So looking over the 1/72 BMP2 build and drooling, I clicked through to the walkaround on prime portal
right click, save as.. yadda yadda..

Then I came across this picture with a hull side fitting I had not seen before.

http://data3.primeportal.net/apc/egor_kalmykov/bmp-2/images/bmp-2_13_of_36.jpg

and
http://data3.primeportal.net/apc/egor_kalmykov/bmp-2/images/bmp-2_15_of_36.jpg

There below the antenna mount, what are the two round protrusions on the hull side?

Is this an antenna connection of some type?
It looks like there are electrical connectors, one to each side.

They do not seem to be a symetrical fitting.

Anyone?
Mike

Hi Mike

In that position usually are installed the spare track link supports

http://groll.ru/wehr/bild/bmp-2-o02.jpg

http://groll.ru/wehr/bmp-2-o23.html

As you can see in Primeportal exemplar the spare link support is installed more forward. Seeing the several pics which I have, I didn't find any other exemplars ,nor Russian or Czech, which had these wires. Furthermore, in the original BMP user's manual, that detail isn't mentioned.
So in my opinion above the protusions were attached the original spare link supports and actually the steel wires must be only a field modification

Just my opinion anyway



cheers

Earthing/grounding system wires

Frenchy

Yes,my first guess was probably wrong! There are two antennas. BMP-2 usually has only one areal attached to the turret

Could it be perhaps be a command version?

Yes, the K vers is, as I understand it, the command variant.
So that was what I was thinking, esp since in later pictures in the series, there is a better pic of then wire ends looking like electrical connections.

In this pic
http://data3.primeportal.net/apc/egor_kalmykov/bmp-2/images/bmp-2_26_of_36.jpg
the hatch is sealed shut with wire and lead anti-tamper (?) seals.

But in pic 15
http://data3.primeportal.net/apc/egor_kalmykov/bmp-2/images/bmp-2_15_of_36.jpg

Those look like electrical connections.

Yes, of course...I must be too tired this evening

I didn't remember that the K letter meant that it was a command version

Anyway, according to this Russian modeller's site, those are the imputs of the antenna

http://karopka.ru/forum/forum188/topic8622/

I've come across one blurry picture of a BMP-2K deployed to the field with the commo mast installed and it seems the two plugs in question are used for the wires on the mast. It's hard to see from the photo, but there is a wire coming off the guide line into the hull.



Also if you can find anything on the BMP-1K, it would also help maybe finding the wire setup. Both the BMP-1/2K have the same plugs.

BMP-1K

That's really interesting, Thanks a lot Christopher

I'll try to find some other pics about

Not a problem. Also from all the info I can find on both tanks, right behind the two plugs are the additional radio sets for the command version. So my guessing is, once the ports are open, wires from the mast could be fed into the hull for the radio. But I can't find any good photos showing this, just the one blurry photo so far.