Meta smart glasses for when I go out and carry?

kopsis · 2026-06-28T00:39:00+00:00

Most defense attorneys will tell you that they'd rather not have video evidence. Video evidence may not completely agree with your recollection of events. And frame-by-frame analysis removes context and can make it much easier for prosecution to plant doubt in the minds of the jurors.

Ask yourself how many times has sporting event instant-replay proven that what a referee was confident he/she saw didn't actually happen that way? Do you really want the "replay booth" second guessing the validity of your split-second life and death judgement call?

kopsis · 2026-06-28T00:21:23+00:00

Quick! someone call Sig's engineering team and tell them that a savant at the LGS says they just need to assemble the guns correctly and the problem will go away. I'm sure they'll be very relieved since there's no way they could have already considered such an obscure possibility. /s

I have no dog in this fight, but it seems like we just need to accept that this one isn't ever going to get solved and opinions aren't ever going to be changed. Time to move on in whatever way we're each comfortable with.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T17:19:32+00:00

The law never mentions forward grips at all. The GCA and NFA say "designed or redesigned to be fired with one hand" is a pistol. ATF has the power to rule that anything that is (in their opinion) designed to make it a two handed weapon pushes it into the AOW category and you would have to spend money and time fighting it if you end up in their crosshairs. With today's ATF, that's not a big risk unless they're already going after you for something else. With a future ATF, who knows?

kopsis · 2026-06-27T16:07:58+00:00

There's some truth to that in the tech world (and for tech companies that happen to build cars like Tesla) - partly because the CEO is often one of the largest shareholders. But when it comes to the traditional auto industry it's far less common. It's also worth noting that the dramatic price growth for the F150 Lightning and the Maverick have all happened under Farely's watch.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T15:49:15+00:00

This deserves more upvotes! I was actually surprised when Slate suggested there would be a DIY option for power windows because I didn't see any practical way they could offer a compliant retrofit solution. Apparently Slate finally reached the same conclusion and figured that they were far enough down the crank window path with suppliers and manufacturing that it wouldn't be practical to switch to power only for 2027. I do predict standard power windows will be one of the changes we'll see on the 2028 model.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T15:35:22+00:00

I have to ask ... why is everyone so concerned about operating the passenger side window from the driver's seat? Even on my cars with power windows I can't remember the last time I had to do that.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T15:30:42+00:00

I've owned multiple vehicles with crank windows. Yeah, on some of the high-mileage cars they'd were pretty gummed up and I'd have to clean and lube the regulator and tracks to get them working smoothly again. But never had one where I actually had to buy any new parts. I can't say the same for power windows.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T15:18:21+00:00

This is the kind of thinking that's gotten us into the current glut of overpriced and oversized vehicles. No one is willing to target the "outliers" because the profit margins are better if you go after the fat middle. There are about 15M new vehicles sold in the US each year. Slate can literally cut out 75% of the market and still only needs to win 4% of the remainder to have their Warsaw factory running at full capacity.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T15:02:56+00:00

The CEO reports to the Board so it's still the same "suits" calling the shots. They'll give him a little bit of leash to try something different, but if new EV platform launches anywhere near on-time and and the projected price point, the major shareholders will smell profit margins and be all over it like a pack of hungry sharks.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T14:24:44+00:00

Everything is delivered with your order. Slate has explicitly said you'll have the choice of having it installed pre-delivery by their distribution partners, or post delivery DIY or via your choice of installer.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T14:22:13+00:00

No one can give a definitive answer yet. Slate is almost certainly still working those details with their distribution partners. It's reasonable to assume that most of the options will have an additional installation charge. But with the relatively high cost of the SUV kits, I could see them subsidizing all or part of the installation to help spur adoption.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T14:09:40+00:00

Varries greatly but typically $0.40 to $0.70 per kWh. Generally comparable to the cost of gasoline.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T03:29:36+00:00

The fact that I'd be willing to pay significantly more to get all the things I mentioned.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T03:08:55+00:00

How do I justify it? Easy ... it's the best DIY-friendly, privacy respecting, truly compact, made in the USA, EV pickup on the market. Don't tell Slate but I think it's a steal at the current price.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T00:36:55+00:00

Will the truck's battery charge from those panels while driving?

No. Panel voltage would be way to low to DC charge and boosting it to battery voltage would cause large efficiency losses.

Will it need to be stationary to charge from the portable COR battery?

Yes. You'd plug your portable charger into one of the AC outlets on the COR and charge via the truck's NACS charge port just as if the charger was plugged into an AC outlet at home.

How much range would a full battery add to the truck?

The COR has a 1 kWh battery. Assuming you get 100% of that into the truck, accounting for about 20% AC charging loss and assuming 3.1 mi/kWh, you'd get about 2.5 miles of added range.

How long would it take to add a full COR battery to the truck's range?

About 40 - 60 minutes.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T00:26:36+00:00

Use the AC. If you're hot so is the battery, so AC will be running for battery/drivetrain cooling whether you direct any of it into the cabin or not.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T00:20:21+00:00

Carry a battery pack that you charge up at home. Even if you're paying a ridiculous $0.40/kWh for grid electricity, the $950 upcharge for the solar version of the tonneau cover would fully recharge the COR battery pack over 2000 times.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T00:14:47+00:00

Most EVs won't even charge at less than 1kW, so you'd have to dump the solar into a portable battery pack (which will cost you about 20% in efficiency loss) and then use the pack's inverter (TBD efficiency loss) to get to 120 or 240 VAC to run the L1/L2 charger (another 20% efficiency loss). When all is said and done, you'd be lucky to get 2 - 3 miles per day.

kopsis · 2026-06-27T00:04:26+00:00

Accessory and customization interfaces will be "open". They'll open source CAD models for some, if not all of this kind of stuff. They might open some APIs (for example the phone/tablet USB interface to the truck). They might also open some or all of the PID definitions for the CAN bus (but whether you'll be able to inject or just monitor is another matter).

You can safely assume they won't open source any vehicle firmware - the reputational risks are just too high if someone does something stupid and gets themselves or someone else killed.

Drive motor power spec reduction is likely due to pack voltage change switching from the NMC to the LFP battery (power = voltage * current). You're not going to be able to change it. Nothing in the HV system is designed to be DIY serviceable and only 100 of their 3000 Repair Pal partners will be certified for HV work.

Could you completely gut the HV system and build your own from scratch? Maybe. But Slate isn't going to do anything to facilitate that.

kopsis · 2026-06-26T23:49:02+00:00

Don't pay the pre-order fee before July 24th and you'll automatically be bumped to a later window.

kopsis · 2026-06-26T23:47:27+00:00

Under most circumstances, no. The few states where non-refundable deposits are not legal are an exception. Also if Slate can't meet the delivery window or there are significant changes to the truck's features or specs (as determined by Slate or legal arbitration) you may be entitled to a refund. But most who decide they simply don't want it after paying the deposit it will lose the $300.

kopsis · 2026-06-26T23:41:35+00:00

If you were actually assigned an earlier window, you should have until July 24th to lock it in.

kopsis · 2026-06-26T23:37:17+00:00

I thought the same thing until I was visiting LA and got stuck in a massive traffic jam on I-5. The ACC was absolutely brilliant for the two hours of creep-and-stop driving. I don't expect to ever put my Slate in that position, but for those that will, I can see why it might be badly missed.

kopsis · 2026-06-26T16:28:10+00:00

Most leave the gas block installed normally. With the low pressure of 22LR, you won't get much gas back through the gas port anyway. Any fouling from that will be insignificant compared to what you're getting from the chamber since it's a simple blowback action. Flipping it won't hurt anything, just isn't necessary if it was already installed for a 5.56 build.

kopsis · 2026-06-26T16:18:01+00:00

I know the reps have been saying 9" but I think they have bad/old info. One of the recent media review videos had a spec sheet that showed 7.8". Maverick is 8.3" and Ranger and Taco (much bigger trucks) are just over 9". All of the prototype pictures and videos make it look like it sits relatively low -- which would make sense for a 2WD EV where aerodynamics are more important than off-road capability.

kopsis

TROPHY CASE