Amateur Build. HAYA Centurion KIT

[zooma]

After checking everything (several times) I eventually plucked up enough courage to connect the battery and switch the tank ON for the first time.

No smoke or burning smells were detected, so my worst fears came to nought and I was able to relax a little...but apart from both headlamps giving a brief "flash" as the thank was switched on - all was silent!

I moved the left hand stick unit left and right and the turret turned around - and when I moved this same stick unit up and down the main gun moved up and down. All good so far!

The two different machine gun sounds were found and they sounded good (not sure why there are two different machine gun sounds when there is only one red flashing LED bulb) - and I noticed that neither of them caused the red machine gun LED (mounted in the mantlet) to flash at all.

This was a worry as I had taken care to ensure that the long leg of the LED (+ positive) was soldered to the red (+ positive) wire and I had also checked its function by connecting it to a 3V battery - and it lit up OK - so I know the bulb was working.

The main gun switch was found next and it made an impressive firing sound - and the gun flash LED in the barrel worked too so everything was OK with the main gun function........but I did notice that the small LED in the barrel was quite a long way down inside the barrel as the wire it was mounted on was too short. By comparison, the LED on my RTR Centurion hangs out the end of the barrel - so that one is probably just a bit too long. Both will need adjusting eventually.

I found the combination of switches to activate the Rolls Royce engine sound and it worked OK - but it was not very loud! This seemed a little strange as the main gun sounds (both of them!) and the main gun sounds were plenty loud enough!

The volume control was turned to "max" and it made very little difference - the engine sound is too quiet. The main reason for buying a Clark board was to hear the authentic Rolls Royce engine sound. NOT impressed!

The engine sound can be made to rev more (or less) without the tank moving until the drive is engaged with the gearbox. Very nice - but still far too quiet!

After using the correct combination of switches I was able to engage the drive and see the drive sprockets turning (I had removed the tracks when I had to remove the gearboxes to re-solder the wires onto them). This was the first time I had seen the non-standard blue motors turning under control of the radio system so I was pleased that they were working OK.

Moving the right hand stick in different directions shows the appropriate response on the drive sprockets so I was able to engage forwards, reverse, and "turn" in either direction..

I followed the prescribed sequence for switching on and off the two headlights - but nothing happened, and despite not giving in too easily (tried switching them on and off lots of times) - they simply did not work!

Again these two headlamp bulbs were tested (before and after soldering them together( to make sure they had been wired with the correct polarity ) and tested on a 3V battery to confirm they were working.

When I finally gave up and switched the tank off - these two (non working!) headlamp bulbs briefly flashed on again - proving that they did work - but not when I wanted them to!

Intrigued by this, I switched the tank on and off a few more times - and the two main headlamp bulbs flashed every time!

[zooma]

I have some problems with the Clark board that I need some help with as I am not sure how to fix them.

1/. The two main headlamps will not switch on or off. The bulbs are wired with the correct polarity and have been tested to show that they are both working. They also briefly flash on and off when the tank is switched on (or off) so I know they are both working and wired correctly. They are also plugged into the correct socket on the Clark board (same socket as used on my RTR HAYA Centurion that has the same Clark board fitted).

2/. The red machine gun LED does not flash when either of the two (!) machine gun sounds are activated. Again, the bulb has been wired with the correct polarity and has been tested on a 3V battery when it lit up OK. The bulb is connected to the correct socket on the Clark board (same socket as used for this function on the RTR HAYA Centurion).

3/. Engine sound. It needs to be a LOT louder. I don't want to cause any noise pollution (I don't even like it when fellow tankers turn up at the club with very noisy tanks that make it impossible to hear anyone talking) so when I say it needs to be a LOT louder, I only want to be able to hear the engine sound clearly. My Heng Long and Tamiya tanks are much louder - so this sound level is poor and needs improving.

[Ludwig von wigbearer]

Is this the only fitted working clark board that you have.

[Ludwig von wigbearer]

You have a 4 ohm speaker there so thats louder than 8 ohm, I assume its a tk50, try a different volume pot.

[zooma]

Is this the only fitted working clark board that you have.

I have one in my HAYA RTR Centurion and my HAYA RTR Chieftain.

This is the first Clark board that I have installed myself.

The board came to me as "set up and tested" and was supplied with a suitable LED to give a "flash" in the main gun barrel, ready for me to install in my HAYA Centurion KIT with no BB function.

The main gun flash unit works OK.

All the other functions work OK - except I have no machine gun flash (bulb tested and working) and I am unable to switch the two headlamps on or off - even though they "self-test" themselves every time the tank is switched on or off!

[zooma]

You have a 4 ohm speaker there so thats louder than 8 ohm, I assume its a tk50, try a different volume pot.

Thanks I will try that.

Do you have a link to any suitable "volume pot" that may be able to improve the sound level?

Sorry to ask for a link - but I admit to "not having a clue" when it comes to electronics so I wouldn't know what to look for.

Bob.

[Ludwig von wigbearer]

If both boards are the same and one seems louder swap the volume pots over and see what happens, I will see what i can find regarding a link

[zooma]

If both boards are the same and one seems louder swap the volume pots over and see what happens, I will see what i can find regarding a link

To be fair, I am not too impressed with the volume on any of the Clark boards that I have in my HAYA tanks.

I don't want "ear splitting" sound levels, but if they could be made to be anything like as loud as my Tamiya Leopard 2A6 tanks I would be more than happy.

.......I don't run my Tamiya Leopard 2A6 tanks at full volume - they are more than loud enough for me at not much more than half volume .

Bob.

[Ludwig von wigbearer]

10k volume pot

s-l400.jpg (29.37 KiB) Viewed 441 times

[zooma]

10k volume pots-l400.jpg

...keen to try - where do I buy....?