new comer

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john glazbrook
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new comer

Post by john glazbrook »

hi everyone on this forum I am new to model tanks, I have been building and flying r/c model aircraft for many years, but because of the lockdown this is now not possible to fly so, I have been looking for a new hobbie and here I am. so far I am totally blown away by the detailing of the two tanks that I have brought so far, my first build was a Tamiya abrams 1/16 display model that is almost finished now so I am starting a 2nd build on a trumpeter T-72, my next project will be an r.c tank but asyet I am not certain what make or model to buy, any suggestions would be appreciated I am possibly looking at heng long but I don't know what the quality of his make are like, stay safe everyone.

john
tommy tanker :haha:
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PershingLover
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Re: new comer

Post by PershingLover »

First off, Hello! And welcome to our little community!

Heng Long is above toy quality, but below Tamiya rc, if you understand me. They are a good start.

I have had a Heng Long for years now, with very few problems. They last decently long. And, you can easily make them better, with better gearboxes, batteries, metal parts, etc.

A for which tank, that is up to you! I would recommend a popular tank, like a Tiger, because so much is available for them.

Good Luck and stay safe!
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jimbo_wa
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Re: new comer

Post by jimbo_wa »

Welcome!

If you’ve already built the Tamiya Abrams static model, you can always R/C it and have the best of both worlds!

You can either buy the Tamiya parts or some aftermarket items such as the gearboxes (ETO or DKLM) and control unit (Elmo, Clark or IBU) for a slightly cheaper and/or flexible model.


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Son of a gun-ner
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Re: new comer

Post by Son of a gun-ner »

Hello and welcome to the forum Mr john glazbrook :wave:

Now that you've built those kits, I'm wondering if you'll be satisfied with a mere off the shelf ready to run RC Tank.
I like Heng Long because they are like me, cheap and cheerful, but with all the upgrades and extras that can be purchased for them, it can work out cheaper than a kit, and still be a challenging fun build however far you modify it. One can also go the unique rout without spending Tamiya costs.

As Mr jimbo_wa says, you could RC your Abrams.
Here is a link to someone doing just that to a static model of the Abrams.

TAMIYA M1A2 Displaymodel - RC Tank Warfare
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=26966

I hope you enjoy the forum.
Mick.
Mick - The grit in the underpants of life!
And always happy to spare the bytes

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jarndice
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Re: new comer

Post by jarndice »

John, Welcome to the Forum :thumbup: :wave: :clap:
Heng Long are pretty much the reason for this Forums existence, :clap:
Prior to them the only R/C Tanks in 1/16 was Tamiya which was then as they are now out of the pocket of many people.
Heng Long introduced the Tiger 1 and for all that it was a very second rate cheap and nasty toy it took off like a space ship.
It was CHEAP and it was R/C but it was crap :thumbdown: .
To make it a Tank that could be recognized as a Tiger 1 early and be reliable like minded souls got together to share their thoughts and tips,
Since those dark days the Forum and Heng Long have moved on :thumbup:
The Heng Long Tiger 1 version 6.0 early of 2020 is reasonably well built with a better grade of plastic/abs and far more reliable with an R/C Package that is catching up with some of the aftermarket control boards of just a few years ago.
It is sometimes rated below Taigens similar product but it is in a number of areas better and it is certainly better value for money (£130) if you intend doing some work on it.
As has already been mentioned the reason why the Tiger 1 is promoted by many of us as a good first Tank is because there are more upgrades available for it than for any other 1/16 Tank but it is also quite roomy inside the hull allowing newbies to riffle around without pulling all the wires out :O
I hope you enjoy this place and please feel free to ask questions.
I think I am about to upset someone :haha:
john glazbrook
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Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:20 am

Re: new comer

Post by john glazbrook »

hello all and thank you for your very welcome advice, so I will complete the build on both my tanks then decide what r.c tank I will buy, at the moment I am leaning towards the tamiya leopard tank I have plenty of ] equipment from my r.c planes but probably over the top but not waisted on tanks. also there are some very good secondhand tanks on here.

john
tommy tanker :haha:
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Wildboar44
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Re: new comer

Post by Wildboar44 »

jarndice wrote:John, Welcome to the Forum :thumbup: :wave: :clap:
Heng Long are pretty much the reason for this Forums existence, :clap:
Prior to them the only R/C Tanks in 1/16 was Tamiya which was then as they are now out of the pocket of many people.
Heng Long introduced the Tiger 1 and for all that it was a very second rate cheap and nasty toy it took off like a space ship.
It was CHEAP and it was R/C but it was crap :thumbdown: .
To make it a Tank that could be recognized as a Tiger 1 early and be reliable like minded souls got together to share their thoughts and tips,
Since those dark days the Forum and Heng Long have moved on :thumbup:
The Heng Long Tiger 1 version 6.0 early of 2020 is reasonably well built with a better grade of plastic/abs and far more reliable with an R/C Package that is catching up with some of the aftermarket control boards of just a few years ago.
It is sometimes rated below Taigens similar product but it is in a number of areas better and it is certainly better value for money (£130) if you intend doing some work on it.
As has already been mentioned the reason why the Tiger 1 is promoted by many of us as a good first Tank is because there are more upgrades available for it than for any other 1/16 Tank but it is also quite roomy inside the hull allowing newbies to riffle around without pulling all the wires out :O
I hope you enjoy this place and please feel free to ask questions.
Hi Mr John, I think jarndice has pretty much described RC Tank journey so well in this assessment above. As your adventure begins you will quickly come to a cross road called Tamiya or Other. Tamiya is a quality product at a price and the initial outlay sometimes have you questioning if you can justify the cost. But its not unusual for a Taigen/Heng Long/ Mato Tank after all the modifications and alterations to exceed the value of a Tamiya product once its completed.

IMHO, the one thing you can't value or buy with the Tamiya purchse is the experience and safisfaction of building and crafting modifications yourself. Some people like to do this, some people do not. What ever your path I hope you enjoy. :thumbup:
Yesterday is our history, Tomorrow is an eternal mistery, Today is a gift, its why its called "The Present".
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43rdRecceReg
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Re: new comer

Post by 43rdRecceReg »

Welcome to down to Earth for your modelling, John. Land-based models have so much to offer, that you'll have lots of great distractions to fill the time with.
Yes, you can put an electronic heart and transmission into your Tamiya; but if that's too much of a challenge, assembling a Taigen or Heng Long tank from base components (chassis, upper hull, etc.,) can still be very rewarding.
Whilst not quite being in the same league as Tamiya (but hardly far off now), a T34, or Tiger 1 would get you off to a good start in the RC department. They can be had from between a sixth, and a half, of the price of equivalent full-option Tamiya models. Go on, spoil yourself :thumbup:
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.
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