BATTERIES

[hunterkiller]

How many other members have the same problem as me with the fitting of the main batteries on Heng Long tanks.They fit ok,but when you connect the lead,it becomes difficult to close the compartment door.You end up bending and twisting the leads,with the obvious danger of damage and breakage.Any remedies members?

[Ex_Pat_Tanker]

I gouge out a slot in one end of the compartment with the dremel - crude but effective

[fv432]

swap the tamiya style connectors with Deans ones and lengthen the cable a bit?

the drastic method is remove battery tray and fit them inside 

[wibblywobbly]

There is a knot in the power cable inside the tank that restricts how much free cable extends into the battery compartment. Try loosening it and moving it back a bit to allow more free play. I have no idea why HL make it such a tight fit when they don't need to, I appreciate that it is there to stop idle hands pulling the wires off the board, but its not needed at all if you are careful with removing and replacing the battery.

Rob G

[Steenv]

I did do the rude thing, removing the bloody battery compartment and put everything inside, sealing the bottom with a 1mm steel plate from the outside. All switches also moved for easier access without having to turn the tank around to switching it on/off.

Takes some time, but it is worth it.

cheers
Steen

[Mackem]

The battery changing/charging thing is a real pain. Most of us here wire in an extra charging plug and secure it under a hatch or some other concealed opening so we can charge up by just plugging it in.
Have a look at Rob's ( FV432 ) New Zealand bulldog build under the 'HL Builds' section, or my HE Leopard conversion in the 'Other Builds' section for examples.

Hope this helps
John

[mikeh]

I second the motion to re-tie the knot in the wires and change the plug out.

An online charging jack is neat and effective, but I'm more into swapping out the battery with a fresh one when it is drained.

The other benefit of changing the plug is that the Tamiya connector is sooooo out of date. It is not a good conductor, due to the very small surface of the connection, and it can heat up and melt from the resistance.

As an R/C enthisiest for many years, the first thing I ever did was change the plug out. I used Deans plugs for many years, but now prefer Anderson power pole plugs for their ease of soldering and better function.