RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Received a lot of good help from the forum so I thought I put back in by posting a running commentary on mods/upgrades I plan for my non smoke & sound KV-1.

The starting platform is a KV-1 non smoke & sound with metal tracks, drive, idle wheels & gearbox. I bought it off eBay as an ex-display which meant the turret hatch which hides the firing switch had come off, everything else worked.

Having S&S on my other two tanks I missed it on this one, a quick look inside and looks like easy transplant as all the switch, volume holes where there plus studs to fix speaker, and other bits.

So my list to do is –

* Transfer RX18 and other bits into the tank.
* Fix hatch door.
* Install metal exhaust outlets and rig smoke unit to these.
* Install tail light.
* Install LED machine gun.
* Install cooling fan to RX18 board.
* Modify smoke unit so is speed proportional.
* Modify gearbox so is low ratio.
* Possibly install second battery for more power and extra weight.
* Possibly move switches and stuff from bottom of tank to an easy to get to hatch on the top of the tank.

So some of them are straight forward where as some more involved.

Hopefully should start them soon so will posts pictures when I do.

Good man Tankbear ! - If you are going for gearboxes , the new HL brass 3 to 1's are good . ( the long shaft ones )

. . . I'd better get my finger out on mine now , show you how NOT to do it

Was in luck parts I order arrived today. Thanks Steve @ Welsh Dragon Models for first class service.

Job 1 - Change electronics.

Again thanks to Blimp for the RX18 and bits.


Old electronics.


Old Electronics removed.


Stuff to go in.


Speaker & volume control in.


Other board for the crystal.


Temp measure of electrical connection blocks until I get another soldering iron at weekend, as my current one is useless.


Smoke unit squeezed in.


Smoke unit switch linked.

All plugged in and tested.

Next job tail light. Again here as no soldering iron just tried it with a few croc clips.





Simply connected it to the headlight.

Next job metal exhaust.



With a bit of wiggling the plastic ones came out, had to drill holes out a bit to allow new ones to fit.


Pushed into the body.

Although when fitted one of them fouled the motor.

Added bluetack so could see where abouts.

Looks like I need to move the motor, which will mean the smoke unit will need to move also.

I'll keep you posted.

blimp wrote:Good man Tankbear ! - If you are going for gearboxes , the new HL brass 3 to 1's are good . ( the long shaft ones )

. . . I'd better get my finger out on mine now , show you how NOT to do it

DAVAY, TOVARICH !

Where sells them as the HL ones i've seen are steel. Only seen brass Mato or Asiatam ones.

Forgebear has some by the look of it , check with Dave , he'll tell you if they are suitable or Steve at WD . like these ;-

• http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Heng-Long-1-16-Sc ... 588ea331a2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Them electronics look easy to fit, are then? Thinking of fitting them into the Panther.

That's nasty Tankbear I think the problem is that the working exhausts were designed for the Tamiya KV , not HL .

• I just checked my two set ups , 1. Asiatam gears may be the same or worse because the top motor is centrally located i have the metal hull etc . ( it comes with a twin pipe set up for a smoker , if i do ever fit one it'll be an upgraded type ) and it doesn't have the bulkhead like the HL , so a measurement is tricky - but I'll take the moulded exhausts out later and check for you .

2 . Here are my HL 'boxes , fitted into my old HL hull , the gap between the bulkhead and motor is 5-6mm , would that be enough ?

• 

Panther_John wrote:Them electronics look easy to fit, are then? Thinking of fitting them into the Panther.

Yes quite straight forward, most of it is plug-in arrangement. Only cables I had to cut and join are the motors and power, plus the smoke switch. Plus all the slots for switchs and volume etc already in the hull so just had to find a load of small screws to fix them in.

Welsh Dragon Models sell the RX18 & leads kit for £20, plus you need speaker and smoker.