tkrestonva

Not just you - most bubble lenses are horrible in terms of actually being able to see. I imagine that's part of the reason why you don't see nearly as many Hero costumes as you do Stunt costumes. However, I do seem to remember Troopermaster selling bubble lenses that were flatter at the point directly in front of the eye so there is less distortion.

Calling all 501st Legion stormtroopers! Below is the "official" list of FISD events for Star Wars Celebration coming up this April - if you will be there and are interested in participating in one or more of the events, please indicate your interest along with any questions you may have in this thread: - FISD Detachment Group photo: Saturday (April 15th), 1130am - 1pm ET; Atrium below the 501st Experience Room (W206ABC) - FISD Detachment Meetup & Social: Saturday, (April 15th), 6pm - 8pm ET; Rosen Centre Bar & Lounge - Rogue One "Storming the Beach" beach photo shoot: Sunday (April 16th), 2pm - 4pm ET; Sidney Fischer Park, Cocoa Beach FL If you are on Facebook, please "Like" our official page. I will also be creating Facebook Calendar Events to help track attendance. http://www.facebook.com/WhiteArmor/ In addition, there is now an unofficial (and Closed Group) "501st Legion FISD Social Group" on Facebook to which calendar events have been posted: http://www.facebook.com/groups/169017450268208/ Here is the link to the main 501st Legion schedule of events: http://www.501st.com/celebration/ For those who are interested, the planning thread at Legion is here: https://www.501st.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=187&t=93927

In addition to incoming sounds, consider *outgoing* sounds as well - meaning actually sounding like a stormtrooper with the modulated voice. Many of us already use external devices such a small amplifier/speaker hidden inside the chestplate, and some use small speakers hidden inside the Hovi mic tips (such as the kit that ukswrath sells). But if we are talking about an all-encompassing solution, don't forget to include that. Many of us already wear balaclavas under our helmets such as the Underarmor HeatGear tactical hood, so a ski mask wouldn't be a stretch. The trick is that it needs to be made of a fairly thin material so as not to get caught up in the helmet's internals. For obvious reasons, it also needs to be odor-resistant and easily cleanable. As far as battery life, 4 hours is a good baseline so long as the battery pack can be easily changed out and the original pack recharged. Start with a basic ANH Stunt TK helmet, since the overwhelming majority of 501st stormtroopers are of the ANH Stunt variety. But something inherently modular that can be adapted to different helmets (for example, the TFA stormtrooper) would be ideal. As for a helmet, you can pick up a B-grade ATA helmet kit for cheap (less than $100) and use that as your guinea pig. Also, since I live within reasonable weekend driving distance of you (about 200 miles each way) and have close to 10 years of experience as a stormtrooper under a wide variety of conditions, I'd be willing to serve as a test subject. Love the ideas so far ... following this thread with great interest.

Definitely use a waist belt with garter straps that connect to the thighs. Not only is it screen accurate, it actually works quite well. Also, strapping the thighs directly to the ab plate puts too much stress on the ab plate, and prevents your legs from being able to move independently of the ab armor. You can either make your own rig, or purchase one from a seller here at FISD such as Pencap. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The term "501st approved" is a marketing gimmick. There is NO KIT that will get you automatic 501st approval - not even an RS or TM - if it's not built correctly and properly sized to the wearer. At the other end of the spectrum, I've seen some of the worst kit out there (Rubies Supreme and JediRobe) that in the hands of a skilled builder were not only approved, but in one case taken all the way to Expert Infantry. The better question to ask is if the AM 2.0 501st approvable? Answer - ABSOLUTELY YES. You can go all the way to Centurion with it, and there are a number of people here who have done exactly that - take some time to peruse both the build threads and the EI/Centurion submission threads. Furthermore, it seems to get better with every iteration, the plastic used is thick and tough, and the seller has a good reputation for customer service. And as others have said, out of all the kits out there it's probably the easiest kit to adapt to guys who are north of 6' 200lbs.

Underamour HeatGear (or a similar generic version) will do. The trick is to ensure there is no off-color stitching or logos visible while you are wearing it, or that they are hidden by the armor.

It's the same armor as the standard First Order stormtrooper armor. The only differences are (1) the heavy gunner vest, and (2) the weapon - either an enlarged version of the F-11D w stock, or a megablaster. Often you'll see them with an SE-44C blaster pistol mounted on the thigh holster as well. I've moved your thread to the appropriate section - everything you need should be in this section.

Agreed with Chris. Quite a few people are being attracted to this vendor by the "buy 1 get 1 free" special they are running. If you are personally willing to take the financial risk on what is at this time a questionable (for lack of a better term) vendor/product in order to help out your sick friend, then by all means. After all, someone has to be the first. But as always, the "buyer beware" adage is applicable - especially since we have not yet seen concrete proof of the quality and lineage of his offering. Getting a set of up-to-date product photos from the vendor and consulting with your GML before you buy may help you to reduce the risk. I have personally had four different people ask me about tkarmour.com, and I cannot with a clear conscious recommend them at this time. But if you choose to buy from them, please post pictures of the kit as it looks coming out of the box, and document your build experience in a build thread.

People are generally being warned away from tkarmour.com. As was said, there are threads here that go into detail as to why. There are important details you are leaving out. For instance, how terminal is he (some kits take longer to arrive than others), how big/small is he (some kits are better suited for larger or smaller bodies), etc. Regardless, definitely have a look at the vetted armorers list in the Getting Started - Read This First! section.

I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PMEM1-Headworn-Omni-Directional-Microphone/dp/B003D2S7HA/ref=sr_1_102?ie=UTF8&qid=1483913477&sr=8-102&keywords=microphone+headset

Side note - I notice this is your first post. It would be nice if you did a introduction post in the New Member Introductions section. Also, if your kit is 12 years old then I'm guessing you have an FX kit?

1. DO NOT USE RIVETS. If you hope to attain 501st approval, the visible use of rivets will immediately disqualify your costume. The only places that visible rivets can be used are on the sniper plate (not recommended), knee bandolier, holster, and left side of the body. Even then, those call for split rivets - not the pop rivets that most are familiar with. 2. Use E6000 as your adhesive. It dries clear, strong, and flexible - yet if you make a mistake you can easily undo it and start over with no damage to the armor. ABS cement is permanent, and if you use too much it will chemically melt and warp the plastic. 3. The majority of builders here use internal snaps as opposed to Velcro, which is a far more reliable strapping method than a Velcro-based system. A smaller number of us use the original strapping system that involves wire brackets driven through the return edges. As for your original question, GooGone works well on removing the residue and it doesn't damage the plastic if you follow the usage instructions.

Off to an excellent start.

Another preview of what this kit is actually supposed to look like, along with some statements from the Anovos CEO as to the build difficulty: http://www.starwars.com/news/armor-masters-behind-the-scenes-of-anovos-first-order-stormtrooper-standard-kit?cmp=smc%7C767986363&linkId=33060951

What kind of kit do you have?

You are much more likely to be too hot than too cold. For me, UnderArmor HeatGear works great for most troops, even those when it's not oppressive hot outside. They also make a balaclava that is meant for hot weather wear. Having the ColdGear is a nice option to have as well if you plan on doing outdoor cold weather troops, although I don't have any experience per se with it.

Sounds pretty cool. I say do it up in Photoshop with your different ideas and post it.

I would go with slightly bigger. It should be tailored to your build, but it shouldn't fit like a catsuit.

Agreed with Paul. Most go with the 10w MR1506 since it is small enough to fit behind the chestplate but still has more than enough volume to be heard even in crowded spaces. Those who prefer the larger MR1505 tend to mount them on their belts. Not what I do, but to each his own.

Nice work!

The OT kit seemed to more or less match the information that was available prior to actually being shipped. The biggest flaws had to do with the quality of many of the parts, most notably the fabric belt but other parts as well. For instance, the plastic is very thin, the holster is too rigid, the paint job on the helmet isn't what it should have been, the undersuit tends to bleed color, etc. In terms of accuracy (with the notable exception of the number of holster fasteners on the belt), it's quite good. If built correctly and to the wearer's body, it is easily approvable for 501st Legion acceptance, and can be approved all the way to Centurion with a few mods and/or part replacements.

Home Depot sells it as well.

In general, the standard kit is all plastic (including the helmet), the premium kit is the same armor but with a fiberglass helmet. Not sure what other differences there might be.

Aside from the sneak peek from eBay that I posted earlier in the thread, no one knows what this kit really looks like yet. It's essentially the same sort of speculating we were all doing prior to the start of shipping for the Anovos OT TK kit. But if it's at least as good as the prototype/marketing kits, assuming it is built correctly and to the wearer you should have no issue with basic approval. I have the Mitcheg helmet, and I'm quite happy with it. It's my primary FOTK trooping helmet - my 1st generation ANOVOS premium now sits on a shelf.

Just like any other major convention (and convention center), the earlier in the day you arrive - the more likely it is that you will find suitable parking. It also depends on the day - Saturday will be an absolute mad house, Friday and Sunday less so, Thursday will be the slowest day (relatively speaking) of the convention. My suggestion would be to find someone who is staying within walking distance of the convention and ask them to store your gear in their room. That way, you can take alternate transportation means (public transit, taxis, Uber, etc.) to/from Disney Springs.