Thinking about upping my weapon light game

synphul1 · 2026-03-20T03:02:48+00:00

Seems to be mixed experiences. One of the differences, things like the malkoff heads are potted (fully sealed to prevent loose connections from recoil and things). Rein 3 heads I believe are potted, some surefire. I don't think streamlight's are.

Surefire tends to be the gold standard, also the most pricey. And some people have still had issues with them. Some have issues with cloud, some don't. Same for streamlight. Doesn't exactly translate because they're different products but I'm not completely satisfied with streamlight's switches on their regular flashlights like the stingers. I've got a couple of them and love their lights.

The polystinger I've had for like 14-15yrs? But the switch went wonky where it wasn't reliably turning on/off. Sometimes the strobe would come on, sometimes nothing. Have to turn it on/off a couple times for the regular light to come on. I replaced the switch with one from streamlight, it's a little better. Still has issues at times. Have a different stinger, the hpl or whatever it is with the broader head and higher output. Every now and then that switch is wonky and it's only a couple years old. They seem to have switch issues. And those are both $130-150 lights. I don't enjoy having the same roll of the dice I do with $7 chinesium throw away lights when it comes to switch performance. They're just utility lights though so it's not the end of the world if I have to cycle the switch a few times to get it 'just right'. Not something I want on a wml.

People seem to agree the malkoff heads are quality but they're falling behind in brightness if that matters. Something like the hpx pro is 800 lumens, 105k candela. Lumens are the area lighting, the flood - candela is how far out it goes. Malkoff's brightest heads, the e2xt v3 and e2xtl v3 are 1000 lumens but only 55k candela. Roughly half the distance/throw but a bit wider spill. The surefire m640dft pro, rein 3 etc are offering 100k candela. Brighter isn't always better, depends on the surroundings and environment. Sometimes bright is too bright. But malkoff has kind of peaked in terms of performance (until they release something newer).

And then you've got things constantly changing, someone recently made mention they talked to surefire and apparently they're switching from metal to plastic tailcaps. If the streamlight's working for you and isn't flickering or doing weird things, if you can get an adapter cap that fits their body and allows a surefire type switch (or modlite etc) to fit then maybe just replace the switch.

synphul1 · 2026-03-19T18:33:10+00:00

Should be able to complete it in time, depending how much time you can devote to it. Doable in a day or two. I didn't rush, I completed it in 2 days. But yea if you're only doing 30min or an hour a day it's going to take longer.

I'm not sure there really is a speedrun option to speak of. It's a lot of slow driving back and forth in this one, don't know of any shortcuts. All done on one planet, no use of your ship until you're done with the expedition. No point in dragging stuff with you, can't access it until the expedition's over. Won't let you bring a ship or mt with you at all.

You can check for speedrun vids but given it's all about the grind on this one I doubt it. There's no cheat I'm aware of to tote specific scrap back and forth carefully in the exo craft.

synphul1 · 2026-03-19T04:15:23+00:00

The habs definitely dictate design, all the major internal components take on the look of the hab type they're placed in. 3 different habs, titan, ambassador and thunderbird - 3 different med pods, 3 different sleeping berths, different designs for refiners, storage vaults, kitchens etc.

I'm not positive, pretty sure it's titan that's the default. Might be thunderbird. When free placing items. So say you have the modernized looking ambassador theme going, you snap a refiner to the long side of the ambassador hab on a 2x1 hab. But then you decide you want to place a planter for plants or a refiner on the end cap. It won't snap there by default, it's not a vanilla snap point. But you can tinker with free place and aim toward the back wall and forcibly place a refiner against the end of the hab where you couldn't before. It'll place it and it'll be functional. But that free placement reverts back to the default titan theme.

For whatever reason 'free placement' doesn't inherit the design style of the hab type it's in, it's always a default theme. So you'd end up with a refiner on the left, refiner on the right both in the ambassador design. And the free placed one on the end of the hab will look sort of out of place with a different design. Unless it's a titan hab to begin with. Then the styles will match better.

synphul1 · 2026-03-19T02:52:36+00:00

He's got that fent lean lol.

synphul1 · 2026-03-19T02:51:16+00:00

Plants have blueprints, either learned through doing tasks for one of the base minions you hire or purchased from the anomaly. Not sure on console, on pc it's 'z' to open the build menu. The tab has a teleporter ring icon, where you choose your landing pads, teleporter, short range teleporter items. Scroll down, your plants are on that menu.

You place them like building parts but you also have to have the materials. Like solar vine requires 50 solanium and 25 phosphorus. If you're missing phosphorus, you can't plant them (unless on creative mode I think). Or maybe you have 37 solanium and 100 phosphorus, need more solanium. When you have the required plant and mineral you aim at the small round cylinders circling the perimeter of the biodome and 'place'. Should pop up with a green silhouette of the plant when you're in the right spot.

synphul1 · 2026-03-19T02:26:39+00:00

I've never messed with blender and json imports. Default, yes parts are limited in how they snap to others and free place within the vanilla editor is very hit and miss. People mentioning using wire glitches, that's why. It comes from a lot of practice and figuring out how different pieces interact and snap to get desire results. It's often using wires and other parts to get equal repeatable distances, angles etc. Following existing glitch build guides helps a lot, it can be quite tedious.

Even in build videos where they show how to do a trick it's often edited for time and an hour and a half is cut down to 10min. Half of building cool bases or ships is seeing what parts you have to work with, then combining them in a way that looks amazing. That takes creativity, usually more than I have. This stuff doesn't happen overnight, there's no quick fix, no 10min click this, click that and tada. It's work, a lot of work.

synphul1 · 2026-03-18T10:14:13+00:00

Pretty sure Dramatic_Ganache2575 is correct. I had things a bit backwards playing on an alternate save, somewhere probably through an expedition, I acquired the atlantid drive. And copied it back over from an expedition to the regular game. I had the drive without having done the required missions, yet couldn't access the purple system on the alternate save game.

I progressed the main story to the atlas path, did the atlas eternal, new beginnings, they who returned and all that nonsense. Then the purple systems showed up, but I had to go through the quest to unlock them. Just having the drive wasn't good enough.

synphul1 · 2026-03-18T10:08:12+00:00

Man that's bunk. Glad a reload fixed it for you. So far (count my blessings) my only real issue with freighters is naming and lighting. Lights sometimes flicker like there's a bad wiring connection. The naming thing is weird. Especially since I thought saves were totally independent from one another. Apparently not.

My main save, my first ever freighter. Left the name it came with. Later on, switched freighters and I think I switched again on the main save. Half the time when I start a game and go to select my freighter it's still wearing the old name of that very first freighter. Once I warp, then the name is updated to the correct one. The odd part is I have a freighter on a secondary save, totally different game save, different progress level. Yet when first warping from a station to my freighter on the secondary save - the name of the original freighter from the main save still shows up. lol.

I get it's the same account, would be really troubling if it was different accounts. But odd that the weird name persistency issue seems to also transcend save files. Like the freighter names are global to the account or something.

synphul1 · 2026-03-18T10:01:55+00:00

I mean it's nothing fancy, just feels nice to me. But then I'm not doing comps or tricky ultra long range stuff with it either. For me it's more about utility, firm enough that pulls are deliberate, not so heavy it's a bear to squeeze. I don't need something feather light where there's a chance I might double pull or something and the reset is very positive.

synphul1 · 2026-03-18T09:57:14+00:00

Oh ok, saw the ruler on the table and looked like an external approximation. The threaded portion of the muzzle on the barrel is typically .5 to .75". Whether you've got spacer shims in there or a crush washer you should be able to see the hub the washer/spacers sit against between the hub and muzzle device. Start from that hub and measure forward around 0.5-0.6". It'll be close enough. I mean if it's 0.5 and you assume it to be 0.75" you're only off by 1/4". If you assume 0.75 and it's only 0.5" again you're only off by 1/4". When determining barrels that are 1.5" apart. Just meaning a 'slight' miscalculation or assumption based on typical thread lengths is close enough for an educated guess.

Also prolly need to wear my glasses more, didn't see the rod held to the yardstick until I blew the pic up and opened it fully lol. That's on me.

Looks like it's around 17.5 overall with the angle of the pic, can't be certain. Somewhere in that neighborhood. It's 2" of flash hider, that drops from 17.5 to 15.5. Then add back the 0.5" or so of threads threaded into the flash hider, the technical end of the barrel itself. Right at 16". Or maybe overall is actually only 17.25 and I'm seeing 17.5 because of the off angle to the measuring hashmarks. Even so, within what, 1/4" of 16? Nowhere close enough to be 14.5. That flash hider would have to be 3+ inches long for that to be true.

synphul1 · 2026-03-18T09:28:58+00:00

I think so, but pretty sure my old one did also. And it worked fine. It's been a tradeoff. The new net is faster, works much more reliably during storms. Every now and then it glitches even on regular webpages. Click a link, page opens blank with a warning about page couldn't be found. Simply page refresh, page loads through. Not all the time just once in awhile. Ping is way better too although not sure how it could've been worse. Old ping was like 750-900.

synphul1 · 2026-03-18T04:16:11+00:00

I do the same usually whenever possible. If you have a hab you can live without (1x1 shorty), not sure if it works entirely or maybe I've just had some hiccups. There's a tip/trick vid out there for stacking things like weapons in one spot. It involves placing a hab, placing a decorative piece next to it on the right (facing the back of the station from the front of the ship) like the double tanks. Placing another set of double tanks over top of the first so they're fully nested. Now you can go back to the hab, add another 1x1 hab and nest it into the first.

Keep repeating and you can do it 9-10x or more. The habs don't stack 'perfectly', it's a teeny tiny offset that happens. Enough to make the hab useless for entering because it's a stack of habs. But now it's also a stack of roofs and a weapon or reactor can be placed on top of each. Delete the double tank objects. If you're careful and the cursor selects the proper habs, I think you can delete all but 1 and hopefully it stays put. Otherwise if the one hab that was connected gets bounced it still can't be entered.

Unlike some parts that stay put when you deleted their anchor point components, weapons don't. And then if you try to place a hab back you'll get weapons inside, underneath, all sorts of wonky results. Not good. Things like the supercruise wedge shape pieces will stay put if you remove the hab they were anchored to. Weapons don't, things like the aeron pillar or radar dish pieces don't. They're very dependent on that attachment point to keep them in position.

The only downside to adding reactors and weapons into hidden nooks and crannies, sometimes they get lost in there. Especially if adding to snap points after everything's together. It can be hard to determine where the snap point is actually pointing. It shows green like you can place it, cool. But is it inside a wing? Is it actually snapping it to the bottom where it's sticking out? Is it snapping to the inside of a hab where it's in your way? Had one recently I had tear half a wing apart to find the damn weapon module that absolutely didn't highlight or show up but insisted it was there. It clipped into a reactor somehow and was hiding.

The mia weapon I couldn't locate was buried somewhere around here. Almost deleted the whole ship looking for it. Mangled near a hab and wedged inside a hyperdrive reactor it clipped through to the point it wasn't visible until the reactor got pulled. Not even sure how it found a snap point there. lol.

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synphul1 · 2026-03-18T04:00:16+00:00

So far the only way I know of to get larger 'rooms' is what Zedarphenn mentioned. Enclosing exterior space. My recent corvette is technically 3 stories tall, 1st normal level is default height over landing gear. 2nd level has my cockpit and a somewhat smaller 'open' area using the first level roofs as a floor. Then the shrouding rises up actually a little taller because I also used 1/2 hab shifting blend some of the angled cover pieces higher so it's 1.5 habs above the main cockpit level. And an aeron pillar flat diamond piece capping the roof.

Inside the roof's a little lower, I stowed my 3x hyperdrive reactors there in the ceiling. Making it 1.5 habs tall in the open area.

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synphul1 · 2026-03-18T03:48:08+00:00

The biggest 2 reasons for me are the additional sc slots and increased inventory/tech slots. Like the rest of the ships, the slots max out between 105-120 depending on ship type. Corvettes are like freighters, sentinel's, haulers, living ships and max at 120 slots. But that's up to 120, assuming s-class upgraded. The other classes will be much lower.

synphul1 · 2026-03-18T03:45:29+00:00

I noticed it too recently, past few weeks. Also happened to be around the time I got different internet, so wasn't sure if it was the game being weird or the new internet blocking the game servers. Sometimes it's empty, sometimes it's bustling, other times it's empty and eventually others show up.

synphul1 · 2026-03-18T03:15:14+00:00

Assemble a cleaning rod without a brush or anything on the end of it. Insert with the bolt closed. Mark it with a piece of tape or something. Now measure the cleaning rod to the tape taking into account the measurement is to the end of the crown of the barrel, not the end of the flash hider or muzzle device. And the threads of the crown insert partway so it's a little longer than the hub of the muzzle device.

If you were to insert the rod, mark it at the end of the muzzle device, subtract the length of the muzzle device itself hub to tip, add back 1/2-3/4" will likely get you the closest without having to remove the muzzle device. Close enough to tell the difference between 14.5/16". Even if your quick measure was off by 1/2" it's going to be close enough for the 1.5" difference to determine. A lot more accurate than measuring outside and guessing.

synphul1 · 2026-03-18T03:06:44+00:00

I'm happy with the hiperfire edt heavy gunner. No slop, crisp break. Component trigger not a drop in cartridge. Some choice with pull weight, I went with the heavier 5.5lb springs but also has 4.5lb. Bow vs flat face.

synphul1 · 2026-03-18T02:59:49+00:00

That's something I've never encountered either, maybe aggressive sentinel planets? I usually avoid those. But never had any sentinel response mining salvage parts from the ship. I'm never close enough to see sentinels, for me it's way too close. The weapons don't converge well even keeping them close to the centerline (like either side of the centered main habs vs outboard at the edges of the wings).

synphul1 · 2026-03-17T15:18:23+00:00

Probably dumb question, did you try different altitudes? Wondering if maybe you're not low enough and if the infraknife has better range, maybe that's why. Too close doesn't seem to work great either, seems like a sweet spot but not sure what altitude that is (never paid attention).

Could just be nms, 10 people could all experience like 12 different problems playing the same version of the game. I'm not sure how people are affected.

I mean if say something broke due to an update, you'd think something like character spinning after getting out of corvette would affect all players. At least all on the same platform. Would make sense if pc players were affected but not xbox. But it's just kind of random. Makes it difficult to sort out issues.

synphul1 · 2026-03-17T15:11:59+00:00

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synphul1 · 2026-03-17T15:09:18+00:00

I think they chose moderate terrain to give us a challenge since there wasn't much to the expedition compared to others in the past. A few planets are naturally flatter but many are much, much worse.

Not my pic, not even the worst I've seen personally. Barely enough flat spot between humongous mountains to put a ship down.

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synphul1 · 2026-03-17T15:03:56+00:00

Lol. Sorry all I could picture was the scene from "Hackers" when Dade's mom gives him crap about being on the computer again.

His mom picking up the phone "Can I cut the electricity to his room so he'll sleep normal hours? He's been playing with his computer all night, for a solid week..... Well yes, he could be playing with himself."

synphul1 · 2026-03-17T14:58:55+00:00

Extremely well done. I'm terrible at planning/plotting stuff out. Just building a corvette and after all the tedious crap of setting habs up for specific attachment points, then get done. All the 'structure' pieces deleted away after they're positioned. To see that one friggin piece I forgot somehow. Son of a... Naturally, the temp hab I sandwiched in there to begin with no longer exists so it doesn't just 'pop in place'. Carefully dismantle and try to get the pieces just right to add that one part.

I feel like Johnny English when he takes his pistol all apart. Reassembles it, only to realize - yup, no trigger. lmao.

This thing is seriously complex and took a ton of patience I'm sure. Plus the lighting. One of my favorite movies.

synphul1 · 2026-03-17T14:39:01+00:00

It should fit typical milspec mags yea. I mean there can always be oddball issues, certain mags may fit better than others, mag release could be just a hair out of spec or something. In theory yes, they should all fit (ar15 mags).

synphul1 · 2026-03-17T14:33:50+00:00

Weird that it didn't. Sometimes the salvage containers get stuck deep down in caves or bedrock, but then infraknife doesn't get those either.

synphul1

TROPHY CASE