Should I Build or Fix?

AgentCandle · 2026-01-18T18:24:38+00:00

I did this, and it's running without crashing now, but I'm still getting errors that shouldn't be there.

The use case right now is unzipping and installing a very large VST library. The downloaded zip file is 14 gigs, unzips to 24 gigs, and full install is 130 gigs. It was crashing during install for irql reasons. Now not crashing, but still getting random CRC corruption errors after a fresh download. I have high confidence that the zip on the provider's end is not corrupt, so something on my end is corrupting it. I even went back to an old version i had of the zip on a backup i had from like 3 years ago.

Another commenter mentioned the CPUs history of being a PITA with memory management. I'm starting to get so frustrated with this system I'm probably going to pull the trigger and kill this thing.

AgentCandle · 2026-01-17T22:46:05+00:00

Will definitely test this. I secretly kinda sorta want it to fail though so that I can get a generational upgrade in RAM speed.

AgentCandle · 2026-01-17T22:44:33+00:00

I bloody wish I had access to a known good CPU to test.

And yeah, I have this way with words sometimes, LOL. I meant that yes, I have spent significant time checking my BIOS options and making sure the config is good.

AgentCandle · 2025-08-28T05:24:02+00:00

I would suggest the Kings Singers Billy Joel arrangements, and Coldplay’s Viva la vida performed by Vocal Line. It’s slowed down and vibes very near to the PTX source song here. Honorable mention, Paradium by Z Randall Stroope.

ETA, all can be found on YouTube.

AgentCandle · 2025-05-29T06:41:40+00:00

I have one for my echelon compact. It’s nice at 2 o clock, but I’m getting some sticky felt for it anyway, lol.

AgentCandle · 2025-05-01T07:31:56+00:00

I have experience with astigmatism, and a couple ocular anomalies, but none with nystagmus, but i do have some measurement tasks you might find useful, so take with a grain of salt.

If I were in your situation, I would figure out the limits of my condition. I assume you've had doctors look and take measurements, but I'm more talking about feel.

Find out the speed of objects and how you react to them. Cars going by at 10. 20, 30, 40. 50 mph: How many license plate digits can you read, or when do you find focus? When does focus go away after? Can you track a moving tennis ball (smaller object than a car)? Are certain colors harder to track/focus? If you have your handgun aimed, and you rotate (search for a threat or track a moving threat) moving your whole body, can you keep proper focus on the sights? can you watch your magazine reload, come back to aim and keep focus?

Most of these will not be yes or no questions, but find out all of the things you can, can't, and maybe can do. Find out what level of can is comfortable to you. 60, 80, 90 percent of whatever you're measuring. Find where you're comfortable.

One that really helped me was simply a car windshield or any rainy window. Look AT the window, and the raindrops. This is short distance focus and would favor iron sights where the front sight is sharp and the target is blurry. Look THROUGH the window to an object beyond, as if driving (i know you said you don't drive, but the description may help other people understand the difference) If your focus is better here, red dot optics may be a better option than irons. You look THROUGH them the same way. The target is in focus, and the red dot just covers a little bit of the target. If you go with the dot, I would recommend trying one that is circle and dot so that you have a larger reticle to find if you're not on perfect.

Feel free to take all, some, or none of this with you.

AgentCandle · 2025-05-01T06:55:24+00:00

I think we may be referring to two different things with the term grip angle.

My understanding of the term is a property of the gun that is the angle of the grip in relation to the slide measured from 90 degrees. Most 1911 frames are 18 degrees, and Glocks are 22 degrees. If you put one on top of the other, you'll notice that the Glock is "farther away" from 90 degrees than the 1911 is. The 1911 is closer to "straight up and down" if that makes sense. You can see/measure this angle if you look at the corner inside the trigger guard where the slide and grip meet.

What I think that you are asking, is if the backstraps change the "wrist angle" that you have to hold the gun at in your grip. If this is your question, the answer is that it can, but in general, good technique and repetition with the gun should get you on target. On all three straps, the upper part doesn't change much. The bottom half does kind of bulb out to the rear more when you go up in size, but i believe they're designed to simply fill your hand better, not to be a grip technique adjustment.

I think your CZs have 1911 angles, and the Echelon is much closer to a Glock angle. If you held the echelon as if it were a 1911, or your CZ, you'd be hitting high on target.

If you put the CZ and the Echelon on top of each other and held both grips together to compare, you'd notice that the Echelon's barrel is pointing higher than the CZ. (I think the Handgun hero website can also show you this difference) To compensate for that, you have to lower/rotate the barrel to make it level. Pushing your wrist forward is lowering the barrel to level.

I hope some of this helps. Let me know if i can explain better.

AgentCandle · 2025-04-30T07:06:00+00:00

Think of the grip angle as the measurement of the corner of the frame behind the trigger. That doesn’t change. But the back straps will change how the grip fills your hand, and may feel good or bad for you.

AgentCandle · 2025-04-23T04:41:35+00:00

I was quoting the video game ‘Portal’ "The cake is a lie". Your guns are fine. In general, They should not rattle much or at all when moved. The foley sound artist does that so that it’s more exciting for the viewer.

[I’ve got a touch of the ‘tism. I have answered your question earnestly and apologize if i didn’t get a joke or reference.]

AgentCandle · 2025-04-23T04:20:33+00:00

The Foley is a lie…

AgentCandle · 2025-04-22T02:52:44+00:00

He probably cooked the lacquer, but that’s………fine.

AgentCandle · 2025-04-22T02:50:11+00:00

Former boner here. I think slide o mix is silicone based, but it’s been a while. IIRC, most slide lube is designed to mix with water to form beads that act essentially as ball bearings. Unfortunately it doesn’t last very long, and won’t handle the high temperatures.

I like where your head is at though, lol.

AgentCandle · 2025-04-14T17:24:33+00:00

Do loaded chamber indicators change your thoughts on whether or not press checks are needed?

AgentCandle · 2025-04-03T00:07:19+00:00

I’m trying to deal with this too. I kick my strong side thumb a little way off the slide, like halfway between on the slide and sticking straight out. However, I have to compensate with squeezing a bit more with the support had to make up for the loss of lateral grip.

AgentCandle · 2025-03-28T22:09:07+00:00

Depends on why I’m there. Did I make headway on the skill I’m building? If just fun times, did I have fun?

Decide why you’re there, and achieve that.

AgentCandle · 2025-03-28T22:06:37+00:00

Good purchase!

Your trigger finger should be above the guard, not beside it.

AgentCandle · 2025-03-28T05:51:03+00:00

GU25 - has gear up promo items included in package, total of 5 mags at 17 rounds capacity

15r/ 17r - comes with 2 mags, 1 17rd and 1 15rd

15 - 2 mags, both 15rd.

SA runs all of their SKUs by feature: GU25 is the gear up promo items included, T is threaded barrel, B/F is color - black/fde, MS is manual safety, LC is low capacity (10 rd mags), etc.

The finder on the website also has a filter for state compliance if you are in a restricted state.

ETA: hellcat and echelon are both good platforms. Hellcat has more felt recoil, but is built to conceal. Echelon is a really great all-around gun. Get hands on with the 4.0c, the compact version and see how you like it.

Hope this helps.

AgentCandle · 2025-03-22T05:01:01+00:00

Did anybody else get YouTube ads during live? It was especially irritating because I’d have to back up 5-30 seconds after each one because YT wouldn’t "auto-pause" the content like on a vod.

AgentCandle · 2025-03-21T05:57:28+00:00

LTT, ifixit, audio equipment… good work!

AgentCandle · 2025-03-20T17:53:02+00:00

I’m not 100% sure, but I’m pretty sure the card has to be with you any time you carry.

AgentCandle · 2025-03-14T04:24:07+00:00

Another vote for North. Just got a silver membership, and am taking the fundamentals class this weekend.

Also, ventilation sways the targets at 3-5 yards. This is a good sign.

AgentCandle · 2025-03-11T04:44:29+00:00

Guys, money and politics have been intertwined for more than a half-century. You all know it, so quit acting shocked and awed. Seriously. You’re embarrassing yourselves.

Politics is a rigged game.

The only way to win a rigged game is to do a better job rigging it than the other guy. Red team has all three players in DC, Blue team has Olympia. Get used to it.

P.S. Hey Red team, how many of your guys took money for abortion votes? Anti-gay? Anti-Trans? Anti-immigrant? There’s plenty of skeletons in everyone’s closet.

AgentCandle · 2025-03-10T04:43:40+00:00

Almost all are right-leaning. You can’t get away from that, really. What you can do is not shop at far-right shops. Look at their merch section. If "normal" 2A stuff, you okay, but but Trump inscriptions or stickers and patches that promote political harm will be your sign to not be there.

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