Radar/Laser detector

[mrcityrunner]

Hello... probably been asked a thousand times before but just for the sake of up to date information... does anyone use a radar/laser detector that's very good at detecting those mobile police vans on the side of motorways or above on those bridges as I do a lot of motorway driving? Not interested in Laser jammers as I dont want to go to jail but as laser/radar detectors are not illegal I guess i'll go for one of those. No wise cracks about "dont speed will be cheaper" please as everyone does it - just want to be a little more safe in doing so at times when the road conditions permit.

Beltronics RX65, Snooper 3Zero, Road Angel Gem+, Pogo Alert+... heard these names around a lot...?

I guess im interested in learning about whether someone already owns a device they swear by and has helped them avoid getting done.

Many thanks

R

[Geekman]

The vans get a reading in well under a second, so no detector is realistically going to save you every time. I had a Valentine One which occasionally detected the scatter from when the operator targeted the cars in front, and a couple of times that bought me enough time to slow down. The mobile app Waze is quite good, as people often report the camera vans which immediately get flagged up on your app. Garmin speed camera alerts are pretty good as well as they warn you of areas where there have been speed traps in the past.

An up to date sat nav, combined with a Valentine One and a phone running Waze is probably your best chance of avoiding getting caught, but the only truly effective way is a jammer.

[mrcityrunner]

Thanks Geekman... appreciate the feedback..

I've been looking into this like mad and driving me nuts but I am happy with what you suggested as it seems spot on however the Valentine is pretty pricey... over £500 - but i guess thats the price you have to pay. Out of interest did you consider anything other than the Valentine at all like the Escort Passport or anything else not so expensive?

Cheers

R

[Geekman]

mrcityrunner said:

Thanks Geekman... appreciate the feedback..

I've been looking into this like mad and driving me nuts but I am happy with what you suggested as it seems spot on however the Valentine is pretty pricey... over £500 - but i guess thats the price you have to pay. Out of interest did you consider anything other than the Valentine at all like the Escort Passport or anything else not so expensive?

Cheers

R

You needn't pay anything like £500 for a V1 - as a matter of fact I sold mine recently for £220, and what was running a recent firmware with Euro mode. Look on eBay and you'll see loads for £200-£250.

I looked at all the cheaper ones, particularly the Road Angel / Pogo systems and I wasn't impressed at all. Didn't feel as high quality as the V1 and got very mixed reviews, whereas almost everyone I spoke to told me how good the V1 was.

[Chest Rockwell]

I use the Road Angel Gem+ because I already have Sat Nav built into the car, didn't want to shell out for another Sat Nav just for speed camera locations. It has the laser detector on it, but it's pretty useless in that a) the operator points at your number plate area and b) by the time the device picks up a laser it most likely too late. However, it has picked up scatter and the like.

Gem+ has a built in SIM card so does all the updates over the mobile network, so you have to subscribe. IF you get the device from Halfords you get 4 months free subs - but of course that is included in the price.

Fixed, mobile and average speed camera locations are pretty accurate - of course, the mobile locations depends on the van being their but it's good to know in advance.

The sounds from the device are tinny and basic as hell, but they do seem to cut through a reasonable volume from your car stereo. The display can be affected by glare from the sun, but I suppose folk just want to hear it whilst driving.

It's pretty accurate with speed and speed limits so also warns you when you're over the speed limit for whatever road you're driving on.

Cost was 179 quid from Halfords, and comes with USB cabling, windscreen and dash mounts and a hard wiring kit.

[RG63AMG]

You cant get the pogo anymore, they cant get screens, so they have dropped them and now have replaced it with the road angel gem, The road angel gem is has a very good data base and a good display,
The only thing that's a bit pants is the mounting, unless you use the windscreen mount its a very nearly flat surface mount only, And if you hit a bump or try and push a button it flys off the dash,
I had to make a stuck down mount,
While a V1 is a good detector 95% of the time it only tells you your fked, a RA will tell you when your coming up to a hot spot, IMHO the V1 is a waste of time.

[lbc]

Radar detectors don't work well if you have a heat reflective windscreen, as they significantly attenuate radar signals.

[adamfawsitt]

I find Waze very useful, camera vans appear very quickly on the App

[Who me ?]

Problem is that a lot of vans etc are now playing "nasty". The original (AFAIK)idea was to use speed traps as a visual indication and slow traffic down. These days it's income to keep the empire afloat (IMHO) ,and a lot of the times they can be perched on a bridge over a DC, following a long gradual bend giving little chance of picking up scatter. Or sat in lay by screened by HGV.

[amancalledrob]

lbc said:

Radar detectors don't work well if you have a heat reflective windscreen, as they significantly attenuate radar signals.

They also report a lot of traffic lights as speed cameras, which gets annoying very quickly indeed

[RG63AMG]

http://www.guysoflidar.com/july-2008/laser-jammer-...

[4rephill]

RG63AMG said:

http://www.guysoflidar.com/july-2008/laser-jammer-...

And if you get caught using them then you will most likely end up being charged with perverting the course of justice, be given a hefty fine or, if you're unlucky, you could be given a prison sentence!

Is it really worth having a criminal conviction on your record from trying to avoid a simple driving offence? - Not to me it's not!

[mrcityrunner]

i just downloaded waze... seems like fun but after browsing about the map i cant see anyone reporting the police lol

[RG63AMG]

It also links to laser detectors...hence the post!

4rephill said:

And if you get caught using them then you will most likely end up being charged with perverting the course of justice, be given a hefty fine or, if you're unlucky, you could be given a prison sentence!

Is it really worth having a criminal conviction on your record from trying to avoid a simple driving offence? - Not to me it's not!

[4rephill]

RG63AMG said:

It also links to laser detectors...hence the post!

4rephill said:

And if you get caught using them then you will most likely end up being charged with perverting the course of justice, be given a hefty fine or, if you're unlucky, you could be given a prison sentence!

Is it really worth having a criminal conviction on your record from trying to avoid a simple driving offence? - Not to me it's not!

I just felt that for the sake of a balanced argument, the pitfalls of using such devices should be pointed out.

Points on a licence/temporary driving ban Vs. a criminal conviction? - I know which one I'd rather have to live with!

[bad company]

amancalledrob said:

They also report a lot of traffic lights as speed cameras, which gets annoying very quickly indeed

My Valentine also used to report every time I passed a petrol station.

I have been using a Pogo Alert + for some years and it has been excellent but alas I think it's died and as previously posted they don't make them any more. They were taken over by Road Angel but I can't bring myself to buy one of those. They may work ok but imo they look terrible - like something from a 1970's Datsun.