RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

In this world of extreme global change, and cultural minefields, it's getting hard on the path though Life, in the world, to find the old waypoints and a trusty compass (or even solid foundations ). Well, fear not, as old Forgebear is as rock-solid reliable as anything you care to put your trust in! Overdoing the metaphors a bit (and no, Friday's my only day for a slurp ), he's like an anchor when your engine's packed in... and your boat's heading for the rocks. What's more, he does include some tasty dentine-killers with those well-packaged (and promptly delivered) life-saving tank and upgrade consignments.
I've just received a Panther chassis, and metal wheels (more of that on another thread- sometime), and this very interesting TK-6.1S MFU kit.
The kit includes the wiring diagram, all the leads necessary for installation (upgrade, really), the Transmitter, and the MFU itself. All at a reasonable price. Thus:


I would have pasted in a pic of the Haribos, but I've scoffed 'em already.
and the wiring bundle:

There's: a power switch, an LED to JST connector, bullet connectors for the motors, and more besides. Take a peek. Of course, you have to be reasonably proficient with your soldering iron to effect the upgrade, but it's a flying start to have a wiring-loom set included.
Here's the wiring diag. It's almost certainly been posted before, but there's no harm in posting it again:


Anyway, the Challenger upgrade isn't a top priority at present, but as soon as I get around to it, I'll review it here.

I'm thinking of upgrading my old Chally 2 with it. When I do, I'll post the installation pros and cons here.
Andrew Haya also sells his own (commendable) version of the 6.1S as the 'Haya 6.3". But his package comes with his own unique- and fairly attractive (IMO) transmitter- but without the leads. His package is nigh on £90, and so somewhat more expensive than the Forgebear offering.

The big question is, will it support barrel recoil with airsoft and does it have the smoking cannon barrel option?

Max-U52 wrote:The big question is, will it support barrel recoil with airsoft and does it have the smoking cannon barrel option?

Hi, Gary

Unless there's another, say, '6.4s' iteration of the MFU in the pipeline, the Youtube demos of tanks with recoil, smoke, and flash capability must be based on this latest unit.
The smokin' barrel option, is contingent upon using this somewhat bulky non-standard smoker:

It's still not clear whether this setup (as per Haya's Chieftain- which offers recoil, smoke and flash for IR), can also offer smoke and recoil for BBs. Upmarket Heng Long models, using the 6 series MFUs,
currently offer IR and BB capability- but without flash (for IR) and recoil for both. As I understand it, that is.
It might be a pipedream to find a model, or electronic heart, that can offer smoke/recoil and/flash whilst retaining BB and recoil capability. For the present, it looks like an 'either-or' world of tanks.
I'd like recoil, BB and a suitably aromatic smoke- something for the pipedream, in fact.
I must check out those smokin' gun prototype videos again.

I believe you're right, you can't have both muzzle flash and airsoft, but I thought the new abrams had a separate smoker in the turret for the cannon barrel smoke, and had barrel recoil and airsoft. I'm still waiting for someone to do a definitive video. If no one does one soon I might have to buy a KT and make one myself!!

Can't wait to see you install this Roy.

I'm considering a couple myself and want to know the process. I know you'll to a thorough step by step.

Estnische wrote:Can't wait to see you install this Roy.

I'm considering a couple myself and want to know the process. I know you'll to a thorough step by step.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Brett!. It's going to be a while, though, as I have four projects to paint first- including the Tamiya Pz IV, slated to be decked out in Finnish colours.

Max-U52 wrote:I believe you're right, you can't have both muzzle flash and airsoft, but I thought the new abrams had a separate smoker in the turret for the cannon barrel smoke, and had barrel recoil and airsoft. I'm still waiting for someone to do a definitive video. If no one does one soon I might have to buy a KT and make one myself!!

What do you think of this setup, Gary? I don't see a BB being spat out, but it certainly appears able to belch flames

Cool. Does the 6.1 support servo recoil? That's the only way I know of to correct the bass-ackwards HL slow back/fast forward recoil. I'm sure that Tiger One wouldn't shoot BBs, you can see the bulb in the barrel and there's no way around that puppy. The one brief shot of the King Tiger looked good, and the recoil looked much better than the T1. I know another guy that bought a KT 6.1 and if his is like the one in that video I may have to pick one up, then we'll see what's what and get it on video. I'll have to look around for that abrams video and see if it shot BBs and had barrel smoke. And there, I just coined the term for that feature, when smoke comes out the barrel upon firing the main gun it's called "Barrel Smoke". Write that down.

Duh...I wrote earlier "..and here's the wiring diagram...", and then. in a senior moment, promptly forgot to post it. Well, here it is:

If you take a peek, Gary, you'll see that CN 7 is for the cannon recoil servo, whilst CN 10 is for the 'BB launch system' ( or, the BB motor). On that basis, barrel recoil with BB- and smoke too, if the correct smoke equipment is installed, as per Haya's Chieftain- is certainly a possibility. This looks like an ideal opportunity for a Max video. One of these days, I must create a video account with Youtube. Just too many 'musts' at the moment.

After watching the video of the Chieftain's internal array again (pity about the camera shake... ) it only just dawned on me, that the smokin' barrel unit in it differs from the one on sale with Haya.
How? Well, the Chieftain has two smokers: one general 'exhaust' smoke unit, and the other with a special pump, and led, specifically for the barrel feature. If you look at this version of the pump, you'll see that it has three pipe outlets, and not one as is evident on the chieftain:

I'm guessing- for want of more detailed info, that the three outlet unit supplies exhaust and cannon smoke, thereby negating the need for two smoker systems.
Looking again at the video, a small PCB/daughterboard is needed for the barrel smoke and LED upgrade. It's not clear whether this is included in the package from Andrew. Pity.