locating electronics

[Martin Taylor]

I would welcome any sugggestions as to the optimum configuration for fitting the electronics modules etc. I have the full set of options ie. motion/smoke/sound/recoil and, after successful bench testing, am pondering how best to fit it all + speakers/ smoke box etc into the limited space whilst ensuring appropriate access to the variable controls etc. One obvious solution would be to "stack" two of the modules but my limited knowledge of electronics/radfio control leaves me wondering if this would cause interference etc???

The batteries are fitted either side of the forward bulkhead as suggested in the build manual.

All thoughts gratefully received!
Martin

[Stephen White]

Martin

There is a whole range of permutations, more or less handy to maintain. It's important you can get to the power module and its fuze, battery condition indication and on/off switch. For that reason, I prefer to mount it horizontally (ie sitting on its base) on ally brackets right at the back end, using the engine covers for access.

For the other modules, I prefer to drill and tap the sides of the hull on the inside and put some M3 studs in. That allows you to mount them vertically on the sides with good access to the plugs and wiring on the top. It allows the batteries and speakers to sit in the middle of the hull unimpeded. It also minimises the chances of any clashes with the turret loom and mechanisms.

I think there's a photo or two of this layout in my Pz III thread.

Hope that makes sense.

Stephen

[Martin Taylor]

Stepehen,
That's really helpful, particularly the vertical mounting for some of the modules. Mark's Centurion design makes provision for mounting the power module on a shelf over the motors which is a good starting point. Your Pz111 pics certainly show a very compact layout.
Thanks
Martin

[chris fry]

hello martin,
have included some pictures of a tiger 1 electronics layout that I have done, I know its the opposite way around to the centurion but you get the idea, I liked to use Velcro to mount the boxes to the floor/panier sides, this enables you to move the boxes around and easily to remove them for wiring or maintenance etc. I have always liked the idea about cushioning the boxes from there mounting points and Velcro gives you this, just takes some of the shock treatment out when running over rough terrain. also the batteries I mount on double sided foam tape, stops them moving around and again cushions them from the metal tray.
hope this helps you,
regards, Chris.

[Martin Taylor]

Thanks Chris,
Seeing such an orderly configuration of the wiring loom and modules is something to aim for! I used the Velcro strips in my KingTiger but there was quite a lot more room in the hull hence my seeking to pick Forum brains for neat solutions to the sort of challenges the Centurion offers. I can now give your pics some close attention and please accept that any imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
Martin