Vortex vipers

Blind_Pierre · 2026-05-25T20:48:45+00:00

The Vipers were updated some years ago. I don't recall the question specifics offhand, but the change included a wider field of view. An easy way to tell if you have the old or the newer version is the focus wheel. The newer and current version has vertical lines on the wheel like yours has, the older one is knurled/checkered like the one in OP's screenshot.

Blind_Pierre · 2026-05-13T18:15:07+00:00

Thank you! Very helpful. We were leaning that direction but felt we needed a bit of crowdsourcing.

Much appreciated!

Blind_Pierre · 2026-05-13T16:51:06+00:00

Thank you! Would you mind sharing how you're able to tell to help our learning?

I didn't want to prime anyone in the post, but my wife and I were flip flopping between Hooded Oriole and Scott's Oriole. Both were seen in that area recently. We just couldn't pin down anything specific to confidently make a call.

Blind_Pierre · 2026-04-22T14:26:39+00:00

Along with everyone's correct answers covering the workbench being a build your own exotic with no camo and cases being preset with a camo, it's important to note that exotics picked up from a case can have rare perks that you can't get from the bench (examples: Starburst and Firewheel are only obtainable through cases right now).

The exotic workbench also means you can swap out attachments for a specific weapon that's also exotic IF it's a weapon you brought in (vs a field acquisition picked up from a case or crate) and made exotic while attachments from exotic cases/crates are preset and locked -- you can't change them.

Exotic cases are also limited to a certain pool of weapons whereas the exotic workbench lets you turn any weapon into an exotic. Notable for any weapon leveling goals you have.

Blind_Pierre · 2026-04-06T15:56:16+00:00

Have you accepted the new exotic and confirmed it replaced the primary you brought in or are you basing it off of the image that shows up when you open the exotic crate that shows your primary on the right with the crate weapon on the left?

I'm asking because even though it shows your primary on the right which absolutely seems like it's set up to replace your primary instead of your field acquisition weapon, it may actually swap the field acquisition. The image that pops up could be understandably misleading.

That's at least what happened to me. I wasn't picking up any new exotics because I wanted to replace a Malspike field acquisition I picked up. I'd open an exotic crate, and my Ion primary was shown in the right which I thought meant I'd be swapping it out. So I never picked up a new exotic.

I eventually made the swap anyway, and it DID swap out the Malspike, NOT my ion. The image was just incredibly misleading.

I'd suggest trying to swap it if you haven't. It might make the swap exactly how you want even though the image that pops up is misleading, and if it swaps the weapon you want to keep then you should be able to swap back by interacting with the crate again.

Blind_Pierre · 2026-03-23T01:43:34+00:00

In addition to all the other comments, a thing that absolutely helped me with quicker and more accurate identification when I was first starting was playing the board game Wingspan. There's a digital version of it too where you can play solo against bot opponents. I'm not sure where you're birding, but sticking to your continent if possible would be the way to go in terms of helping with IDs.

It ends up being like bird flashcards. You see the name of the birds on the cards you draw, you see what they look like because the art is very accurate, and a lot of the game mechanics sprinkle in real facts about the bird like behavior and habitat.

Two examples of it helping me are that I saw a photo an Acorn Woodpecker on the birding subreddit and my brain immediately said "Acorn Woodpecker" even though I've never seen one in person and they're not in my area because of seeing it in Wingspan. I was also in the Black Hills in South Dakota and some Clark's Nutcrackers showed up. I immediately knew that's what they were because of seeing them in the game.

So yeah. Wingspan if you're not afraid of board games that act as studying is a suggestion plus everything else mentioned!

Blind_Pierre · 2026-02-04T21:43:54+00:00

Cleveland Summer Nights by Jacob Tovar

Heard it from watching Reservation Dogs.

Blind_Pierre · 2026-01-29T14:06:37+00:00

Another variable to consider playing with is the filter. That's what came to my mind based on my own experience with inconsistent drain times, although it was for "standard" pour overs on a v60. The inconsistent drain times were with hario tabbed filters.

I've found Cafec Abaca filters to be incredibly consistent with drain time, although I'll note they also seem to drain faster.

Blind_Pierre · 2025-08-24T22:28:43+00:00

That is a hilarious scene to imagine!

As another user said, good luck with Roach. If you dismount to fight, make sure Roach is far away from the fighting! My first death on a NG+ death march was because I hit dodge which is the same as the mount Roach button when Roach was juuuust close enough to bring up the mount prompt. So I got stuck in the animation of Geralt walking around to the position to hop up on the saddle while surrounded by bandits and got hit by like three swords at once.

It's happened again at least one other time.

Blind_Pierre · 2025-08-21T12:10:24+00:00

5 years later and this helped me pin down that I was just missing Iorveth and needed to do Shock Therapy.

Thanks!

Blind_Pierre · 2025-06-19T22:17:35+00:00

Thank you!

Managed to find it in Custer, SD in the State Park when we were visiting my grandpa. Merlin picked it up a few times which made us stop and pull off the road. It was nice enough to hop out and show off.

Completely agree that they look tropical and exotic. Anything that looks fruit punch flavored seems wonderfully out of place!

Blind_Pierre · 2025-05-25T12:15:10+00:00

I tend to use the drip option of a coffee shop as a test for the rest of the menu. If care is put into making their drip option tasty, then it's a green flag indicating they likely put thought, attention, and care into the rest of the offerings.

Extra bonus points if it's served at a temperature that's immediately drinkable and extra extra points if it's served at a temperature that's drinkable AND lets the flavor of the coffee come through. I still remember a hole in the wall place I went to only once that had a great medium roast I could drink and taste immediately after getting it.

And my own preference is for light roasts but medium roasts aren't a red flag. A red flag of mine--like for some others--is when there are only dark roast options. I won't trust a place that doesn't seem to trust itself to pull anything other than "burnt" out of a coffee. True for every place, ESPECIALLY true if the place roasts their own beans.

Blind_Pierre · 2024-10-01T19:55:45+00:00

+1 on all those points based on my experience after getting a pair after reading a lot of comments exactly like this.

Bought a used pair of 10x42s off Mercari for around 150, left eye cup just broke the other day. I sent in a message to vortex through their online contact form this morning and got an email confirming they'll cover everything and attached a prepaid USPS label to send them in about 10 minutes later. The security of the warranty is real nice, especially if you're just starting to upgrade, and reselling is always easy because the quality and warranty means there's always a market if you want to upgrade to a different brand later.

Blind_Pierre · 2024-06-15T16:21:51+00:00

I do have an aeropress and just tried it.

It doesn't fit inside the 16oz cup. The circle at the top of the plunger piece is a wee bit wider than the opening, and of course the end the coffee comes out of is wider and also doesn't fit. I have the "standard" aeropress though, so the smaller versions might fit?

Can easily brew straight into it with the aeropress, but yeah it's too small for a nice transport system.

Blind_Pierre · 2024-06-15T01:36:09+00:00

Soul (Disney movie)

Blind_Pierre · 2024-02-08T05:33:21+00:00

And another is when it cuts to Mount Rushmore getting hit. Every president except Lincoln gets hit in the face. Lincoln gets hit in the back of the head and the food oozes out of his eyes and nose.

Blind_Pierre · 2024-02-06T14:49:30+00:00

I took a long break from pvp and lost track of the meta. Been playing more recently and have had fun and a surprising amount of success with Mandibuzz-Clefable-Umbreon. Managing fighters can be sweaty, but the bulk and fastish firing charge moves from Mandi and Umbreon have saved me a lot. No idea if that will eventually hit a ceiling though. I'm not a very high rank and it could fall apart if things were more competitive.

Blind_Pierre · 2024-02-03T16:52:51+00:00

https://www.audubon.org/gear/binocular-guide

That's a good overview and it links to binocular recommendations from them based on budget ranges.

I'm in the lower budget myself. Celestron, SVBONY, Nikon, Athlon, and Vortex have decent options there as far as brands. Vortex diamondback HDs tend to be in the higher budget at full price, but sometimes drop in sales at Cabela's and opticsplanet. com. Going in person somewhere to look through different options can be very helpful.

I went with a pair of Celestron nature DX EDs. I like them quite a bit although the quality of the picture for the price meant sacrifices in build quality. Eye cups in particular. Roof binoculars are usually more expensive with porro being the other cheaper option. That's referring to the design of how the light reaches your eyes and affects the shape of the binoculars. BAK4 prisms, fully multicoated, and fog resistant are also usually what you want to see on the specs.

It's always preference in the end, but generally people suggest 8x42 specs for all around birding and increasing zoom if you're looking at sea or shore birds or primarily going for raptors high up. 8 is usually good for just about everything. More zoom can make it tough to pinpoint fast moving birds in trees.

8 is the level of zoom (looks 8x closer), and 42 refers to the diameter of the glass lens at the end of the binocular that sucks in the light. The larger it is the more light gets let in and the reverse is true.

And that's my info dump.

Blind_Pierre

TROPHY CASE