The T-series Power Armor of Fallout! 

The "T" naming convention back in the day in the real world signified a test piece, it prefaced the "XM" prefix for experimental weapons and items, so the thought that all power armors kept their T prefix is interesting. It signifies that power armor of all types never even reached experimental fielding phase and was rushed into service. Given their similarities, my personal headcanon is that T60 is heavily modified and reinforced T45. The reason that the BoS in Fallout 3 used T45 exclusively is that that's all the West Coast BoS sent with them. Remember that Lyons and his crew were sent east because the main BoS was trying to get rid of them. They also found several suits in the basement of the Pentagon. In my headcanon, I like to think that the T45 in the Pentagon were awaiting the application of a Modification Work Order (MWO) to bring it up to T60 standards, which is a common practice in the military when a new model of an existing item supercedes the obsolete item spec. This also explains why the BoS in Fallout 4 exclusively use T60. In the years between Fallout 3 and 4, they managed to successfully apply the MWO to their existing T45 suits.

the Mojave Brotherhood were intended to be wearing a mix of T-45d and T-51b suits in game, with the paladins in the bunker wearing T-51b while the knights wear T-45d. However Obsidian later commented that the reason the entire Mojave Brotherhood wears T-51b was simply due to a mistake when setting up the equipment lists for the BoS npcs, and the T-45d forgot to have the "can be used by this faction" flag added.

Fallout NV has my favourite set of T-series power armour. I love the look of Scorched Sierra power armour.

9:18 This actually makes a lot of sense. The armor would have been state of the art technology at the time. The last thing you would want is a deserter selling it to the highest bidder.

Regarding the Power Armour rebalance in Fallout 76, and the lore, I have an idea about why T-60 was introduced. The idea is that the T-51 were everything the US Army hoped... but the whiz-bang new polymer plating was expensive to produce... (And _maybe_ the numbers of those getting radiation sickness when using Fat Man catapults while wearing them was getting a _touch_ too high to ignore.) As the Power Armour Corps expanded, the budget couldn't keep up. So the higher-ups ordered that a cheaper alternative be designed. And designed _fast._ So a design team took the T-45 and updated it with new technologies. The result: the T-60. Technically a downgrade from the T-51 suits, but still powerful enough to satisfy all the requirements (including the increased radiation protection), while _also_ being quite a bit cheaper to produce. As for T-65? Since only the Secret Service has them? Bleeding-edge tech demonstrator. X-01's pre-War appearances can also be explained this way - as a commenter mentioned in response to another video - and I personally think it may be an attempt by another company to muscle in on the market that West Tek had a monopoly on at the time. And then the Enclave claimed/stole the schematics.

6:49 these in-game statements from the Brotherhood actually help prove the theory that the Black Devil armor in the lore is much stronger than what is in the game. Since you can encounter the Enclave in the main quest relatively early, the devs probably scaled down the power armor stats, so as to not absolutely wreak the player. So it's simply another case of gameplay vs lore. Edit: 39:54 that statement is just what I was trying to state

I think the thing on the back of the Salvaged armor is some kind of after-market Air Conditioning unit. To mitigate that problem you brought up about the suit getting toasty in the desert.

Ever since seeing the medic T45, I had always wanted to see an exchange between Drill Sergeant Dornan and that power armor.

Reference the Lyon's East Coast switch to T45 armor it may have been the West Coast main chapter getting rid of a batch of obsolete gear to equip a batch of dissidents being sent on a fool's errand. Alternatively, going off of Fallout 4 experience, the repair materials for T 45 are a lot cheaper and easier to scavenge (basically steel with some circuitry for the chest piece) than for the more complex T 51.

I think I remember reading somewhere that it was supposed to be explained in a terminal that the DC Brotherhood used T-45 because they found a huge stockpile of it upon reaching The Pentagon and making it their home. After their journey to get there, the existing armour they had was damaged and with limited resources it was easier to just switch to the T-45 which was still "good enough"

Maybe the cylinder on the back of the NCR Salvaged Armor is a lower tech workaround for the Air filtration system that you mentioned would normally be powered by the fusion core. Like an O2 canister from a scuba suit

I like the idea that the medic t45 was originally made with some help or input from the Big MT, yeah there’s the similarities to the stealth suit and the auto doc in the sink but it’s also just up their alley to make voice “ai”s that can be integrated with any kind of tech

Ever since I basked within Radking's Glow. I have been happier, healthier, leaner and my complexion has a healthy glow. Thanks Radking! 10/10 would bask again.

In Fallout NV there’s a magazine called “Future Weapons Today” that has, what I personally believe to be, some prototype Tesla T-45. It’s black with an orange visor and has wires across the whole armor, and is on the games energy weapon magazine. I believe this was the first attempt at Tesla armor before they moved onto more advanced units. (Side note, T-60 is not the only armor that has Brotherhood paint jobs in 76, the T-51 has both a Knight and Paladin paint)

T65 has a bit of a bomb squad look to it, like specifically where the bulk is added and how it has a space behind a few of the shield parts

To me, the T-65 power armour looks like a development of the T-51. Sure, it looks quite different, but if you compare things like the breast plate and pauldrons, they are _more_ similar to T-51 that T-60 pieces. It seems likely to me that this could be an attempt to update the T-51 design for higher spec, with a different profile to the plating but with a similar frame support, just like the T-60 is an update to T-45.

I always assumed the East Coast BoS used t45 because they were based in the pentagon, which would most likely have some power armor, but they probably couldn't spare any t51 suits in active military use

I think the fallout 4 assault rifle has some reasons to exist. Water can protect some gamma radiation, so the water cooled barrel could have been used to protect the gun from deteriorating from radiation. The US military probably wanted a gun that could be changed into either a assault rifle or LMG. Still hate it

The t60 should of been called the t45 mark 2.

Re: the description of T60 vs the stats in 76. "More advanced" doesn't necessarily mean "more effective". Modern fighter jets are more advanced than older offerings, but aren't necessarily better than them depending on use-case. "Advanced" in this case could mean more modular, or easier to repair, or even just the fact it is built with a post-nuclear war environment in mind (hence the rad resistance). Just some thoughts! Incredible video as always! 💙💙💙

As for the bits on the back of the Salvaged power armor, I think they might be used as some kind of cooling unit or air filtration unit. Probably hot as shit in that armor in the desert heat

T45 is my favorite too because of FO3. I also tend to always join the Minute Men and gather the T-45s at the Castle and paint them in Minute Men colors. Any attack on the Castle is met by twenty Minute Men in full power armor and miniguns lol.

In my head canon, the T-60 power armor was developed to be a cheaper alternative to the T-51. The T-51 was still the best prewar power armor, but it was a rather expensive unit and for domestic operations it was not necessary to have that level of protection. So, the T-60 was developed.

I just repaired the T-51b suit in the BoS bunker in Fallout 1. Had to call it a night after I got it equipped but I'm excited to try it

T45 seems like the “produced in bulk” suit. Theres so many its easily repaired and modded, and in a wasteland where you cant produce new stuff, the best armor is the one that is expendable and repairable

If I'm not mistaken I believe that in game it was stated that the Brotherhood got the majority of their T-60 power armor after defeating the Enclave at Adams airforce base

Man some of those T-65 concepts look straight out of Warhammer 40k. Which makes me feel extremely conflicted on whether that is a good or a bad thing. The BoS are definitely an Iron Hands successor.

Hey, just wanted to give information that in the event, "test your metal" you have thr ability to get t51 brotherhood power armor

Hey dude I just wanna thank you for you videos. Life hasn't been the best lately and sleep hasn't been easy at all with all the thinking and worries But I made it a habit to put your videos on and leave my phone by my side to fall asleep while listening to your sermons and lore explanations. Your soothing voice and interesting topics are a lifesaver

I’m fairly certain that the ncr salvaged power armor has a cooling system including in it by technicians. I think that’s what the stuff on the back is meant for.

I don't remember where I read it but advanced power armor in fallout 3 was nerfed like really really hard right at end of game development so it's possible it's meant to be a lot harder then it is in finished game and Bethesda forgot to modify npc dialogue. Also hellfire enclave armor was also nerfed later possibly before the post game ending dlc which released with it forgot to balance it.

I only get a day or two per week where I can sit back and really lose myself in my games. What a treat that I'd get a new power armor lore video on a day I planned to spend playing Fallout. Another great one Radking, good stuff.

Banger videos my man! Very happy I found the channel.

With regards to BoS T-45 in New Vegas, according to the wiki they were supposed to use a mix of T45 and t 51 but a bug caused all but those hardcoded to have 45d to spawn with 51b.Crucially those supposed to have 45d still have 45d helmets.

I think T-45 may be an easy model to repair in the field, since Asher’s armor is held together with strap and salvaged armor still moves. So it would make sense why the brother hood in their bunker facilities would use T-51 with heavy repair shops, but their exploration teams would use T-45

My headcannon is that with recruitment and just loss of armor over time, the east coast brotherhood just grabbed whatever power armor they could, likely stopping at pre-war factories to salvage any armor possible. Possibly even restarting some to produce new armor

Always enjoy listening to our liege while playing a session of Vegas

41:22 There are actually two Brotherhood paints that can be acquired by completing the Test Your Metal public event that are exclusive to the T-51 power armour, they’re the paints that Paladin Rahmani and Knight Shin use for their respective suits in the game

IMO they(east coast brotherhood Lyons) likely had T51 but since they didn't have the equipment to repair it anymore, they took the plates off the frames and replaced it with what they have the stuff to repair and replace in the DC area

Fun Fact: If you look at T-65 it actually shares some design elements of both T Series as well as the X-01. Examples I can give are that it has separated eye holes (X-01) BUT an external headlamp (T Series) As well the mouth vent thing on the front is elongated (X-01) but is also connected on either sides with tubing (T-Series)

I'm a big fan of T65. I love the lore, it represents some very cool lore added to Fallout via 76, and not much cool lore came from Appalachia in general. Such a cool suit. My head lore says it didn't make it past the Rockys, but suits are waiting under the Denver Mint.

Say what you will about Fallout 4, but the weapon and armor crafting is just incredible. The segment of dude running around wrecking shit with a plasma powered super sledge one handed is just immaculate.

Waering the Scorched Sierra Power Armor with the restored helmet mod is *chef's kiss* satisfying. Then add the Titans Of The New West mod and it's just perfect.

My best inference of why the T-45 is used by the East Coast “Brotherhood” is the suits were most likely National Guard/Reservist or possibly State Defense Force equipment. As for why the ECB only have it, I can only assume due to the extreme attrition due to the large number of zombies and muties in DC and the March to the former Capital. As for why the West Coast Brotherhood lacks it, I can only assume that with the relatively large stockpiles of more advanced armor, the T-45 would be relegated to second line units, or as training armor, which might explain why the NCR has such a large amount of salvaged armor, since the armor would not be in use, and thus captured intact, or the users were less skilled, and thus easier to get the armor from their corpses.

great video as usual Rad. my personal theory for east coast BoS using only T45 was that Lyon's expedition was meant to be a suicide mission in order to get rid of Lyon's ideals, end the Maxson bloodline, and consolidate power with the current regime. none of his troops are seen with even a shred of T51, and no gauss rifles, like you see in the Mohave. since there were previous attempts to only reach as far as the midwest that never returned, it stands to reason that if you have a loud mouth upstart talking about "helping the people" and "recruiting the public" instead of fulfilling your mission, that sending him twice as far as any previous expedition (F76 kindof ruins that pre-established lore a bit, but not terribly so), with the worst gear you have available should take care of that little issue. the only problem was Lyons actually reached his objective, and Arthur Maxson survived the journey so it was all just sort of kicking the can down the road. they could plausibly disavow knowledge of Lyon's actions by claiming contact had been cut, but if/when Lyons died and was replaced with a more "traditional" commander, they could "re-establish comms" with the group. it all seems too convenient that Lyons is so outside of the realm of accepted BoS doctrine, but was also entrusted to care for, and mentor the last Maxson, all while being farther from HQ than any other group, and using exclusively gear which is inferior to what the Mohave uses.

i suspect that the T-45 for the Lyons brotherhood came from National Guard depots since the army would be transitioning to T-51 and shifting older model suits into important areas of the country and occupied Canada, i would guess there were less T-51 suits....possibly because the army in the region was transitioning over to T-60 or was planing to hence the brotherhood in 4 managing to find so many suits in storage at Adams and other bases.

31:31 my theory was this: Virginia Tech and MIT are both prolific engineering schools, MIT made the concept of power armor, which VT then made practical with the T-45 which was manufactured in VA, hence its presence in the east coast. MIT was given DOD funding to continue researching and creating better power armor, and in the short months between Anchorage and the Great War, they developed T-60, which was also manufactured in the East coast, and the brotherhood found it before entering Boston

Its possible that the stuff on the back of the Salvaged Power Armor is a battery to power the life support systems. EMP not doing as much damage still makes sense tho, since the armor wouldn't seize up and axt like a seizure ridden metal coffin.

I have been at this game for 2 months now, and most of that time was spent blasting through the main story quests in 76, as well as connecting and upgrading the various power armor sets. Given the lack of content beyond the story lines, grinding the armor sets became a hobby. And with it, my one true annoyance with 76… no max level T45 armor. As a collector you farm the spawn locations for max armor; mostly within the cran bog. At the BOS outposts you will find max level T60, and 51b. Near the moonshine jamboree Is the only location I’m aware of you can find max level Raider helmet which is level 45. Because of diminishing returns in resistance, and the fact that legendary application is easily achieved, all of the armors are Perry equal. The REAL difference is the availability of the armor’s mods. Raider armor mods can be purchased and price manipulate with perks using caps from a vendor. T45, T51b, T60 mods are purchased from a vendor with caps that can be perk cost manipulated. Ultracite plans are a BOS quest reward and drop. Ultracite armor upgrades plans seem to just be dropped from scorched Queen. X01 plans are a reward for finishing enclave and the upgrades are sold for caps but enclave vendor. The Hellcat shot horns here in that it’s an readily available quest reward for the plans but the get plans for its upgrades, it’s part of the gold bullion grind. The gold grind for T65 and Strangle Heart is absolutely ridiculous, topped only by the sheer stupidity that is the stamp grind for the Union power armor set. But yea , just wear what you want. Far more fun that way

One thing I always wondered about with power armour is the fact it was mainly used to field weapons that vehicles could no longer transport due to the resource wars, so I wonder if any pre-power armour vehicles had energy weapons that were converted for power armour usage (I imagine the plasma caster falls into this group) i'd kill for a hugeass deathlaser with a chainsaw grip that was once intended for vehicular use.

7:00 I think this is a case of story and gameplay separation to be honest, like how the Minutemen lost the Castle to a single Mirelurk Queen in canon yet the moment the sole survivor shows up even our tiny squadron is expected to kill it. Canonically the Black Devil PA might actually have that kind of power but in game for balance reasons it doesn't, since you'd become basically immortal with it.

Kincaid park in Anchorage used to be a cold war missle defense base, it is full of bunkers and other military buildings. It was known as Point Campbell Military Reservation and had Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missiles. May be a cool place to add into a Fallout set in Alaska. As well as the Army star on the Chugach Mountains.

T60 being more common in Boston could be because Corvega was the one manufacturing it, since we know that industry leaders were working with the army to convert their production lines. And with t45 being so incredibly common, t60 could be based on it, just modified by Corvega themselves to better utilize existing production lines

My favorite power armor in any game is the lonesome road dlc Scorched Sierra Power Armor. Damn it looks slick. Totally worth nuking NCR lol

17:01 "i dont have an answer" was immaculately perfectly timed with what happened in game

It always struck me that the recon armor looked an awful lot like the pilot suit worn by a Glitter Boy pilot from the TTRPG Rifts.

The thing about the T-45 armor and the T-60 armor is funny, cause even though the the brotherhood came entirely in T-60, the brotherhood in fallout 4 came from the capital wasteland from fallout 3! Meaning somehow after the events of 3, they were able to make production factories for the prdwyn and the armors, or they scavenged them somehow. Either way it’s still nuts to see the brotherhood in 4 is from 3.

A new radking video on my day off thank you 🔥

Before fallout 4, I never really used power armor. I used it a bit in fallout 3(also my first game) when I first got training but stopped when I was constantly over-encumbered while wearing it. A +2 strength still makes the armor weigh like 20lbs in your inventory which is many times heavier than anything else you could wear. The increased DR just wasn’t worth not being able to carry as much other junk with me. My philosophy on this carried into FoNV where I never even touched it, and completed my entire play through in Benny’s suit, at least until I got stealth armor BAE. Fallout 4 was the first FPS game that made power armor actually useful by making it more of a vehicle than a suit of armor. It’s just such a shame that it was introduced so poorly, because it would’ve been an amazing end/midpoint item to look forward to unlocking. Keep up the good work my dude. I love your videos and look forward to them every week.

You can throw BoS paints on T-51. I know there is a Knight and also a Paladin paint for it at the least.

Awesome as always

i came to watch this, i subbed and liked the video from your video “ambiguity is the point” i love your content i can’t believe i haven’t found you sooner than this year!

I feel like the NCR Salvaged armor is more in line with they got rid of the Halo Spartan tier movement systems ("relax your muscles, let the suit do the work"); and replaced it with more deliberate systems that require direct input like a normal exoskeleton hence the weird pneumatic power pack on the back of the armor. Which means, it's still powered in a way - just not remotely as beneficial in the short term aside from being able to field it with anyone inside without risking the Iron Man 2 torso rip scene lol I could be entirely wrong, but that makes the most sense to me

One thing I like about Fallout 76 is if you look at some of the farms, you can find power armour stations, and occasionally T-45 power armours, implying wealthy farmers bought now-outdated T-45's for farm equipment, like hauling haybales without a tractor lol

Another great video rad king. Keep it up

Here there are some fun questions that i’d like you, community, to try answer: 1)What are the attachments on top of the power armor helmets? (Aiming system? Heat vision?) 2)How does someone exit the power armor? Are there any visible comands? 3)Where is plugged the fusion core? (The core accommodation has a hole at the bottom) 4)How are the fingers operated? The model only shows a handle bei grabbed (pressure?) 5)How do you turn the torch on? Hidden button? No criticism, just curious about your head canon

I like how angular the plates are on some of the armors. The angular shape makes it harder for projectiles to go through it. Even shaped charges wouldn't be able to easily go through. Although the joints are probably soft spots.

With the use of T-45D by Lyons Brotherhood I think the storyteller gave a good explanation with the west coast Brotherhood giving them T-45D out of their reserves as not to risk losing T-51B, I think this is supported by the Mojave chapter having T-45D in limited use. In regards to T-60B I think it was a mistake to make it a mass produced pre war model, I think a better explanation for it is that it was a pre war prototype model that the Brotherhood found the schematics for in Adams Air Force base and then mass produced it, either that or your theory that it could have been an upgrade to T-45D but I think that would only make sense as a post war upgrade by the Brotherhood. In my opinion the pre war US wouldn’t have had time to make so many new varieties of power armour, it was a new technology and so it would not make sense to keep mass producing so many different models, it just makes logistics a nightmare, having T-51B as the power armour used by front line units and the older T-45D being used on the home front or in reserve makes more sense to me. Also T-45A to C were meant to be prototypes that never saw mass production and were not actually practically useable, with the T-45A having a problem of cooking the user due to the huge amounts of heat generated, hence the protective suit that needs to be worn

A thing to note about T-60 in fallout 76 is that it's the cheapest to repair when compared to T-51

My head idea. They used t45 because there easer to repair when compared to t51. If you have to scavenge for repair parts t45 would be better

There's a loading slide in Fallout 4 that explains the source of the T-60 for the Brotherhood. Shortly after the events of 3 they found a production facility dedicated to T-60. Detailed schematics combined with a dedicated production facility led to the Brotherhood able to build their own armor.

I like the power armor that is being used by the brotherhood of steel in fallout 4 because it looks cool, and like it more with the hot roader paint skem

I’m typing this at the very beginning of the video; I was a kid I came I up with a theory pre-fallout 4, that the chest handle on T-45D was a late war addition used to drag injured soldiers away since it’s stated or at least, I’m pretty sure it was, that T-45D was taking heavier casualties leading to the development of T-51B

I’ve got a headcanon that the T-60 is actually a Brotherhood creation, based on schematics for a new power armour that never saw production. After 3, the Brotherhood uses Enclave X-02 power armour tech to improve their T-45 armour based on the schematics, but since the 45 couldn’t house all the new tech they had to manufacture their own bigger, more bulky version. That’s why T-60 looks so much like T-45 in my headcanon. It also would have been neat to see the power armour be an indicator of rank among the Brotherhood; 45 for Knights, 51 for Knight Sergeant and higher, and 60 for Paladin and higher.

Also, the power armor suits in and around DC where probably recovered from the National Guard Armories and mobilization centers are older suits not the latest and greatest

I wonder if the BoS Elders foisted a bunch of T-45 suits on Lyon's expedition deliberately. IIRC he was troublesome, so they may have shoved him out the door with the bulk of their least advanced suits and as many troublemaker personnel as they could. My impression for the military is that T-45 was deployed with National Guard units, while T-51 was the latest suit issued to the professional military.

Good work

that intro is so amazing

Love the great video

Thankfully the mod: Tale of Two Wastelands solves the lore question about T45d, it replaces the standard T45d power armour that BOS wear with the higher ranked soldiers wearing T51b which is pretty dope. Lots of cool lore friendly weapons added into the game too.

hey RadKing! the reason ol ney or olney in fallout 3 is the death claw capital of the capital wasteland is because of the enclave im pretty sure. I am pretty sure it’s because they let the death claws loose to kill the nearby vault? if not that i’m 99% sure they let the deathclaws loose on the town itself

NEW RADKING POST LETS GOOOOOO

I always figured that with the salvaged power armor, the NCR only stripped out the more advanced electrical/hydraulic systems, and left the basic movement assistance. Otherwise, it seems like the salvaged power armor would have no benefit over metal armor.

There is a unique T-45 helmet/paint job in 76 called "Father winter helmet" It is statically identical to it's regular leveled counterpart, but sports a unique model that resembles the Father winter Fasnact mask. Surprisingly it's a rare reward from the seasonal event "Fasnact"

I think its more probable that the Brotherhood found a stockpile of T-60 rather than just made them. Especially since T-60 is so much of an upgrade compared to T-45. Airships to power armor is a centuries long gap. I suppose its possible that they found the original factory and restored it, but I think it's a stretch to say they went from where we say them in fallout 3, to a society capable of replicating the cutting edge of pre war America in just 10 years. In the end I have no more proof for my theory then yours though, so either theory could be "true."

Just my own opinion but I feel the T-65 is a redesign of Frank Horrigan's power armor from Fallout 2. Perhaps an earlier model even. He was former Secret Service after all.

The only T-series I want to see!

I feel like the extra stuff at the back of the NCR salvaged power armor is there to replace what the removed electronic system's functions (air filtration, etc)

I think a good lore fix for why the BOS in fallout 3 use mainly T45 is due to T45 supposedly being better at radiation resistance than T51 and that the DC ruins are known to still be heavily irradiated. If 3 were ever to be remade itd be a good detail to see the different brotherhood squads using different suits of power armour based on their locations

After watching most of your videos, I definitely want to do another play through of Fallout now. Took a long break from Bethesda games but it’s time to jump back into the wastes

22:07 I think that extra stuff on the back could be an ac system that was added so troops wouldn't get so hot in the Mojave

I love the design of T-65! I always prefer chonky armour/mech suits/etc.

When it comes to fallout plotholes I go by a rule that **"The correct theory is the one that nerfs the brotherhood back into scavengers and cobblers with a chivalry complex"**. As such the brotherhood absolutely never fabricates thier armor when Beth deems it time for a marketable makeover. Its my assumption then that the east coast brotherhood found thier stock of T-45's/T60's along side Liberty Prime under the citadel/pentagon, standardized on them because of the supply of spare parts, and replenishes that supply by finding yet more salvage in an ever increasing radius. The lone survivor didn't notice the T-60's because they were a sheltered and ignorant vault dweller and confused them with T-45 the same way every Russian tank is T-72 unless stated otherwise or you know how to count the wheels. This is unlike the Soul Survivor or 76'ers who are all prewar and either have connections to the military or are stated to be terminally optimistic savants and geniuses. The fallout 4 brotherhood's seeming standardization on T-60 and vertibirds can be attributed to how this was an expeditionary force lead by thier highest ranking officer, and that any other outposts and bases outside the commonwealth are not consistently enjoying the same benefits. Also T-45 it should be assumed is just homogenous steel armor, good enough for bullets and shrapenal and easily repaired with a welder and angle grinder. T-51 is superior because is uses composite armor though this requires knowhow or whole replacement parts in order to repair battle scars. T-60 falls between the two and comes across as bulkier than T-45 because it is primarily an additional armor package of some sort installed over the original steel plating. Everything Fallout 4 did to contradict this is just bad balance and we aren't obligated to make excuses for beth's mistakes.

I personally believe the stuff on the back of the NCR Salvaged PA is some sort of cooling system so that the wearer doesn’t overheat

I'm not even a huge Fallout fan but I admire the detail in these videos.

The salvaged armour’s back gizmos would (this at least makes sense to me) be the chemical packs for a rebreather setup.

Piezo-nucleic refers to some form of light or potentially different wavelengths of radiation to provide power. A similar system used to be used to detonate the falloutesque big bombs back when so nice touch.

The backpack looks like a swamp cooler, a simple way to stay cooler

I don't know if piezonucleic is an actual scientific term or not, but I assume it's derived from piezoelectric, which refers to materials that builds up an electric charge when mechanical stress is applied. Piezoelectric headphones are a good example of it being applied in real life, where electric power is used to move the headphone drivers. It would make senses that piezonucleic armor increases action points when exposed to radiation, implying that nuclear energy is being converted into mechanical energy.

At this point it feels like T-45 was treated as a Surplus in massive quantities while it was being replaced by T-51 from the war in Alaska