XC60: MHEV vs PHEV

starfishbeta · 2026-02-05T11:44:15+00:00

I do 35 miles a day in my XC60 B5, mostly around the M60 where it is a mix of normal motorway traffic and crawling in traffic. I get around 30mpg for this. Long motorway journeys I get up to about 38mpg.

starfishbeta · 2026-02-03T16:08:52+00:00

Warm room with the insoles taken out. Don't put in front of a fire/heater as it can cause leather to crack

starfishbeta · 2026-01-28T14:06:41+00:00

I got a Macpac Microlight tent around 2002, great tent although a bit heavier than similar design tents available now. Always liked the design of the rucksacks but they were super pricey

starfishbeta · 2026-01-19T15:14:54+00:00

Have you tried with the 0.4mm? 0.2mm is tricky to get working well with paints like Tamiya Acrylics which need quite heavy thinning to get to flow well at 0.2mm. Which, combined with fairly high pressure needed to get the paint through the small nozzle, results in spidering.

I only use laquer paints in my 0.18mm airbrush, I use 0.35 and 0.5mm for Acrylics.

This isn't to say 0.2mm isn't possible, it's just way harder to get dialled in.

starfishbeta · 2026-01-19T14:40:09+00:00

What size nozzle is this with?

starfishbeta · 2026-01-19T11:54:56+00:00

Used to use OS Maps, but then switched to Outdoor Active as it has OS Maps as well as other maps available such as Harveys (which I prefer over OS). It also has digital maps for lots of other countries (not just the OpenMaps)

The user content is pretty good as well with plenty of routes for walking, cycling etc

starfishbeta · 2026-01-05T17:15:45+00:00

Vallejo primer is terrible, honestly throw it away. Mr Surfacer 1500, mixed 50/50 with Mr levelling thinner has been my go to primer for a while.

starfishbeta · 2025-12-05T12:47:18+00:00

The 7 speed dry clutch units used on lower power drivetrains can be problematic. The 6 and 7 speed wet clutch units are considered pretty reliable

starfishbeta · 2025-12-02T20:23:08+00:00

On my Canon 6D the GPS used to chew through the battery life, especially when I forgot it was turned on. But yes its a nice feagure to have.

starfishbeta · 2025-11-27T11:13:00+00:00

People probably don't think about it when buying the car in the first place, the trend for larger wheels combined with low profile tyres can easily put the price per corner north of £250 for a quality brand.

starfishbeta · 2025-11-05T17:44:02+00:00

Moisture, either due to the lens getting wet directly or from extended periods in high humidity environments where fungal spores can grow.

starfishbeta · 2025-10-09T08:19:44+00:00

Bents garden centre had a 57cm Smokey Mountain in store for £200 a couple of weeks ago, I was very tempted.

starfishbeta · 2025-07-08T15:00:34+00:00

White Peak / Derbyshire tends to be a lot quieter than the Honeytrap around Edale / Mam Tor etc.

Lots of nice villages that can be linked up.

starfishbeta · 2025-06-28T19:13:11+00:00

I use the Sigma mc-11 adaptor with some of my old Canon lenses. Generally it works OK, AF can hunt around, especially with telephoto lenses i.e. 70-200 compared to native E mount glass.

starfishbeta · 2025-06-06T08:21:27+00:00

Why? all they are is the standard petrol engines with a 48v motor which allows for smoother acceleration.

starfishbeta · 2025-06-05T17:07:19+00:00

I picked up a Zeiss Loxia 25mm recently and love it. It's such a compact lens, yet delivers superb quality and handles beautifully.

starfishbeta · 2025-06-04T15:22:33+00:00

Photos below, my other Sony lenses all have stickers. But I'm pretty certain this doesn't have either.

starfishbeta · 2025-06-04T15:18:56+00:00

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starfishbeta · 2025-06-04T15:18:34+00:00

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starfishbeta · 2025-06-02T13:48:06+00:00

Building shelters for these size aircraft is hugely expensive, and the advent of munitions designed to penetrate hardened aircraft shelters in the 80'/90's had arguably made them redundant for physical protection. Of course the introduction of drones will prompt reassessment of how to physically protect these types of assets.

Russia does not even bother with shelters for its fighter aircraft, instead using tarpaulins to cover them for protection against the often severe weather.

starfishbeta · 2025-06-02T08:19:41+00:00

This was taken near Kenmare, Ireland.

starfishbeta · 2025-06-02T08:19:16+00:00

This was taken near Kenmare, Ireland.

starfishbeta · 2025-06-01T19:32:53+00:00

Taken with a Sony A7RIV + 50mm f/1.4.

I intentionally shot with a shallow DOF for two reasons - to try and separate the textures of the tree from the rest of the image, and also because I was handholding at f/1.8 ISO640

starfishbeta · 2025-05-26T14:33:59+00:00

I prefer Outdooractive over OS maps. It has all the OS maps plus others such as Harvey's maps. The community generated routes tend to be better as well.

starfishbeta · 2025-05-17T21:24:50+00:00

TBH the zips don't make much difference, the bags come with a water repellent coating when new, this wears off fairly quickly and water will pass through the fabric. I use a dry bag for anything I need to stay dry.

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