sharkbait

Congratulations and welcome aboard!

Looking good!

Congratulations and welcome!

Welcome aboard! I see you've secured you EIB! Congratulations!

Welcome aboard! I use an Aker (10 watt, MR1506) (http://store.voicebooster.com/voicebooster-mr1506-aker-10watt-voice-amplifier/), an iComm (http://store.voicebooster.com/icomm-imperial-communication-system/), and a wireless mic (random one from Amazon, pretty sure they're all exactly the same just with different labels on them, amazon.com/Wireless-Microphone-Rechargeable-Amplifier-Instructor/dp/B07QTPFVVY/). The 10w is plenty loud- no need for the deaf old lady down the street to hear you too. I really like hte wireless, because it's self-contained- I mount it in my helmet, and then the helmet comes on and off without wires messing me up. Locally we've never had an issue with several of us having a same or similar wireless mic, but I have heard of that being an issue up North in our Garrison. I think it just depends.

Welcome to FISD!

Welcome aboard! You'll be in my Garrison! Sacramento is one of our "hubs" of a large group of troopers. The whole Garrison is quite large, both in territory and in members- we're up to 179 members! I'm down in the South Valley Squad (which has 51 members itself), but always willing to help. I make it up to Sacramento occasionally (very busy Squad, so local events often take up my time). (Other big hubs are Stockton, Modesto, Reno, Chico, and the Central Valley, with the biggest concentration there in Fresno). CCG works with GGG a lot! So much, in fact, that we just did a dual coin run, each side with our respective Garrison logos, to commemorate that. As to buckets off, I rarely take mine off in public. I will do it, as others have said, to try and help a scared kid feel less or not scared (sometimes it has the opposite effect, so just be aware that can happen, too), or if in an emergency situation, of course. One time I was half-hidden behind a backdrop but it was hotter than hell (because it was summer in the Central Valley) and I. Needed. Water. And. Fresh. Air. Obviously in such a situation, please, ignore protocol and rip off that bucket for safety purposes (we had a Tusken lock his knees once at a summer baseball game, don't do that, please). But normally, it's buckets on when it the public view. Once you've stepped out of it, though, feel free to take it off if you so desire. If someone asks you a question, then I really just recommend having a mic system of some kind and just talk to them with the bucket on. That also adds to the effect. I'm personally a big fan of the iComm box- it adds static bursts after you've stopped talking, and again adds to the effect. It's hot for most of the State right now, so we've been opting against build parties for a few months in favor of other social events (who wants to work in a garage when it's 110 degrees outside? Not me), but we'll pick back up in the fall. I know members in Elk Grove have hosted before and want to host again, I will be doing monthly ones again starting hopefully September, which of course all Garrison and would-be members are welcome to attend (if you don't mind the travel). I'll make sure I let you know if any are posted. In the meantime, research! Here, get in touch with local Garrison members, etc. We'll make sure you've got all the help (and probably more) that you need!

Welcome aboard! As others have suggested, I highly recommend starting a build thread- even if you do end up with a Death Trooper (the original zombie troopers) out of it, it's a great place to get feedback and build assistance and tips.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome to FISD!

Welcome! Looking forward to your build- the blaster sounds very interesting. TM makes good stuff, from what I hear! Good luck with the rest of your build!

Do ESB! That's what I am- I'm opening biased about it. (And I'm Centurion, too). I can't speak for RS's ESB- I've only seen their ANH in person. Regardless, I would reinforce it in several places (chest at middle of arm opening on both sides, add real strapping to leave the u brackets as look only, not weight bearing as they will rip through the armor), as I've seen it crack in the exact same place on four different RS kits on four different types of bodies. I personally find RS to be a bit thin, and it's a great fit if you're exactly like the original guys on screen- if not, not so much. (Again, from seeing it on other guys in my Squad). I'm a huge fan of AM and RT-Mod/RT-Panda (Panda's taking over)- works great for bigger/taller people but equally good for shorter/smaller people, just involves more trimming. Centurion is about the details, but it's a lot about the fit- you'll want to find an armor that is best suited for your body type to give yourself the best head start towards that goal (and comfort and wear-ability, of course, as well). Good luck and ask all the questions, now and when you've gotten your Big Brown Box! That's what we're here for.

Welcome aboard! Looks like everyone else already pointed you in the right direction for full forum access.

Awesome! We need more hands on deck in the real world. Talking on a forum is great, but nothing fully substitutes for in-person expert assistance.

You might try a combo approach- one of those headlight polishing kits. It consists of a more abrasive start to grind away impurities, then a lighter one to smooth, then you buff it with a polish and filler/sealant. Maybe in between, like after the abrasive layer, dry the whitening stuff from TrooperBay- you put it on, put it out in the sun, and basically sun-bleach it with added chemicals to assist in the bleaching process. I mean it's worth a shot- it might just make it lighter or less noticeable, but it's still a start. If it doesn't work, then you might already be in paint territory anyway so you just lost some time and effort.