Current peripherals for TCB

[Ozzietx]

Hello,

I am new to Openpanzer and 1/16 RC tanks. I think I would like to build a model using
Openpanzer TCB. I have sent LukeZ a message at OP, but have not heard back.

I am not sure I completely understand how the TCB works, but I think i do.

To have motor drive I would need separate ESCs or a Scout.
I would like the Scout, but cant seem to find them assembled for sale.
I'm pretty good at soldering, but not so good with the small SMT components.
Does someone actually sell the Scout boards?
I would also like quality sound. Is there a current sound board that integrates with the TCB.

I would appreciate any help.

Thank you.

[Kaczor]

In my case I used cheap Chinese ESCs and they worked very well. For sound I used the original Benedini V2 board but it seems its clones (Dasmikro) work too.

[tankme]

Assembled Scout does not exist. No one has ever produced it as a completed ESC as far as I am aware. You would have to order the blank board, order all the components, and solder all the components onto it yourself. I've used HobbyKing ESCs and they worked well for most applications. I tried a large Vantec RDFR-38 and it didn't play well with the TCB so I ran it directly off the RX bypassing the TCB outputs.

The TCB sound card is also something that was never produced. Now that Benedini is shutdown, the Dasmikro might be one of the last options besides the Arduino based ESP32. I've never used either of those with the TCB so I can't help with which is better. I may be buying a Dasmikro to add to my TCBs, but that's not a pressing project for me at the moment.

[Sub]

Hi.
I use Mtroniks micro 10 amp speedos and you can also use the Taigen sound boards by modifying the pin slightly in the plug. A good quality speaker is also a must.
Its all in the Wiki which if you have not read fully yet i recommend you do so several times to let it all become clear as there is a very large amount of info there that you need to understand, Luke will reply it just sometimes take a few days. Have you joined the Open Panzer forum as there is loads of info there too.
Once mastered it is one of the best control boards ever in my opinion and you can adjust just about every setting to your liking.
Hope its of use.
Sub.

[LukeZ]

Hi Ozzie, sorry for the slow response, but the other guys have giving you good replies. As they said, the Scout was never produced, and I don't recommend someone trying to assemble one unless they want to learn reflow soldering and like to spend a lot more money than all the other alternatives. There was really no need for the Scout, there are hundreds of other options, but it was just something I enjoyed designing.

The closest equivalent to it is the Dimension Engineering Sabertooth 2x5, and if you don't mind the price (~$60), in my opinion it's one of the nicest solutions in terms of small size and simplified wiring. But of course you can use any standard hobby ESC (but you need two of them).

Unfortunately the OP Sound Card was also never produced, and it's not even an option anymore to build your own, because the processor it uses (Teensy 3.2) bit the dust during the Covid years and isn't coming back. Benedini is out of business but clones are still abundant, and I assume they work as well as the original. The Benedini has its own program you have to get used to, but there are instructions in the Wiki, and the sound quality is very good (if you have good sound files). Back when Benedini was in business, if you bought the board from them, you were given access to a whole library of sound sets, but I don't know where you could find those nowadays.

The easiest option is as Sub mentioned the Taigen sound cards. They're very basic but also very cheap.

[Jib]

Was looking for sound sets, went to Benedini’s website, tried to access downloads and got asked for a user/pass. Is his library completely inaccessible now?

[tankme]

He's always had a password on his sound sets as far as I know.

[LukeZ]

Yeah, his sound files have always been protected, and without the sounds files, I've often wondered what the utility of the DasMikro clone is. Of course you can create your own sound sets, if you have the ability, but that is a lot of work.

I would not be surprised if someone has pirated Benedini's sounds and posted them somewhere on the internet, but I have never gone looking for them.

Also - on another topic, earlier in this thread I mentioned to you the Dimension Engineering Sabertooth controllers. See the comment in your other thread, but having learned that you are running at 40 volts those are not going to work after all.

[Jib]

I have access to the sound files from the Elmod sound library. I’m hoping I can use those to create a custom library for the DasMikro.

Are there any plans of coming up with your own sound module in the future? The Torro one is okay for WWII, but there’s a lot of non WWII tanks coming out lately.

I have an idea of what I’m going to use for the drive ESC, but I need to test the amp l usage of the current motor setup and I want to have the TCB in hand so I can look at the connectors before I move forward with that.

[LukeZ]

No, I'm afraid I don't have any plans to make another sound card.