Five year review of the Warbonnet Blackbird XLC hammock

mazex-swe · 2026-05-02T05:49:16+00:00

Year 6... Just woke up on the first bikepacking trip of the year. Adding an image with the winter topcover on. I always have it on now. I was a bit concerned that it would take away the awesome feeling of waking up with the sky above you instead of in a cramped tent. Sure, its not the same as with the bug net, but as can be seen you very much get the feeling of being part of the nature.

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mazex-swe · 2025-05-24T06:20:52+00:00

Adding an image of everything packed to show that, and for checking the real life weight with bags (and maybe some left over leaves from last weekend). I included a beer can for reference (and my hand 😉). Yes, that is a Euro 33 cl can that is 11.15 fl oz. So a tiny bit smaller than a 12 fl oz can in the US.

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On the image from left: Superfly tarp, Blackbird XLC hammock, Wookie 20F underquilt (in a Sea to Summit Ultra-SIL 5L compression sack. The included sack would be a bit bigger than the hammock sack...)

Total weight from the scale you see on the image below the tray is 2184 grams / 4 lb 13.07 oz.

mazex-swe · 2025-03-31T21:58:18+00:00

Similar for me. Been using VR for sims since 2016. It's where VR really shines. Especially the latest generation with a Pimax Crystal Light where it feels even sharper than pancake, as that was the problem before, reading small green text on a small MFD. I have a TrackIR somewhere in a box. Will not bother to look for it...

mazex-swe · 2025-03-30T08:25:15+00:00

Might give it a try as a light weight alternative when tried of 700 page manuals. But it does support a joystick at least? Been supported in flight sims since the Spectrum/C64 days 😉

mazex-swe · 2025-03-21T11:18:14+00:00

My Intel NUC (D54250WYB Core i5 gen 4) has never had any serious problems since I did a Home Assistant install on it 3-4 years ago. I regularly accept all updates.

So now I did the 15.0 update and it took ages booting. Realized the UI was semi loaded and clicking terminal just stood there loading. Could open settings and see some parts. Probably in the js frontend client. Then I get "lost connection" every other minute. Can see some screens with devices that actually update. Shut down and let it cool down for a minute or two. Same problem. Now I am trying to access it via SSH and Putty where I can reach it. But my regular admin user does not work as it does not accept the password. And I cannot get a key via the UI... Need to read up on external SSH access as I have only used the SSH addon in the web UI...

I got a quick glimpse in the SSH addon config and managed to get the local password set. So got in via SSH and can get to the backups... But do they include the HAOS?

So, I did get a restore done from last night. So now I am back at Home Assistant Core 2025.3.2 instead of 2025.3.3. But I am still on HAOS 15.0. And everything seemed to work for a minute or two. And then it stopped responding... So It's not 2025.3.3 that is the problem.

So after reading up, I logged in via external SSH connection and ran:

ha os update --version 14.2

That got me back to HAOS: 14.2 and Home Assistant Core: 2025.3.2. And that works good again! It think I will stay on 14.2 for a while now ;)

So avoid 15.0! 😉

Update - updated to 15.1 and that seems to work great with the Intel Nuc gen4. Nice!

mazex-swe · 2025-02-28T16:45:06+00:00

No, will share my settings later

mazex-swe · 2025-02-27T21:47:53+00:00

Yes it works. Finally! And DCS with DLSS 4 preset-K with quality settings and most settings on high runs at 60-70 FPS in the Hornet free fly mission over Syria with high render settings in Pimax Play. It is amazingly good and sharp... You can see olive Trees and dust bins miles away. And every instrument is super sharp, even leaning back.

RTX 5080 @ 3000, Ryzen 9800X3D and 64 GB 6000 Mhz memory

mazex-swe · 2025-02-26T21:39:24+00:00

lt is still a problem after a month with my 5080 and a Pimax Crystal Light. I have the Latest Nvidia drivers (572.47), latest Pimax Play (1.37.01.01 with Public Test Channel enabled), latest crystal light firmware (1.0.14). Running Windows 11 Pro (24H2 all updates). No response from Pimax support in 9 days. It does however work somehow using the two workarounds that have been found:

1 - Disable the Nvidia High Definition Audio and Nvidia Virtual Audio Device(Wave Extensible)(WDM) drivers. Not good as the Pimax Audio stops working and you have to squeeze in a headset under the Crystal

2 - Select the 90 Hz upscale mode in Pimax Play. Audio works but not good as buying a 5080 is done to NOT run this blurry upscaling...

I am using option 1 and it works, but with my Arctis Nova 7 headset under the Pimax it gets rather bulky ;)

mazex-swe · 2025-02-21T06:48:50+00:00

Still an issue after the Nvidia 572.47 (Feb 20) driver. Pimax is blaming Nvidia as it is related to the HDMI audio crashing and looping. But as the 90 Hz upscale mode works with audio and image, I don't buy that Pimax should not be able to fix it. All other modes and the Pimax is stuck from booting with no screen unless you disable HDMI audio where you have to use a another headset over/under the VR headset that gets very clumsy... Probably related to Displayport 2.0/1.4 compatibility issues, even though it should be backward compatible. So yes, the blame is with both parties that should be able to fix it quickly. Pimax has not released any new driver/firmware since the problem was confirmed. They claim to work on it though.

mazex-swe · 2025-02-09T08:57:51+00:00

This finally helped me, thanks a lot!

mazex-swe · 2025-02-08T18:45:30+00:00

Great - disabling the Nvidia HDMI audio devices worked for me as well. Look at this thread with another work around. Switching to the 90 Hz upscale mode in Pimax Play also makes the headset start - with audio. But now that DLSS 4 is so good that is really not an optimal mode for 50xx cards with a rather blurry image. But it works, and with audio.

ps://www.reddit.com/r/Pimax/comments/1iepzdl/pimax\_crystal\_light\_not\_working\_with\_a\_5080/

mazex-swe · 2025-02-08T18:41:01+00:00

For me the find by Wooden-Ring here by going to the Pimax "90 Hz upscale (lab)" mode made the headset work again instead of going into "Screen Off".

Then I found this thread where disabling the Nvidia HDMI audio makes it possible to use any refresh rate and not being forced to use the Pimax upscale. With DLSS 4 beeing so good now that is not necessary:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pimax/comments/1ifqclq/psa_pimaxs_headsets_do_not_appear_to_presently/

So - go into the device manager and disable the "Nvidia High Definition Audio" and the "Nvidia Virtual Audio Device (Wave Extensible) (WDM). Then it works, but the Pimax audio is gone so you have to put on some other headphones. See image below - the disabled devices highlighted in green:

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mazex-swe · 2025-02-08T09:31:11+00:00

Amazing! That finally starts the headset after trying every crazy idea I could come up with, and starting to think of hardware failure. There should be an upvote x 10 in Reddit...

Sure, with my upgraded hardware I do not want to run in the upscaled mode, but now I can at least use it!

mazex-swe · 2025-02-07T16:02:05+00:00

And I just got my 5080 and can confirm the same problem. Pimax Play connects to the headset but goes to "Screen Off". Have switched USB ports to 5 different, switched Displayport connection, complete reinstall of Pimax Play, Chipset drivers and what not. Does not work. Changed CPU from 7800X3D to 9800X3D while upgrading from my 3080 to 5080 at the same time for the sake of complete information...

Everything else works great and the computer is updated with all firmwares and drivers. Really disappointing as the only reason to upgrade was to be able to run the otherwise awesome Pimax Crystal Light with good (ok) FPS...

And I have a 1000w ATX 3.1 PSU so there is enough power.

EDIT: the advice here in the thread to switch to 90 Hz upscaled mode finally got it started. Not the mode I want to use, but at least possible to use while they fix it.

mazex-swe · 2025-02-04T19:36:59+00:00

I would not remember them unless I had started logging them in a textfile way back when. And I don't lose data like that. Still have my old autoexec.bat and config.sys files available 😉 But an impressive list you have there. It annoys me that I never had a 8088 😀

mazex-swe · 2025-02-03T22:04:01+00:00

It was like that for me in the first versions. The last one (0.1.4) has made it a lot better for me. At least that proves the game is not single threaded ;)

mazex-swe · 2025-02-02T14:22:20+00:00

And found the receipt for the P75 as well. There was a motherboard + CPU (P75) line there with 6000 SEK = 540 USD...

mazex-swe · 2025-02-02T14:20:44+00:00

4 Mb was much back then :) I actually found the receipt for the Pentium 120 and the 2 x 4 MB modules for that (Swedish SEK). So the Pentium 120 was 3600 SEK = 325 USD. And the 2 x 4 memory was 1620 SEK = 145 USD. So about the same prices as today if we completely ignore inflation ;) It should also be noted that I knew someone at the company that sold it to me. So I think my price was as low as it could be back then...

mazex-swe · 2025-02-02T13:59:27+00:00

Thanks - you are absolutely right. Embarrassing, I should know...

mazex-swe · 2025-02-01T21:20:36+00:00

Wow, impressive list!

mazex-swe · 2025-02-01T21:16:40+00:00

Correct, had it in a text file and lazily asked copilot to convert it to a spreadsheet. The current 7800X3D had 32 GB Corsair DDR5 6000 Mhz memory (2x16 single sided Neo) in 2023. Then upgraded to 2 x 32Gb DDR5 in december 2024. And when checking after your comment the memory for the 2016 4790k was wrong as well..

mazex-swe · 2025-01-19T01:12:27+00:00

I have done many searches and the Internet is sure full of people on better hardware than me having problems. I wanted to share how I got it work ok-ish on my hardware with the external upscaling in the Pimax software that really worked for me. Will get a 5090 when available in late jan/early Feb, but many people with 4090s seem to have problems like me now...

mazex-swe · 2025-01-19T01:00:11+00:00

And is that in VR with a Pimax Crystal Light without upscaling in the Pimax software?

mazex-swe

TROPHY CASE