MG-A1 Quadtrax Tank Retrofit

Base quadtrax model in tan
Base quadtrax model in red

While roaming on FB Marketplace, as I often do, I came upon two of these RC tanks that caught my attention. Having never seen anything like these and at only $20 for the pair, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to pick these up.

I couldn’t find any documentation apart from this manual (archived) but there were a few blog posts and YouTube videos of the tanks in action.

Some of my planned modifications for this tank include:

  • Swapping the 9.6V 700mAh NiCd battery for a 3S LiPo battery
  • Upgrading the RS380 motors to RS395 motors which should measurably improve the overall tank’s power
  • Adding magnetic encoders to the motors for positional feedback. See the magnetic encoders I’ll be using here.
  • Establish odometry without relying on dead reckoning, tanks are prone to slippage which destroys the accuracy of deadreckoning. Currently considering IMU, GPS, visual odometry.
  • Attach my lidar to the tank