Lack of Irish Repair Facility When Radio Control Models Breakdown

gugleguy

Some time ago, I bought a 1/48 scale Hobbymaster Tank from a shop in Dublin city center. I modified the Tank itself to take a 6V Camera Battery , universal code number 2CR5. 7 months later through ware and tear of removing and replacing the battery the battery load wires became loose and came of of the circuitboard.
I returned the Tank to the shop where it was bought, and the man wrote a note on notepaper that the battery loads needed replacement. This note was then wrapped onto the Tank with an elastic band. Fine. I took the chit to present when I would return some weeks later than I anticipated due to being stranded in another European Country due to Volcanic Ash Cloud.

I returned to the shop. Tank not repaired. Not possible apparently. mmm. Ok. I went home with the unrepaired item.

Fast forward to the snowy week right now. Spotted the same unhappy tank sitting in my bedroom. I decided as a last gasp measure before consigning the thing to he WEEE facility that I would try a "Bailey Wire and Sticky Tape" Solution or, more accurately, a solution involving Post Office Type Tape to secure the battery wires back on to the circuit board. I had 1 remaining 6V battery to try with the Tank, removed it from its wrapping and hooked it up with some more post office tape to the wires.
Completed my job. Switched on Tank. Switched on Radio Control Unit.
Pressed Down foward levers on Radio Control Unit - The Tank motors powered the tracks into life.

Why is it that when anything goes wrong with an Irishmans Radio control toy that it's still "Paddle your own canoe" as regards repair?
The fault with the thing was not rocket science.
No, I cannot do soldering where I live ( typical of 38year old office worker)

mugenextreme

Can i ask was it a wire for the tank or a wire for the Camera you mounted on the tank that was broken?

T-Maxx

I'd say due to the minuscule quantities being sold, together with the (relatively) low value thereof, any kind of service or maintenance contract simply doesn't make any economic sense.

gugleguy

@ MugenExtreme: battery wires going into tank circuit board. Camera not part of equation.

@ Max: Yup.

gugleguy

Update regarding the 6V 2CR5 battery I used to power the Tank. Can't seem to come across it in the shops big or small. There is another 6V battery 2CRV3 which does not work for this sort of thing.

coolwings

Hi gugleguy
What you are describing is one of the differences between a hobby shop and a toy shop.
Model shops blur the line by being somewhere inbetween.
The hobbyist has access to soldering irons and the tools needed to make repairs to products, but the toy shop simply dumps it and sells a new product.
Some hobby shops will solder customers stuff if it was bought off them, as a service. Some don't, but instead offer to teach the customer to solder for themselves.
If you see yourself as a hobbyist at heart I strongly recommend you get a soldering set and practise away, or ask your local hobbyshop guy to show you (much quicker to get good results). It is very liberating to be able to make metal to metal joins whenever required.
Anyway, glad to hear you got it sorted out.

gugleguy wrote: »

Update regarding the 6V 2CR5 battery I used to power the Tank. Can't seem to come across it in the shops big or small. There is another 6V battery 2CRV3 which does not work for this sort of thing.

Lithium batteries is a very expensive way. Can't you use 4 x AA batteries in a little battery box, that's also 6 Volts. RC shops also sell heavy duty receiver batteries which are 4 x or 5 x sub-c nimh batteries and provide either 4.8 V or 6V.

Bruthal

Yea anyone that is a hobbyist in radio control stuff will do their own repairs as models tend to need some maintainence anyway, and since electric powered flight has become popular and efficient (and converting electric tractors to rc:)) i seem to be non stop soldering now.

The battery thing you would be better with coolwings suggestion for sure. A 4 AA or C battery holder and use normal AA or C batteries or 4 nimh rechargeable ones and a charger. When you have a battery lead straight onto a circuit board you should see can you tie it to something with a cable tie so the constant movement is not stressing the solder joints. Again soldering extensions to the battery lead into the tank would help with that as the extra length would make it easier to tie them to something.

gugleguy

Ok, thanks for replies interesting or otherwise everybody!
More than enough info has plopped down upon me head ( like a goon wrapped up in the duvet in the TV ad )
Actually, I bought 2 sets of 3 1.2V rechargeable AAA batteries in a budgetshop for 2 euro each or total 4 euro in Swan Centre Rathmines. I thought that was good.
I don't bother with battery holders mind you. I use with velcro which has one side sticky to hold the batteries together. This configuration was used previously in a radio control boat.

gugleguy

I replaced the post office tape with cyanacrolate (superglue) and the wires are now firmly stuck in place on the circuitboard. Bit risky, in the past I've been in a situation using superglue and the wires ended up not making contact with the connection. But I was lucky again.
Also, I found a source for 2cr5 batteries. In other news The weather today Tuesday December has closed in with incessant rain in Dublin.