Mr Wilkins Centurion

[John Clarke]

I purchased Mr Wilkins Centurion a few years back. It was an opportunity to get my hands on one of the finest Model kits Armortek has built.
(I'm biased).
David built an excellent model and I have not had to do anything to it. The odd touch up, added a couple of drivers periscopes and got the coax MG to flash.
I love to admire it and just drive around the garden where it's busily looking good, which it does magnificently.

Just one thing annoys me. The turret transverse not being able to spin the turret as many times as I wish. (Almost like a bog standard Heng Long 1/16 plaggy tank) .

I suppose like all Armortek turrets, it has the same problem, until Chieftain arrived and it's 8 wired slip ring.
I don't want helicopter, but I don't want to have to keep remembering where the turret should be, without twisting the turret wiring into some sort of rope shaped mess, worse, damaging the turret wiring.

So I thought 12 wire slip ring, what could go wrong! First there's 15 wires in the turret But 4 commons, so I thought. Nope.
Every wire is a separate circuit. Bugger

So a 16 wire slip ring is on its way from the USA. Three actually, Centurion, Chieftain and spare.
It's also an opportunity to fit quick release plugs allowing turret removal. I hate resting the turret on the hull where the wiring is restraining any movement.

This is also a dry run for the Chieftain. I want multiple channels in the turret including recoil, flash, stabilization and lighting, this all controlled by a second receiver in the turret (Taranis x9d) so this is a chance to see what the reliability will be like

Brought a couple of new batteries to put into the Cent. The old ones have a few years on them, still good, charging them every three months.
They'll come in handy for Chieftain setup and sizing.

So when the slip ring arrives I'll slip a new set of batteries in too.

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[davidwilkins]

Hi John,

Nice to hear that that my old Centurion is working well and keeping you entertained in your garden. I have to say that I am not sure that I made the right decision to let her go, I really miss seeing her as it's the first thing I would see when entering my workshop although if she was still in my workshop she would be behind a 3 metre long modell of the battleship USS Missouri under construction.

If my memory is correct and the turret roof is removed and one of the cap screws is removed holding the cables in place then this would allow access to carefully pull up the big 8 pin plug connector to separate it. The main gun flash module is fixed into the back of the turret and all connection can quickly be disconnected, then the turret can be lifted straight off in one go.

Not sure if you have had the hull roof off before but once the turret is off there are a couple of cap head screws to remove and you may have to remove the row of bolts the back of the deck but that should become apparent when you try to lift the hull roof, my memory is not what it used to be that's the price of getting old.

The slip ring sounds like a good modification not that i understanding how it would work but just knowing that the wires won't all tangled up is a big step forward. Hope this modification goes well for you.

For me now it's back to workshop and fitting over 2000 tiny little rivets to the turret roof of the mighty Mo.

Regards David

[Adrian Harris]

I will be interested to see how the slip ring install goes.

It's not something I've ever considered as it's very unusual for me to have the turret turned past the 3 and 9 o'clock positions.

Adrian.

[John Clarke]

Hi David and Adrian

Good to hear from you David, nice to know you still going at the Iowa class monster your building. I'll looking forward to seeing that one in the water some time.
I'd also like to see some more of the Tiger 131 too if the riveting is not riveting enough.

The Cent is a fine piece of work and is definitely happy in it's new surrounding's .

The slip ring mod will just update the Centurion model, the silver box controllers do have a lot of wiring on the standard setup, but should be pretty easy with the right parts. I'd also like a basket and mantle canvas. my needle point's not what was but I have brought the tubing for the basket. So I'm hoping to look at that 202......
If all goes well it will indicate the mods and upgrades to Chieftain's turret might go well too.

[John Clarke]

The slip rings arrived from the USA the other day. They were pretty much as expected, they are obviously designed for communications which is a good thing hopefully from the reliability view point.
So lets give it a whirl.
What drew me towards this slip ring was that it had three reasonably high current carrying wires. (Wished it had been more) This was because I was going to have to drive the elevation motor though the slip ring, the rest of the wiring is fine, maybe 0.25mm ish to say the leased but except for the recoil servo, the rest of the wiring only has to deal with LED's. so no constant high current carrying stuff.
At the same time I would change the main 12v 22amp batteries with fresh ones. Little did I know different manufacture's batteries maybe slightly bigger.
Anyway I had to modify David beautifully made Battery support frame and 2 hours later all done and the new batteries fit snug as a bug.

Slip ring time, made a bracket to sit reasonably central in the turret. Slotted it so said slip ring can be removed without removing bracket. its a close run thing between elevation motor and recoil servo but clearance is good.
Removed wire screened core on the wiring loom and replaced with standard flex, should be noted some of the wire cores have been connected to telephone type solid cores. I haven't changed these as nothing moves out side the slip ring so why mess with them.
I've put connector plugs and sockets (colour coded) at both ends so the slip ring can be removed from ether end (hull or turret) if required.

I'm trying to keep the wiring away from the turret gear because you should always beware of the turret monster

It all tests out ok, and I'll be giving it a run round the garden for a good shake down soon and let you know the results.

Slip ring delivery

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Access older batteries and removal

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Modify battery support frame.

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New batteries snug and fitted.

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Slip ring support bracket made from scrap

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Slip ring and loom fitted, this picture showing the sleeved "spinney" loom in the hull where fixed part is in the turret.

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And the wiring loom and colour coded plugs and sockets tied away from the turret gear monster.

[John Clarke]

This picture shows the slip ring in position taken from the bustle, showing how close it is to the elevation and recoil equipment. All the wiring has been tied up and spare wires insulated
Charging up the battery to give the whole thing a spin tomorrow.
Hopefully.

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[John Clarke]

The testing went well in the garden and all systems are go.

I don't know if Armortek offer a slip ring set up for all their newer models, Chieftain was supplied with a 8 wire slip ring (7 wires used, one spare) that allows the basic, main gun elevation and depression, recoil and flash. (Fewer wires on the slip ring are required due to the way the red boxes are setup).

Silver boxes will require a minimum of 13 wires for the basic setup as on Centurion from what I could make out.
Two more wires were used for the Coax MG


I certainly think it's a worth while mod for three reasons.
First, obviously realism, most turreted tanks can do 360' turret spins.
Second you don't have to remember which way you turned the turret and how far (could damage fixed wiring)
and third I can now happily allow another person to handle the tank without the risk of the second reason.

[John Clarke]

I thought once I got a bit of time, I'd try do my very first Youtube clip regarding the slip ring mod on Centurion.

So here goes, "I'm ready for my close up Mr deMille!"
(If that's lost on you, check out the wonderful black comedy film "Sunset Boulevard")


I was a certainly a tad heavy on the zoom,, maybe.

[Phil Woollard]

She looks great JC, you will be making porn films in no time! Get some environment on that paintwork.

[Charles A Stewart]

Good one John.

Like the mods too. It is good to see other peoples efforts on film, shows the model off to those who can't always get to shows to see them.

a quick run round on our track and you will have a nice dust filter; then the mud Maybe not

Cheers Charles

[John Clarke]

It is Tank Porn Phil! Everything else is just wasted energy.

I like to see slightly dusty vehicles which will polish up for first parade. (Sah! Sergeant Major).
One wouldn't want to be on report for not looking after one's equipment would we?

So the visit to Charles dusty track sounds very enticing.

I like this beauty below, note the Chieftain following, is some what louder.

[John Clarke]

Had bit of windy day yesterday, but the sun was out, so I thought I'd take the Cent out and practice a few camera shots.
Nice to try the Cent in the field and a Comet joined in too.

[Charles A Stewart]

Hi John.
lovely to see, it won' be too long before 1/6 tanks take over YouTube. Presume you were running somewhere public, you could bill them for grass cutting

Charles

[Helderluiss]

I really enjoyed the video, enjoyed every minute of it.

[John Clarke]

Thanks guys, I've always thought l'd like do some filming of these wonderful models out and about moving around with ease.
On location at the local model boat club trying not to rough up the ground too much.
I would like to get the Quad, limber and 25 pounder out soon.