Confedr8

Wozwasnt

You need to know what electronics are inside as there are several different types.-

The very old Non Smoke & Sound which had a 3 channel controller.
The original Smoke and Sound came with 12 different crystals setups.
Then there are the digital ones, of which the are a few different types (HL have just released V6.1)

Crius

The answer to your first question is no, not just any controller will work. Like Woz said, the first thing you have to do is determine what system you're working with. Did it have a metal antenna attached? Can you show us photos of the bottom of the tank and the inside of the battery box? What we'll be looking for there is a crystal. If it has a crystal it's the old FM 127 megahertz system. If it doesn't have a crystal, you'll have to open the tank to determine what board it has. It could be an old rx14, or an RX 18, or even one of the newer systems with 2.4 gigahertz. So can you get us some photos of the bottom of the tank in the inside of the battery box? If that doesn't answer the questions you'll have to open the tank. If you end up having to replace the control board all kinds of options will open up to you. And all the aftermarket boards will work on any quality TX/RX.

Confedr8

So there is a spot for an antenna, however the wire whip antenna itself is missing (the connector is still in the tank's hull between the two faux tow cables). And I am currently unable to post the photos (directly from my photo album), because I need "10 posts in order to post URLs"... My receiver is the "Multi Function Unit", with connector points from CN1 to CN11. The only points that do not have any connections are points CN10, CN3, and CN2. There is a crystal in the bottom of the battery box labeled "RX FM 27.095 03".

Crius

Sounds like an RX 18. I do just happen to have a couple of controllers for that board, where are you located? But your best bet would be to put a decent board in it and run it on a hobby grade transmitter.

Confedr8

I'm in Pittsboro, NC. Do you have any suggestions regarding boards (and mainly what to look for)? Sorry if it's a stupid question, again, this is my first time dealing with anything like this.

Crius

I've always preferred the IBU series but a lot of guys like the Clark boards and then there's El mod which is a great board but very expensive. It all depends on what you want to do with the tank. If you're just going to Tool around the yard and Blaze BB's at the squirrels I would say get a V3 electronic package from imex. It's about the cheapest way to go and still get decent control, but you won't be able to use it as a battle tank. Of course, you'll have a lot of alterations to make if you want to battle that and turn it into an IR tank. For that I would think your best bet would be to look around for an IR turret and then just swap the whole turret.

And the only stupid question is the one that goes unasked.

Crius

And if you really want to get away cheap I just happen to have some of the V1 Electronics packages, complete with anti track recoil and I could let you have one of those systems for pretty cheap, like 40 bucks plus shipping. That would come with the board and the transmitter, but it's somewhat old technology so you will get really good driving control but you don't have proportional turret rotation, it's just stop and go but that was the stock setup for years.

Confedr8

Crius

The mushroom, or Apple, is the receiver that detects IR signal shot at you from other tanks. You will shoot your IR signal through an emitter that is mounted usually in the mantlet. Right now on your Airsoft tank that spot probably has a red light that comes on when the airsoft motor is turning. If you plan to build a true IR battle tank you should go with one of the better quality aftermarket boards, like the IBU or the Clark. How are your soldering skills? Modeling skills? There's not much space inside a Panzer 3 and it can get rather frustrating sometimes. If you convert the airsoft turret you'll probably have to scratch build a barrel recoil. You can get the flash unit from IMEX and that's not difficult to install but you also have to install the base for the Apple and the IR emitter in a tube with the face of the emitter being at least 9 mm deep in the tube. And that's just scratching the surface. If you want to get really serious about IR battling, your best bet might be to buy and build a decent Tamiya tank. The tiger one is still a great model, has plenty of space, and besides the tank and radio all you need is the Apple, about an extra $100, and you're ready to go to war. Otherwise, my best advice would be to start watching videos. Search YouTube for RC tank builds.

Awenzel1979

If you'd like to unload that before you move I'm in Raleigh

personally I'd go with a Clark board and Flysky transmitter