WSN T34-85

[SimonCornes]

Just acquired one of these via evil bay. I understand that the WSN electrics may be a bit 'less than perfect' so I was wondering if it is possible to fit a Heng Long V.6.0 receiver unit and get rid of the 8 x AA battery box, and run it on 7.2v ? Of course I'll see how 'bad' it is when it arrives and take it from thee but I'm starting to consider my options!
Thank you

[Tiger6]

Yes is the short answer. You'll need the matching HL transmitter as well (I guess you knew that tho?). I'd also recommend getting a Heng Long turret rotation unit as well - not sure what the exact difference is between the HL and WSN as they look identical, but all of my WSN units sounded awful for some reason. Replacing the speaker would also be a good idea, as I recall its a real cheap and nasty affair.

One thing to be wary of is the gearboxes - they are on the weak side and do need to be treated gently. Spare parts are non-existant, and Heng Long Gearboxes won't fit.

[SimonCornes]

Thanks for that. Yes I have an HL tx. It amazes me that it runs on 9.6v as standard though and only 380 motors - that’s enough to strip the gears!! 7.2v should be more sensible but thanks for making me aware that the gearboxes could be an issue. I’m surprised you can’t use HL - what’s the issue? Output shafts maybe?

[Tiger6]

They are only 280's, they sit back to back, so there isn't enough space for 380's. Plus the tank is very light to begin with.

The drive sprockets are hung out the back on a stub shaft, you'll see this when you get it. Heng Long cheated with their T34 and redesigned the hull to accommodate their standard gearbox (which is probably why it sits too high?). Taigen's gearboxes are closer to being a fit, but that would likely major surgery and I'm not sure how easy they are to get hold of - so best not to break the gears in the first place

They are definitely suited to carpets and short grass only, but I do occasionally battle one of mine that has full option Tamiya electronics installed.

[SimonCornes]

Could I use a Taigen radio with it? I have one in the post at the moment so it might be a better option although I didn’t buy it with this tank in mind. I suppose it really is a case of me waiting to see what it all looks like. I’m not sure how compatible HL or WSN electrics are with Taigen? It use to be the case that in general r/c the likes of hi-tec were compatible with futaba but my knowledge of tank r/c is very limited at the moment- but it will change no doubt sand I don’t mind whielding a soldering iron!

[Tiger6]

Can't help with the specifics of those systems, as I don't use them. These are bespoke 'all in one' black boxes, and not like the hobby grade Futaba etc, where you have separate receivers, speed controllers etc. that you can mix and match. You will likely have to get the correct matching brand transmitter, multifunction unit and cable sets, and then break out the soldering iron and wire strippers. Forgebear have all of the cables you will likely need, so no problems there.

I can remember back in the day there was a little quirk around the wiring of the turret vs the old Heng Long RX-13/14/18 systems - but as I said, I know nothing about Taigen and Heng Long's latest systems and the website that had the how-to for the older systems is long gone. If anything hooking up the Tamiya system was easier because there are no shared grounds on any of the motors

[SimonCornes]

Thank you for letting me know and pointing me towards forge bear. It’s going to be as long week waiting for this box of tricks to arrive!!

[silversurfer1947]

I have one of these. I replaced the electrics with a basic tk20 Clark board. My main comment is that with that board and 7.2v batteries, as opposed to the 9.6v it came with, it is very slow

[tankme]

I had a WSN and sold it when the HL and Taigen versions came out. Personally I think it would be cheaper and a hell of a lot easier to just buy a HL or Taigen.

[SimonCornes]

I have one of these. I replaced the electrics with a basic tk20 Clark board. My main comment is that with that board and 7.2v batteries, as opposed to the 9.6v it came with, it is very slow

Ah ha! And where do you get these Clark boards from (I'm new to r/c tanks)? Are they available in the UK? I hope so!! Mind you I wonder how well it would work with a straight swap to the Heng Long system? I have a transmitter so would just need the V6.0 receiver.

I know that the T34 was a pretty fast tank but I don't actually know how fast. I was watching a bit of video on You Tube last night of one being operated in a back garden and the thing seemed to move at a terrific pace and steering was very jerky. (I've just Googled speeds - 33mph and, interestingly, on a road, a Tiger 1 could do 28 mph (16 mph cross country) so not that much difference on a good surface. I've also just looked at a You Tube video of a real T34 moving and, yes, it certainly can shift but the film I saw of the model was probably too fast).
It's a relative thing of course. I can put a couple of dummy cells into the AA battery holder to see for myself how slow it is but maybe top speed is not so critical? But I caveat that by saying that I may well agree with you and leave it at 9.6! Does the BEC on the Clarke board accept a 9.6v input I wonder?
I suppose that because its only powered by 280 motors, the poor things are going at a fair rate - with a corresponding gear ratio to allow high revs - and a greater risk of chewing up gears? I would have though that there was a fair amount of space inside the hull to fit a 'C' cell battery pack? But of course then the weight goes up and the corresponding load on the gears!

All good fun!