Hello Everybody,

When the Trumpeter kit arrives I plan on doing a training vignette since I am sure it will be awhile until we see a slat armor AM kit. Thus, I want to be sure I understand the MILES gear I have to depict. Here are a couple of photos I took a few months ago.

What is that plate shown in the first photo (below right of the mirror)? There happens to be another on the other side of the vehicle too.



Here are a couple of photos of the bubble gum lights. Where exactly to I need to show these wires going to?





Do I need to know anything about where the wires on the Velcro tape go to? Does this have to do with the plates mentioned in my first question?

Is there anything else I need to depict besides the nodes/tape and bubble gum light? What about any laser designator that actually shoots downrange at targets, since it appears the nodes/tape and bubble gum light have to do with receiving hits? i.e, what do I have to depict that allows the vehicle to fire it's weapons under the MILES system? I would think that is something like the rods around the .50 cal MG that allows it to recycle, but what about some sort of "laser beam shooter?" Is that on the gun too? I haven't noticed anything in my photos. If someone has anythign to say on that I can try and focus on a photo and post it then.

Bob

Academy makes some .50's with the blank shredder end included in their M113A2 kits. You only need to add some stretched sprue to finalize it. If you don't have one, let me know and I can send one out to you.

Al, I think I have an Academy kit in my stash. I will check and let you know. Thanks for the offer.

Bob

Trumpeter's Abrams kits include the .50 cal BFA. The metal plates just cover connectors for the sensors. The laser transmitter is just a small metal box that attaches over the barrel on the M2. It is not very big, and is powered by a 9 volt battery.

Thank you Robin.

Al, I checked my Academy kit no 1354 and if I am interpreting it correctly, the shredder is molded onto the end of the .50 cal?

It's step 16 on my M113A2 instructions. The three rod device is the BFA or blank firing adapter.

The wiring from the woopie light and sensors goto a box inside the vehicle that records hits and near misses. The Miles kits are custom made for each vehicle. On the abrams the loaders periscope is removed and the cables are run through the hole.

Miles II adds an additional GPS reciever and Radio network box to the outside of the vehicle and an upgraded central box. If you are hit you can tell from the box the ID of the vehicle that hit you and what weapon they used and the zone on your vehicle that got hit. Use of GPS also allows for artilliary and mines to be more realistic. Miles II allows the Observers in the star wars building to monitor and replay the battle down to individual troops that have a miles II harness.

Hey Rob,
OK Picture #1 this is a Miles Belt/Connector Guard, ment to try and keep the end of the belt from being hit on something and ripping the cable and belt apart,

Picture #2 All the wires go to the Kill light that is mounted on the back right. All the cables that going inside go through a "Cable Egress Adapter" a fancy word for a hollowed out piece of aluminum that moved the EPLRS antennae up about 6 inches, there is a split rubber grommet at the bottom that allows the cables to go into/out of the vehicle with out a big hole in the top of the vehicle that would allow tons of dust or rain in.

Picture #3 is of a MCB (Mortar Carrier Bravo), its MILES belts are mounted diffrent to the ICV, RV, FSV, ATGM, and ESV

Ric

OKay. This is my alltime favorite photo of the many I took at the NTC. I plan on doing a dio using this as inspiration. Anyway, it appears that there is a coil of wire leading from the antenna and that leads to a box about the size of a .50 cal can which has a yellow dot painted on it. I have noticed this in other photos too. You can just see the tip of the box I am trying to describe in the rear of the stowage rack - and the coiled wire next to it. Is that anything discussed above?

Bob

The coil of wire looks like the crew might have taken all the excess wire, pulled it out of the egress adapter (the thing under the antennae) and coiled it up and zip tied it to the lifting point. The can in the bustle rack it just an ammo can with no lid, no idea what the crew has in that can. But it is not part of miles

Ric

Thanks Ric for clearing that up. I see that my original photos got nixed since I moved them. Here they are again.

Hi Ric, Hi Everybody:

Here is a bettter pic of what I was trying to describe. See the can w/ the yellow dot and yellow strap? It appears to have at least one wire, maybe two going into it from that coil of wires. What do you think? If it is not so good here, I can PM it to you.



Something else unique here I think is that framing (two bars - the middle one is actually on the other side) around the back of the Humvee. I swear, there is no way to keep up with all that goes on with the Humvee.

Bob