degrees off the target.

Next I cut several tubes 9mm long and from 4.5 to 7mm internal diameter and fixed, in turn, each over the IR bulbs on the outside of the mantlets (yes, that was where they were mounted) with blue tack - a good temporary fix with no light leakage.

I expected wonderful results.

Since that didn't work (why??) l need a tighter beam. I have got a (never used) mini laser spirit level. It emits a red laser beam that is tiny and shows as a red spot on a wall some yards away. I can also recall from holidays in Benidorm laser pens that did the same. Would these be Infra Red beams and do the job better?

I'm beginning to think that club battles could be a question of who fires first kills every other tank in the hall!!

Sent from my ASUS_T00G using Tapatalk

[tomhugill]

24+ hours later......

The now camouflaged receivers look so much better and are not operationally affected. With no refective surfaces within 3 or so metres the tanks still register a hit when the barrel is at up to 90 degrees off the target.

Next I cut several tubes 9mm long and from 4.5 to 7mm internal diameter and fixed, in turn, each over the IR bulbs on the outside of the mantlets (yes, that was where they were mounted) with blue tack - a good temporary fix with no light leakage.

I expected wonderful results.

Since that didn't work (why??) l need a tighter beam. I have got a (never used) mini laser spirit level. It emits a red laser beam that is tiny and shows as a red spot on a wall some yards away. I can also recall from holidays in Benidorm laser pens that did the same. Would these be Infra Red beams and do the job better?

I'm beginning to think that club battles could be a question of who fires first kills every other tank in the hall!!

Sent from my ASUS_T00G using Tapatalk

Happily club battles aren't, whilst there is some tolerance I find in club batted I need to be within a tank length or two either side to hit

[General Jumbo01]

That is really reassuring thanks. Is that with Tamiya's system and does Tamiya use a more focused IR beam? The IS-2 IR LED bulb looks to be a flush mounted 3mm example with no tube at all.

Sent from my ASUS_T00G using Tapatalk

[General Jumbo01]

A solution for the Taigen battle system that really works!

After trying all sorts of lengths and diameters of plastic and metal tubes positioned in front of the IR emitter bulb to limit the spread of light from the bulb l found it made virtually no difference so sat down for a long think. Yes, with a good scotch.

With no light leakage, the IR light was still able to spread as it left the tube and that had to be due to the fact that it was reflecting back and forth across the inside wall of the tube until it got to the end of the tube and then continued in the direction of its last 'bounce' of the tube internal wall, ie scattering.

Thinks... okay, so use a non reflective material for the tube and keep it narrow. The IS-2 IR bulb is around 3mm and the T34 about 2mm so l tried appropriate diameter matt black rubber heat shrink.tube simply pushed in place.

Bingo! You now have to be within a degree or two both in direction and elevation to score a hit, regardless of range. Skill required at last.

The tubes go almost unnoticed when in place and can be stored under any opening hatch when not in use plus they are cheap and come in all sizes. The turret mounted receivers are far less noticeable too once the lower section is painted to match your camo. I plan to get a spare unit to dismantle and rebuild within a tank.commanders torso (as someone has already done on this site a couple of years ago).

All l need now is a turret motor that stops immediately when the control is released and a 'hit' explosion sound and smoke

photos - naff quality but you get the idea

Sent from my ASUS_T00G using Tapatalk

[jimbo_wa]

That is a good idea!

I'm currently looking at the Taigen system in tandem with a Mako2018 and buying a Bluering to get the hit confirmation.

My only thought is that the IR heatshrink looks really long - I think the Tamiya IR tube is 9mm from the end of the LED?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[General Jumbo01]

Ideally the bulb would be set inside the turret so that the tube could be recessed. The tube in the photos is about 25mms but over the weekend I'll trim them.back and keep testing until it fails to do the job. Once that's determined I'll recess the bulbs appropriately. And yes, the Tamiya spec is 9mm but from the responses elsewhere its not very accurate so would probably benefit from the same mod?

Sent from my ASUS_T00G using Tapatalk

[General Jumbo01]

Okay...episode 5!

Some hours of fetling later and l think I've perfected it. Its all about that tube. I've ended up with keeping it to matt black in/external heat shrink tubing, the diameter of which needs to be a snug fit around the IR emitting LED. In my cases that's about 3mm for the T34/85 and 4mm for the IS-2. I've optimised the length of the tubes down to about 12.5mm but to get consistency in firing accuracy l needed to slip a 10mm length of 3mm tube inside the 4mm tube on the IS-2 so that the spread of the IR beam is consistent over both tanks.

So.. Matt black heat shrink, 12.5 long and 3mm internal diameter with no light leakage.

This spec requires accurate aim, say within 2-3 degrees or one tank width over a distance of 3-4 metres. This means you need to get barrel elevation right too! Max distance seems unaffected which is to be expected since its the same 'rays' that strike the IR receiver, not the ones that previously went off at an angle and missed. Because there is no spurious light transmissions you also get no reflected light interfering.

Finally, the small, short dull black tubes are barely noticeable so I've decided not to modify the LED mountings to make them flush but leave them proud - easier to swap if other standards are required at a meet.

Cost of must do refinement - under 5p per tank!

[ronnie42]

Have often wondered why the Elmod mushroom is not shielded like the Tamiya one. Never found any info on fitting the Elmod IR emitter , people must use the system somewhere . Fitting in a matt tube looks like the way forward , no more pointing in the general direction guarantees a hit. Is it possible to have a low powered laser pointer and the IR emitter one behind the other ? This would give a visual marker on opponents tank as well .

[General Jumbo01]

I wondered the same, or even if the two could be combined. I have a couple of laser pointers on unused spirit levels (or a laser pen would do) which l could fit and I'm also about to try a 'micro' FPV camera for aiming. Either would help.

The problem is that when you refine the firing/detection system so that it has to spot on, as here, you then need a sighting system - not so bad if you stand behind the line of the barrel but (literally) a bit hit or miss if you are several metres away at an odd angle.

By the way, having now experienced the Tamiya system too it falls quite a bit short of being accurate as well but the same solution would work just as well. Generally, both system's receivers (mushrooms) work fine, though look terrible, it's their IR beam control, or lack of it, that lets them down. A small diameter and non-reflective material tube is essential.

Sent from my ASUS_T00G using Tapatalk