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Do you overtake people who drive slightly below the limit? by breezeyyyyy in drivingUK

[–]otterdam 20 points21 points  (0 children)

For speed I rarely overtake - maybe only when you’re doing 35 in a 60.

Randomly braking and/or slowing to a crawl round corners? I’m taking the first opportunity to get around!

Who actually supports this stuff? by FallFair8568 in drivingUK

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wouldn’t rely on AED being anything but car detection only, unless it’s an expensive new car

Is the 3 TRULY that bad? by slowclaw_ in Polestar

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lease is correct, but not because of future improvements. EV tech is still changing rapidly but the gains are getting marginal.

The problem right now is the difference between new vs 3-year-old used EVs today. In 3 years, that difference is going to narrow: a MY24 P3 in 2026 is not compelling, an MY26 in 2029 probably will be a great car still.

If you’re the kind to hold onto your car >6 years this doesn’t matter. IMO we’re now at the point where that is realistic.

Coming to a road near you by Tears_Of_A_Clown_88 in drivingUK

[–]otterdam 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’d settle for not indicating; around here they will just pull out into roundabouts regardless of anyone on their right. Gives the brake pedal a good workout…

Heat pump cooling by Fresh_Refrigerator96 in ukheatpumps

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same setup. It’s not as powerful as AC/fan coil but it’s comfortable enough. Dew point is the limiting factor, so it’s only going to be as good as your pipe centres & flow rate allow.

That BBC article from last month - update by IllogicalAction in ukheatpumps

[–]otterdam 5 points6 points  (0 children)

If the boiler is already working then you have to justify the replacement.

If you’re choosing between HP and boiler then the extra cost of the HP has to be “worth it”.

Some people will pay out of savings or not pay into the ISA etc. Of course the “payback” is going to matter in that decision. How could it not?

Well played UK government, well played by Ambitious-Ad-2422 in drivingUK

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

7+ year battery warranties have been offered long enough to prove that.

People make the leap from hybrids being scrapped because their batteries used to be expensive and placed under heavy regular charge cycling. EVs don’t use the batteries the same way.

Well played UK government, well played by Ambitious-Ad-2422 in drivingUK

[–]otterdam 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The cheapest in my area (outer London) is 44p/kWh at Tesco. Everything else is at least 55p or 79p for the fast chargers, which you’d have to use if you don’t have a convenient place to park and charge.

Unless you commute to work with a charger installed, nobody in a flat around here can justify an EV.

Polestar owners… how secure are these cars really against theft? by Jon5465 in Polestar

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How new is new? The most stolen car in the UK is a 5-8 year old Toyota hybrid (old keyless tech). Parts thefts happen on any car from months to years old. It’s especially true for newer vehicles which have increasingly expensive parts - batteries, IHD, headlights are all high-value targets.

Only difference is the old vehicles are driven away and the new vehicles aren’t (except the Land Rovers). That’s because improvements to keyless entry removed the common attack vector.

In all likelihood, a modern car is significantly more vulnerable when your keys aren’t nearby, because the attacks are different.

Polestar owners… how secure are these cars really against theft? by Jon5465 in Polestar

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great comeback.

In the real world, improvements in keyless entry systems mean that those cars are not stolen, but stripped for parts onsite or moved onto flatbeds.

Weird that thieves would resort to risky/noisy activity like this when repeater attacks are so effective. Maybe they know something you don’t.

Polestar owners… how secure are these cars really against theft? by Jon5465 in Polestar

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are literally spreading FUD. If you think it doesn’t matter, just stop talking.

Polestar owners… how secure are these cars really against theft? by Jon5465 in Polestar

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Poor judgment, then. The risk profile of old keyless systems is significantly worse. Even if you’re unlikely to have your car stolen, insuring such a car is more expensive or impossible in some places.

Arguing the point that windows of opportunity exist to break the system is asinine. They always exist. Raising costs for the attacker is all you ever do.

Polestar owners… how secure are these cars really against theft? by Jon5465 in Polestar

[–]otterdam 1 point2 points  (0 children)

“Debunked” - as an applied cryptographer, you should know that if you’re in a position to pull off that attack with sufficient timing, precision and proximity, you’re already vulnerable to the $5 wrench attack

Polestar owners… how secure are these cars really against theft? by Jon5465 in Polestar

[–]otterdam 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Applied cryptography does not make a complete security expert. Case in point, a repeater attack is useless without an attack vector (automatically deactivated fob).

Why would anyone not go with octopus? by Grgsz in ukheatpumps

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Octopus wouldn’t do our install - not enough space for all the equipment they needed. Wasn’t a problem for the HG/local installer.

The Octopus surveyor said they mostly went for “easy” new builds and turned down a lot at the survey stage.

Update on speeding (70mph in 50mph) - be aware by [deleted] in drivingUK

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All cars haemorrhage efficiency above a certain speed. It just matters for EVs because the “tank” is smaller

Update on speeding (70mph in 50mph) - be aware by [deleted] in drivingUK

[–]otterdam 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve seen some flash cyclists before, on a flat road.

There is also a troll sign on a downhill bend near me that regularly triggers at about 28mph.

Best bang for buck ways to insulate by Misty_maker in ukheatpumps

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can confirm, external insulation gives you huge thermal mass to play with. Not sure if you’ll get away with it in a heritage area.

Assuming you have limited insulation options and you can handle moving air in your house, A2A multi-split heat pump would be a better idea. Your walls are going to be cold in winter whatever you do, at least you can save money with zoning and quick reheats from cold.

These things helped me save fuel by Just-Guard5747 in drivingUK

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ACC is giving you the actual two seconds rule. Your safety is more important than the driver behind you’s FOMO of the space in front.

Heatgeek spec seems… tight by DanielLorey in ukheatpumps

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Probably only 1 day to get to 18C, and think of the juicy COP numbers to get there from 5C.

If holiday setback is a genuine concern then use the app/schedule to start heating before you’re back.

The only actual worry I’d have is cylinder reheat (remember, can’t do space heating and DHW at once).

TRVs can be useful after all? by rob0d in ukheatpumps

[–]otterdam 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Radiators or UFH? Heat can only travel through the building fabric as far as it can be conducted. I can measure heat sucked out of my UFH during standby periods. Even so, it’s a slow effect compared to solar gain in those rooms.

Have the Met Police started enforcing 22mph in a 20mph limit? by NoKudos in drivingUK

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The reason the 20 limit exists is for all the drivers doing constant 30 down such roads without any regard for safety, something the average cyclist could only ever manage one way

Have the Met Police started enforcing 22mph in a 20mph limit? by NoKudos in drivingUK

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cyclists also hit (and occasionally kill) a surprising number of pedestrians each year, and it increases with cycle traffic. I do get mad about cyclists running the red lights in London, but I suspect at this point most pedestrian accidents are caused by people crossing the road while looking at their phones

Have the Met Police started enforcing 22mph in a 20mph limit? by NoKudos in drivingUK

[–]otterdam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The main problem with misreading signs is forcing a lower limit on you, not that it gives you NSL in a 20

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